Severance Meets Fringe In Apple TV's Mind-Bending Sci-Fi Mystery Series

Alternate realities and doppelgangers are subjects that many genre-defining science fiction TV shows have explored. "Fringe" and "Severance" are both excellent examples of this, and if you enjoy those shows, then you should definitely check out "Dark Matter," which debuted on Apple TV in 2024. This mind-bending series blends ideas touched upon in "Fringe" and "Severance" to create something truly intriguing, and the reaction from critics and audiences alike has been positive.

"Dark Matter" offers audiences a look at one man's attempt to get back to his original timeline after being kidnapped and transported to an alternate version of his life. That man is Jason Dessen, played by Joel Edgerton. He's left desperately trying to find a way home after being displaced by a version of himself from another timeline. Jennifer Connelly is fantastic as Jason's wife, and Alice Braga also brings her A-game as the girlfriend of Jason2.

The show is based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Blake Crouch, who also created and serves as the main writer for the series, the second season of which premiered in August 2026. Although it's not yet clear if Apple will renew "Dark Matter" for a third season, producer Jacquelyn Ben-Zekry (who co-wrote Season 2 with Crouch) has confirmed that the show was initially pitched as a three-season trilogy, with a carefully planned ending always in mind.

While it may sound farfetched, the science behind "Dark Matter" is actually based on cutting edge research in physics that suggests our emotions and perspectives can have an impact on reality. In an interview with Vanity Fair, "Dark Matter" creator Blake Crouch explained the basics of the scientific theory that the show is rooted in. "The physics that's coming out now does support, more and more, that reality is a creation of our mind," he said. "Reality does not exist independently from observation, from awareness. Biocentric beings create reality."

Crouch added that the research was not very popular when he was writing the original novel the show is based on, but now there are a lot more people thinking about the power of our minds when it comes to shaping reality. This concept is best demonstrated in "Dark Matter" by the box that allows people to traverse alternate realities, and those realities are shaped by the mind of the person who is using the box. It's very complicated science, but one of the great things about "Dark Matter" is that it makes these grand ideas relatively easy to understand.