Dark Matter (2024) s01e06 Episode Script

It's incredible.
It's not finished.
- Go away.
- [CHUCKLES]
How's it feel painting again?
Mmm. It's pretty wobbly.
Have you given any more thought to
what we talked about the other night?
What?
Quitting the gallery.
Painting full-time.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
You You better be careful
what you ask for.
You're liable to wind up
with a house full of these.
You are just too good to be
curating other people's work.
- Seriously.
- [SIGHS]
Well, let's see what happens
with the deal.
The deal
is done.
These numbers don't even make sense.
- [CHUCKLES]
- [STAMMERS]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
[CHUCKLES]
Hey, uh, can I get a ride?
- [DANIELA] Where do you want to go?
- Skate park.
Yeah, I'll take you.
No, I'll do it. Let me.
I have an errand anyway. I'll take you.
You gonna meet Brooke?
- Yeah.
- Mmm. Is this the date?
I mean, I could just walk.
Ah, relax. I won't embarrass you.
Come on. Grab your things.
Keep painting.
You a little nervous?
Yeah, little bit.
That's good.
That's not a bad thing, you know?
Nerves keep you sharp.
Yeah.
[CHATTERING]
Have fun, pal. You got this.
- Hey.
- Hey. How's it going?
Well
you look ready for an adventure.
[LAUGHS]
Oh, you like that?
It's a vibe, right?
That for me?
- There you go.
- [GASPING]
Oh, and I'll text you my guy, all right.
He's good.
Got me out of a jam a time or two.
Oh, wow.
Sure you wanna seal off the box?
Mmm.
Yeah?
Why'd you really come back, huh?
It was for her, wasn't it?
Yeah.
That's what you fucked up in your world.
Built this instead of
making a life with her.
Am I close?
Safe travels.
Remember everything I've told you.
I really hope you find
what you're looking for.
[GROANS]
[STRAINS]
See you, guys.
- Walk with me? Let's go.
- Yeah.
[SIGHS]
[SIGHS]
I, uh
I bought you something.
You're late.
Yep.
Kind of ornery for a guy who
just spent time with the girl he likes.
Drew was there. Fucked me again.
Oh.
You know what? You're gonna
have to do something about that.
Like what?
I don't know. It's
for you to figure out.
If you don't try something
Yeah, well, that's easier said than
Yeah, well, you know,
you're gonna regret it.
And regret will eat you up inside,
that's all.
- [CLEARS THROAT, COUGHS]
- What?
[CLEARING THROAT, CHOKING]
What's going on? Charlie?
- Is that Oh, God. Is that
- Fuck.
[TIRES SQUEALING]
- [JASON] Allergy?
- Yeah.
[GASPING, CHOKING]
What is it?
Bag?
- I got it. I got it.
- [GASPING]
[STAMMERS] What am I looking for?
- An EpiPen?
- [GASPING]
Come on! What does it look like?
Fuck.
This? Hold on. Hold on. Oh, my God.
Now what do I do, huh? Come on. Okay.
Hey. He's fine, right?
- Yeah, he's gonna be fine.
- Okay.
They're just checking him.
[SIGHS] You okay?
Yeah.
[SIGHS] How'd it happen?
[SIGHS] It's my fault.
I I gave him ice cream.
What do you mean?
It had nuts in it.
I I didn't read the
I wasn't thinking.
How much thinking has to happen
to remember he has an allergy?
I know.
[SIGHS]
[CLICKING TONGUE]
What are you doing?
Mmm. Have to get the gallery
space assigned for the auction.
So busy.
Mm-hmm.
I called dibs on not working the event,
so they dumped all the prep work on me.
[SIGHS]
Can I help you with something?
Nope. [SIGHS]
[GRUNTS]
Hey.
Since when did you start flossing?
I always floss.
You floss the day you have a
dental appointment and it fools no one.
[INHALES DEEPLY]
Well, I decided to give a shit
about my gum health.
Is Is that a problem?
No, just a curiosity.
Mmm. Okay.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
How is it going?
[INHALES SHARPLY] Getting there.
