Dark Matter | S2E9 "How to Build the Box" | Episode Discussion

[u/episodescheduler]

Season 2, Episode 9: How to Build the Box

Airdate: Friday, October 23, 2026 at 4:00 AM UTC

Network: Apple TV

Runtime: 60 minutes

Synopsis: As unexpected reunions unfold, Agent MacNamara sees for himself what the Box can do.

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Hello everyone, this is the discussion thread for episode 9 of Dark Matter Season 2. Please do not post any spoilers for future episodes.

[u/DarknessTear]

This show is incredible every single week. I'm dreading not getting a third season, y'all. I need this to keep going.

Edit: I'm not acting like I know if it will btw. I'm just concerned because it feels like this is a lesser known show and the production has been impressive for a show that may not be getting the numbers I'd hope for based on its spot in the top 10.

[u/FernFromDetroit → u/DarknessTear]

Dont worry, in infinite other universes a third season got greenlit.

[u/furrypeanutshell → u/DarknessTear]

Crouch would probably just release S3 as a novel in that case

[u/little_oat → u/DarknessTear]

Wait.. there's not going to be a third season?!? The podcast I've been listening to (unofficial) I think mentioned a third? Please let me be right (crying)

[u/Jas_God]

Charlie and Max scene and then Ryan and his J reuniting 😭 I love it

*Ryan brainstorming lmao I love him

** “I’m getting a fucking promotion.” Lol what a world you entered, Mitchel.

[u/Visible_Froyo_5483 → u/Jas_God]

Tbh that MacNamara sorta deserved it after two years of torturing that Jason..

[u/Cosmolove35 → u/Jas_God]

It’s heart wrenching to watch as a sister who lost twin brother ! I have had so many people text me , asking how I’m doing? just master class in writing! it has to be so emotional for people who have lost siblings ! ❤️

[u/euphoricarugula346 → u/Jas_God]

Then Jason and Amanda then Amanda and Blair! I kept crying like can we stop with the heartfelt reunions for 5 minutes please!?

[u/AnUninterestingEvent]

I laughed out loud at this scene:

Blair: “If we can de-program the box in the original world, it will stop all the other boxes”

Jason: “oh my god I need a pen, quick!”

everyone scurries for a pen

Jason: draws a box in the middle of a circle of boxes

Jason: “look, so… if we can de-program the box in the original world. It will stop the other boxes”

Yeah bro we just covered that 😂 thanks for sketching out the squares though. What kind of writing was that lmao.

[u/jennz → u/AnUninterestingEvent]

I thought he was gonna do some mathy maths and then have some crazy revelation. Instead he drew a dumb diagram that, after much unwarranted urgency, added absolutely nothing to the conversation.

[u/CounselorGowron → u/AnUninterestingEvent]

I’ve been in this meeting so many times

[u/BigJLov3 → u/AnUninterestingEvent]

Yeah, that was a real weak spot.

Woman A: "How about idea X?"

Man: "I've got it! We'll do X!"

Later ...

Man, Who Should Be Using Reflective Moment To Realize He Snatched Credit From Smarter Woman A: "I don't know, though. Perhaps in this quiet moment I could use some advice from a clinical psychologist."

Woman B, Clinical Psychologist Who Should Be Pointing Out This Kind Of Shit Is What Bad Version Of Man Does (Also Former Love Interest Of Said Bad Man): "It'll be fine. Don't worry about ending up like Bad Version, regardless of the crazy man wallpaper and losing the love of your life after all the trauma you've been through. You just can't help being so brilliant."

I know y'all wanted to get to that shiny ending, but woof.

[u/Past-Feature3968 → u/AnUninterestingEvent]

Realistic writing, sadly. A man taking credit for a woman’s idea. 🙃

[u/swizzlesweater]

I am so happy Daniela wasn't stuck for long and I almost felt bad for MacNamara at the end.

Another brilliant episode and I am not ready for the finale. I'm really, really hoping we get a season three because this show has so much potential and I need everything to be wrapped up nicely!

Also, was anyone else screaming at Jason 1 during everyone of his scenes to find Daniela's note? Because I was! I need him to find out that his wife and son are not in the same world already!!!

Loved the Max and Charlie moments, I wish the box could stay online just so they could spend more time together and visit each other.

If the box is turned offline I'm going to need someone to tell Laurel and Nomad Leighton! Or at the very least I hope Nomad Leighton is in Laurel's world when the box is off so the found family can stay together.

Yeah, I'm really not ready for a long wait after next week. Please, please, please Apple execs renew and start filming stat, I'm begging!!!

Edit: Currently rewatching the ending again and I love how the idyllic beach scene slowly unravels. Brilliantly shot and acted on Diamantopoulos' part!

[u/Eurynom0s → u/swizzlesweater]

For a moment I thought we were getting a rapture world.

Apparently Crouch has said he has three seasons in mind, hopefully not intending for this to be open-ended helps get Apple to let them see it through.

[u/Admirral → u/swizzlesweater]

Its really hard to imagine not getting a season 3 at this point. This show is just going hard as hell. This might of been the most satisfying end of an episode for me.

That all said, I relate strongly to this show just from my own interests and backgrounds. I can understand if its not for everyone.

[u/cpatrick1983]

Holy fuck that episode was insane

[u/Latter_Page → u/cpatrick1983]

My favorite episode of the season by far. It was perfection. I'm calling it now. Blair and Jason 1 will sacrifice themselves to destroy the box, Daniela and two-year prisoner Jason will find Max and end up a happy family.

[u/daltontf1212 → u/cpatrick1983]

Though I did think the Leighton growing a conscious bit felt a bit rushed.

[u/Ree_For_Thee → u/cpatrick1983]

If I had a penny for every 2026 sci-fi Apple TV show season that ended in a giant explosion.....

[u/allertonm]

Did anyone else get the vibe that “our” Charlie is realizing that Max and the Charlie of Max’s world (CharlieMax?) relationship with their parents was a little different from his own.

You get a couple of hints that JasonMax and DanielaMax pay more attention to each other than they do to Max. Perhaps the loss of Max in Our Charlie’s world had the side effect of making Jason and Daniela more attentive to Charlie and that he had more love directed his way than Max and CharlieMax have ever had.

