What pleases the 3rd season of "Darkness" - one of the best science fiction series of our time

The series tells about the small German town of Winden, next to which there is a nuclear power plant. The action begins in 2019, when two teenagers go missing one after the other. It soon becomes clear that this is due to time travel. The main character, Jonas Kanwald, whose father recently hanged himself, leaving a mysterious letter, finds himself in the center of fantastic events. After all, it is this young man who is the cause of everything that happened and, perhaps, the only one who can save the world from the apocalypse.

In fact, there is no point in trying to even briefly retell all the storylines of "Darkness" - there are too many of them. No wonder the series has long been called one of the most complex stories about time travel. In addition, for those who do not remember the events of the first seasons, it is better to refresh their memories first before watching.

Netflix has already announced in advance that this season will be the last for "Dark" and will complete all important storylines. Alas, after the finale it may seem that the authors Baran bo Odar and Yantje Frize too wanted to please the audience and could not put all the ideas into eight episodes.

Still, the unusual approach to the topic, the complexity of the narrative and the combination of fiction with drama and philosophy compensate for all the shortcomings.

Beware, the following text contains spoilers for the first and second seasons! If you're not ready to find out, check out our article on Confusing TV Shows.

Another world and reflections

In the second season finale, Adam seemingly got his way. He killed Martha, forcing Jonas to choose: stay with his beloved or save the world. The apocalypse could not be prevented, which fits well into the concept of the series: all the heroes who tried to change history only became part of it.

But suddenly at the end of the second season, Martha from another world appeared and said that what had happened could be corrected.

It may seem that the authors introduced the idea of parallel universes suddenly, violating their own laws. But those who looked more closely already noticed hints of Alternate universe clues: photos, calendars, and names in documents changed.

At the same time, in the second season, the plot finally became obsessed with Jonas: he is the main character, and his own mentor, and (in the form of Adam) the main villain. Even the father hanged himself only to loop events for the sake of the appearance of his son.

That is why, at the start of the third season, "Darkness" shows a different version of the story. After all, Jonas has already consciously sought to create a universe where he simply does not exist.

So why not imagine that the world took a different path and some people did differently? Perhaps the main character would not have been Jonas.

Moreover, the creators of "Darkness" act both beautifully and ironically. The new world is often literally a reflection of the original. Therefore, even the inscriptions on the screen are sometimes simply mirrored.

At the same time, the first episode called "Deja Vu" will surely evoke that very feeling. Some of the viewers will even remember the moment when the pilot of the series watched - too much is repeated.

But "Darkness" does not betray itself. This is, of course, not just a new story. The very same "unity of opposites" works here to the maximum: life is impossible without death, the beginning - without end. Adam must have his own Eve. The mirror world is as necessary as the confrontation between the hero and the villain. He shows that in any case, history inevitably goes to collapse.

Deceptions and choices

From the very beginning, the series played with the viewer. In the first season, it seemed that the main villain was Noah. But then he helped the heroes before the apocalypse and even opposed Adam. Claudia has always claimed that she is trying to save the world. But it was she who received the nickname White Devil.

Even the very statement that the third season will end the storylines is not entirely true. The main action has already looped, it's time for another story. The authors only fill in the blanks, telling how Jonas turned into his main enemy, how Claudia changed and what happened after the apocalypse.

In this regard, "Darkness" will satisfy all fans: they will talk about both the main characters and the minor ones (prepare handkerchiefs for Ulrich's storyline).

But the deception doesn't end there. If you remember the first seasons, they had an interesting subtext that is easy to miss: from a certain point, all the main characters knew about time travel, but they were too used to hiding something and lying to each other.

Understanding the motivation of heroes and villains with each episode became more difficult. Adam did not disclose his plans to anyone, and Claudia was clearly playing a more difficult game than it seemed at first.

The third season complicates that too. Jonas seems to have been convinced that history cannot be changed, but now his actions determine the existence of entire worlds.

Previously, the hero suffered from a lack of choice, but now he is tormented by the need to make it.

