A few months ago we started discussing the future of this site and promoting this future: here we are, with the first article under the label "Cult TV"! A bilingual review of NetflixDark, first season. To learn more about this new feature, see the article "What is Cult TV?"
For a German version of this article, scroll down.
The beginning is the end and the end is the beginning.
The beginning is the end and the end is the beginning.
Past. Gift. Future.
How are they connected? Is there a linear progression or is it beyond that? Interconnected, bound in time and space. An endless loop of causality. How do we begin to understand the complexity of something we only have one form of interaction with?
A dead father. A missing boy. Secrets and lies. Geheimnisse and Lofgen.
E Jonas Kahnwald.
The ten-episode Netflix series,Dark,it's unlike any other television I've seen before. Of course there are thematic similarities to other things out there,THIS HEREeTwin Peaksbetween them. From the first trailers, people were calling the nextStrange things, despite the fact thatDarkit was in production beforeStrange thingswere captured. I saw/readTHIS HERE, and although I have not seenStrange things, I can tell you that nowDarkit is completely unique.
Darkspans three generations of people in the small German town of Winden. Around every corner is a face you've already met, except younger than you expect, and around every corner the same person, but older than you might think. Do we really know a person? How can we?
It's the first German production to leave Netflix, and it's about time. There is something uniquely European about itDark, and something even more intrinsically German. And yet it is not limited to its regional origins. This is a story that could exist in any society. Not just could.He does. this storyhe doesfound in all societies. For every question we ask on a grand, universal scale, there is an equally big question to be asked of our inner selves, the questions we consider small and unimportant as we are mere specks in the cosmic system. In your own way,Darkhe even comments on the difficult and long past of nuclear energy in Germany.
When I read aboutDarkabout a month before the premiere (December 1st, the day I write this) it was mentioned that the show was almost a modernBrothers Grimmtale, but not the best known. Of all the possible stories, this is one I know,The Handless Girl. Unlike most Grimm's fairy tales, or at least the watered down version of them that most audiences know thanks to Disney,the virginit appeared only in its original or semi-original form. A creepy, cautionary tale about making deals with demons, about acting blindly. About regrets. About consequences.Darkcertainly bears many of the marks of that history. Primarily, however, it centers on causality. And in humans.
It starts with a missing boy. Or does it start with a dead man? When did it start and when does it end?
No where; when.
I can't callDarka procedure. I can't call it Drama. I can't call it science fiction. it is everything and nothing. It is the accumulation ofTwin PeakseWide churcheTwilight Zoneeverything at once.
In terms of cinematography, Dark is captured impressively.Light darkplays an important role in this. Not only is the story about the interaction between light and shadow, but also the visuals.Darkit is exactly what it says on the box. Dark, grey, gloomy. I lost track of the many scenes shot in the rain. Much of it also takes place at night, so the inclusion of light and how it is used is very important. It's an intimate show, filmed in people's homes, inner spaces and sanctuaries, and the other half outdoors in the woods, a place equally filled with shadow and only cracks of light.
But nothing contributes as much to the climate asmusic. The music, haunting at times and downright terrifying at others, is what contributes to the devastation felt in tandem with the characters and pain. In addition to the soundtrack, the featured artists create a mosaic of emotions that carry you through the story like a wave.Darkit's not just a story, it's a feeling. And I'm melancholic.
Darkposes many philosophical questions. Not afraid to pester the universe for answers, not afraid to let those answers be hard, terrible truths, or even to leave them open-ended. And he's not afraid to ask his characters and viewers to question themselves. Is fate real? Do we have a choice or is everything that happens to us already predetermined? Oedipus asked these questions a long, long time ago. And Einstein. And countless others whose names are considered unimportant in the course of history or have been lost to it.
And yet magic is not real. Everything is just an illusionosselect create. These conflicting philosophies remain at the heart ofDark. These questions, not their answers, are what make us human.
