Andrew Robinson
Bearing some resemblances to Netflix’s powerhouse drama Stranger Things, the German-spoken Dark features a missing child and the subsequent mad rush to find him. Unlike Stranger Things, though, Dark delves deep into metaphysical issues such as time travel and alternate timelines. Main characters Jonas and Martha are constantly finding themselves in a position where they have to wrap their minds around some of the most complex ideas imaginable.
As my father said, “You need a PhD to understand this show.”
But what makes it worth it?
The Story
In Dark, things really get going when Mikkel Nielsen goes missing. Jonas Kahnwald, the character that the audience follows the most, finds himself squarely in the middle of it all. Soon, Mikkel’s disappearance relates to the disappearance of Mads Nielsen years earlier, as well as the suicide of an adult Michael Kahnwald. When a mysterious Stranger enters the fold, Jonas is fully exposed to a world of craziness. By the beginning of season three, there are alternate timelines, multiple time periods, and the teasing of different worlds.
What Makes it Worth it?
Dark is not a show that one can even begin to understand without full devotion to the story. Given the fact that it’s in German, subtitles are likely necessary unless one wants to listen to the terrible English dubbing. Even if it was in English, though, the show features so many timelines that one will easily lose their place without careful attentiveness. With a large cast that includes younger and older versions of characters, Dark requires the viewer’s full attention.
Season one is the most straightforward of the three seasons; the show gets progressively more difficult to understand from there. However, the storyline is good enough that it makes it all worth it.
The Ending
No spoilers will be present in this section
Dark aired for three seasons; it had been billed as a trilogy series since its second season. Thus, the showrunners knew exactly where they wanted the show to go and included minimal filler episodes. There’s something freeing to a showrunner about knowing the length that the show is going to be on air – it allows them to bring their story forward as they wish. Netflix allowed Dark to do that. And they were rewarded greatly.
With a show as complex as Dark, coming up with a logical and widely-accepted ending is overwhelmingly difficult. With each passing season, it felt as if more questions were being raised and fewer were being answered. However, by the end of the series, nearly everything of note is answered. The entire complexity of the show is made worth it by an ending that somehow wraps up one of the most elaborate series to ever air.
In an era where fantastic TV shows have ended with a whimper (looking at you, Game of Thrones), it is refreshing to see one as complex as Dark end thrillingly on its own terms. Concluding a popular show is not an enviable task, as there will nearly always be people upset. Somehow, Dark managed to end the series in a way that is universally beloved. With a 9.8 rating on IMDb, the series finale is both the highest rating for a single episode in the show’s history, and represents what is essentially the perfect finale.
Wrap-Up
Dark is a sci-fi show meant only for people who are willing to intently watch and theorize. It is not meant to be seen as one is scrolling through social media, nor is it meant for one looking to decompress after a long day.
No, Dark is a scholarly show meant for academics. Even the most intelligent of viewers will likely find themselves lost at points, but the final season makes all of the uncertainty and confusion worth it. When the dots are connected and everything from the pilot episode to the finale makes sense, the viewer will feel a sense of wonder that can only be found in shows that push boundaries.
Dark is worth the subtitles, and it is worth the confusion. The most complex show on Netflix begins with a bang and it ends with one.
As the show states, after all, “the beginning is the end. And the end is the beginning.”
