'Dark Matter' on Apple TV

[ahalpert]

Anyone else watch it? One of the most engrossing things I've seen in a while. Basically The Odyssey set in the multiverse.

My wife binged it last week when I was busy with work and then told me the entire plot. But it didn't ruin the watch that I knew everything that was going to happen. I watched the whole season in about 4 days.

It's basically what I'm looking for in a Christopher Nolan movie (but he doesn't deliver anymore). A mind-bending ride where the science fiction is plausible enough for me to suspend disbelief but there's a touching personal drama at the heart of it.

Also, how is Jimmi Simpson such a good actor? That came as a surprise.

Watch Dark Matter - Apple TV

In this mind-bending thriller, Jason Dessen is abducted into an alternate version of his own life. To get back to his real family, Dessen embarks on a…

tv.apple.com

Spoiler: ENDING

There were a few things about the the science fiction plot device that didn't make sense but didn't bother me. The one thing that bothers me is that there should be a similar number (if not the same number) of versions of the "home" universe as there are versions of the kidnapped Jason. And we know that not every version of kidnapped Jason makes it home. So, while more than one version of him could end up back in the same universe, the average number of Jasons who returns to any given "home" universe should be less than one.

 

[norway]

It was OK, but like many of the Apple TV+ series, there is something about the pacing that makes it a bit of a slog to watch. I also noticed that Joel Edgerton only has two expressions: Surprised Joel or Crying Joel.

 

[ahalpert]

It was OK, but like many of the Apple TV+ series, there is something about the pacing that makes it a bit of a slog to watch. I also noticed that Joel Edgerton only has two expressions: Surprised Joel or Crying Joel.

What?? The pacing was excellent. I couldn't stop watching it. Unlike with the Sopranos, which I've been watching recently. I like that show but I feel no compulsion to click on the next episode when one ends.

Yeah I thought Joel Edgerton could have been better. He really wasn't bad, and very likable. But he didn't blow me away.

 

[norway]

What?? The pacing was excellent. I couldn't stop watching it. Unlike with the Sopranos, which I've been watching recently. I like that show but I feel no compulsion to click on the next episode when one ends.

Yeah I thought Joel Edgerton could have been better. He really wasn't bad, and very likable. But he didn't blow me away.

OK, I did want to know what was happening in the next episode as the plot is - as you say - somewhat refreshing. But I felt that each episode was dragged out unnecessarily. Just make fewer episodes, if necessary.

Title	Pacing
Defending Jacob	Argh
The Mosquito Coast	OK
Foundation	Trying to cram too much into one episode?
Invasion	Meh
Severance	No complaints
Slow Horses	No complaints
For All Mankind	No complaints
Pachinko	Trying to cram too much into one episode?
The Morning Show	OK
Extrapolations	Couldn't get through it
Constellation	OK pacing, bordering on slow
Silo	Too slow!

 

[ahalpert]

OK, I did want to know what was happening in the next episode as the plot is - as you say - somewhat refreshing. But I felt that each episode was dragged out unnecessarily. Just make fewer episodes, if necessary.

Title	Pacing
Defending Jacob	Argh
The Mosquito Coast	OK
Foundation	Trying to cram too much into one episode?
Invasion	Meh
Severance	No complaints
Slow Horses	No complaints
For All Mankind	No complaints
Pachinko	Trying to cram too much into one episode?
The Morning Show	OK
Extrapolations	Couldn't get through it
Constellation	OK pacing, bordering on slow

Wow, you've actually seen a lot of their shows. I just realized that Dark Matter is the only Apple show I've watched besides Bad Monkey. I only watched about half a season of Bad Monkey because I just didn't find it very funny.

But I did watch Killers of the Flower Moon recently and I was very moved by that, if only because it was a true story and supposedly very accurate to what happened. If it were fiction, I would have said that it was too crazy of a plot and the victims were too unsuspecting. But basically it felt like the scene in a horror movie where someone is backing into a dark room full of danger and you're screaming at them to stop, but that feeling lasted for 2.5 hours until the FBI showed up.

 

[Alex H.]

We binged it a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. The pacing didn’t lose us at all. The concept is intriguing, and the storytelling is effective. It took a couple episodes to learn to keep track of some of the jumping back and forth, but that didn’t really detract from the viewing experience; it was part of the fun of watching.

 

[CharlesPapert]

My friend Ron was the A Camera operator on "Dark Matter". He sent me a bunch of stills from set, here's one of his camera build for geeking-out purposes.

 

[ahalpert]

My friend Ron was the A Camera operator on "Dark Matter". He sent me a bunch of stills from set, here's one of his camera build for geeking-out purposes.