I know I'm biased when I say that when you sit down to watch this (yes, when, because every single one of you should!), watch it in German with English subtitles rather than in English (which is apparently an available format, although it didn't appear as an option to me). German is my second language and I enjoyed being able to watch this program in its original format. I haven't really been that moved by anything lately, at least not like this. Basic human struggles and conflicts as opposed to unfathomable universals highlight something of the truth of nature. Questions within all of us. What does it really mean to live in this world, to say that we have a will? Can we choose? Or not?
Dark didn't answer those questions, but it certainly got me thinking.
This is an absolute must see for anyone who enjoyedTwin Peaks, and a must see for absolutely everyone. And I absolutely cannot wait for season two.
You can watch "Dark" in its entirety on Netflix today.
The beginning is the end and the end is the beginning.
Past. Gift. Future.
How are they connected? Is there a linear development or does the connection go beyond that? Connected across space and time. An Endless Circle of Causality How can we begin to understand the complexity of things when we only have this way of dealing with them?
A dead father. A missing boy. secrets and lies.
E Jonas Kahnwald.
Dark, a 10-episode Netflix series, cannot be compared to any other series. Of course there are thematic parallels with some other series like IT and Twin Peaks.
After a few first trailers, many were already talking about Dark being the new Stranger Things. And this despite the fact that the filming of "Dark" began much earlier. I've seen/read IT, and although I can't say the same about Stranger Things, I dare say that Dark is completely unique in itself.
"Dark" spans three generations of people living in the small town of Winden. A familiar face lurks around every corner, albeit much younger or older than you'd expect. Do we know someone, maybe this person? Why do we think we know them?
"Dark" is Netflix's first German-language production. It was also about time. So a defining feature of "Dark" is something "European", if not "German". And while this is something new, "Dark" isn't limited to its original roots. This story can happen in any society. Where a reality arises from this possibility: This story takes place in all societies. For every question we ask a large audience, a question is asked to our inner selves. Questions that seem small and unimportant, but go far beyond anything tangible. In its own way, "Dark" comments on the difficult and long history of nuclear energy in Germany.
When I heard about "Dark" (about a month before the premiere), it was mentioned that it could almost be a Grimm's fairy tale, albeit one of the lesser known ones. However, it was a story I knew ("The Handless Maiden"). Unlike many other Grimm fairy tales, which were mostly released in a simplified version by Disney, "The Maiden" was only available in its original form. In a gripping ghost story about a pact with the devil, about acting blindly, about doubt, about consequences. "Dark" also contains many of these pillars. First, it's all about causality and people.
It all starts with a missing boy. Or maybe it all starts with a dead man? When did it start and when does it end?
"Dark" is neither a drama nor pure science fiction. It is everything and nothing. It is a combination of "Twin Peaks", "Broadchurch" and "The Twilight Zone".
"Dark" is strangely catchy. Chiarosuro plays a big role. It is not only a story of love and hate, light and shadow. With "Dark", the name says it all. Dark, gray, dark. For example, I have already forgotten how
many scenes were filmed in pouring rain. A number of scenes were also shot in the dead of night just to capture the particular intensity of light which is incredibly important to this series. It's an intimate show, filmed both in people's homes and in the woods. The forest, which itself has its own mysterious light.
But nothing lifts the mood quite like the music itself: creepy on the one hand, soothing on the other. Music is what helps you see yourself in tune with people's feelings, with their pain. A mosaic of emotions that carries us through the "Darkness" like a wave. Dark isn't just a story, it's a feeling. And awakens melancholy in me.
"Dark" poses many philosophical questions. One is not afraid to look for answers in the universe. There is no fear of hard answers, cruel truths or unanswered questions. Don't be afraid to ask the characters themselves similar questions. Is faith real? Do we have a choice or are each of our paths predetermined? Oedipus asked himself these questions long before we did, as did Einstein and a host of others who have since disappeared from our history books.
And now: magic is not real. Everything is an illusion created by ourselves. Questions are what define us. Not the answers.
German translation by E.G.M and K.H
Darkit's on Netflix now.
FAQs
What is the meaning of the end is the beginning and the beginning is the end? ›
T.S. Eliot said, "The end is in the beginning." The beginning of any entertaining and well-crafted story tells as much about where we are headed as to where we will be at the end. This means that until you write the end you will not truly know the beginning.