[JASON GROANS]
- Fuck.
- What?
- What?
- Door is red.
- [DOG BARKING]
- [DOOR OPENS]
[JASON SIGHS]
That's not my wife
and not my dog.
It's not my door, it's not my house.
It's not my fucking day.
I don't think anybody's home.
But it doesn't matter 'cause
the remembrance tree is not there.
[GROANS] Man.
You know, this is worse than
all those crazy worlds.
A bunch of Chicagos
that are not quite right.
Almost, but none of them are mine.
I don't know that I'm ready
to go back to the box.
Me neither.
We're getting a real place
to sleep tonight.
[GRUNTS]
[AMANDA] This is amazing.
Mmm.
Oh, my God.
I'm not sure if it's hunger
or if it's really this good.
- It's really this good.
- It is, right?
Oh, yeah. Hey, well
You didn't say,
did you find this world's Amanda?
She's not a therapist.
Really?
Ready for this?
Mmm.
She manages a White Castle.
- No. No.
- [LAUGHS]
At least you're a manager.
Do you ever wonder how, I
If you strip back the trappings,
um, like lifestyle
and all the external things,
what are the key components
at at at your core
that make you you?
You mean I'm still her,
White Castle Amanda,
at the most fundamental level?
- Yeah. [LAUGHS]
- [LAUGHING]
Exactly.
Well [SIGHS]
personality is just, uh
It's a pattern of thoughts, feelings,
behaviors unique to each person.
We like to think of it as fixed,
but it's not.
- Yeah, I think people change
- It's actually not.
but the essentials stay the same.
Yeah, sure. Our temperament
gets locked around age three,
but that's just the intensity of our
reaction to the environment we're in.
For example, my Jason,
he struggled with his temper.
- Same.
- That's what I thought.
But you are more empathetic and in
control of your impulses than he ever was.
And that's because of your experiences,
your choices.
Our personality changes a lot during
our lifetime and it's
["RASPBERRY BERET" PLAYING]
I love this song.
What?
No. [STAMMERS] Come on.
Uh, no, I'm good. I don't dance.
Of course you don't dance.
He didn't either.
What are you afraid of?
What everyone's afraid of.
If you look stupid,
you can leave this restaurant,
you can leave this city,
or you can literally leave this world.
Let's do that.
Fuck it.
[GROANS]
[HORN HONKS]
[LAUGHING]
[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
Uh.
[GROANS]
[SONG FADES]
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[JASON] Hey.
[GROANS] Hey.
That was a pretty great night.
[CHUCKLES] Yeah.
Yeah, it was. It's crazy.
I feel like my world is is vanishing.
Mmm.
Do you think that, um,
you would ever forget it completely?
I can see getting to a point
where it doesn't feel real anymore.
What do you mean?
Because it's not.
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
This reality, it's all we have.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
If you want me to go to the other bed,
just tell me.
[JASON BREATHES DEEPLY]
I don't want you to.
I just think that I need you to.
Of course.
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
[DOOR OPENS]
[AMANDA] Jason, come in.
I have everything I want. Everything.
But I'm here, talking to you,
because, I guess,
it's not everything I imagined.
And trust me, I've worked so hard
to get these things, to get here.
Do you think it's possible
you built it up too much?
Idealized what this time
in your life might be like?
Hmm.
Maybe you always dreamed about
how amazing it would feel
to have all the things:
a wife you love, a son,
the freedom to do whatever you want.
But you forgot something.
Life is still just life.
You said it's not what you expected.
What did you expect?
You're gonna think I'm a dick
if I say perfection.
[DANIELA] Now he wants me
to quit my job at the gallery.
Are you going to?
[SIGHS]
Honestly, I can't really
wrap my head around it all yet.
But it's a lot of money.
- Insane.
- Okay.
Yeah,
but there's all this small stuff too,
like suddenly he flosses every day,
and he dresses better.
Go hire a divorce lawyer.
- [GASPS]
- I know they're tiny things.
- There are just so many of them.
- Keep going.
Like, he leaves his keys
on the kitchen counter
instead of hanging them
on the hook by the front door.