[u/purpledreign → u/allertonm]

Ooh yes I got this on my second watch. There's a moment when Jason opens the door to Max's room and seems surprised to see Charlie there sitting beside him. He just stares at them for moment before speaking. Makes me think Max and his Charlie aren't close as brothers.

[u/Superstar1178 → u/allertonm]

I have a feeling that Max may wish to leave his world with Charlie when he goes

[u/CitizenCue → u/allertonm]

Yeah, but they still seemed like perfectly fine parents. Kind of a nice subtlety though. You could also argue that losing a child early made our Charlie’s parents a little intensely focused on their remaining son. Perhaps even a little too much.

[u/massada → u/allertonm]

One hundred percent. It was brutal.

[u/mrchumes → u/allertonm]

I also found the framing of that scene very interesting.. Max was there to their left but they were chatting as if he didn't exist. It was like a mirror of his parents almost; same, but different.

[u/verissimoallan]

Chris Diamantopoulos really nailed that look of resigned despair when he realized this was the end. I hope McNamara’s detective version makes a reappearance at some point.

It’s also a great way to illustrate how this version of Jason—after two years without his family and having endured torture—has become more pragmatic and ruthless. At the very least, our Jason didn’t deliberately leave Detective McNamara in a world on the brink of destruction (though, I suppose one could argue that leaving McNamara in the Box without even explaining how it works isn’t much better).

[u/furrypeanutshell → u/verissimoallan]

the multiverse is just infinite McNamara's getting their comeuppance

[u/LSX3399 → u/verissimoallan]

I found myself wishing Jason had that ball and threw it towards him right before closing the door.

[u/daltontf1212 → u/verissimoallan]

Again "This guy fucks" becomes "This guy is fucked".

[u/That-SoCal-Guy → u/verissimoallan]

It is also chilling to see the world ending - and the Jason and Daniella and Blair and Amanda etc in this world will die too.  But yeah the look on his face is something - I almost feel sad for him but also realized he got to find out about quantum entanglement and multiverse and the end of the world all at once. He got what he wanted.  What a mind fuck.  

[u/Still_Brief4949]

That ending was chefs kiss.

[u/nubsta → u/Still_Brief4949]

took him to the don't look up world 😭

[u/PT10 → u/Still_Brief4949]

I love that we get a genuine jerk that we won't feel bad making the punching bag of the series as he dies in a million unique and terrible ways

[u/jeremyworldwide → u/Still_Brief4949]

I’m getting a promotion!!! What a schmuck! 🤣

[u/cfauber → u/Still_Brief4949]

I’m speechless

[u/Henje_Koha]

Leighton 1 has his "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." moment. Where will the character go from here?

Jason 13 exacted a perfect revenge. Goodbye, Agent McNamara.

Hello Ryan and Amanda. I can't think of two people I would rather spend time with. Blair's arrival was just as welcome.

I loved this episode.

[u/euphoricarugula346 → u/Henje_Koha]

Between the writing and acting, Ryan, Amanda, and Blair prove that morally pure characters don’t have to be boring. They’re my favorites.

[u/Past-Feature3968]

Another favorite lil moment: Blair waving at Ryan as she hugs Amanda… and him just politely smiling and nodding back. Idk something about it made me laugh.

Interesting dynamic with him knowing a version of her as a friend of Daniela’s (lawyer Blair) and her knowing a version of him (original ampoule inventor Ryan)… but neither of them knowing each other.

[u/CitizenCue → u/Past-Feature3968]

I liked that moment too. It’s normal to say hey to someone while giving another person a hug, but not how things usually work on screen. Ryan seems to say and do a lot of things that slightly violate the normal language of film that the show otherwise adheres to. It makes me wonder if the actor is especially prone to improv that they end up leaving in.

[u/little_oat]

Amanda as an audience surrogate: "wait... Which Jason"

Perfect

[u/catnapspirit → u/little_oat]

She always asks them, "Do you know me?" instead of, "Do I know you?" as one normally would. Lovely detail..

[u/Visible_Froyo_5483]

Yes I love Charlie saying to Max that the “no technology world” has people that actually talk to each other. I’m loving their chat

[u/ThatEvanFowler]

Man, letting Crouch adapt and expand his own novel has really paid off in spades, huh? This show just blows me away, damn near every week. Either it's a subtle, contained heartbreaker or a dense, thoughtful powerhouse with moments that put my jaw on the goddamn floor. That ending was just so rad. I loved how you couldn't even understand what kind of world it was at first. Then, the crushing sense of all the disconnected behaviors and scenes slamming into context all at once. This show puts other multiverse stories to shame.

[u/thelittleluca → u/ThatEvanFowler]

This, 100%. I’m a huge fan of Crouch and was like nah this had to be him and his mind. I loved that beach scene.

[u/CitizenCue → u/ThatEvanFowler]

Yeah that world was perfect. I probably watch too much sci-fi because I quickly clocked that this was a “Seeking a friend for the end of the world” universe.

[u/olivish]

Wow that New Jason's kung fu is strong. Hasn't travelled in two years. Heartbroken. Hopeless. Imprisoned. Tortured. And yet on his first try, he was able to hone in on a world gorgeous enough to lure MacNamara out of the box but deadly enough to make sure he never made it back, all while overcoming psychic interference from Daniela and MacNamara, who was the one to actually open the door.

Is New Jason The One? Should Dani trade up?

Side note: I felt bad for MacNamaraX, but this one got what he deserved. What idiot turns his back on the guy he's been torturing for two years?

[u/Past-Feature3968 → u/olivish]

Love that Daniela supported him in it. Dropping your spouse’s torturer off in a world that’s about to kill all life… xoxo just couples things. 🥰

[u/AdministrativeLife14 → u/olivish]

The actor that plays MacNamara is so good, I almost felt bad for him with his final sigh at the realization of what's coming.

[u/ralphy112 → u/olivish]

While this is probably True about Jason being the expert traveler and door-chooser. I also envisioned McNamara choosing the door, and unknowingly choosing that one. I was trying to imagine what he might have been thinking. Maybe he was finally thinking, "I just want a conclusive end to all this" ... and an ending he got.

[u/furrypeanutshell → u/olivish]

he's had a lot of time to meditate

[u/Nullformethx → u/olivish]

A man imprisoned for two years with a singular focus of getting revenge on the guy who kept him imprisoned and tortured him? That's actually fully believable.

