Dark Matter Season 2 Includes A Deep-cut The Lord Of The Rings Reference

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Warning: This article contains spoilers for "Dark Matter" Season 2, Episode 5, "Love and Be Loved."

Have the waterworks finally stopped following the latest episode of "Dark Matter" Season 2? Yeah, neither have ours. The Apple TV sci-fi series has always been more emotional than its nerdy reputation might suggest, but nothing could've prepared us for the rollercoaster ride that Episode 5 would take us on. Some will (misguidedly) dismiss this entire hour as "filler," as it takes a break from the ongoing plot to follow an entirely different Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) in the aftermath of the Season 1 finale. More open-minded viewers, however, just might find themselves swept along by the show's most affecting and moving hour yet.

Plus, who could possibly look down on an episode that wears its love for "The Lord of the Rings" so unabashedly on its sleeve? (Okay, fine, "Dark Matter" is still as nerdy and cheeky as ever.) Directed by Alik Sakharov and co-written by Jacquelyn Ben-Zekry and Blake Crouch, "Love and Be Loved" focuses on one of the many Jason variants left behind as the original whisked away his wife Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) and son Charlie (Oakes Fegley) to a whole new reality. Overtaken by grief and despair, he nearly makes the heartbreaking choice to take his own life ... until he realizes he has one last ampoule left, hops back into the multiverse-traveling box, and finds a version of his deaf mother Ellie (Linda Bove), with whom he decides to build a new life.

This is where the inspired choice to sneak in that deep-cut reference comes in. Fascinatingly, the quote that lends so much weight and pathos to the episode comes from the book, not the movies. And for diehard fans, it'll hit like a ton of bricks.

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"I sit beside the fire and think..." So starts the memorable poem recited by the old Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, as set down by author J.R.R. Tolkien about halfway through "The Fellowship of the Ring." Our heroes are preparing to set out on their dangerous path from the safe haven of Rivendell to the land of Mordor, and main protagonist Frodo is spending his last morning with his beloved uncle. After gifting his nephew with his sword and impenetrable coat of chainmail, as seen in the movie, Bilbo lapses into a thoughtful silence and begins to softly sing the verses of this poem (which can be read in its entirety here).

In the context of "The Lord of the Rings," this plays as a melancholy lament by the aged adventurer Bilbo. His part in this epic story is nearing its end and he looks back at a life well-lived, filled with memories of the exotic places he's seen and the seasons that have passed, but tinged with the regret of all he knows he'll never experience, leaving him to await the return of old friends and loved ones from their own journeys. In "Dark Matter," this is repurposed as a defining link between the elderly Ellie Dessen and her multiverse-traveling son. As she wastes away from some illness (likely cancer) and bravely awaits the end of her life, Jason expressively signs this passage to her — before cutting to him reading this aloud as part of the eulogy at her funeral.

Loneliness, nostalgia, and the bittersweet passing of time are key themes Tolkien is conveying, and that's exactly what this episode of "Dark Matter" does, as well.

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I'm not crying, you are! Part of the reason why this episode of "Dark Matter" hits like a sledgehammer has to do with its almost ethereal, operatic approach to a story that almost literally exists outside of time and space. The multiverse premise at the heart of the Apple TV show gives Blake Crouch and his writing team license to take massive creative leaps like Episode 5, hitting the brakes on the ongoing storyline in order to explore this standalone, what-if scenario about what one specific version of Jason Dessen has been up to while our original one continues on his own adventure.

It's to the enduring credit of Crouch and co-writer Jacquelyn Ben-Zekry that they clearly saw the parallels between this original narrative and the deeper themes behind "The Lord of the Rings." The saga of Middle-earth may not involve string theory and quantum mechanics, but the century-spanning tale certainly echoes many of the same human emotions. What's more Tolkienesque than a character who has almost literally lived multiple lifetimes, experiences tragic lows, but still finds the strength to pick himself up and defy fate and continue living on his own terms? Episode 5 even involves that most classic of Tolkien concepts: a sweeping romance. When Jason meets Maria (Angela Sarafyan), he finally allows himself to imagine a life without his former love Daniela. It may not be quite on the same level of Aragorn and Arwen, of course, but the sentiment remains.

Is this the best episode of "Dark Matter" yet? It's probably too soon to say, but it sure feels like it. New episodes stream on Apple TV every Friday,