Ugh they shot on zooms. I retract the recommendation. Just kidding

What is that plate hanging out below the zoom at the end of the rods?

 

[CharlesPapert]

I think maybe you are talking about this...?



If so, that's an optical illusion--that's a slider on the other dolly in the background!

 

[ahalpert]

I think maybe you are talking about this...?

View attachment 5712367

If so, that's an optical illusion--that's a slider on the other dolly in the background!

even their bts is mind-bending. damn they're good

 

[CharlesPapert]

couple more BTS

 

[Alex H.]

My friend Ron was the A Camera operator on "Dark Matter". He sent me a bunch of stills from set, here's one of his camera build for geeking-out purposes.

I don’t know when/where the practice of a daily patch on the camera began, but I’ve been seeing more and more 1ACs showing up on set with a patch collection, rotating them daily to the camera, and I’m not mad about it.

 

[Peter C.]

I thought this was a science show on Dark matter. I was going to say I'm actually a bit tired of the subject. It's interesting that a large portion of the universe is made of dark matter and yet we can't see or detect it. But since we know so little about it there shouldn't be that much to say about it and yet it is talked about a lot. My view of Dark matter is it must be something like gravity. It's everywhere and we feel it's effects but we will never be able to see or touch it.

 

[CharlesPapert]

I don’t know when/where the practice of a daily patch on the camera began, but I’ve been seeing more and more 1ACs showing up on set with a patch collection, rotating them daily to the camera, and I’m not mad about it.

I'm personally not a fan of blinging up the camera, but the kiddos seem to enjoy it.

 

[patrickbaldwin]

Not only a patch but somebody loved the steadicam guy on a short I did unit stills on

 

[Mike Krumlauf]

My friend Ron was the A Camera operator on "Dark Matter". He sent me a bunch of stills from set, here's one of his camera build for geeking-out purposes.

I enjoyed the show. Anything shot in my native Chicago gets my attention and as of late, most of what I have seen coming out of my city has been decent if not really good. I really liked how in the "alt future chicago" scenes they included what was suppose to be The Spire tower which they started building in 2007 and then abandoned due to the market collapse of 08.

 

[ahalpert]

I enjoyed the show. Anything shot in my native Chicago gets my attention and as of late, most of what I have seen coming out of my city has been decent if not really good. I really liked how in the "alt future chicago" scenes they included what was suppose to be The Spire tower which they started building in 2007 and then abandoned due to the market collapse of 08.

I loved the fact that the kids in futuristic Chicago were celebrating "cold fusion day." That's basically the plot of Star Trek -- that cold fusion delivers unlimited free energy to humanity and renders resource conflicts moot (paving the way for people to devote themselves to science and exploration.)

 

[alaskacameradude]

Just finished binging it. I liked it. Definitely liked the human element to a guy trying to get his family back. Also the actress who played Amanda was fantastic, really liked her performance. Glad to see it’s been picked up for a second season but kind of surprised as I thought the ending made it perfect for a ‘one season only’ show and not sure exactly how they will revive the plot. New versions of him come to his new world to steal his family? Seems too much like the first season. But I’ll totally check it out to see what they do.

 

[ahalpert]

OK, I did want to know what was happening in the next episode as the plot is - as you say - somewhat refreshing. But I felt that each episode was dragged out unnecessarily. Just make fewer episodes, if necessary.

Title	Pacing
Defending Jacob	Argh
The Mosquito Coast	OK
Foundation	Trying to cram too much into one episode?
Invasion	Meh
Severance	No complaints
Slow Horses	No complaints
For All Mankind	No complaints
Pachinko	Trying to cram too much into one episode?
The Morning Show	OK
Extrapolations	Couldn't get through it
Constellation	OK pacing, bordering on slow
Silo	Too slow!

I just tore through Severance Season 1. I was interested to look back at your post to see how you rated its pacing. I thought the pacing was pretty slow, at times on par with Kubrick. But the excellent cinematography helped hold my attention, and anyway I like Kubrick. So it's interesting to see that you had no complaints about the pacing in that show.

I thought the show was very interesting philosophically, although by the end of the season it became a bit more of a standard race against time, will the bad guys foil the good guys' plan? Most of the interesting philosophical content was explored in the first several episodes.

It made me reflect on compartmentalizing our personal and professional lives, and on the question of self-exploitation. Like all good science fiction, it holds a mirror up to normal life. By exaggerating reality, it lays bare unseen truths. At times, it made me very uncomfortable.

I'm looking forward to season 2 although it's possible that all the philosophical inquiry has already been mined.