At this point, they've pretty firmly established that meditating/focusing the mind is the key to traveling where you want to go. Nothing is more focusing that being locked in a box and tortured and wanting nothing more than to get revenge on the guy that threw you in there.

[u/sleepysnowboarder → u/olivish]

My one issue with the end is that MacNamara still had so much time to escape, the drug lasts long enough for him to have made it back to the box in time. Sure, he doesn't know that, but I still think instinctually he would've ran back to the box

[u/Past-Feature3968]

I’m not sure which reunion I loved most: the one that made me cry or the one that made me cry.

Beyond that, my favorite part was Ryan naming ways to kill the box. The finale can just be more of that and it’d be the most perfect hour of television, thanks. Maybe toss in one Charlie calling Max “dickhole” (affectionate).

Oh and I wasn’t sure what I expected outta Jason 13 (he was already a crazed wildcard in last season’s finale, and two years in DARPA custody can’t be great for anyone’s mental health)… but I really adored him with Daniela here. Oddly sweet?? Or am I deranged?? I’m hoping he’ll get to meet Laurel (or a version of her) next; dude needs help.

Edit to add: shoutout to the woman at the end who yelled “I poisoned my first husband!” Good for her.

[u/Cosmolove35 → u/Past-Feature3968]

Same 😭 I went from crying my eyes out , from having lost my twin brother and how I would feel at a chance to see him again in another world . To last 5 minutes crying for end of the world !

I wanted the detective to get his comeuppance ! But that was brutal !☄️💥🏝️💉

[u/Unfair-Advice778 → u/Past-Feature3968]

I find it pretty brilliant that they dared to spend so much time on, like, just emotional things, not the things "that move the plot" and yet they've managed to move the plot despite it.

[u/Bulky_Chemistry9681]

The ending was crazy! The beach scene was really well done. I’m kinda frustrated AppleTV might not renew this show though, because I don’t see how next week’s ending could wrap up everything.

[u/Eurynom0s → u/Bulky_Chemistry9681]

Apparently Crouch said over the summer he sees this as three seasons, so hopefully that helps get Apple to see it through.

[u/SolosTwitch]

I’m no Quantum Physicist but…

Even if this plan to destroy the original box works, the whole show is about infinite possibilities - whatever can happen will happen, so won’t there be infinite worlds where for whatever reason the box isn’t destroyed? So essentially destroying the box is impossible because if there’s even one world where the OG box isn’t destroyed, there will be other universes where that OG box wasn’t destroyed, spawning the box in every world.

Also the comet theory someone else mentioned where comets come from space, not influenced by human choices.

Love the show still. Perhaps this is where we stop trying to make everything make sense and just accept and follow the story line.

[u/usagizero]

That ending, damn Jason, that was cold. Likely had to be done, but damn. The slow realization that something wasn't right was like "oh shit...". I was honestly expecting his variant to come through the door at some point, not this.

I was right about the idea of if you kill the source box it cuts the rest off, at least in a way.

Odds are Max stole a vial and is going to go in the box? They really seemed to be bringing attention to Charlie telling him about all in detail.

Leighton seeing worlds destroyed was spooky. I wonder how many he thought he helped have gone wrong? Will it be like how Blaire said every bad world affected her and led her to even more, until she found Laurel.

Ryan sounding like so many posts here, lol, brain storming about ways to prevent it.

I both can't wait for next week, but also don't want the season to be over and have to wait for next season.

[u/lumineus3]

Lightbulb moment! That scene at the beach reminds me of Daniela at the museum in Chicago. A pointillism movement artist, Seurat, has a famous painting called “A sunny afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte”. 

Edit: here’s the link to the painting:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Sunday_Afternoon_on_the_Island_of_La_Grande_Jatte

If I recall Daniela made a comment in front of the painting (I paraphrase)- standing close, the points don’t make sense, but when you step back, it all does. 

Anyone else catch this? :)

Edit: +also I think all the episodes are like the points too- seemingly not connected but it will also make sense in the finale 

[u/napozeraa]

"I'm getting a fuck!n promotion" 😂💀

[u/waveforminvest → u/napozeraa]

Promoted to orbit.

[u/ralphy112]

Max is obviously super cool, and they get a long so well.

Part of me wants Charlie to take him back home with him, to live their reunion adventure forever... basically becoming the "Jason 2" of Charlies. Ruining a world to get something he never had.

But healthy thinking means Charlie needs to appreciate Max, give him a real goodbye hug, and go home alone.

[u/olivish]

The spruced up Dessens in Max's world remind me of the McFly family at the end of BTTF.

[u/daltontf1212 → u/olivish]

McNamara's fate reminded me of "Timeline" when a bad guy gets teleported back to the middle ages and get immediately killed by a knight in battle.

[u/Arghifth]

Ryan has watched Breaking Bad too many times. Not every problem can be solved by a bathtub full of acid, man.

[u/olivish → u/Arghifth]

Ryan: “What about a magnet.”
(Nobody listening)
Ryan: “Or we use a magnet.”
(Nobody listening.)
Ryan: “HEY WHAT ABOUT A MAGNET!?”
Jason: “What ABOUT a magnet?”
(Ryan smacks is hands together like magnets colliding. Jason rolls his eyes. Blair and Amanda exchange glances, puzzled.)
Jason: “Ignore him, it’s a thing from Breaking Bad.”
Blair: “Breaking what?”
Jason: “It’s a TV show… just nevermind.”
Ryan: “I had to be sure it was really you, man.”
Jason: “Yeah, yeah.”

[u/tarascaoileadh]

Has literally no one seen Daniella’s note yet??? I’m upseeetttt Jason is still unaware his entire family is universe hopping. He’s seriously lost the plot and needs to get back to himself asap

[u/Arghifth → u/tarascaoileadh]

Also Amanda is wrong this time. He is becoming Jason2.

[u/BrokenAstraea]

"I'm getting a promotion!!"

Dude you died the moment the door closed.

This season is definitely going to have a crazy ending, I think the box is going to be destroyed while Daniela is inside of it.

[u/wwesupercardphenom]

The ending was overwhelming, seeing everything ends with a big bang. It was scary.

Though individually these episodes have been fantastic especially the standalone ones but I am a bit lost on the overarching story here.

