Dark (2017)

Overview

Overview of the series "Dark"

"Dark" (original German title: Dark) is a German science fiction thriller created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. The series aired on Netflix from 2017 to 2020 and consists of three seasons (26 episodes). The action takes place in the fictional German town of Winden, where the disappearance of two children reveals secrets related to time travel spanning several generations.

Plot

The series begins with the disappearance of teenager Erik Obendorf, and later the boy Mikkel Nielsen. These events trigger a chain of investigations that reveal a complex network of connections between four families: Kahnwald, Nielsen, Doppler, and Tiedemann. Caves are discovered in the town that serve as a time portal, allowing characters to travel between 2019, 1986, and 1953. The plot is complicated by time paradoxes, doppelgängers, and the struggle to prevent an apocalypse. At the center of the story is Jonas Kahnwald, a teenager trying to understand the nature of time and his role in cyclical events.

Main themes

• Time travel and its consequences
• Fate versus free will
• Family secrets and intergenerational trauma
• Philosophical questions about the nature of time

Cast

• Louis Hofmann as Jonas Kahnwald
• Lisa Vicari as Martha Nielsen
• Maja Schöne as Hannah Kahnwald
• Oliver Masucci as Ulrich Nielsen
• Jördis Triebel as Katharina Nielsen
• Andreas Pietschmann as Egon Tiedemann

Seasons

• Season 1 (2017): 10 episodes. Introduction to the characters and the first time travels.
• Season 2 (2019): 8 episodes. Deepening of the mysteries, emergence of new timelines.
• Season 3 (2020): 8 episodes. The final resolution that closes the time loop.

Franchise chronology

The series "Dark" is a standalone work, without direct sequels or prequels. However, there is related material:

• "Dark: Seasons" (interactive website, 2017–2020) — official site with additional materials, timelines, and puzzles.
• "Dark: The Game" (mobile game, 2019) — a puzzle that expands the universe of the series.