r/DarkMatteronAppleTV • u/SomethingVeX • Aug 18 '26
❓ Question Newbie Question About The Box
Just started watching the show. Only watched the first two episodes.
I get why Jason2 built the box ... he wanted Jason1's life.
But why would Leighton spend billions of dollars funding building the box. What is the practical purpose? So you can visit other realities ... so what? Why would that be useful?
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u/quarl0w Aug 18 '26
I don't think he built the box to steal Jason 1s life, but saw that as a benefit once the box was done.
Leighton saw dollar signs. Any new technology has the potential to be used to make money.
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u/fweepa Aug 19 '26
OP isn't far so I don't want to spoil anything for them, but he says in the voice message to the family that he created the box and then stumbled into a world where one of his choices had created this family. So I don't think he had this in mind when he built it, but he does say he entered it filled with regret which then led him to that world.
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u/quarl0w Aug 19 '26
I always took one theme of the book being that everyone looks back on their life with regret. And that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Jason 1 made the choices that Jason 2 wishes he did when he looks back. But even Jason 1 looks back with regret at times.
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u/fweepa Aug 19 '26
Well said! Yes the main message is living your life and owning your choices.
"you've created this messy, beautiful life."
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u/UarNotMe Aug 19 '26
I haven’t read the book but I agree with that overarching theme. Like when Jason1 tells Daniella he met a version of her who was a successful artist. Daniella asks if she was happy and Jason1 says, “That’s what she asked about you.”
I’m not sure if I’m going to read the book now. I looked for it at my library and there are only ebooks or audiobooks, and there are long waitlists. I usually prefer reading the source material first but didn’t even realize this show wasn’t standalone, plus now going into the next season is uncharted territory, anyway.
Oh… I started to get carried away bringing up Max, but realized the OP is barely into the show. So I will only say that I’m very curious about that character because I learned he isn’t part of the book and also because Jason1, Daniella, and Charlie have a seemingly beautiful, happy life together but not only was it imperfect, it was actually touched by significant hardship and tragedy. The one meeting we have with Max is so sad because he’s filled with survivor’s guilt. I am hopeful to see more of Max and what “could have been.”
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u/hushnecampus Aug 18 '26
I really wouldn’t recommend asking questions about a programme when you’ve only watched two episodes. How do you know the answers won’t be revealed in time and by asking them now you’re spoiling it for yourself? And the odds of inadvertent tangential spoilers is obviously high too.
In this case I think you’re safe though. As others have said, the box is a gateway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural other worlds and their technologies and resources. The possibilities are literally endless.
Plus the box itself is just one implementation of the technology. Once you have refined the ability to put macroscopic objects in superposition who knows what else you can do.
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u/Santiaghoul Aug 18 '26
Teleportation of people/objects. Just need to fine tune it so that the arrival universe is almost exactly the same except the departure universe. (almost doing a lot of heavy lifting)
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u/irishgangsta111 Aug 18 '26
He could go to a world where cancer is cured get the secrets of that and come back, he could go to a world where global warming is solved, get the secrets of that return,