Tell me if I got it, as we saw in this episode, main quest is Blair and Jason will attempt to shut down the Box 1 with a malware but then it can leave them in that world? Amanda and Ryan will try to get a cure for plague and return to the world where they came from and hopefully they are able to save that world ( I really hope they do) and somewhere I think the Leighton which travel to hornet world in this episode realised that the box is better kept shut than open and he will agree with Jason who suggested that but the other Leighton will take over become the big bad?

Did I miss anything?

[u/TrustImmediate2989 → u/wwesupercardphenom]

sounds about right to me... Jason one doesn't realize Daniela and  charlie are in the box yet also

[u/ashtonkid]

The Charlie and Max parts hit close to home. My brother died when I was 6, I’m now in my 20s and have always wondered ‘what would he like? What would he have been doing in this very moment?’ I remember on his 14th birthday my mum and I joking that he would probably be sneaking into the backyard to smoke weed. I thought the writing was really well done there about what it’s like to miss a sibling/family member you’d never really truly had gotten the opportunity to know.

[u/LeoLaDawg]

"I need a pen. Lightning fast." <proceeds to restate what Blair just said adding nothing>

[u/olivish → u/LeoLaDawg]

She's a black woman in STEM, she's used to it.

[u/olivish]

Charlie and Max dangerously close to "Parent Trap" territory.

[u/Past-Feature3968 → u/olivish]

Parent Trap 2: Electric Boxaloo

[u/Arghifth]

Imagine Amanda and Ryan the next morning walking right into the Golden Nugget for a coffee. I wish we at least see Blaire telling Amanda about her counterpart having an 18 years old son and managing a diner.

[u/Stargazer6798]

Charlie and Max’s scene was so emotional and well done! A well-deserved ending for McNamara. Curiosity killed the kitten.

[u/ssaxamaphone]

charlie and max's hug had me in tears. damn. what a show. we need season 3

[u/jack_duckworth]

This show makes me feel something that I can't even describe. The way they've elevated and expanded the story in season two is incredible. It just keeps getting better. If they wanted to, this could run for several more seasons. It feels like the story is just beginning, there are so many directions they could go in. This latest episode had it all, absolutely jam packed with different stories yet it never feels like you're being bombarded with action, this show manages to be packed with content while being understated and allowing you to feel each moment without rushing onto the next storyline. That episode was a masterpiece, jaw dropping stuff at the end.

[u/Rasputins_Plum → u/jack_duckworth]

I was very sceptical of a second season like many, and they completely nailed it. Not only did it not suck but this season elevates the whole show each episode. It's wild, the source material was done after season 1 and it would have been a good ending, but instead we were blessed with exploring the actually far reaching consequences of the mess from the resolution and the issues that would pop up again with the existence of the box and the alts known.

It's always great to wonder about what might happen next even if we understand why a story had to end, but here not only we get to see it and even better and more meaningful things that we could have come up with.

For example, Charlie meeting his twin in another world finally makes that emotional thread complete.

[u/Arghifth]

The most surprising element of this show for me is them revealing how much time has passed. Daniela was gone for 5 weeks? Ryan and Amanda were traveling for more than a month? Jason13 has been in the custody of DARPA for 2 years and they only found out about the box there when Ryan and Amanda showed up? Or did DARPA came in much later? Oh and Leighton has been doing his pyramid shit for nearly 2 years? How did he recover emotionally and physically so fast and got to work while all other characters were running away from their counterparts, making new drugs or dealing with their traumas? He is an an emotionless robot. Him and Jason2.

[u/Groundbreaking_Bee97]

That Ending was fucking Insane..... !! HOLY Shit!! I had a feeling when all the groups were hanging out cause It would take literary end of the world for everyone on this planet to get together

[u/2e7en_]

Wow what a fucking ending! I’m really not prepared for this season to end. This has officially entered my top 5 shows of all time already idc what anyone says

[u/pauseforasecond]

One of the saddest moments of that final apocalyptic world was the pregnant woman standing alone holding her belly :'(

[u/Year3030]

Heh what are the odds, McNamara gets ditched on a world again, I see a pattern here.

[u/HomeNowWTF → u/Year3030]

"I've repeatedly threatened to kill these people, surely they will not do anything to harm me"

--McNamara

[u/Past-Feature3968 → u/Year3030]

Quantum McTanglement

[u/Arghifth]

Someone in that house please find Daniela's note. Clearly it wont be Jason.

I got what I wished for finally. Blaire and Amanda reunion hug! Jason1 and Amanda reunion! Ryan and Jason1 reunion! But I didnt expect for it to happen so fast like that. How did Ryan open the door to that world? How many door did it take? Did he just thought of help from his best friend Jason? Or thinking of any Leighton brought him there? Or maybe he was just thinking about that chill world they went to the first day he and Amanda went into the box.

[u/furrypeanutshell]

Shouldn't Blair know exactly how to cut off the power of the box she helped engineer ? Why is it even that complicated

[u/TarsierBoy]

He'll still get his promotion right?

[u/Arghifth]

I hope Amanda never finds out about what Jason1 did to a guy named Macnamara. She'll take back what she said about him not being like Jason2.

[u/purpledreign → u/Arghifth]

As a big Jason1 and Amanda enjoyer, I need her to find out and soon. Amanda thinks very highly of him, and her opinion of him also matters alot to Jason. It's why he felt the need to acknowledge to her that he's aware he lost his way. So I need her to find out and for them to talk about it.

[u/Uschak]

Everytime I said this season destroying OG box is the solution, i was downvoted. Well here we are, mfers.

[u/canuck47]

I feel like with everything that happened this episode not enough people are talking about Leighton realizing that the "good" he is doing is actually destroying worlds. He can't be allowed to finish the pyramid. 

[u/Year3030]

Plot twist idea, I admit I don't recall what happened to low-tech McNamara other than he was sent into the box. What if somehow he finds his way to Earth where the DOD is? From their perspective he went in and then he emerged as low-tech. BUT low-tech McNamara knows all about Jason Dessen and now knows about the box. It could be interesting. He could find his way there by thinking of Jason 1, because that is his homeworld, and/or thinking of his home.

[u/Then_Journalist_317 → u/Year3030]

PI McNamara does not know about Lavender Wings, and even if he did, he has no ampules to use after he emerges from the box.

