Warning: Spoilers ahead forDark Matterseason 1, as well as some details about the plot of Blake Crouch’sRecursionbook.
Summary
I was nervous about how Apple TV+‘sDark Matteradaptation would turn out, but now I’ve seen how well it was done, there’s another Blake Crouch novel I’d love to see get the same treatment. Crouch has written many sci-fi novels, withDark Matterbeing one of his most popular. So, I completely understand why Apple TV+ chose it first - well, that and the fact that the author’sWayward Pinestrilogy adaptation was canceled by Fox after season 2.Dark Matterillustrates Crouch’s talent for high-concept storytelling, but another of his books takes his cerebral style to the next level.
Dark Mattermade changes to the bookwhen it was adapted for the small screen, so I’d expect the same to happen to any other live-action version of Crouch’s work. However, all the new introductions to the narrative and fresh additions to theDark Mattercast of charactersperfectly complemented the source material. So, I feel much less worried about another book from the author being adapted - if it’s ever chosen to hit Apple TV+.
How Does Dark Matter’s Interdimensional Travel Work? The Science Behind The Box Explained
Apple TV+’s Dark Matter uses real scientific concepts to craft its interdimensional travel, but how does Jason’s “Box” work in the show?
Apple TV+ Should Give Recursion The Live-Action Treatment After Dark Matter’s Success
Recursion would make a great addition to Apple TV+’s robust sci-fi collection
Dark Matterwas originally published in 2016. Three years later, 2019’sRecursionhit the shelves. I remember buying it and not even looking at the blurb.Crouch is one of those authors I trust will always give me an enjoyable ride, and I wasn’t disappointed by what I found. I’ll admit thatRecursioncould be difficult to adapt for TV, but I also thought that aboutDark Matter. Now, Apple TV+ has proven that it’s more than capable of bringing Blake Crouch’s mind-bending stories to life, and I really hopeRecursionis next.
Of course, I know there’s no guarantee thatRecursionwill be anywhere near the top of Apple TV+’s priority list. In fact, I have a suspicion that a potentialDark Matterseason 2may be on the horizon - especially going by the teases at theend ofDark Matterseason 1. However, the platform must findDark Matter’s stellar reviews encouraging considering the project marks their first Crouch collaboration. So, even thoughRecursionisn’t confirmed to be adapted by Apple TV+, I have to believe it’s at least among the contenders in Crouch’s body of work.
What Blake Crouch’s Recursion Is About (& How The Book Compares To Dark Matter)
At first,Recursionfelt very different fromDark Matter, as the former has two protagonists rather than the lone hero in the latter. However, asRecursionprogresses, I found Crouch’s hallmarks coming into increasingly clear focus. The biggest difference isRecursionmakes use of the time travel trope, rather thanDark Matter’s multiverse. Both stories take their respective sci-fi tropes and shine a new light on them, with Crouch using each one in an incredibly creative way.
Recursion’s time travel technology requires its characters to dwell on a specific moment in time to allow them to travel back via memories. Eventually, when the traveler reaches the point in time they initially traveled back from, the events of both the altered and original timelines coexist within the minds of anyone affected by the temporal divergence. Initially interpreted as a neurological pathogen, time travel eventually becomes public knowledge and has catastrophic consequences. So,the stakes are far higher inRecursionthan they are inDark Matter, as Jason Dessen and those around him are the only ones who suffer.
Recursion’s time travel technology requires its characters to dwell on a specific moment in time to allow them to travel back via memories.
At its core,Dark Matteris about accepting the past. I also found it to be a cautionary tale about dwelling on regrets. The story communicates this by Jason2 taking extreme and ultimately unsuccessful measures while attempting to rectify the decisions he believed to be wrong for him years down the line.Recursionhas a very similar message, except it offers the characters a chance to actually travel back and make their desired changes to the timeline. Like inDark Matter,Recursion’s opportunity for a second chance spins wildly out of control.
1 Dark Matter Easter Egg Suggests I’ll Be Waiting A While For Recursion To Be Adapted
Apple TV+ has already teased its next Blake Crouch projects
There is some evidence to suggest thatRecursioncould be at least third in linewhen it comes to future adaptations of Blake Crouch books on Apple TV+. InDark Matterseason 1, episode 7, “In the Fires of Dead Stars,” I noticed a coy nod to two other works by the author:UpgradeandSummer Frost. The titles can be spotted outside a movie theater as Jason runs to his house when he arrives home in his native version of Chicago.
Dark Matter’s Ending Totally Took Me By Surprise (Even After Reading The Book)
I didn’t expect the Dark Matter show to end the way it did, and I was shocked to discover that reading the book didn’t fully prepare me.
WhileI’d certainly welcome adaptations of both these Blake Crouch titles, I’m also aware that the production process isn’t a quick one. Neither have been officially announced yet, and they could be nothing more than a fun reference, but I’m of the opinion that these are at least two semi-confirmed projects that Apple TV+ has in mind to followDark Matter. If they are, and even ifRecursionis chosen to be adapted after them, I’ll likely be waiting a long time for it to followDark Matter’s success.
Dark Matter
Cast
Dark Matter (2024): Jason Dessen is thrust into an alternate reality where he must confront an ominous version of himself. His quest to return to his original life leads him on a challenging journey to reunite with his family, navigating the complexities of parallel existences.
