Episode 3 of Dark Matter kicks off with a jarring phone call that jolts Amanda out of her composure, informing her of Daniela's fate. Her shock turns to a vehement curse as the gravity of the situation dawns on her. Meanwhile, Jason awakens to find himself inexplicably back at Velocity, face to face with Leighton, who musters a semblance of composure before confessing his intention to shoulder the blame. "Your return caught us off guard," he admits, regarding Jason with a mixture of wariness and suspicion. Leighton sees Jason as a potential threat, hence his current predicament of being restrained.
Elsewhere, Detective Mason's unexpected visit to Leighton's office sets an unsettling tone. The walls adorned with a peculiar painting, reminiscent of internet memes, lend an air of intrigue, though whether this is deliberate remains a matter of speculation. Mason's purpose is to discuss Jason, and her mention of the art show and his recent whereabouts catches Leighton off balance.
This chain of events inadvertently drags Amanda into the fray, forcing her to resort to deception. She vehemently advises against hiring Dawn, the unstable woman, and her disagreement with Leighton over Jason's return through the box escalates into a heated debate. Both are acutely aware of the millions invested in creating this enigmatic device.
Driven by a relentless quest for answers, Leighton storms back to confront Jason, freeing him from his bonds. He broaches the subject of the box and their efforts to safeguard it, while Jason maintains a steady gaze, his words weaving a convincing narrative that persuades Leighton to reveal the box.
The lab reveals the box at its center, surrounded by a hushed circle of scientists. Jason learns that he stands alone as the only person to have ventured within and emerged alive, a stark contrast to the three previous occupants whose fates remain shrouded in mystery. As he scrutinizes the footage, witnessing himself entering and, ultimately, crawling out of the machine, the truth becomes clear: this is indeed their Jason, fueling their confusion and intensifying the mystery surrounding his return.
That fateful evening, Amanda approached Jason with an air of trust, and he all but acknowledged the truth himself, his denial bordering on the thinnest of lines. However, their moment of intimacy was shattered by Ryan's unexpected arrival. Leighton, determined to uncover the truth, summoned Jason once more, his interrogation this time imbued with a harder edge. Recognizing Jason's imposture, he confronted him, calling him out for his deceit. Cornered and with his façade shattered, Jason lunged across the table, striking him with a fierce blow to the mouth. But just as tensions threatened to boil over, Dawn intervened, her hand hovering dangerously close to a weapon, until Leighton's calming voice diffused the situation.
Once the dust settled, Jason found himself under scrutiny, questioned relentlessly about the mysterious box's workings. His ignorance was palpable, yet Leighton remained unconvinced, locking him away in a room where Ryan's presence was an unexpected twist.
It transpired that the masked Jason had tasked Ryan with brewing a potion, a drug designed to manipulate the very fabric of the mind. Ryan's involvement, though seemingly haphazard, was rooted in a theory of decoherence, and the box served as a portal, its power amplified by these specific concoctions. This revelation shed new light on the enigmatic box hidden in the warehouse.
Meanwhile, in the realm of the ordinary, the false Jason encountered Daniela for dinner, his demeanor betraying a hint of unease as she casually mentioned a dinner party he had supposedly "forgotten." The truth was, he had forgotten because he was not the true Jason, but he brushed it off with a laugh, the two of them continuing to indulge in the soothing embrace of wine, their conversation a fleeting distraction from the tumultuous events unfolding elsewhere.
Jason finds himself grappling with the complexities of this world, relying heavily on the digital veil of social media to reconstruct the fragmented pieces of his existence. He diligently attempts to commit the crucial details of the evening's dinner to memory, managing to hold his ground admirably... until Ryan's arrival disrupts the facade. Jason's half-hearted apology rings hollow, and Ryan, ever perceptive, detects an undercurrent of disarray, especially when Jason's compliment about his appearance falls flat.
Later that night, Daniela, too, calls Jason out on his altered demeanor. Though her tone betrays no discontent, for the changes have been overwhelmingly positive, she intuitively senses a deeper narrative lurking beneath the surface. Jason, artfully omitting the kidnapping ordeal, alludes to a harrowing near-miss outside the bar, weaving a tale of survival and the narrow escape from losing her forever.
As the night deepens, the masked Jason, relentless in his pursuit, continues to delve into research within the confines of his office, striving to blend seamlessly into the life of our Jason. Yet, like any intricate illusion, cracks inevitably begin to show.
As the episode draws to a climactic close, we shift focus back to our protagonist. Amanda, resolute and determined, orchestrates a daring escape, leading Jason by the hand towards their destiny. Together, they ascend to the box, their mission unwavering, shattering Dawn's fingers into a gruesome mosaic as she futilely attempts to bar their way. Locked in a cocoon of their own creation, armed with Jason's cache of drugs, they administer the potent serum to each other, embarking on a journey towards the unknown.
When consciousness returns, they find themselves adrift in a surreal, boundless expanse—a strange, infinite world that promises both wonder and peril.