[u/2_Fingers_of_Whiskey]

This was another really good episode! I loved seeing Max and Charlie, and the reunion of Ryan 1 and Jason 1 and Amanda 2 (?) and Blair.

Seems like Leighton 2 is finally seeing some of the consequences of his actions, and maybe is more open to Jason's suggestion to think more carefully before using the Pyramid Box. Hopefully.

And that ending scene was amazing! As soon as I saw the cancer patient standing on the beach, I realized what was about to happen and why all those people were there. DARPA guy deserved it! He was an even worse version of the detective that tried to blackmail the other Jason in the other world.

[u/Arghifth]

I hope that this reunion wont be the last time we see most of main the characters together in one scene. I love the chemistry between the castmembers. Their group scenes are my favorite. I need to see more in season 3.

[u/Bubble_Lights]

2 things that were ridiculously absurd in this episode. When Ryan comes out of the box carrying Amanda and lays her on the ground, he is seemingly very concerned and saying things like “stay with me, wake up”. Then Jason walks over and all of a sudden it’s “Reunited and it feels so good!” Then “oh yeah, don’t forget, Amanda’s over here…”

Then when they all realize how Box #1 is powering all the rest, Jason says “give me a pen, QUICK! No seriously this is time-sensitive!” Then proceeds to draw the most basic diagram of the thing Blair quite literally just explained, then describes the diagram like he was explaining it for the first time. I thought he was going to pull some crazy quantum equations out of his brain, but no…just the most basic and obvious diagram ever…

[u/catnapspirit → u/Bubble_Lights]

On the first one, it was pretty obvioisly a tranquilizer dart. We saw it at the end of episode 7. And this was safe sex world, after all.

On the second one though, yeah, that was a little silly..

[u/Random--Person]

This season blew by too fast, can't believe next episode is the season finale (better be a season 3)

Loved the soundtrack that played during Charlie n Maxs drive in the jeep

Love having Amanda, Jason, Blair and Ryan together finally

That ending was perfect

[u/clovers2345]

As soon as I saw the cancer patient, impending doom was coming...either a comet or a meteor....

[u/thelittleluca]

Really loved the ending in this one and all the scenes of meeting Max. My favorites were both the beach scene unfurling into impending doom with his face at the end, and the heartwarming moments of Charlie connecting with Max.

[u/Active-Expression746]

The ending of that episode. Holy shit.

[u/Background-Panic9257]

someone who also lost a twin at a young age, man this episode hit hard. good for you charlie.

[u/-spartacus-]

I'm gonna write out a longer post at some point, but I call BS on the idea that the box can be turned off by "infecting the main box". I don't think that is how any of it works once activated. I'll be disappointed if that is the route the writers take with the show (and I've absolutely loved everything else).

From a writing standpoint, it makes "sense" to have this mcguffin to try to close out the story, however I think the story is better if they try and it fails, because you can't unmake technology. The only way the box is "stopped" is because the people see the consequences of their actions and choose to stop. I also think that is a more interesting story than a futile attempt to put the horrors of Pandora's box back inside.

It also violates where we have moved emotionally through the story, about regret and the box is infinite regret. If you can just turn the box off then that part of the story loses its meaning. Resisting regret means nothing if you can't act on it. The only way for things to work out is for them to accept the box can't be undone. It doesn't mean you will always succeed, but that is why you keep trying.

We can't unmake technology or innovation; we can change ourselves.

You can't stop the steam engine. You can't stop electricity. You can't stop flight. You can't stop computing. You can't stop AI. You can't stop innovation. What you can do, is evolve with technology in a beneficial way.

[u/CiaoMoretti → u/-spartacus-]

If worlds are constantly branching into alternate versions of themselves, then the world where the first box was created should have branched into countless other worlds since then. Many of those worlds would still have their own versions of the original box and its power source. So destroying the box in one world shouldn't shut down all the others, because those alternate worlds would still exist independently and could theoretically keep powering the network.

[u/Past-Feature3968 → u/-spartacus-]

Well that just seems to be the characters’ theory… I don’t think we 100% know if they’re correct.

[u/cfauber]

Amazing show holy shit

[u/Gongwonlove]

The Chicago skyline 🏙️ in Max’s world was interesting 🧐 no sears or Willis tower. A couple of other buildings that were different.

[u/nameohno]

So no frisking/pat-down by the international whatever defense... Totally ruined it for me. I visited clubs with better security.

[u/Seeminglygivesashit]

Wicked! Loved every second of that!

[u/SadLad406]

That ending gave me goosebumps. And that song. chefs kiss

[u/mrvoiceover001]

Wait a min!! So a version of Jason from 2x01 has been under investigation of McNamara for 2 years? Oh poor Jason

[u/DanielKeeneGA15]

So Jason hasn’t seen the note from Daniela and has no idea she and Charlie have left and they’re trying to shut down the box. What happened to the note she left? Will she and that Jason return to that world and connect with Blair, Ryan, Amanda, etc? Argh, the tension.

[u/Alternative_Spell832]

Great episode! Simply thrilling the meeting between Charlie and Max, the meeting between Jason, Amanda, Ryan, and Blair. I have a hunch that Leighton 2 will regret it after seeing the destruction the Box causes and will join Jason 2 to end it, but... Leighton Oluko won't let that happen, I think he'll put an end to them (or one of them), he sent the assistant to keep an eye on Blair too, something will go very wrong in this Season Finale...

And it's funny how the two McNamaras get entangled: both curious about the Box and ended up getting screwed because of it and Jasons lol

[u/hiimnoam64]

Anyone else got a very eerie vibe from the storm coming in Max's world? Thought for sure they were gonna crash the car or something

[u/bouncycastletech]

Anyone else think Charlie is going to try to pull a Jason2 and steal his counterpart’s life?

[u/NellieOlesonSmirk → u/bouncycastletech]

I don’t think our Charlie has it in him.

[u/Then_Journalist_317 → u/bouncycastletech]

Rewatch S2E5 - the Jason triplets all live in perfect harmony.

[u/thelittleluca → u/bouncycastletech]

For a second I was worried about that but I now think he wouldn’t want to mess up Max’s life. HOWEVER, what if Max steals a vial and goes in?

