In last week’s episode (206, “What the Universe is Made Of”), Dark Matter revealed a major plot twist: Blair Caplan (Amanda Brugel)’s true identity! The Blair that Jason1 (Joel Edgerton) has been hanging out with in analog world is actually Blair2, the woman he and Amanda2 (Alice Braga) left behind in murder hornet world.

In a recent interview, series costar Amada Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale) told SciFi Vision how excited she was to play what she called “a very patient, earned plot twist.” She also discussed Blair’s current state of mind. Blair says she’s thriving, but is she?

Brugel said yes, Blair is feeling great, “but with all people, any sort of horrifically traumatic event still lives really close to the surface. As we sort of dive deeper towards the end of the season, the mask that she's put on, it's quite a strong mask [but] it's not as resilient as she would have thought.”

Continuing, Brugel hinted that Blair still has some issues to confront.

“She's going to need to go through a couple of things and resolve some things in herself, but also in the world and in a fight against Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi), to truly be able to put a lot of that pain to rest.”

Of course we also asked Brugel about the Box and why the characters are drawn to it. Watch the interview or read the full transcript below.

Dark Matter airs on Fridays on Apple TV. The next episode, “The Pyramid,” drops Friday, October 9.



SCIFI VISION: Episode six has dropped and fans got a huge reveal about Blair. Incredible. I think some fans, some people might've had an inkling, but I think most of us were shocked, and it was great.

AMANDA BRUGEL: I think some people did too. I was texting with my co-showrunner, Jackie Ben-Zekry, and we were like, “I think we were a little too obvious or audiences are just that savvy and just that smart.” Our audience in particular, I find them to be incredibly smart and astute and are always looking for clues. So, I am happy that people figured it out before the giant reveal of today.

SCIFI VISION: When we met Blair - this is Blair2, I guess we'll call her - last time we saw her, she was incredibly traumatized in murder hornet world. The devastation, the things she caused, she was in a really, such a bad spot.

We see her now, and she seems to have faked it till she made it. She seems to be really great, and she's thriving, or so she says she's thriving. Where do you think she is? Do you think she's really been able to put that behind her?

AMANDA BRUGEL: I do, but I think like with all people, any sort of horrifically traumatic event still lives really close to the surface. And so as we see, and as we sort of dive deeper towards the end of the season, the mask that she's put on, it's quite a strong mask. It's not as resilient as she would have thought, and she's going to need to go through a couple of things and resolve some things in herself, but also in the world and in a fight against Leighton to truly be able to put a lot of that pain to rest and truly be able to embody the person she presents now.

SCIFI VISION: Blair knows the consequences of using the Box. Jason knows the consequences. Everyone seems to know the consequences.  Blair knows what Jason's capable of, or some Jasons are capable of, and yet she encourages him to pursue this line of inquiry. Why can these people just not stop? Why can't they leave the Box alone?

AMANDA BRUGEL: I think the larger question for us as humans, we are innately curious and have a hunger and a thirst for greater and bigger and better, and it's part of the reason that we've evolved into the species that we are, but it's also a part of the reason why we are constantly destroying ourselves. It's just such a human thing to always push for more, always want more, to not really be satisfied with where we are and to truly - and this is a very, very large statement - not be content with peace.

There's something in us that is always driving us away from peace. And I think that this season in particular really explores the different people that are, some people are willing to stay in the past or want to stay in the past and not move and rock the boat, and other people are constantly driving and chasing the horizon. And neither one, to be transparent, is - I personally think, as Amanda, neither one is a good option.

SCIFI VISION: So, you think that's why Blair is willing to follow Leighton down a creepy tunnel at the end of the episode?

AMANDA BRUGEL: I do, I do. She knows the consequences. She knows. She's worked so hard to get out of that tunnel, but there's always something, there's something in there.

I love the line, “There's no calories in looking.” We're deeply curious people. And if it's to our own detriment, we'll still do it. We still have to look.

SCIFI VISION: We also see in this episode that Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) is taking a really different route. Daniela continues to be traumatized. She can't process the way Blair did. And she's the one who really wants the Box shut down. I know you can't spoil anything, but what do you think this means for their friendship?

AMANDA BRUGEL: I think that the reason that they're close - and this Daniela and this Blair weren't actually close in the first season, but they still represent the same people with the same core values. I think, ultimately, should we ever see them together again, I think their journeys and where they end up, they still complement each other. They're still very much the same people in how they process things and sort of their humanity is very close and entangled.

SCIFI VISION: Okay, I think I have time for one more. This was a big surprise to fans, I think, to see this version of Blair. You, I imagine, you must've known so you can know who you're playing. When did you find out that this was the previous Hornet Blair?

AMANDA BRUGEL: They, Jackie [Ben-Zekry] and Blake [Crouch], the co-show runners alluded to it. And so, I didn't know what they meant. She was called Blair X for a while on paper, and so I didn't know what that meant.

But then when I found out, I was so excited, so excited. I thought it was such a cool twist. Also, a twist that was revealed like, after mid-season. It's not like it was like season two, everything's fresh, let's throw a bunch of stuff at people. This was a very patient, sort of earned plot twist.

And I'm so excited for people to see more of Blair and what she gets up to towards the end of season two.

SCIFI VISION: Great. Well, as we close out, could you give me just a couple of words to describe what's in store for Blair for the next few episodes?

AMANDA BRUGEL: Running, mayhem, freedom.