Is the beginning the ending dark? ›A quote from the Netflix Series DARK; The Beginning is the End and the End is The Beginning.
Is this the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? ›Winston Churchill once said: "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
What was the beginning in dark? ›Everything "starts" when Mikkel disappears.
While everyone fled after being spooked by a strange sound, Mikkel disappeared. It's revealed he fell backwards through time, to 1986, where he was eventually adopted by Ines Kahnwald (Anne Ratte-Polle) under the name Michael.
The End of the Beginning may refer to: A quotation from a 1942 speech by Winston Churchill concerning the Second Battle of El Alamein.
What does it mean that God has no beginning and no end? ›Article continues below this ad. God had no beginning (just as He will have no end); He has always existed, and He always will. (That's why He had no father or mother.)
What does the ending of Dark mean? ›At the end of DARK, we are shown that Adam successfully kills Martha and her unborn. But thanks to Quantum Entanglement, at the point of the apocalypse in 2020, another Martha comes to existence who still bears Jonas' child and grows old to become Eve.
Is the ending of Dark a paradox? ›See, Jonas and Martha save Tannhaus's son and his family from dying, but but Jonas and Martha only exist because they died. If they didn't die, and Tannhaus never built his machine, then Martha and Jonas could not have saved them. It's one last bootstrap paradox on the way out the door.
Who exists at the end of Dark? ›The Final Scene
Peter Doppler (Stephan Kampwirth), Hannah Kahnwald (Maja Schöne), Katharina Nielson (Jördis Triebel), and Benni (Anton Rubtsov) and Torben Wöller (Leopold Hornung) were all present. They are the only ones who survived with everybody in Adam and Eva's world ceasing to exist.
Some genres, for example television programs and video games, call the epilogue an "outro" patterned on the use of "intro" for "introduction". Epilogues are usually set in the future, after the main story is completed. Within some genres it can be used to hint at the next installment in a series of work.
Is there a relationship between the beginning and the end of the story? ›
The beginning and the ending are two halves of the same whole. In some senses, they're mirror images of one another. The beginning asks a question, and the ending answers it. This is the key.
What did Churchill mean by the end of the beginning? ›To summarise, it was a little over three years into the war and a year and a half after the end of the Blitz. The end of the beginning was the first major victory for the Allies in the war. Nobody knew when the end would be, but it was the “end of the beginning”.
What was the loophole in Dark? ›No kidding. Just in case Dark didn't give us enough things to keep track of, the third season also reveals that there is a loophole within the knot: When the apocalypse occurs (which happens days apart in the two universes), time stands still for a fraction of a second.
Is In the Dark Based on a true story? ›This terrifying true account takes readers back to the year 1942 where a man, known as the "Blackout Ripper," embarked on a five-day killing spree during the night air raids in London that baffled investigators until a slip-up revealed his true identity, shocking the world.
Who is the evil one in Dark? ›Jonas Kahnwald, better known as Adam, is the main antagonist of the German 2017 Netflix-series Dark.
What is a famous quote about the end being the beginning? ›“When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.” “You only grow by coming to the end of something and by beginning something else.”
When did Winston Churchill say the end of the beginning? ›On November 10, 1942, Winston Churchill said this: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” I believe this is where we are today.
Which verse says the end is better than the beginning? ›The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions.
Does the Bible say God has no beginning and no end? ›Psalm 90:2 says, “From forever in the past to forever in the future, you are God.” — Common English Bible. This God is so unlimited in power that time and space cannot bind Him or define Him. He created a universe that has no beginning and no end (Genesis 1:1).
What is life without God called? ›Atheism and theism. To say that atheism is the denial of God or the gods and that it is the opposite of theism, a system of belief that affirms the reality of God and seeks to demonstrate his existence, is inadequate in a number of ways.
What is God's beginning? ›
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
What is the message of Dark? ›One of the main plot twists in DARK is not knowing whether a character's actions are going to finally result in a changing point in history, one which will avoid their doomed repetitions, only for us (and them) to finally learn that these exact actions were the cause of said doom.