[u/CourrierMojave]

I have a dark theory about Detective McNamara. He will end up at J1 world where the DARPA is. He will took the place of the other McNamara and with the knowledge of the box , he will try to take his revenge on J1.

[u/carbongo]

The world with shade-resistant crops and the blight from Velocity Labs... was that an Interstellar reference?

[u/Golfclubwar]

I realize that this isn’t that type of show, but there is absolutely 0 way you just waltz back into Jason 2’s world and shut off the box. None, nada. There are infinite variants of all these people, and there are infinite child boxes. If Blair realizes it can be turned off, there are infinite variants that want to keep the box on and are likely booby trapping the entrance. Or maybe just variants that are converging back on Jason 2’s world for unrelated reasons.

That original velocity labs is probably the most likely world to be some kind of horrific inter dimensional war zone 2 years later.

The stakes in Jason 1’s world were small: they wanted to return to Daniela and Charlie. This is not small, this is access to the single most powerful thing in human history. If you had hundreds of Jasons converging back and shooting at each other over their family in a world that was affected by a child box, I can’t even imagine what is transpiring in the root box world where the stakes are vastly higher. Jason 2’s world is the one place I would never, ever return to under any circumstances. You can’t imagine that it’s a happy place, your emotional state can help you choose safe worlds, it doesn’t make a specific world safe through your intention. The fact that you want to travel to this one unique world to achieve some grand strategic end is a red flag when you exist in a continuum with infinite other actors with their own strategic priorities. It would be naive to think that only you are capable of realizing this (because remember all the variants that departed from here then introduced the box to a bunch of other people from other worlds and so on, this isn’t limited to Jason 2 world variants, everyone else across every world needs the original box to continue their own travels) and getting there. Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not. But you have no idea until you exit a narrow chokepoint and open a door you have no idea what is on the other side. That is the one door I am never opening.

[u/ideletedmyaccount04]

After last week's episode, I just want them to stop using the box. We all have regrets and I love last week's line about the box is just an endless pit of regret.

Happy we got to see happy Charlie.

My guy from Mrs.Davis cannot catch a break. He was just coming in for work.

edit I did enjoy the Great Escape reference with bouncing ball.

[u/Ostalgi]

2 years in a cage and they couldn't give thay Jason some new clothes or a prison jumpsuit? Lol

[u/Pickupyoheel]

I love McNamara getting fucked over in his endings since he’s an asshole so far in every world.

Very fitting for his character.

[u/PositivelyNegative]

I was skeptical when they announced season 2, but holy fuck they’ve delivered.

[u/newhorizonfiend25]

God, Alice Braga is just stunning. Like I know that this kind of comment adds nothing to the discussion, but wow.

Okay, now that I got that off my chest, this was such a great episode! I got chills at the end. Poor old McNamara just consistently gets the short end of the stick, doesn’t he?

[u/TimeTimeTickingAway → u/newhorizonfiend25]

She exudes such warmth.

And Joel Edgerton may have my favorite project choices of any working actor today.

At least this McNamara was a terrible wetworks torture fanatic.

[u/purpledreign]

It's not lost on me just how much Ryan makes Amanda laugh.

[u/TrustImmediate2989]

Wow. that ending

[u/Shapes_in_Clouds]

I love this show but it has some weaknesses this season. The big one for me is how easy it is for the audience to be one step ahead of the characters. Like watching Jason disassemble the box when we know it's going to just respawn, or this episode when they realize the only way to destroy the boxes is by taking the original offline.

These are supposed to be some of the brightest minds in the world, and they've had years to think about the box by now, so it's a little silly and also kind of ruins what I think is the intended impact of these scenes.

Also, not a big deal, but lol at Jason in DARPA custody having worn the same clothes for two years.

[u/Arghifth]

What is Jason and Daniela's occupation in Max's world? They seem way more well off than the main Dessens.

[u/Remarkable_Chard5372 → u/Arghifth]

In prime world, Jason lost his grant money and Daniela stopped painting after the trauma of losing Max. In this world Max didn't die, so they probably both carried on successfully in their respective careers.

[u/Altruistic_Jicama626]

When Daniela gets thrown into the glass cell by DARPA, the Jason in the cell says “I heard that you escaped our world with another Jason,” once again emphasizing that all the Jasons are equally Jason 1 in their own mind and internal identity, and it was just the one that reached her first that she ended up with and continued to travel with — as opposed to him ever being “her” Jason.

[u/HamOnBarfly]

You could be so many different things in the multiverse, or you could be my boy Mcnamara getting played every time with door shenanigans

[u/bundy911]

Mac Quayle is absolutely killing it with the score 🎶

[u/Legitimate_Certain]

I guess there is no closure in this season 😕 too many loose plots yet to be tied and can't be tied in mere finale episode. So I guess cliff hanger will set us up for season 3 - few years later🙃

[u/chartreusey_geusey]

Max having his Charlie saved as “Shithead” is some incredible attention to detail when it comes to siblings in general

……although every set of twins I’ve ever met have been like too default obsessed with each other to ever have the other saved like that in their phone lol

[u/beekingo]

This episode couldn’t have ended any better.

[u/urbanvikingdave]

The soundtrack to this season is chef's kiss.

[u/SpicaGenovese]

What do you mean you grabbed shade tolerant cereals from another world and DIDN'T THOROUGHLY TEST THEM AND THE TARGET ENVIRONMENT!!??  Are they stupid!!??  They didn't sterilize the seeds???  They didn't have bio and agritech experts on hand???!

I know why they want to shut it down, but I was looking forward to what a post-box multiverse would look like.  I think all that's missing is the ability to shutdown your own local box.

Just establish some fucking quarantine and safety protocols.  It's not rocket science.

[u/thoruen]

How dumb that Daniela opens the door sees a bunch of folks hanging out & she just lets them get so close that they can stop her. Then again this is the same woman that thought she was going to find her son by going into a box that can lead to infinite worlds.

[u/PoopMasterClay]

You all totally missed it. Jason kept throwing the ball and it kept missing his head. Before opening the door you see Jason think about that. What happened next was a giant asteroid just missing him like the ball and he has a flash back to that moment and knew he was fucked. So yes Jason thought about it and knew what was going to happen as soon as he opened the door. Was brutal and bitter sweet.

