TV Review: Dark Season 1 (2017)

Dark Season 1 (2017) created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese

In the small German town of Winden, two children go missing. They were out wandering in the forest but no fairy tale creature took them. The body of a young boy turns up but he is neither of the two missing children. The investigation and the tension in the town bring up a lot of old memories, especially from 33 years ago when some children also disappeared under unclear circumstances. That story is blended with the contemporary story, so viewers see the characters in 2019 and 1986, when many of the characters are children or teenagers. The plot is painstaking and heartbreaking and very mysterious.

The plot is very intricate, dealing with multiple generations of the same character and interwoven storylines (you know, how real life is more complicated than usually shown). The filmmakers do a fine job keeping the time periods apart, though I had a little trouble remembering which kid from 1986 was (would be?) which adult in 2019. Early on, some characters start traveling between times which is not as hard on the viewers (on the other hand, the characters have a hard time dealing with the displacement). The time travel is always both interesting and perilous for me. I'm a bit of a stickler for logical coherence. This plot is satisfyingly coherent, though it does require viewers to pay a lot of attention. I like that in a show. Trying to resolve free choice and determinism is a challenge for both characters and viewers.

The tone is fairly dark (as the title might suggest). The children-in-peril element is too much for my wife but not me. Some injuries, both physical and moral, are rough to watch. The pervading sense of doom puts into question whether the story will have a happy ending or not, which generates a lot more suspense and investment. I found myself wondering how things would work out, if indeed they would. The show has a cliffhanger ending, so I guess I'm glad I waited a while before starting it.

The show is currently (August 2021) only streaming on Netflix, with two more seasons already made. I am sure to watch them.