DARK S2

                        Dark S2: Odar and Friese are perfect for Netflix!!

Season 2 of Dark explores the aftermath of the shocking revelations of the first season as the inhabitants of Winden grapple with the unspeakable and unbelievable truth that has shaped the course of their lives, while a select few try to make a stand against the time travelling forces of evil. Will sheer willpower be enough to surmount a seemingly insurmountable obstacle? Will time play the same tricks on Winden once again? Or will the protagonists finally best time? What is time, where does time start from and where does it end? These are the questions that season 2 of Dark seeks to answer and resolve in another nail biting, head spinning and gut-wrenching narrative.

First thing first, if you are wondering if you should have a second bite at the first season before delving into the 2nd, you definitely should, or you may risk going through the entirety of the 1st episode of season 2 completely lost and trying to put the pieces together and connect the characters to several stories, which in itself is not a bad proposition.
That being said, Baran Bo Odar and Jantje Friese have once again sourced for the absolutely most interesting content and narrative to keep the show as interesting as the first, if not even better. The decision to introduce several new time lines definitely complicated the already complex stories and moreso the intricacies of the interwoven storylines. If you thought more time lines were complex enough, wait until the back stories and mysteries surrounding several characters are finally brought to light. Then and only then will you begin to realise the creative geniuses that Odar and Friese truly are.
When we reviewed the first season sometime back, we asked a ridiculous question( or so it seemed at the time); which, out of the several time lines was the present, which was the past and which was the future? Was 2019 the present or was it the future? Was 2024 the future or was it the present? Was the '80s the present or was that the past? Or maybe it was 1953?  We left it open ended for our readers to contemplate and reach their own conclusions, but it seems Odar and Friese have the same ideas. The introduction of new time lines to the intense and tasking narrative created an even more improbable question derived from the one we asked prior; at what point did the events plaguing Winden start? For it is only in identifying the beginning that our protagonists can fashion a way to stop it from happening or ensure that it ends at the very next cycle. Will preventing the kidnap of Mikkel Nielson put an end to the endless cycle of events in Winden? Or will an attempt at returning Mikkel not affect the death of Michael Kahnwald? What is even more incredible is whether any attempt at doing any of the above is an event that is already a part of the repetitive never ending cycle, which in essence means whatever any of the characters does is all factored into the scheme of things and all geared towards the realisation of the single most important event in the history of Winden; The Apocalypse!

  How does Jonas fit into the scheme of events? Does he play an even more important part than was initially let on? What is the reason for Sic Mundus Creatus Est? What are their goals, and who are the brains behind the musings of deceit? Who is Adam, who is Noah and who are the other members of Sic Mundus? What are their stories and who do they tie to in 2019/2020? Does Sic Mundus control time or are they also a smaller part of the larger narrative? Are they pawns as much as they think others are pawns?
All of these questions revealed jaw dropping facts that we all cannot still recover from yet. One of the parts of the show that really intrigued viewers apart from the confusing character back stories, is attempting to solve the puzzle, whether the Apocalypse of 2020 is the beginning of everything by the creation of the God Matter, and if yes, then how does Adam have a God matter in 1921? So much complications in the story and we are having a fields day with all of these information. 

Where this show has really impressed all and sundry is it's ability to create new story themes from the existing plot element without deviating from the original story concept. For instance, Hannah Kahnwald has made a choice that maybe has further solidified the situation that keeps repeating itself, whereas in her own mind, she has perpetrated an event that would change her own destiny. But perhaps if she had acted in the interest of the Nielsons, her destiny would have been positively changed? There are just so many delicate possibilities created by every character's decisions in the show. What if Hannah's decision to remain in the past led her to being someone else in 2020, or in the '90s? This would mean that she could have met her younger self somewhere or sometime in her life.
This proposition now brings us to the most delicate and interesting aspect of all of the show; Time Travel. The time travel phenomenon created by Odar and Friese is even more frustrating than what the Russo brothers conjured up In Endgame. It's the main reason why the mental gymnastics are so tasking and exhausting. The realisation that a person could travel to the past from the future and still grow old to meet his younger self in the future is absolutely bizarre. You could shake hands with your own self without ever knowing it, or you could even fight with your older self and not realise it. All of that as bizarre and strange as they are do not compare to the situation of Elisabeth Doppler and Charlotte Doppler. While Elisabeth Doppler is Charlotte's Daughter, through the strange revelations of Noah, Elisabeth is Charlotte's mother, meaning that Elisabeth is her own grandmother, while Charlotte is her own grandmother too. It's the type of scenario that is capable of making you scream at your screen. It's logic defying and absolutely the most interesting thing on tv right now.

From us here at FCA, it's an absolute recommend. You have no reason not to see this show, most especially if you followed the first season. In the event that you never had the opportunity of watching the first season, take your time, spare a few pocket change and binge watch both seasons. It will be an absolute worthwhile event.

Genre: Science fiction, Thriller, Drama
Created by: Baran bo Odar, Jantje Friese
Theme music composer: Apparat
Opening theme: "Goodbye" by Apparat (featuring Soap&Skin)
Composer: Ben Frost
Executive producer(s): Baran bo Odar, Jantje Friese, Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann, Justyna Müsch,
Production location: Germany
Cinematography: Nikolaus Summerer
Production company: Wiedemann & Berg Television

FCA'S AppR : 9.3/10