What is the horrible ending to In the Dark? ›She finds out that it was Josh (Theodore Bhat) who called off the deal and caused Max's death. Then, she convinces Felix (Morgan Krantz) to drive her to Josh's hideaway cabin in Missouri and brutally murders Josh with a butcher knife. The sheer absurdity of this finale is reminiscent to that of St.
What theory is Dark based on? ›Dark is a series that considers the cyclical theory of time.
What are the 3 worlds in Dark? ›The first is Jonas's world, the world where the events of the first two seasons occur. The second is Martha's world, otherwise known as the Alt-World, where Martha takes Jonas at the end of the second season. The third world is the Genesis world, the creation of a world without time travel and therefore without Jonas.
Who breaks the loop in Dark? ›Claudia, the unsung hero
Not only does she manage to distance herself from both Adam and Eva, she also learns how to break the cycle and end the time loop once and for all. And this all begins when Claudia realises that she's been manipulated by Eva in the show's brilliant penultimate episode, 'Between the Time'.
Adam believes that it is the knot that caused the death of his father and the apocalypse .. He achieves peace by destroying the knot, and with every turn his father dies and seeks the same goal.
Who created the apocalypse in Dark? ›The apocalypse is triggered by a multitude of actions across timelines: Elisabeth's activation of the God particle in 2053, Magnus and Franziska's activation of the twin God particle in 1921, and the opening of a yellow barrel at the power plant in 2020.
Who started the apocalypse in Dark? ›The apocalypse occurs on June 27, 2020, in Adam's world and November 8, 2019, in Eva's world. In Adam's world, it is triggered by the following: activation of the God particle at the plant in 2053 by Elisabeth Doppler.
Who opened the wormhole in Dark? ›The portable time machine is a clockwork device that creates a wormhole which opens portals thirty-three years into the past and future. It was built by H.G. Tannhaus between the years 1953 and 1986 and first activated by Jonas Kahnwald.
What do you call a story without ending? ›
When narratives end with no resolution, they're often called “cliffhangers.” They leave their main characters in the grip of the climaxing conflict, hanging over a metaphorical cliff -- or a real one -- and they similarly leave their readers with no satisfaction.
What is the word for no beginning and end? ›1. Eternal, endless, everlasting, perpetual imply lasting or going on without ceasing. That which is eternal is, by its nature, without beginning or end: God, the eternal Father.
What is the word for both beginning and end? ›be-all and end-all. beginning and end. entirety. totality. whole.
What is the summary of the end of the beginning? ›The End of the Beginning is a 1937 one-act play by Seán O'Casey. It is a comedy set in rural Ireland. A couple argue about whether men's or women's work is more difficult, and swap places. The cast of only three (the couple plus the husband's friend) makes it suitable for some purposes e.g. entries in drama festivals.
Why is the beginning of the story so important? ›Story beginnings are important, and in terms of getting published, they're the most important part of a story. Your beginning is where the reader (or editor) decides whether to keep reading. Your beginning also sets the reader's expectations for the story's middle and ending.
Is the beginning of a story more important than the end? ›So, beginnings are crucial. They set the stage, introduce character and setting, and most important, Hook the Reader.
What did Churchill say when he died? ›According to those present at the time of his death, Winston Churchill's last words were "I'm so bored with it all', most likely referring what he saw as the squabbling minutia of either daily or political life. Churchill died in Kensington, London, on January 24, 1965, at the age of 90.
What were Winston Churchill's last words? ›Churchill's Last Words: 'I Am Bored With It All' - The New York Times.
What did Winston Churchill say before he died? ›Winston Churchill's famous last words: “I'm bored with it all.”
What paradox is mentioned in Dark? ›The time-travel based Netflix series DARK saw the concept of the Bootstrap Paradox being abundantly tossed around all over the series. Not only things but people were also created because of the Bootstrap Paradox in both Adam's and Eve's Worlds.
