DARK returns with a vengeance in season 2, boasting an even more gloomy and suspenseful tale than the first season. Essentially everything is more developed in an organic fashion, making this a mid-bending exploration and continuation of season 1.
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| Jonas' story is one of trying to return home and fix things, and as a bonus we finally see happiness grace his face! |
The story of season 2 is a definite continuation of season 1, where the first focused on discovery of the forces at work, the second is mostly about figuring out and exploring the conundrum the inhabitants of Winden face. The theme has also organically shifted away from the question of one's place in the world to the concept of fate and free will. This is explored as we see the near future and the near past through Jonas' eyes as he attempts to 'fix' the cycle. I really liked how much time travel was in the events of the show that we never saw or thought about before now, and it really connects with the show's more present sci-fi feel, though time travel aside it remains very grounded. Jonas' relationship with his father is explored even more this season, and it was very touching to see how the impact of a life lived in the wrong time can hurt a person, and how understanding can heal it. In a move that I thought was also pretty interesting, at the very start of the season we are told the stakes: the very existence of Winden as we know it, and the time that the characters have: just seven days to avert the apocalypse. Side characters and the antagonists(?) are also given more development, and a few more characters enter the fold. Egon Tiedemann saw far more involvement in the plot than I expected, and his almost complete ignorance of the events unfolding around him was a fantastic touch coupled with him eventually figuring out the truth. The techniques used to travel back and forth have also undergone development. In season one we had the relatively primitive cave and The Machine, but in two we have multiple of The Machine, The Dark Matter/Black Hole, and something else entirely. The ending is truth be told, pretty darn strange, as it introduces even more ideas which I can safely assume are going to play a large role in the third season. In short, the second season provides a direct continuation of season 1 (despite starting with a time skip), and the sudden end means that most likely season 3, the final season, will begin right where two left off.
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| In one of the most tense plots of the new season, Alexander's past catches up to him. |
Visually, season two sees a more varied color palette, with a mix of sepia, bluescale, and muted/bright colors, which help the audience keep better track of the time periods. I noted watching this that there were noticeably less 'mystery establishing shots' as in the first season, but this is weighed agains the increased number of introspective shots of characters thinking their own thoughts, and trying to come to terms with it all. As a more introspective and thoughtful season I'd say that this works pretty well and was most certainly a thematic choice. The editing, if anything, seems to have gotten even better, and there were a lot of cool things I saw that I'd never seen before now. The main titles are different this time, with the kaleidoscope effect making a welcome return with more glimpses of the future/past/present, something I only realized near the end of season one.
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| The gang returns in summer mode, still searching for Jonas after months. |
In terms of audio, I think it might have been a step backwards in some aspects, but it was still a step forward for most of them. I didn't really connect much with the few lyrical songs throughout, though that could have been me. There's more of the background soundtrack in this, and it's still effectively used/timed for major reveals to the audience/characters. The English dubs are noticeably better this time around, and it's much easier to connect the voice to the face. Really, the dub and the subtitles are still the way to go, but it's extremely well-done.
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| Adam remains largely a mystery, but we see much more of him and his plans. Now the question is why? |
Finishing this season last night has made me very excited for the final season and to see more from the creators of this show. I'm glad that the creators are sticking to a three-season run, especially with the complexity of the the story. This was one of the first foreign language television shows I've seen, and it continues to whet my appetite for them. You could easily do a lot worse than DARK, and if you want a show that really makes you think about what you're watching, this is the show for you.
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