Amanda Brugel On Why Blair Will Go To War In ‘Dark Matter’ Season 2

Amanda Brugel does not soften what her character is willing to do in the second season of “Dark Matter.” Asked how far Blair will go to stop Leighton, the actress answers without hesitation: “literal war.”

Season two of the Apple TV sci-fi thriller follows the Dessens as they settle into a quiet life in a world that finally feels safe, until forces beyond their control send them running again. While Jason’s obsession with the Box deepens and Daniela’s paranoia pushes her to the brink, Blair is determined to stop Leighton, whose pursuit of a perfect world threatens everything. Brugel stars alongside Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson and Dayo Okeniyi, who told Her Agenda, Blair would do anything to stop his character, Leighton.

For Brugel, the shift in Blair’s focus was a welcome one. In season one, the story centered on Jason’s journey through the infinite versions of his own life. This season, Blair’s fight is with Leighton, and Brugel says the change gave her new ground to explore.

“It’s always so nice to pivot and have a different journey, have a different obstacle that comes in a different form,” she says. She also points to the chance to play against multiple versions of a character, “a fun exercise that we as actors rarely get to do.”

Brugel sees Blair as the counterweight to the Dessens’ story. While Jason and his family run forward, Blair stays rooted in what came before. “Blair represents the past,” she says, along with “this idea of shame and guilt and looking within at her own actions.” Her role in building the Box has affected people across multiple worlds, and Blair carries the weight of it.

That contrast, Brugel explains, mirrors real life. “Some people are willing to leave everything behind and some people cannot get out of the past,” she says, crediting co-showrunners Blake Crouch and Jacquelyn Ben-Zekry for weaving the theme through the season.

Without spoiling the finish, Brugel says the fight is not without consequences. By the end of the season, Blair’s mission costs her “almost her life on multiple occasions.” But Brugel sees a payoff as well. She says the journey helps Blair “retrieve her freedom and retrieve a sense of joy that’s been missing for quite some time.”

The 10-episode second season premiered globally on August 28th, with a new episode streaming every Friday on Apple TV through October 30. If you have not started the season, there is time to catch up before the finale arrives!