Jo's life back home is not how she remembers it, and growing tension with Magnus adds to her feelings of alienation.
Jo is diagnosed with PTSD. That offers a convenient explanation for all of the symptoms she has been experiencing upon returning to Earth. Others are alarmed by the gaps in her memory. Major details about her life are wrong. She understands this diagnosis has the potential to end her career. She doesn't want to retire from the space program just yet. She isn't eagerly trying to return to space. That may not be possible. Henry and Irena are certain that the governments of the world will no longer finance the explorations. Humanity has reached its limitations. It's better to walk away now. And yet, many are plagued by mysteries they need answered. They can't rely on others to understand what they are going through. Jo and Henry see things that aren't there. The common link is space travel. People went up and came back changed. The industry has a convenient term for it. It's known as astronaut burnout. It means Jo has to be sent to a facility to be cured. Even then, it may not offer any guarantees of improvement to her life.
Jo wanted nothing more than to return to her family. And now, she struggles with the distance that is apparent between them. Jo and Magnus had problems before she left for a year in space. Jo doesn't remember having an affair with Frederic. However, he talks about their plans to run off to be together. He proudly shares the truth when confronted by Magnus. It seems as if Jo is lying to protect herself. The truth comes out. It makes Jo look bad. This isn't the life she remembers. She's concerned about Alice hiding in cupboards. That's an eery visual that connects to her past trauma. Jo saw that reality play out once. When her world was distorted, that hallucination pulled her forward. She was haunted by the visual of a cupboard. She found Alice within. And now, Magnus is letting their daughter go in there because it comforts her. It's an alarming pattern. One that Jo can't support. Yet she feels powerless to change it. She doesn't have the trust or authority within this family any more. Things changed. That's partly due to the time apart. It's also due to the change in the universe.
Henry is conducting an experiment in the hopes of crossing over to other universes. People are fascinated by his research. NASA has funded it for many years. But now, the American agency is ready to pull the plug. Apparently, only Henry can see the results of his experiment. He still produces fascinating readings in his new lab on Earth. He's looking to repeat the pattern. He wants to make sense of it. It seems impossible. Of course, Jo recognizes the symbols as well. She shares in this unknown with him. He reaches out mostly to gauge how she is grappling with life on Earth again. It's mostly an excuse to share stories about the strange phenomena people experience while in space. It offers no sensible explanation. People believe fiercely in what they think is real despite any contradictory evidence. Bud is furious arguing with conspiracy theorists. And yet, the nature of his reality is even more complex and mysterious than anyone could theorize. Jo only briefly touches on the attempts to alter her mind. She discovers the vitamins are the same pills as the lithium prescribed. That's not a reason to take them and trust in the process. Instead, it's a conspiracy to control her.
Jo can't quite comprehend the nature of falling into another universe that closely mirrors her own but isn't an exact match. Something happened to her in space. In that moment, her life was divided. It may have only been possible because she was in two places at once. However, the divisions occurred before that moment when the experiment went awry. Details are different from before Jo left. Henry and Bud have lived in these separate universes ever since he was an astronaut. One remained committed to the research while the other was an alcoholic who fell victim to his vices. For Jo, she died in her former life. She left Magnus and Alice behind to grieve. She didn't return home to them. Instead, they seek refuge in the cabin to find peace in the cold of winter. They can only lean on each other for support. They no longer have ties to hold them down in this location. The cabin still presents as safety. Jo trusts in the vitality of that location as well. It's where the universes still cross over. They merge from time to time. Jo and Alice see it. The only difference is that Jo went to space and Alice didn't.
Moreover, Paul is still alive in the reality where Jo died. She was the casualty aboard the International Space Station. Jo had to battle to return to her family. However, she did so. She understood that Paul was the only person who died during the mission. She brought his body back home. She remains haunted by his ghost. She sees him. Alice does as well. Her teacher is concerned about her behavior. Meanwhile, Jo reads into the dynamic between her and Magnus. She causes a scene. Again, all of this showcases the volatile nature of what Jo is now asked to cope with. She screams out only for no one to hear her. She was curious about what was happening to her. That essentially dooms her as Henry proclaims. It results in Magnus' death too. That was clearly an accident. Jo was given tapes that seemingly show something more was happening in space. It was true with Jo just like it was true decades prior. Jo isn't the first person to experience these symptoms. However, her plight mirrors those of the prior astronauts who all went insane and killed the people they loved. Jo and Alice may have the cabin. However, one version of Alice is left with neither of the parents she has always known. Instead, she is powerless to stop these drastic visions of an alternate reality from happening. They are scary. They aren't ending anytime soon either.
