Review: Dark Matter Season 2, Episode 8: “The Basic Oneness of Everything”
Written by Blake Crouch & Jacquelyn Ben-Zekry
Directed by Guillermo Navarro
Much like “Love and Be Loved”, this episode of Dark Matter slows down to focus on a side character: Laurel. We’ve seen Laurel as something of a caretaker for those traveling in the Box, with her library something of a way station. But now we get to see things from her perspective.
The episode begins “two years ago” as a version of Jason and Amanda emerge from the Box, which has “crash landed” into Laurel’s house. Laurel is extremely wary of these intruders, but Amanda has been terribly wounded by a tree branch that has impaled her chest. Laurel was a nurse earlier in her life, particularly within the military, so she helps this Jason slowly but surely take care of Amanda.
While Amanda recovers, which takes a significant chunk of the episode, we learn about Laurel’s world. In her world, the major terrorist attack of note was a dirty bomb in Chicago. And in the wake of that attack, things went very fascist and dark in her world. We eventually learn that the love of Laurel’s life, Rory, was taken by the state for having banned materials. Seeing as Laurel’s library is filled with books, she hasn’t been allowing people into her home, out of self-preservation.
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Not that she doesn’t have a support system in her world. She has a friend, Pat, who is generous enough to help get supplies for Laurel’s new guests. But she would typically never let Pat, or anyone else, into her library. And thus the library becomes the central location where Laurel, Jason, and Amanda spend their time.
After a number of weeks (months?), Jason and Amanda go back into the Box. But Laurel continues to get visitors. Among them is a delightful version of Leighton (Leighton 3?), who convinces Laurel that she should welcome new travelers from the Box and help them, for her sake as much as theirs. He will continue to come back and visit, adding an infectious energy to the story.
Next is Blair 2, who we now know went through a harrowing and ever-darker series of adventures in the Box. Contextually, this could be right after she introduced the “murder hornets” to a world and basically caused genocide. Blair 2’s time with Laurel helps to restore a bit of her mental health. The implication, I believe, is that it was her time with Laurel that allowed Blair 2 to find a sense of balance and peace on World X.
Jason and Amanda return; Jason’s mission remains unfulfilled. This time, after Jason and Amanda recover a bit from their journeys, Laurel helps them with a bit of perspective. Traveling in the Box is less about destinations and more about connections to people. Amanda decides to stay behind and build a life in Laurel’s world, so Jason can focus on his mission.
But Jason returns, because when he followed Laurel’s advice, it wasn’t taking him “home”. Because after all their time together, this Jason has fallen in love with this Amanda. And ultimately, they choose to live a life together, supporting Laurel and the community they’ve built.
And that brings the story to Charlie’s arrival at Laurel’s way station. And as it turns out, the person Charlie meets at the way station is this Jason, who is very happy to see “his” son. He gives Charlie some very important advice about meeting Max and then immediately going back home where he belongs. It seems very much that Charlie listens to that advice, though of course, we won’t know until the next episode.
I wouldn’t say that this is necessarily a better episode than “Love and Be Loved”. I think that standalone story had a deeper impact. But stepping outside the main narratives to fill in the blanks about Laurel actually helps flesh out aspects of the story. And perhaps makes Laurel a key figure in the resolution of some of the plot and character arcs this season. Time will tell, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Daniela was the next to visit the way station and learn an important lesson.
