DARK Season 1: Show-Don't-Tell Done Right

So because I couldn't wait to get to season 2, I figured that a third attempt to watch DARK before I got distracted again was in order. Well here I am, after just finishing the first season, and I have to say, this show is absolutely incredible. There's so much done perfectly, it's almost mind-boggling. The cinematography is magical, the soundtrack is always used to maximum effect, the casting is incredibly eerie (in a good way), and the story is intensely riveting without traditional techniques. It's less that you're watching a TV show and more that you're watching life play out from several perspectives. In my opinion Netflix has another grand slam on their hands, similar in areas to Stranger Things, but this amazing example of sci-fi noir is much more mature, understated, and unsettling in its themes and execution.

Sure, it may seem like a one-off establishing scene, but it's never that simple... 

First, the story. There's so much to unpack here, the entire ten-episode season is a puzzle that you must unravel through closely watching people and for commonalities between the various timelines. Oh yeah, there's time travel, and it's possibly the best depiction of it in any media that I've seen. Heck, even by the end though you do know some key parts of the overall plot, there's so much that is unknown, and it makes complete sense for these bits to not be revealed. There's a lot of mystery, but this first season also has a ton of jaw-droppers, both heart-warming and chilling. My personal favorite was when Jonas (pretty much our main character) finally finds closure after his father's death and getting a whole new lease on life. Make no mistake, it's a mature story, both in its telling and grim, existential subject matter. There are some elements that are laid out to you, but you can figure out the story if you pay attention, and you likely won't understand the whole picture without noticing those details. On top of that there are a barrel of side-plots, and all of them feel pretty damn impactful, but be forewarned, there's some pretty sobering stuff here. Aiding the main, and side stories is the magnificent acting by the cast who pull off a diverse range of characters and ages while still appearing to be the same, entirely human people. They're a complex bunch, and there's a lot of all too real themes and moments between them, from obsession, resentment, and regret to maturity, responsibility, and closure. We also see a lot of small character traits that aren't narratively important be naturally introduced and not dwelled upon, these are people we see, not characters. There's a deaf girl, it's not a shocking twist that her parents need to remind themselves of, she's eleven! A man can lose or injure his eye before the show starts, and it doesn't necessarily mean that there's a story there. Jesus, unimportant disabled people exist in real life too!

Jonas, the boy who looks like happiness has never touched his life.

Second the cinematography. It's insane how much they were able to pull off in order to completely sell the grim atmosphere of the appropriately named DARK. I was surprised at how much just the camera angles and shots were able to help set the mood. There's a lot of isolating establishing shots, much of them of Jonas by his lonesome, and even when he's with others he is frequently in the foreground while his friends are in the background. This sets him as a constant focus (besides just his yellow jacket) and helps the audience identify/sympathize with him. There's also a common technique that was used where there would always be a barrier of some sort in between a man and his wife that symbolized the division between them they aren't addressing. The colors are pretty much all washed out and dull, without it seeming out of place. Now that I think of it the only truly bright things where a mysterious room that we see occasionally and Jonas' rain coat. The editing got absolutely bonkers when the music starts playing (in a good way). For people who aren't as perceptive, these little breaks help us both recap how people are currently doing and spells out who is who across the timelines. The music is also rare, which makes the times that it is used feel more impactful and memorable. There's a lot of less is more at play in this show. I believe there's only one traditional special effect, and that's in the finale. The scares are less in your face, and more existential and creepy, which I find more interesting. Really, this show is a great primer of how to make great cinema, and I think that there's a lot people could learn from watching this show.

Ambiguity extends even to the characters. I've seen and followed this guy so many times in season 1 but I still don't know what his plan is. Is this a side investigation, or is he up to no good?

In summary, season 1 of DARK is a must-see for me. There's so much it does well, the cinematography alone is well worth the time. The only criticism I can conjure is of the slow plot, but even then I believe it is properly paced for what it's trying to do. If you want to see time travel and an explanation of the complications (without the whole going to an alternate dystopian present) done in a realistic and mature manner, this show is right up your alley. Probably not the thing for you if caves freak you out though, there's a definite element of claustrophobia here. While DARK and Stranger Things are comparable, they are radically different, so if you didn't really like the latter, try this, or if you crave more of Hawkins, try a sojourn in Winden to sate yourself.

Me referring back to little details in previous episodes the second a new person is revealed. I know it showed up  earlier damn it!