What are the two sides in Dark? ›
There are two sides at war: Adam and Sic Mundus, who want to create a new world, and Claudia and himself, who want to save this one. Claudia does not know who Adam is.
Who is the unknown person in Dark? ›The Unknown (portrayed by Jakob Diehl, Claude Heinrich and Hans Diehl) is the son of Jonas Kahnwald and Martha Nielsen.
Why was In the Dark cancelled? ›Unfortunately, In the Dark was canceled by The CW due to the network being purchased by Nexstar. In 2022, The CW underwent a lot of changes, including former majority owners Warner Bros. and CBS Paramount selling the network in order to help make a profit for the first time in its history.
Who has Murphy killed In the Dark? ›Throwing in the towel, Felix leaves Murphy in the cabin with the knife and her choices. In spite of an initial struggle, Murphy stabs Josh to death three times. She throws the knife into the cabin, grabs Pretzel, and changes clothes at a nearby convenience store.
Who shot Noah in Dark? ›Agnes Nielsen
She's been kicked out of Sic Mundus and seems to be working with Claudia … until she murders Noah as a way to get back into Sic Mundus.
Darkness is not a barrier to God. Psalm 139:12 describes God's response to darkness: “Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.” We enter darkness to pray as we close our eyes to focus and avoid distractions.
Who is killing the kids in Dark? ›Noah killed the kids to maintain the cycle, because Adam wanted somethings to be the same so that those certain events would lead to the destruction of Martha (Eva, 1st reality) and the Origin (The Unknown).
Who is the evil 1? ›The Evil One was a figure in mythology on the planet Omega IV and was viewed upon by the Yangs as an equivalent to the Human Devil of Christianity. In 2268, Captain Ronald Tracey visited Omega IV and, in violation of the Prime Directive, sided with the Kohms in their war with the Yangs.
What does it mean when someone says that the end is the beginning? ›“The end is only the beginning “ is another way of describing the continuity of life. The ends of each are tied to the beginnings of its predecessor. It says one exist within nothing.
What is the relationship between the beginning and the end of the story? ›The beginning and the ending are two halves of the same whole. In some senses, they're mirror images of one another. The beginning asks a question, and the ending answers it. This is the key.
What is the beginning of the end and the end of time? ›
What is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end and the end of every race? The letter E! You are correct!
What does the saying the end of the beginning mean? ›So in summary, “the end of the beginning means that we completed one stage in an ongoing project, but have further stages to complete in the future.
What is the word that means the one before the end? ›adjective. pen·ul·ti·mate pi-ˈnəl-tə-mət. Synonyms of penultimate. : next to the last. the penultimate chapter of a book.
What is the word for beginning and end at the same time? ›The words contemporaneous and simultaneous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance.
What are examples of the beginning of the end? ›The start of a bad outcome (ruin, disaster, catastrophe, death), as in Joe's failing two of his courses was the beginning of the end; he dropped out soon afterward.
What is the concept that stories have a beginning middle and end called? ›Narrative arc, also called a “story arc,” a “dramatic arc,” or just an “arc,” is a literary term for the path a story follows. It provides a backbone by providing a clear beginning, middle, and end of the story.
What is a character who changes from the beginning to the end of a story? ›A dynamic character is a character that undergoes an internal change sometime between the beginning and end of the story.
What is at the beginning of eternity? ›Bret Turner, a teacher in Albany, California, asked: “I am the beginning of everything, the end of everywhere. I'm the beginning of eternity, the end of time & space. What am I?” The answer to the question is “e”, but the reply he got from one of his students led to an “awed, somber, reflective hush” across the class.
Where in the Bible does it say until the ends of the earth? ›Psalm 48.10:
Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with victory.
The answer to this riddle is staircase.
What is the meaning of the beginning of the end in paradox? ›
the statement is referencing something that can't really really exist. While all things have a beginning and a ending, saying that the end is beginning does not make sense.
Is it correct to say from the beginning to the end? ›The generally accepted expression is 'from beginning to end'. You may also see' from start to finish'. 'From beginning to ending' is grammatically sound but uncommon in use.