Movies News Talk
Kate Eastman appears as Detective Jamie Mason in two episodes of Dark Matter season 1. Detective Mason, unlike characters like Amanda Brugel's Blair Caplan, is a creation of Apple TV+'s adaptation and not part of the original book. She investigates disappearances related to Jason Dessen's multiverse box, filling a gap left open in the book. While Detective Mason doesn't understand the cause of these disappearances, the show at least addresses the missing box pilots, unlike the book which only mentions them briefly.
The inclusion of Detective Mason is a clever move, but the storyline unfortunately goes nowhere, and it's completely disregarded by the time the finale arrives. While the addition of Detective Mason makes more sense in the show's context, the adaptation doesn't do the character justice. Mason's investigation posed a serious threat to Jason2's plan to assimilate into his new life, and his escape from what could have been an exciting cat-and-mouse chase feels too easy.
Despite her limited role in the first season, Detective Mason could be a source of tension with Jason2 in a potential season 2. While Mason's investigation into the missing box pilots didn't yield much, she had identified Jason2 as a person of interest after Ryan Holder vanished. So, she'll likely continue to closely observe Jason2.
Jason2 might try to cover his tracks by reporting Daniela and Charlie as missing, but this won't change Mason's view of him as a prime suspect. The fate of Jason2 at the end of season 1 is unclear, but he seems to be introspective after helping the Dessens escape from the Jason-ridden Chicago. Interestingly, he doesn't appear to have plans to escape through the box himself but seems content to stay in his new universe. This could lead to Mason realizing that Daniela and Charlie are missing, further solidifying Jason2's role as a suspect.
When Jason2 revealed the box's existence to Ryan in episode 6, "Superposition," he stranded Ryan in an alternate Chicago. Ryan's disappearance was what brought Mason back to the story and almost exposed Jason2's plan. However, Jason2 abducted an alternate Ryan from another reality and forced him into his counterpart's life. This was a clever solution, but not perfect.
The new Ryan is completely disoriented and unaware of his situation. Like Mason, he's also forgotten by the end of season 1, hinting at a possible return in a future season. Logically, Mason would want to talk to Ryan after his "discovery." Additionally, thanks to Daniela, the new Ryan is suspicious of Jason2 and suspects him of being behind his current situation. Jason2 needs the new Ryan to cooperate with him so Mason drops her investigation, but it remains unclear how he'll achieve this.
Jason2 has a last-minute moment of redemption in the season 1 finale, "Entanglement," saving the Dessen family from his multiversal doppelgängers. It seems like Jason2 is done with reckless actions and covering his tracks. He appears to have accepted that stealing the other Jason's life was wrong, regardless of how he previously justified his actions to himself and others.
The writers will need to find a way to resolve Jason2's conflict with Detective Mason without further bloodshed. Jason2 can't solve his problems by killing Mason, as this would undo his redemption in "Entanglement." Abandoning the Detective Mason storyline altogether would be illogical and a waste of a compelling arc, making it a crucial element for a potential season 2.