He takes his shoes off
as soon as he walks in the door.
He unloads the dishwasher
as soon as it's done.
He wants to have sex all the time.
Please stop. I'm hearing he's hotter,
cleaner and richer.
That thing with Charlie though,
that's not small.
So, I messed up pretty
bad a few days ago.
I gave my son, Charlie, ice cream.
It had nuts in it
and he had to go to the emergency room.
Is he okay?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I'll make it up to him.
But Daniela, you know,
she's still very upset.
- You apologized?
- Yeah.
Yeah, but [STAMMERS]
I feel like I need to show her that,
you know, I'm paying attention somehow.
What are you thinking?
I like the big romantic gesture.
Does she?
Don't you?
Doesn't everyone?
My partner and I can have sometimes
different ideas of what's romantic.
Oh, you're married.
The other night, when we were waiting
for Charlie in the emergency room,
I saw these marks on his arm.
Like an injury?
Like needle marks.
Like track marks?
You really buried the lede.
- Did you ask him?
- No.
And he's been out
all the time at night recently.
He says that it's for these
sales meetings, but I don't know.
I should talk to him.
No, don't.
No, he'll lie and you'll tip him off.
You need to follow him.
- Really?
- Yes.
Find out what's really going on.
[SCOFFS]
No.
I'll talk to him.
By the way, how did you hear about me?
An ex-girlfriend.
It's a long story.
Hey.
I was hoping we could talk.
I would love that, but I'm headed out.
Where you going?
Where are we going?
That's for me to know,
and you to find out.
[CHUCKLES]
Is there dinner involved in this?
- Yes, yes.
- [CHUCKLES] Okay.
But first,
we just need to pop in somewhere.
There's just one quick stop first.
We are here.
You brought me to the charity auction?
- Yes.
- [CHUCKLES] No.
No, I just want to sh One thing. I
want you to see one thing really quick.
- I don't understand.
- Come on.
[ATTENDEES CHATTERING]
Why are we here?
Trust me. Just trust me.
Hi. How are you? Nice to see you. Hi.
[ATTENDEE] Good to see you.
- Okay. Right behind you.
- What is?
- Take me home.
- What's the matter?
I wanna go home.
Okay, listen,
I know I know that I messed up.
I I seriously don't know how.
You don't get how?
No. I thought you would be happy.
[SCOFFS]
- Yeah.
- [SIGHS]
No.
No, I'm not happy.
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
I'm really, really fucking humiliated.
Humiliat The painting is great.
And you took it without my permission,
and you asked my colleagues to hang it.
They were happy to hang it. They
They had no choice but to hang it.
And then you put me
in this dress that I hate,
and you took me there
where everyone knows me.
And not only was that painting bad,
it wasn't even finished.
That painting is good.
- It's great. It's great!
- That is not your decision, Jason.
It is my work.
And it's private.
And I told you that
I didn't want to sell it.
All right, so don't sell it!
Don't fucking sell it.
Just I don't see
why people can't see it.
Because I haven't painted in years!
Because I'm still trying to figure out
if I even want to anymore!
How could you even
think it would be okay?
Maybe, uh, you're just not
the person I thought you were.
[STAMMERS]
I didn't mean that like that.
I didn't
Maybe I'm not.
I just want you to be happy.
Please. You want you to be happy.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
- [DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
- [BREATHES SHAKILY]
[GRUNTS]
[OBJECT BANGS]
What is this?
I think he's been injecting it.
What? You mean, like, drugs? No.
He has marks.
Shit.
Um, okay, wait.
Maybe he's sick
and doesn't want to worry you.
He's trying out some experimental drug.
I think secret illness is a reach.
Although he has a storage unit
that he didn't tell me about.
- Really? What's in that?
- That.
I don't know what
else. I couldn't get in.
[SNIFFS]
Can you sequence it?
It's not much of a sample, but, yeah.
Maybe just find out what it is,
and then we figure out what to do.
[DOOR CLOSES]
Are you okay?
Yeah.
Just think I need a day for myself.
Can we meet back here tonight?
