The following article contains major spoilers for Constellation.
It's no exaggeration to say that, for the majority of Constellation – Apple TV+'s glossy new sci-fi thriller series starring Noomi Rapace as an astronaut who returns to earth only to discover that her life is strangely different – you'll find yourself white-knuckling the arms of your sofa. It’s alarmingly tense from the off: from the early episodes in which Rapace’s Jo is trying to land a spaceship on her own before the oxygen cuts out, to the final few episodes in which she's trapped in the wrong universe, with the wrong daughter, in a burning building, while her husband (James D'Arcy) attempts to track her down alongside the police, presumably so that they can either have her arrested or committed to a psychiatric hospital.
Unlike so many big-budget, ambitious sci-fi series of a similar ilk, Constellation does actually tie things up in a relatively satisfying way by the final eighth episode, while also leaving enough open for a possible second season. Jo, who we discover has found herself in a parallel universe after the original Jo died up in space (in other words: they swapped places), ultimately decides to stay in the ‘wrong’ universe, and learn to love her ‘other’ husband, and be there for her ‘other’ daughter, rather than continuing to fight against this new, complicated predicament. To make matters stranger, she also discovers that she's pregnant with a baby that's presumably from the other universe. A halfway baby, formed in space.
To make sense of it all, I sat down with Rapace over Zoom from her home in Lisbon (the Swedish actress currently house-hops between London and the Portugese capital), to chat about that twisty turny finale, whether she believes in parallel universes and what could be explored in a potential second season.
GQ: Can you tell me what drew you to Constellation?
Noomi Rapace: When I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. It was very close to home. It felt like it was written for me. I got goosebumps and felt sick in my stomach, like [creator] Peter Harness had been peeking into my life and had too much info. What struck me straight away is that it’s such a beautiful dance between different genres: drama, motherhood, passion for your craft but still wanting to be a good mother. But also creepy, horror sci-fi. This weird mix that I hadn’t seen before.
What do you mean by ‘close to home’, what were the parallels?
Well Jo, she’s Swedish, she’s been living in London. She has a child. And she goes on far-away missions. And me growing up in Sweden, moving to London for 13 years, I have a son that I constantly say goodbye to. I go on weird missions. I come back and you think that you’re coming back to yourself, but there is no coming back because I’m never the same after a movie. And he (my son) has always changed. We grow and things happen over a couple of months. So I could definitely relate.
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There’s something really frightening about something being nearly the same, but not quite.
Yeah, that is worse! Because it’s so subtle, it could be me being tired, or not focussed, or “Am I going mad, is something wrong with me?” If it was a totally different reality, then it would obviously be something else.
Alongside the sci-fi elements, the show also dives into the psychological effects of space travel. Did you look into the real effects of space travel when researching for the show?
I was reading a lot. We humans are so complex; it’s a full sci-fi-horror film going on [in our heads]. If you look into my dreams it’s deep, dark stuff; my nightmares are body gore. So I was doing research on that, and also speaking to three astronauts [one of whom] was on set with us. It was our goal to make it as close to the ISS as possible. It was an exact replica. The dimensions [of the ship] were the same. You can’t walk anywhere, because obviously you’re supposed to be floating. I felt really trapped. And the moves, with the floating, I was on wires – it was all about core strength and balance. I had to work out my flexibility. Would you go, if you could?
I wondered this while watching it. My answer’s no. Would you?
I’m a yes-sayer. There is something striking and exciting about space. I would go if someone asked me. But I would want to bring a few people with me so that if I go down, I’d have people with me.
You essentially play two different versions of yourself. What were the subtle differences to how you played the different Jos?
One is warmer, takes things slightly lighter, is more playful. A bit more chill. The other is stricter, more focussed, more disciplined, harder on herself which makes her harder on others, not so funny. Very career-driven. Wants to take over the world, and is maybe a bit more cynical. I would say that ‘Jo A’ has a more open heart.
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It’s weird to think that, in real life, there could be different paths that you take in life and you end up being a slightly different version of yourself.
I thought about myself a lot when I shot this, and even after. Pretending that I’m looking down on myself like “Who is this woman? Do I like her? Would I want to be her, if I could choose? Am I a good person?” And I think it was a good reality check; there are things to be worked on. It can be a good thing to zoom out sometimes.
Ultimately, Jo decides to stay in the ‘wrong’ universe and live life as normal. Why do you think she makes that decision?
Because it’s too hard to be alone. You can’t do anything about it. I get goosebumps just talking about it. It’s so fucking heartbreaking. With Jo, there’s an internal war inside between her rationality and her gut feeling. Because as a scientist, you look at truth, you look at evidence. But [her] entire existence is saying something else. But she doesn’t really have a choice. She surrenders. She’d rather fit in than become a mad woman who goes to war with everyone. And the other Alice needs a mother; she’s as hurt and lost as Jo. So that’s also part of the decision.
It reminds me of when family members get dementia or have brain injuries and you have to make peace with the new version of them, rather than constantly looking towards the past.
Yeah, and when people live in different realities. My grandma had Alzheimer's and it was a thing where she was in a different reality, she didn’t recognise us. That’s what I loved so much about Constellation; there are so many different layers to it.
In the final episode, she also says to Magnus “I want you more than I did” – what did she mean by that?
That she understands that the other Jo wasn’t as into him, that he’s injured and he’s hurt by her. She’s in love with him, and she was in love with her Magnus, and she wants to build a bridge to translate that into this [world], I guess. But also, she’s more emotional and more connected in herself. That’s how I saw it.
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Alice also asks whether Jo’s unborn baby will be of this world, or the other one. What was your take on that?
The baby is sperm from one world and egg from another, what kind of baby would that be?
Space baby.
Yeah! A space baby with one foot in each reality. It’s beautiful, but also quite scary.
Does the space baby leave it open for a season two?
Let’s see. There’s thoughts and talks about it, but nothing is confirmed.
Do you believe in parallel universes?
I definitely believe that there’s more than this. It can’t be that this is everything; it doesn’t make sense. In all the universe, there’s just us? I’m a curious person, and I’m always open to possibilities. That’s why I love movies, TV and art – it’s exploring, fantasies and different dimensions.
My son said, when he was six, we were walking in a park and he was like “I’ve been here before, I remember this, when I was falling down here from heaven, before I was in your tummy.” I was like… wow, okay.
Children are closer to the veil, aren’t they?
Yeah, and I like the idea of opening up our minds. Look a bit further, just try it. Ask questions to the people around you; be more curious. My mum said that when I was a kid I was super curious, I’d come up to people and ask them questions. When I was two I was on a bus and I started to stroke this elderly woman’s leg, it was like nylon. And I was like “your legs are so soft”. I was very interested in people. I’ve always been drawn to the lives of others… more than my own actually.
Thanks Noomi.
Constellation is available to stream now on Apple TV+.
