Constellation season 1 ending explained: How is [spoiler] still alive?

The Constellation season 1 finale is now streaming on the Apple TV+ platform. And if you're all caught up, you're likely wondering what you just watched. To say that the final episode of the sci-fi series is mind-bending is an understatement!

First of all, let's get the obvious out of the way -- Spoiler alert! If you have yet to watch Constellation season 1 episode 8, please note there are spoilers ahead. Go stream the episode on Apple TV+ before reading ahead.

Constellation is not a series you can watch while doing something else. The psychological thriller requires your full attention, something we don't mind giving it at all. The story is cleverly told, brilliantly acted, and doesn't drag viewers along. Instead, it gets straight to the point and does not leave us hanging for long period of time with unanswered questions. The last couple of episodes do an amazing job of providing answers. But can we still all agree that no one saw that shocking final revelation coming? Final spoiler warning!

How is Jo still alive in the Constellation finale?

As soon as Jo (Noomi Rapace) realized what happened, Jo's mission was to find a way back home to her "real" family. Nothing was going to stop Jo from at least trying to cross over to her universe. However, in the end, Jo decides to accept it and stay in this new reality to save her daughter (or the daughter in this universe). But no one could have prepared us for the final moments.

The camera takes us to the ISS, where Jo is revealed to be alive. She's not only moving, but her single remaining eye is open, AND she still has memory of what happened. But the injury Jo suffered is not one that anyone can survive. So what is going on? Let's go back to episode 3 "Somewhere in Space Hangs My Heart." Remember when Henry explained the phenomenon known as superposition, which is when the same particle can exist in a liminal world that's between two realities. In this case, the Jo we saw return from the dead is the liminal Jo, and this liminal Jo exists between the reality of the Jo who survived the mission, and the reality of the Jo who did not survive. Confused? I am, too!

Something that may help make sense of things is Schrödinger's cat. As ScreenRant shares: "The Jo portrayed in Constellation's ending is likely the liminal Jo, who, like Schrödinger's cat, is both dead and alive at the same time."