Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Constellation season 1.
Summary
- The death of one Jo in
Constellation
set off a chain of events that shaped the outcome of season 1 dramatically. - Noomi Rapace’s workload in
Constellation
differs from co-stars, but her role as Jo is crucial in the alternate reality plot. - Both Jo and Paul, if they had survived together, would have been a unique case of a double crossover between universes in
Constellation
.
The survival of the other Jo in Constellation‘s alternate reality could have vastly changed the story’s outcome, with her death serving as one of the main catalysts for events turning out the way they did at the end of Constellation season 1. The Jo who died shared many similarities with her parallel counterpart, but she also differed in key ways. Had both versions of Jo made it through the ISS accident with their lives, the fate of both women would have been drastically altered.
Noomi Rapace is an essential part of the Constellation cast, but her workload is arguably lighter than that of some of her costars’. For instance, Jonathon Banks was tasked with portraying both Henry and Bud Caldera, and James D’Arcy had to embody two versions of Magnus Taylor. While Rapace did have to play two versions of Jo, the one who perished aboard the ISS barely received any screen time before she met her end. If the other Jo had found a way to avoid death on the station, then the narrative would have transformed around her.
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Jo & Paul Would Have Been The First Pair To Cross Over From The Other Universe Together
Constellation characters usually cross the universe boundary alone
Although Jo finds records of other astronauts who have returned to the wrong version of Earth in Constellation season 1, episode 4, “The Left Hand of God,” they all sound as though they were the only members of their respective crews to make the jump between realities. Even the on-screen examples like Henry Caldera and Irena Lysenko appear to have crossed over alone. If the other Jo had survived and returned to Earth with Paul, then this would have been a unique circumstance in that a pair of figures from another universe had never made the journey to another reality together.
Key Differences Between The Universes In Constellation Season 1 |
|
Universe A |
Universe B |
The CAL was never developed |
The CAL exists |
Alice speaks Swedish and English |
Alice only speaks English |
Jo has a happy marriage |
Jo is having an affair with Frederick |
Jo’s family car is red |
Jo’s family car is blue |
Paul’s wife is called Erica |
Paul’s wife is called Frida |
The Jo from Universe B is dead |
The Jo from Universe A is alive |
The Paul from Universe B is alive |
The Paul from Universe A is dead |
Jo doesn’t play the piano |
Jo learned to play the piano |
It takes a little working out, but Paul and Jo both swapped places with their respective counterparts at the same time. So, when Paul sees Jo collide with the ISS window in Constellation season 1, episode 6, “Paul is Dead,” that is actually “his” Jo who dies. Similarly, the other Jo in the alternate reality fails to save “her” Paul from dying aboard the ISS. In the context of this Constellation theory, the other Paul still dies, but the Jo who dies in “Paul in Dead” is the one whose survival would severely alter the timeline.
Jo Could Have Pieced Together What Happened Much Faster With Paul There In The Other Universe
No one believed Jo or Paul in Constellation season 1
One of the biggest obstacles for Jo in Constellation season 1 is the fact that no one believes her when she points out changes between her old universe and her new one. This is because, from the perspective of those native to Jo’s new universe, there are no differences. As such, Jo is treated as mentally ill rather than her claims being entertained. While this version of Jo would still encounter the same problems if her counterpart had survived, the other Jo (the one who originally died) would have had a living Paul to corroborate her story.
The Jo who died did so in a universe where Constellation‘s Cold Atomic Laboratory (CAL) was never developed. So, if she had survived, Jo would have had knowledge of the CAL despite it never existing in her new reality. This is exactly what happened with Paul, who mentioned the CAL during his debriefing in “Paul is Dead,” only to be met with vacant expressions. If both Jo and Paul had insisted that the CAL existed, then the claim would either be viewed as a shared delusion or would have to be taken more seriously by NASA and the ESA.
There’s also the disparity of Paul’s wife’s name between Constellation‘s two alternate timelines to consider. In the CAL universe, Mrs. Lancaster is called Frida, whereas she is called Erica in the reality in which Paul finds himself. When Paul misnames his wife in “Paul is Dead,” the mistake would have been duplicated by the other Jo if she had survived, with both Jo and Paul believing Mrs. Lancaster is called Erica rather than Frida.
The variances between the two universes are often so subtle that it can be easy for the characters to attribute their errors to the stresses of space travel. However, two people making several of the same mistakes would have been too unusual to ignore. If she had survived, then all the clues that Jo was in the wrong universe would have been magnified by the fact that Paul was also spotting his own discrepancies.
