Dark on Netflix is frightening, mind-blowing, and a lot of fun to watch. The story is set in the town of Winden and is a bizarre twist on time travel. The past, present, and future riddles are beautifully revealed, with incredible background music to boot.
Dark has an unrivaled number of twists. So much so that viewers could require a family tree to show who, where, and when things happen? While Netflix has renewed Dark for the third season (which will be it’s final), there are plenty of surprising moments in the first two seasons. So, without further ado, here are ten scenes from the German show that even fans didn’t see coming.
The Stranger Is Jonas
The Stranger bears no resemblance to Jonas when he initially emerges. He has scars on his face as if he has been tortured. Yes, he is the one who leads (younger) Jonas to the caves’ entrance, but it never feels like they are the same person, just in separate time zones, during their discussions.
And the reveal is equally well-executed. The Stranger travels to see (younger) Jonas when he is confined in Noah and Helge’s bunker. Jonas (younger) urges The Stranger to let him out of the bunker, but he refuses. He then discloses that he is, in reality, a 33-year-old Jonas Kahnwald and that if he frees (younger) Jonas from the bunker, he will never grow up to become The Stranger.
Mikkel Is Michael Kahnwald
The past, present, and future are all interconnected. This moment exemplifies how Dark may completely astound the audience. Mikkel vanishes from 2019 and travels 33 years back in time, but instead of returning, he remains and marries Hannah (Jonas’ mother).
To put things into perspective, Jonas is the son of Mikkel Nielsen, Martha’s brother, and Jonas adores her. This suggests he is in love with his aunt without even realizing it.
Adam Is Jonas
Another time when (young) Jonas had to deal with something extremely stressful. He’s in the year 1921, and (young) Noah takes him to see the Sic Mundus or Travellers. There, Jonas meets Adam, the Sic Mundus’ leader, who wants this time cycle to play out exactly as it has in the past. And he’ll go to any length to acquire it.
(Young) Jonas is the polar opposite of Adam; he longs for the cycle to come to an end. Imagine Adam’s amazement when he reveals that he is Jonas Kahnwald, only 99 years from now.
Claudia Lets Her Father Die
Claudia enters the public library after obtaining a time machine and traveling into the future (2020) to research what will happen to her and her father in the future. She learns the date of her father’s death there.
Her father’s death date is set for 1987. Claudia informs him that he would be living with her, but Egon (Claudia’s father) requests that the police explore the cave because he believes there are supernatural forces at work in Winden. Claudia, of course, is aware of them, and she cannot risk the information being public. As a result of her fight with her father, Egon stumbles, falls, and begins bleeding. Claudia refuses to call the cops and instead watches her father die in a sad scene.
Ulrich beats Helge (Kid).
Ulrich lands in 1953 after passing through the cave portal. He is taken aback, but his police mind works out a solution. He believes that if he looks after (child) Helge now, he will not abduct and murder his brother Mads later.
As a result, he meets (kid) Helge, who flees for his life. Ulrich, though, catches him and ruthlessly slams a rock into the side of the kid’s head. Even if (child) Helge does not die, the audience is left with no doubt about Ulrich’s capabilities.