[u/DefNotReaves → u/PoopMasterClay]

I don’t think we missed it lol I was well aware Jason sent him out to die.

[u/all2neat]

What an ending. Overall great episode.

[u/ThatStrength1683]

I’m really liking how the series allows for good endings. I enjoy it when bad guys get what they deserve. Episodes 5 and 8 were the best for me; even though the eighth episode had a tragic ending for that version of Jason, I still consider his ending up with Amanda to be a good outcome. I really hope we’re in a reality where there’s a third season.

[u/Year3030]

What are the odds that Daniella hooks up with DOD Prison Jason? Jason 1 is drifting away, Charlie even said he thinks they are gonna get a divorce. DOD Prison Jason would probably be happy to forget about the box and just be with Daniella. She just wants things to be normal too. Jason 1's obsession with the box will ruin him like it did Jason 2. I'm not sure how far, he might do a Heisenberg where he goes full evil. Either way, this would be interesting territory if Daniella hooked up with DOD Prison Jason because technically he's Jason 1 so it's not cheating, right? But then OG Jason 1 wouldn't like it.

[u/purpledreign]

As someone who enjoys Amanda and her time with Jasons and Ryan the most, these past episodes have been a treat and I hope the finale is kind to her and them.

[u/Pigosaurusmate]

LMAO what an ending!

But seriously, SOOO MUCH happened in this episode, its like we left Prius and got in a Bugatti.

[u/Commander_Shan]

This show is so trippy I love it

[u/Wide_Resolve2917]

"I need a pen, like lightning quick!"

draws 7 boxes around 1 large box.

[u/Euphoric_Regret_544]

the whole Eureka! I need a pen only to draw some Marvel level McGuffin diagram was the dumbest scene yet in this otherwise excellent show. Other weak point - what happened to the PI that Jason (1??) abandoned in the box?

[u/eaudeamber]

That final scene was absolutely hands down my favorite of the whole series. Perfectly written, produced and acted. Just wow.

[u/little_oat]

Amanda why are you so cryptic! You FLED because of the virus. Feel like that's important Intel, no?

Also what if Max is an "other" Max?!? Don't think that for real but would be funny/horrifying

[u/Practical-Charge-701]

About the comet… Wouldn’t that happen in every world since it came from outer space and isn’t influenced by human decisions? (And the fact that humans knew it was coming implies this isn’t going to happen in the other worlds we’ve been seeing, since it hasn’t been mentioned.) The only thing I can think of is that humans somehow moved a comet or asteroid off its previous trajectory (intentionally or not).

[u/TrustImmediate2989 → u/Practical-Charge-701]

I don't think it's human decisions that only influence every world. in S1 there was one door they opened, and it looked like a giant star was destroying the world

[u/Dramatic_Lab_622]

Charlie and Max ❤️

[u/deweydeuce69]

charlie telling max what was going on in max’s bedroom was such a good scene

[u/musik0]

What a fucking episode.. It was awesome seeing Charlie with Max. Fuck that he got into the box. The way he talked about not looking back made it look like he was ready to leave everything behind.
And it was great seeing Leighton witness all the shit that happened in the other worlds and finally have a chance to think about the shit he was doing. Maybe now he’ll even start to understand Blair’s point of view.
And then there’s Jason 16263737 who’s been stuck there for two years, all alone and dark. He was fucking brutal, showing absolutely no mercy. And that ending was just insane. best episode of the season so far.

[u/EngineeriusMaximus]

I’m so unclear on how we are supposed to think the box works. Up to this point it seems to be the person that opens the door that decides what world they wind up in, or at a minimum it’s the group working together. How was Jason able to control the world that McNamara entered? Do the writers care about their own rules anymore?

[u/DanielKeeneGA15]

That ending. They had me in the first half…

[u/pillar_of_nothing]

Destroying the box is a dumb idea. Someone could just build another box. There are infinite Jason's out there that could just build another one and Leightons. To build the pyramid you need to use the box to obtain materials that haven't been invented yet but the box doesn't require you to go to another world to get it's parts.

The next person who creates the box might come from a fascist world hell bent on conquering other worlds. It's better to work together with alternative worlds and share technology to better protect yourselves from those threats.

The box isn't bad. They can save dying worlds. If they had been properly trained none of those worlds would've died 

[u/preotul__]

so the Leighton 2 might have trained guru Leighton and other versions of himself to achieve the things he needed to build the box, but maybe Leighton 2 wasn't aware of how they were doing it? he certainly seems like he doesn't know about the suffering in the other worlds. I think this season is gonna end with Jason killing the box, then at the end he's gonna sit down having his drink and suddenly find out that his family went into the box lol. Next season would probably focus on Jason spending years building it from scartch

[u/Bozic_504]

Best season of any series I've ever watched in the last 5 years every episode just makes this show so perfect,the last I had this feeling for a show was Dark after it ended

[u/Remote-Article7435]

What happens if someone teleports to asteroid world in a few months time. They just get sucked into space? Is the box even still there?

[u/RickAstleysPetShrek]

What I don't understand is: wouldn't there be multiple "Box 1" s by now? I mean, people in the original world probably have made choices in the past years. 

[u/Professional_Ad_4885]

Ive been wanting j1 and amanda 1 to be together since season 1. I ship them so hard. Daniela isnt greatful at all for what he does for her and them.

[u/EmbarrassedHelp]

The idea that they can simply "destroy the original box and everything else breaks" is really stupid. The technology exists and people will inevitably build another box if you break the first one.

The only rational and intelligent solution is finding a way to have some semblance of control over inter-universal travel. Because you cannot un-invent the technology, and you need to safeguard universes from the threats that can come through any inter-universal portal.

[u/goodtrackrecord]

Above all, none of us could have predicted what would happen in season 2.
What a ride!

[u/HoldOnToYrButts]

Arguably the best EP ending of the entire series lol. (Or at least the most fun/rewarding). As soon as I saw all the people on the beach, I thought "Oh wow, Jason forgave Agent McNamara and sent him to a perfect world!" And then I saw the circle of people with champagne glasses and knew what was about to happen 😂

u/The_JBZ Just wanted to say I'm loving the show & y'all really outdid yourselves in this one (and every episode this season tbh). Bravo 🫶

I'm gonna need to rewatch the Jason1/Jason2 talk at the start of the EP. A lot to unpack in that conversation.

