Do not worry. Season 2 spoilers are not discussed in this review. In many ways, “Dark” is impossible to spoil due to the fact it is so elaborate. The labyrinth of past, present, and future timelines combines in a way that is tough to describe in straightforward terms.
To its credit, the second season of the Netflix original the German series remains remarkably fun to follow. Is it disconcerting and mind-bending? It would not be “Dark” if it were not. Season 2 picks up right where it left off. For a show so ethereally complicated, it maintains the very core of what made it so enthralling, to begin with.
“Dark” is arguably a family drama, first and foremost. That is where its roots lie. Its branches containing time travel themed science fiction. Season 2 remains steeped in the sense that it is at its core a drama with something special as its thrust.
In the second season, one revelation after the next sets off another domino of information that forever alters the familial trees that fill its landscape. Unlike some sci-fi series that spin their wheels, “Dark” has a strong sense of purpose and forward momentum.
Everything you thought you knew about the Kahnwald, Nielsen, Doppler and Tiedemann families, gets altered yet again in the series' penultimate chapter. A never-ending spiral of riveting revelations that send the audience reeling. While at the same time, causing one to pause and attempt to figure out what it all means.
“Dark” is unapologetically complex. A series where a flow-chart is a must. Keeping track of how each of the characters nests into one another can be tough to trace. It is a tangled web of knowledge that is far from infuriating, though. It is endlessly fascinating.
At the side of Jonas Kahnwald (Louis Hofmann), our young and confused protagonist continues to sift through a minefield of questions. His goal? To save Winden from the “dark” future that lies ahead for it and his loved ones. Can you stop the future and if so, how? Jonas takes the challenge on full-tilt.
The incredible ensemble that “Dark” has assembled puts in another stellar season of work. There are no weak links in this cast. As a whole, every actor turns in absorbing performances that feel raw and intrinsically believable.
Actor Andreas Pietschmann gets one of the more expanded roles of Season 2. Formerly known as “The Stranger,” Pietschmann seizes the chance to further realize what Season 1 viewers know is a pivotal character. He does so with incredible skill and aching poignancy.
“Dark” continues its journey with a follow-up that is just as thematically intimate and mythologically expansive as its first. Personal expectations were high following its freshman effort. One that demonstrated it knew itself better than most Season 1 series usually do.
That ability remains in-tact in Season 2, and it comes in handy. With so much going on, it would be easy for the show to get lost in its own maze, losing viewers in the process. “Dark” never does.
Rating: 9.5/10
The first two seasons of “Dark” are currently available to stream on Netflix. “Dark” will return for a third and final season, per TVLine. A premiere date has not gotten announced yet.
[Featured Image by Stefan Erhard / Netflix]
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