And what if this is my world?
Either way, meet me here tonight?
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
Can I help you?
Are you the artist?
It's, uh, amazing.
Thanks.
This
It reminds me of Juneway Beach,
for some reason.
It is.
[CHUCKLES]
Yeah, it's like
It's like the fall or something.
November, actually.
I like the sunrises.
Yeah.
Well, I'll let you just, um,
walk around. I'll be over here.
If you have any more questions
just let me know.
Um, my my wife
is, uh is an artist.
Oh.
- Is she local?
- Yeah. Yeah. Well
Actually, no
technically.
- So, we're not together.
- Ah.
So Well, no,
it's not that we're not together.
It's
Complicated.
[CHUCKLES] Yeah.
[STAMMERS]
Hey, would you grab a coffee
with me or something?
Ah, well, I'm kind
of stuck here all day.
Okay. Or, you know, like,
after y-you get off, or
Or This is
That's you letting me down easy.
[STAMMERS]
- I'm sorry.
- Sorry.
Yeah. Fuck. Fuck, sorry.
All good. Thanks for coming in.
Thank you. Thank you.
Hi. Can I help you?
[LAUGHS] You're dressed.
[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
Great.
Tickle time, tickle time.
[AMANDA] Not your world?
Soon we'll be out of ampoules
and options.
Yeah.
May I?
Thank you.
Um
You're writing about her hair length,
color, job description.
I don't think it's enough.
- I'm doing the best that I can.
- I know you are,
but I think you need to go deeper.
Yeah.
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
I think I need to get some air.
Bring us some food or something.
I'll be I'll be back.
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
[SIGHS]
Yeah, last name Dessen. D-E-S-S-E-N.
- Okay. Thank you.
- [KNOCKING]
Hey.
Thought you'd left me.
Sorry. I I promise
I would never leave you.
Where have you been?
I've been watching myself,
following myself.
Followed Daniela and I to a restaurant,
sat outside the window just watching.
Then they went to a movie.
I went to the theater,
I sat behind them up the back,
watching them watch a fucking movie.
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
And I started to understand how
your Jason did what he did to me.
He must have watched
me for fucking weeks.
At work,
followed me and Daniela to date night,
watching us through the window, moving
through the house at fucking night,
imagining me gone,
imagining me fucking gone.
I'm [STAMMERS] I'm having some
fucking crazy thoughts right now.
This isn't working.
Yeah.
We're spinning our wheels.
Yeah, but, you see,
we're getting closer.
- Oh, Jason.
- So Don't No, no.
Think about where we started,
and we're getting so much closer.
The world you're looking for
is a grain of sand on an infinite beach.
No, don't you don't say that.
Jason. Jason.
You've seen your wife murdered.
You've seen her die
of a horrible disease.
Seen her not recognize you.
Married to other men.
Married to other versions of you.
[SNIFFS]
Our brains weren't built for that, okay?
How much more of this can you take?
No, it doesn't matter how
much I can or can't take,
it's about finding my Daniela.
We have ten ampoules left.
Ten.
Maybe you're right.
- It is fucking impossible.
- It's not. Look at me. It's not.
I'm not asking you to give up hope.
All I'm saying is that
we need to try something different.
[SIGHS]
[AMANDA] I understand why she's mad.
It's her choice if and when
she ever shows her art to anyone.
That's just what she said.
What are you feeling right now?
[INHALES DEEPLY]
Honestly, like I wanna leave.
Because of this fight?
Well, because of everything.
I worked my ass off to get here,
and it's just all turning to shit.
[SMACKS LIPS]
What do you think about
when you think about leaving?
A corridor, infinitely long,
with all these doors, evenly spaced,
as far as the eye can see.
And behind each one of these doors
is a version of my life
that I could have lived.
If I don't like the version I'm in,
I can just walk through another door.
That's an interesting metaphor.
Might have to steal it.
It's all yours.
You talk about all these doors,
and maybe that's where
you feel most comfortable,
living in a corridor.
Know what another name for that is?
What?
Fear of commitment.
I have been married for 15 years.