Both Versions Of Jo In Constellation May Have Been Able To Communicate With Each Other
Bud & Henry are proof that inter-universe communication is possible
So far, it’s unclear whether Irena and the Valya are aware of one another, with Irena being alive and her undead counterpart being somewhere between life and death. However, what’s clear is that Henry and Bud Caldera aren’t just aware of their other selves, but they’ve even directly communicated. This suggests that if both versions of Jo were alive throughout Constellation season 1, they too would be able to reach out to one another in some fashion.
The two versions of Jo communicating may not have achieved much beyond establishing that neither woman was suffering a psychotic break and misremembering details about their lives. However, Bud’s connection to Henry appeared to have been strengthened due to Henry’s time spent in close proximity to the CAL. So, if the other Jo (the one who survived in the show) still went and stole the CAL as she did originally, then the link to her counterpart could similarly have been much stronger.
Although Jo wouldn’t be able to directly help with developing the CAL in the new universe, her role in delaying Paul’s meeting with Bud would have been vital.
Even if Jo stealing the CAL didn’t have the same impact as it did on Bud and Henry, she still may have been able to speak to her other self via the tape recorder that Alice uses to speak to the other Alice. This method of exchanging messages still appears to need the CAL to be nearby, so Jo’s theft of the specialist equipment would still have been of further benefit beyond being able to understand the tape recordings she inherited from the Skagerrak siblings.
The Jo Who Originally Died Would Be Returning Home To A Happy Family Life (Which She May Have Sabotaged)
Dead Jo was having an affair with Frederic
In Constellation season 1, episode 2, “Live and Let Die,” Jo is shown returning to Earth and being greeted by an anxious daughter and a standoffish husband. Although she’s likely too full of adrenaline to notice the changes in Magnus’ disposition, his attitude toward her is a result of the other Jo leaving behind a marriage filled with lies and an extramarital affair with Frederic from the ESA. Inversely, if the other Jo had survived, she would have returned to a family that hadn’t been ruined by her cruel streak.
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As well as the survival of the Jo who died resulting in her being “reunited” with a daughter with whom she could converse in her native Swedish, this Jo would also have been met by a Magnus who hadn’t experienced being romantically betrayed. However, Frederic exists in both timelines, and there must have been a reason why Jo cheated on Magnus in the first place. So, she may have started up the affair again – with the other Frederic in her new universe. This would ruin the family life that the Jo in the other universe left behind.
The Bud/Henry Swap In Constellation Episode 7 Could Have Fixed Everything If Jo Hadn’t Died
Henry’s arrival in the other universe could have benefited Paul and Jo
One of the biggest differences between Constellation‘s two universes is that one has the CAL, and the other does not. The Jo who survives in Constellation season 1 comes from the universe where the CAL was never developed. However, the Jo who dies is shown at the beginning of Constellation season 1, episode 1, “The Wounded Angel,” explaining the equipment to Alice. While this Jo isn’t a CAL expert, the Paul shown in the same scene is the mission’s CAL specialist. So, when he’s flung into the other universe with Jo, both characters retain their respective CAL knowledge.
After the swap, Jo’s survival would mean Paul having her for support regarding the CAL being real, even if they can’t access the equipment from their current surroundings. This would mean Paul seeking out Bud Caldera much later than he does in Constellation season 1, and this time with Jo in tow. If so, their meeting would be after Bud and Henry swap places and Bud destroys the CAL in the other timeline. This means Paul wouldn’t be shot, and Henry would also be able to support Jo and Paul in their claims that the CAL exists.
In the
Constellation
season 1 finale, Henry is arrested for Bud’s murder of Ian Rogers and the attempted murder of Paul Lancaster. So, it’s possible that Henry would still be arrested, even without Bud trying to kill Paul.
Although Jo wouldn’t be able to directly help with developing the CAL in the new universe, her role in delaying Paul’s meeting with Bud would have been vital. This way, Henry and Paul could have worked together to recreate the CAL in their current reality. It would have been time-consuming and likely required help from NASA and the ESA, but the result could have sent everyone home. Bud’s destruction of the CAL in the other universe also corrects any issues that may have arisen in Constellation due to the presence of two CALs existing simultaneously.
Constellation
season 1 is available to stream in its entirety on Apple TV+.
Constellation
Constellation is a sci-fi psychological thriller written and created by Peter Harness for Apple TV+. After facing a crisis in space, Astronaut Jo returns to Earth only to discover nothing is quite the same – and that her sanity may be slowly slipping from her grasp.
- Cast
- Noomi Rapace , Jonathan Banks , James D’Arcy , Lenn Kudrjawizki , William Catlett , barbara sukowa , Carole Weyers
- Release Date
- February 21, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Apple TV+