At the same time, many minor characters support the idea that human nature is unchanging. Even in another story, they will do exactly the same things: lie, change, or, conversely, fight for love.

Time travel and new heroes

With each season, "Darkness" increased the number of times in which the characters existed. Initially, it might seem that everything is fixated on three eras. But then they began to add more important points both in the past and in the future.

All this confused both the relationship of the characters and the storylines: by the second season, you had to remember in what time the hero exists, where he moved and how this influenced the events.

In the third season, it will be even more difficult: prepare a sheet and a pen in advance.

The action now leaps into the distant future, and even into the 19th century. Moreover, in one of the episodes, such a leapfrog happens every few minutes.

It is at this moment that the authors begin to seem in a hurry. Sidelines close too quickly and formally. Moreover, some of them were introduced directly in the third season, they did not really explain it and immediately completed it. Even the triune character, which interested everyone in the trailer, will remain something strange and not very necessary.

But the already familiar heroes will have even more incarnations. Analogs from another world will be added to their versions from different times. And not only Jonas will have a very difficult relationship with himself.

Science fiction and philosophy

The German TV series differs from most analogues in that a good scientific study of the plot here is perfectly combined with the ideas of Nietzsche and even religious motives.

The authors of "Darkness" have chosen the most logical concept of time travel. The traveler cannot change the past because it has already happened. He will not kill his grandfather and create a new world. The most obvious example is Ulrich. He wanted to save the children from the maniac Helge, but by his actions in the past he himself made a killer out of that.

And even the idea of a parallel universe, which begins the third season, does not destroy this approach. It's not just a "butterfly effect" where one small event changes history. Here logic is closer to the famous Schrödinger's cat plus the ideas of determinism, "a particle of God" and "Einstein-Rosen Bridge".

To this "Darkness" adds a lot of religious and philosophical references. Even the very name of the cult Sic Mundus comes from Sic Mundus Creatus Est ("Thus the world was created") - quotes from the "Emerald Tablet". By the way, it is she who is tattooed on the back of Noah.

It is impossible not to notice the obvious parallels with Christianity - right up to Adam, and now Eve, who are at the origin of everything that happens.

But the plot most clearly refers to the works of Nietzsche with his idea of the Eternal Return and Schopenhauer. The latter's famous saying in season three is even quoted.

A person can do what he wants, but he cannot desire what he wants.

Arthur Schopenhauer philosopher

All these complications are needed not only to confuse the viewer. The entire series is dedicated to the struggle with one's own destiny. During the first seasons, many heroes tried to change something and each time they failed.

There is this in the final. After all, no one can understand in advance what needs to be changed, much less how. Therefore, in the last season, the division into heroes and villains is finally lost. Obviously, everyone wants to “fix” the world, but they do it in their own way.

The endless loop concept completes the show's ideas perfectly. Some heroes believe that you can get to heaven only by repeating events endlessly, others want to cut this knot and get out of the cycle.

But it is interesting that even those who felt themselves above time and the whole maelstrom of events turned out to be the same part of history.

Unfortunately, the ending itself is sure to give viewers mixed feelings. It seems that it is too correct and even neutral. This is good for those who have fallen in love with the dramatic part of the series - emotions are twisted to the maximum. But fans of complex concepts will certainly not have enough sharpness.

This is by no means a mistake or a failure. It's just that the series amazed with its courage during all three seasons. And this kind of caution in the ending seems a little toy.

Dark has already taken its place on the list of the best science fiction series. The third season was just enough to consolidate the success and clearly link all the storylines. But the authors decided to expand the story, the necessity of which will certainly be argued. This is partly good, because the worst thing that can happen to a work is if they do not want to discuss it.

But even those who remain dissatisfied with the ending will surely appreciate the dynamics of what is happening and the beauty of the filming, which is famous for "Darkness". With simple special effects, the authors create many graceful frames.

You can even say that in this series the ending itself and the result of Jonas's journey are not so important. “Darkness” is a path, not a destination. Therefore, as soon as the last episode of the third season ends, I want to turn on the series from the very beginning. An endless cycle of views about an endless cycle of life. The end is the beginning, the beginning is the end.