“Are you happy in your life?” This line in the premiere episode of “Dark Matter,” vocalized early on but seemingly as a throwaway line of questioning, might as well sum up the entire point of the Apple TV+ miniseries. Based on the novel of the same name by author Blake Crouch (who also serves as creator and showrunner on the adaptation), the story follows the average life of the rather unremarkable Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton). He’s married to the love of his life Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), has a normal teenage son named Charlie (Oakes Fegley), and works as a physics professor at a local college who teaches about concepts like Schrodinger’s cat with the casual air of someone who, deep down, wonders if he was meant for much more in life than this. And maybe, in another world, he is.

To its credit, “Dark Matter” doesn’t beat around the bush. Here’s yet another multiverse adventure, in which an alternate version of Jason kept up his scientific pursuits instead of settling for a life of domestic bliss, perfected a machine capable of traversing parallel dimensions, and left his reality behind in favor of one where he isn’t haunted by his biggest regret. At a time when the idea of the multiverse has been done to death in the superhero scene, Crouch and his stable of co-writers and directors keep this fresh by drilling down into its most fundamental appeal in the first place: the allure of righting past wrongs and actually seeing the paths not taken. For those looking for media that doesn’t talk down to its audience, that tackles some seriously existential themes, and that takes full advantage of the genre’s strengths, this is the series for you.

Season 1 of “Dark Matter” is streaming on Apple TV+.