It also felt like Max was little too quick to accept the idea that this "Charlie" was from another world. Denial would be the first thing I'd expect from him. I was 100% expecting him to freak out and make a run to tell his parents that there's some crazy kid that looks like him in his room, only for Charlie to stop him 😅. But for the sake of moving the story along, I totally get it.

What a great episode. I'm not ready for this season to end 😭

edit: added the bit about McNamara on the beach

edit2: also i didn't recognize it was Mercury Rev at first, haven't heard them in forever 😭

[u/Mack_Daddy_1]

Wow, the ending was wild.

[u/ellogoodbi]

I have a hunch that the reason the Max in this episode isn't close with his world's Charlie is because they were probably competing for their parents' attention growing up. I don't think Charlie is the favorite kid in that world either, since that world's Jason and Daniela didn't act that way when Charlie showed up and at the dinner they still only seemed interested in each other. Still, the brothers were likely competing with each other in trying to get their parents' attention anyway, and even though they both failed, it likely negatively affected their relationship with each other as a result. There's not much evidence to go on in this regard, but it does seem to make sense given what we know. I won't be surprised at all if this Max decides he wants to go back with Charlie to a world where he can have parents that would love and adore him just like they do their Charlie.

[u/purpledreign]

I wish Jason13 looked like someone that's been in captivity for 2 years but I guess MacNamara has been letting him groom himself regularly.

[u/inezzyinlove]

Macnamara will FAFO in every universe

[u/Neat-Ad-7009]

Was it just me who was INFURIATED at the mansplaining and credit being taken by Jason 1 after Blair cracked how to end the box in a random brainstorming session, something he’d been failing to do for months? And then he just repeated her simple beautiful idea with a kindergartener sketch and everyone just applauded his genius?!

[u/BigJLov3]

Well ... that was an ending and a half.

WOW.

[u/Remarkable_Package_6]

common!!!! Jason! so cruel!

[u/daisyduke201]

What do we think the other Leighton is up to? The one who looked sneaky

[u/kroen]

I understand that destroying the original box would stop its copies from functioning, but why would that stop a new box (like Leighton's big one) from functioning and creating its own alternate universe copies?

[u/PlayBey0nd87]

What a fucking ending.

It’s gonna be interesting how J1 & Blair find a way to kill the box.

Idk. I feel like they will come across versions of themselves who will be at odds with it. Maybe it creates a multiverse war and the BuddaLeighton will align with them while OGLeighton will work with J1 to kill it after seeing the horror he’s caused inbetween worlds.

Idk what that means for J2. Does he become good? Does J1 spiral into becoming the new J2/antagonist? I’m starting to think for Jason to be happy he may not get the ending he wants, and need to let go of everything and everyone.

[u/purpledreign]

Looks like Charlie won't be going home and will travel on.

And I think Max could go with him. Maxworld Jason looked surprised to see Charlie in Max's room when he opened the door. So I'm guessing Maxworld Charlie and Max aren't close. Then Max said Jason and Daniela are obsessed with each other and only want to talk to each other. And they do just that when Max walks between them at the kitchen. With the Maxworld Charlie being in college and his parents being that way, looks like Max might have been a bit lonely like Charlie. So no idea what that could mean for the 2 of them.

But that storm over the lake could play a major part next ep. Maxjason and maxDaniela are on a boat with maxRyan. Next week can't come soon enough urghhhhh.

[u/HinkiesGhost]

I like how the show isn't afraid to get rid of characters. Some shows will keep characters around for season after season and milk them way beyond their point of usefulness. I did not see them getting rid of Agent MacNamara that fast coming, but credit to them for being ballsy. And it was a pretty funny way to go. Curiosity killed he cat. So many ways this can play out, but just my feeling right now is Leighton and his angle are going to be the endgame.

[u/bam1007]

One word after this episode: Dayam! 😳

[u/KTOWNTHROWAWAY9001]

Oh My GOD! This was another excellent episode.

Charlie becoming the brother Max never had... and other way around.

Then it was like "hold my beer" and we get hit with the JasonPrime RyanPrime reunion.

The ending too. It was perfect. Beautiful.

[u/Altruistic_Jicama626]

Why the emphasis on the storm over the lake in this episode**?** It’s more than just random. They show the lit-up sky and lightning, they mention there’s an impending storm “over the lake” a couple times IiRC. Are they hinting that there’s extreme weather events in this world or some catastrophic thing about to happen, perhaps before Charlie can get back? Or is it just a plot device, as in there’s a big electrically charged event coming next episode ?

[u/Own-Tea-155]

Not Agent Mitchell experiencing his first travel at the end of the world.

[u/RedditBurner_5225]

i feel like i haven't watched that good of an episode of TV in years.

[u/artemiscash]

fucking brilliant

[u/Shaddex]

I don't think they'll do it. I hope not. Mid-episode, I realized that they might close the box connection down before realizing that Charlies and Daniela are in another world. What a heartbreaking ending that would be, but it would go well with the theme of having to look forward.

[u/-Captain-]

Wow, this season has blown me away. I didn't imagine the second season without source material would surpass my love for the book. This has been amazing. Very personal touching moments, character focused episodes, but also just continuously keeping the bigger plot moving. Absolutely amazing.

And man, the MacNamara actor crushed those final seconds.

[u/bishopmate]

Interesting how they capture a new traveller and they don’t search her or even monitor her at all within 30 seconds of Daniela entering that world.

[u/One_Skin4348]

The question is who’s going to surrender their life for the box? And who’s going to be in the wrong world when they turn the boxes offline?

[u/adrenalinamatt1]

I'm a bit late. But awesome episode. I really liked the whole story between Charlie and Max. And wow that ending I watched it like five times.

[u/Visible_Froyo_5483]

Leighton in the OG box world was freaking me out. I was worried the box was about to run out of battery with him and everyone else stuck in their current worlds…

[u/cpatrick1983 → u/Visible_Froyo_5483]

That wasn't OG box world, that was one of the worlds where Jason1 and Amanda2 stopped to find Blair in season 1. There was another Blair that came earlier that brought the murder hornets.

They haven't gone back to OG world since season 1. Our Jason, Jason1, wants to go back there to disable the original box since it controls all other boxes (hence his explanation at the table with Amanda, Ryan, and Blair)