Warning! Contains major spoilers for Constellation's episodes 1, 2, and 3.

Summary

• Jo's reality is distorted, parallel versions of herself and her daughter exist, reflecting quantum superposition theory.
• Jo's memories are unreliable, suggesting she replaced an alternate version of herself after the ISS accident.
• Henry's experiment on the ISS broke the fabric of reality, causing multiple realities to crash together.

Noomi Rapace, the Apple TV+ sci-fi show primarily unfolds its opening arc in the International Space Station. All seems well for Jo and her fellow astronauts on the ISS until something crashes into their space station, causing chaos and confusion among the crew. While the rest of the crew leaves for Earth because of the limitations on life , only Jo stays behind to conduct some time-bound repairs.

Despite facing overwhelming odds and strange occurrences that make her lose her sense of time, Jo eventually manages to return to Earth. However, nothing seems the same on her home planet as she struggles to recall even the most trivial things, like the color of her car. Former astronaut Henry, who had sent the apparatus for a groundbreaking experiment with the ISS crew also experiences something similar after Jo's return.

Why Jo Sees Two Alices In The Cabin In The Snow

The concept of quantum superposition explains why two Alices exists

Constellation's first three episodes present a series of visuals that establish something is seriously wrong with Jo's reality or, at least, her perception of it. In what seems like a future timeline in the series, Jo also sees two different versions of her daughter, Alice, and is only able to distinguish between them through smell. In one scene, she also observes one of the two versions of Alice in a mirror but cannot find her when she directly sees her. After the first three episodes of Constellation, it seems likely that Jo is experiencing several alternate realities at once.

The idea portrayed in these scenes seems to parallel the concept of quantum superposition, where, as Henry explains, particles can simultaneously exist in multiple states.

There is a scene in Constellation's episode 3 where Henry offers a simplified explanation of quantum physics to Alice. He says in quantum physics, the same thing can exist in two different states at the same time. He further elaborates that the exact same particle can be black in one world while white in another. The same particle can also exist in a liminal place between the two worlds where it is both black and white but will not decide what it is unless someone observes it.

Henry's fundamental breakdown of quantum physics could explain why Jo sees two Alices. Like the particle he talks about, two alternate versions of Alice exist in two parallel worlds. Jo seemingly finds herself in a liminal space where both somehow exist together. However, similar to how the interference effect from Henry's CAL experiment only shows variations when he observes it, Jo becomes aware of the distinctions between the two Alices when she engages her sense of smell or indirect vision through reflections.

The idea portrayed in these scenes seems to parallel the concept of quantum superposition, where, as Henry explains, particles can simultaneously exist in multiple states. However, when observed, the observer's effect kicks in, and they collapse into a more definite and certain state. Future episodes of Constellation will likely dive deeper into this idea to explain why several other characters have dual versions.

Why Jo's Memory Of Her Life Before Space Is Distorted

Jo is not who she thinks she is

Constellation's biggest mystery revolves around Jo's unreliable narration of events and what is causing them. Her husband's reaction to her return suggests their relationship was not in a good place before she left Earth for space. Jo, however, does not seem to recall any of that. She also has no memories of her relationship with her co-worker, Frederic, and her recollection of what happened on the International Space Station (ISS) after the accident differs from the other engers. Even trivial things like the color of her car baffle Jo.

By ending up in her alternate self's reality, Jo has found herself in a world that seems familiar but somehow distinct and more distorted from the one she left behind.

The possible explanation for this is that Jo is not who she thinks she is. She somehow replaced a parallel version of herself after the ISS accident. Her alternate self had a red car, while she had a blue one. Similarly, while her relationship with her husband, Magnus, was on the brink of collapse, the alternate Jo and her husband were doing just fine. By ending up in her alternate self's reality, Jo has found herself in a world that seems familiar but somehow distinct and more distorted from the one she left behind.

Are Henry And Bud Caldera The Same Person?

Henry and Bud seem to be alternate versions of the same person

The first two episodes of Constellation only feature Henry Caldera, who sends a CAL experiment to space with Jo's fellow astronaut, Paul Lancaster. Towards the end of episode 3, however, Constellation introduces an alternate version of Henry named Bud. Like Henry, he was also an astronaut, but his experience in space was not as pleasant as Henry's. During an interview with a man who criticizes his work and claims about his outer space endeavors, Bud also mentions that they recently lost a man in space.

This suggests that Paul Lancaster died in both Bud and Henry's alternate realities, which is strange given how only Henry seems to know and care about the CAL experiment. What is even stranger is that Bud seems aware of Henry's existence. There is a scene in which a news reporter addresses Bud as Henry. In Constellation episode 3's ending arc, Bud even blames Henry for the problems during his space mission, suggesting that, like Jo, Bud is also experiencing a distorted reality, where elements of his identity and experiences are somehow intertwined with his parallel world counterpart, Henry.

What Actually Caused The ISS Accident?

Jo was likely right about what she saw

Irena, who is among the leading figures in a Russian space initiative called Roscosmos, tries to convince Jo that the dead body of a USSR cosmonaut could not have caused the ISS accident. Jo decides to stick to her claims because it is exactly what she saw when she investigated the cause of the accident. However, Irena and others from Roscosmos try to shut her down by claiming that the odds of a mummified Russian cosmonaut bumping into their space station are next to impossible. Eventually, Jo surrenders and withdraws her claim.

Even though Jo later agrees with the people from Roscosmos, it seems likely that she is not mistaken about what she saw. Constellation's first three episodes suggest that Henry's CAL experiment on the ISS broke the fabric of reality and somehow led to several alternate universes crashing together. This could mean that the appearance of the dead cosmonaut was not a figment of Jo's imagination but a consequence of the convergence of multiple realities.

Why Jo Withdrew Her Claim Of Seeing A USSR Cosmonaut

Jo realized her resistance would not convince others

Although a part of Jo refuses to believe what she saw was real, she eventually gives in when no one seems convinced by her claims. When the people from Roscosmos show her images of garbage bags used in space, which seem somewhat similar to astronauts in their space suits, Jo also begins to question her own sense of perception. Irena nearly convinces her that she was hallucinating either because of a lack of oxygen or because of the trauma caused by the accident. Additionally, Jo also caves in because she wishes to live with her family in peace.

Henry's Experiment & Its Potential Consequences Explained

Henry's experiment caused the ISS accident

Henry's experiment in Constellation involves him looking for a new state of matter that can only exist in zero gravity. He seemingly asks Paul to conduct the experiment because objects on the ISS experience microgravity/zero gravity. As soon as Paul initiates the experiment, the USSR cosmonaut's body crashes into their space station and wreaks havoc inside. This suggests that Henry's experiment in Constellation somehow tempered the fundamental laws of physics, causing multiple realities to fuse and opening the floodgates of endless possibilities and uncertainties.

To Henry's surprise, even though the experiment can only ensue in zero gravity, it continues showing, as he claims, an interference effect. Strangely, the interference effect is also observation-dependent, meaning that it only manifests when Henry is seeing it. Although Constellation has not yet answered why this happens, the observation-dependent changes in the experiment could mean that Henry's consciousness and presence are somehow influencing its behavior.

New Constellation episodes premiere every Wednesday on Apple TV+.