You don't talk like someone who has.
Hey.
Hey.
Did you think I wouldn't find out, man?
- What are you talking about?
- Come on.
Is that why you didn't wanna work with me,
'cause you're too busy stealing my shit?
I didn't steal this from you.
How could you have created this?
This compound?
Jay, it's like you
You looked inside my brain.
Ryan, I swear to you, I haven't
been anywhere near your research.
What about somebody that works for you?
No.
You know when the lawyers get involved,
they are gonna comb through every facet
of your life, all your work product,
your labs, anything you've touched.
Doesn't have to come to that, Ryan.
Jason, I am in prenegotiations with
multiple pharmaceutical companies.
If they find out
there's competing biotech,
it's all over.
Who gave you my ampoule?
Why does that matter?
Does your compound work?
We are so close.
Well, what's your application?
Safer alternative to general anesthesia.
Therapy for trauma. Therapy for phobias.
A whole new way of thinking
about pain management.
Does yours work?
Yeah, it does. It works.
[SIGHS]
Wow.
How'd you target the Brodmann areas?
I can't say.
Come on.
Okay.
Can you at least tell me
what your application is?
[SIGHS]
How about this?
Why don't I just show you?
What the fuck is that?
That's my secret project.
What's it for?
I'm about to show you.
[INJECTOR BEEPS, CLICKS]
Holy shit, Jay.
Wait, you want you want me
to put that in my veins too?
Only if you wanna know how it works.
Is it safe?
Yeah. I've done it over a hundred times.
Okay.
[LAUGHS]
I don't understand what I'm seeing.
Jay, what is this?
Well, this is a
manifestation of your mind
as it tries to visually explain
something our brains haven't
evolved to comprehend.
Which is what?
A five-dimensional probability space,
also known as superposition.
Jay
are you saying
I'm in a quantum state right now?
- Yeah. Yeah.
- [BREATHES SHAKILY] Jay.
Now, it looks like a corridor,
but it's actually the box repeating
itself across all possible realities
that share the same coordinates
of space and time.
This can't be
This is real.
Jason.
Oh, my
What's behind the doors?
An infinite amount of variations
of the world you know.
Some subtly different and some
that'll blow your fucking mind.
Fuck.
- Wait, wait. No.
- What?
This
Okay, this is the dangerous part.
Aspects of your consciousness,
like your emotional state
Okay.
determine which reality
we find when we open a door.
Oh. Fuck. Of course we do
So, all I need you to do is concentrate.
- I know you're excited
- [INHALES DEEPLY] I'm trying, buddy.
I'm trying. Okay.
- Breathe in.
- [CLEARS THROAT, INHALES DEEPLY]
- And out.
- [EXHALES DEEPLY]
Ready?
This is Chicago?
It's a different version of Chicago.
It's a kinder and more progressive place
than our world.
[INHALES DEEPLY, GASPS]
Okay, so why Ho
How did we end up here?
I just thought of the kind of place
that my friend would like to see.
[GASPS]
Oh, there are so many things
I could show you.
[BREATHES SHAKILY, EXHALES DEEPLY]
[JASON CHUCKLES]
We We can't stay long.
You give me your phone,
I'll I'll take a picture.
[BREATHES SHAKILY] Yeah.
[GASPING]
Jason, I can't believe
you built a better compound than me.
[SHUTTER CLICKS]
I really thought I was the only one in
the world with the know-how to make it.
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
Well, there are many, many, many worlds.
[GASPS]
And there are many, many Ryans.
You're not the Jason I know, are you?
Hey
I won't be a problem for you, all right?
No, wait. Wait. Wait. Wait!
No, wait.
[GRUNTS, BREATHES HEAVILY] Jay!
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[SIGHING]
[PHONE VIBRATING]
[PERSON] Jason?
Yeah, that's me.
I'm Anthony.
- Hey.
- I'm Leighton's guy.
Yeah. Thanks for coming
on such short notice.
- Think you'll be able to do that?
- [ANTHONY] Absolutely.
What we'll do is,
we'll start out with framing it up.
Get some guys