# Dark on Netflix **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** netflix\ **Created:** [March 24, 2024, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289 "2024-03-24T17:11:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/1 "2024-03-24T17:11:38Z")
Just finished watching the first of three seasons. I like it a lot even though it’s dubbed, and I usually _hate_ anything dubbed. I found it difficult to keep track of all the characters. Part of the conceit of the show is keeping you guessing on who some of the characters are, but I had trouble keeping track of the characters we were supposed to know. I found myself spending a minute at the beginning of many scenes thinking “Okay, who is that, and do I know what other characters they are related to?” One stumbling block I’m having trouble getting past is the family planning aspect of this show. It makes zero sense to me and I can’t stop obsessing about it. We see multiple families in the show, and then we see when the parents first met or started dating. All of these people apparently first got together in high school, which is fine. Normally, you would assume that they were stuck together for the long haul by a baby. But no. None of these people had children young. Despite being couples since they were like 17, none of them had their first kid until they were in their 30s. And they had multiple kids. If you marry your high school sweetheart and you have three kids together, how does it make sense that you don’t have your first kid until you’ve been together for like 15 years?! That makes absolutely no sense to me. And it’s not just one couple that does this. It’s _all of them._ Compounding that issue is that these are not perfect couples. They’re unhappy, they cheat. So why did they stay together for those 15 years before they had any kids in the first place? It legitimately makes no sense. I guess I just have to chalk it up to “Germans be crazy.” Other than that, I’m finding the show to be pretty compelling. So compelling that I started watching the show Friday evening and just finished the first season today, Sunday. One minor thing is that at the end of each episode in the first season – except the season finale – the credit song that starts as Netflix is about to switch to the next episode is pretty much exactly the start of fuck the pain away. Which of course drove me to rewatch [the greatest Andy Griffith episode](https://youtu.be/EpDmklLFXVc) there ever was or could be. And so every time an episode would end, and those beats would start up, I find myself singing loudly: > Sucking on my titties like you wanted me > Calling me all the time like Blondie > Check out my Chrissy behind > It’s fine all of the time. > Like sex on the beaches. > What else is in the teachers of peaches? > What. Huh. > > Fuck the pain away. > Fuck the pain away. > Fuck the pain away. > Fuck the pain away. This, of course, adds an extra level of awesomeness to the show. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/2 "2024-03-24T18:12:31Z")
We watched all 3 seasons. The things you disliked about season 1 get worse, and the things you liked about season 1 don’t last. After a great premise and interesting start, Dark was much more of a slog for us to get through to see if there was a payoff worth it. Hint: there isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/3 "2024-03-24T18:21:00Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > After a great premise and interesting start, Dark was much more of a slog for us to get through to see if there was a payoff worth it. > > Hint: there isn’t. Dissenting - I really enjoyed it 🙂. However it does get more and more science-fictiony, complicated and, well, out there the deeper you go. If that bugs you, you may not enjoy it much. Me, I thought it was a pretty good show with a pretty strong ending. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/4 "2024-03-24T18:32:36Z")
I watched the first few episodes, but I found it pretty humorless. I can find other shows that are dark but with dark humor (which I prefer). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/5 "2024-03-24T18:46:41Z")
We stuck with it for a long time, but we honestly just need a version that puts the names of each character on their body so we know who lines up with who in the past and present. We found it confusing since the people did not look enough like their younger selves. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/6 "2024-03-24T19:31:18Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > > [@Hamlet](#): > > > > After a great premise and interesting start, Dark was much more of a slog for us to get through to see if there was a payoff worth it. > > > > Hint: there isn’t. > > Dissenting - I really enjoyed it 🙂. Glad you enjoyed it. I did too, for awhile. > [@Tamerlane](#): > > However it does get more and more science-fictiony, complicated and, well, out there the deeper you go. If that bugs you, you may not enjoy it much. I’d say it got more ridiculous rather than “complicated”. To me, it wasn’t horribly difficult to follow plot-wise. It just got … silly. The deus ex machinas all over the place, the multiple time machines/characters/outcomes. Once interesting drama that turned into over-wrought melodrama. But mostly, I think it was that there were nothing interesting or likeable about the characters. Neither my wife nor I really gave a crap what happened to any character, which was compounded by the fact that they were wholly inconsistent and practically replaceable. Again, YMMV, and I hope @EllisDee 's mileage is different than mine. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/7 "2024-03-24T19:49:54Z")
I love foreign shows and watch them frequently. However, this show was so confusing I only made it partway into Season 2. I even tried to make a power point of who was who but it didn’t work out very well lol. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/8 "2024-03-24T19:51:32Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > I love foreign shows and watch them frequently. However, this show was so confusing I only made it partway into Season 2. I even tried to make a power point of who was who but it didn’t work out very well lol Oh, I totally watch any show foreign or not. I just found that during season 3, the final season, I was lost beyond all hope. I did not want to do a full re-watch. Their second show, **1899** , was actually better. Alas, it only got one season. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/9 "2024-03-24T19:54:08Z")
Speaking of the foreign language aspect, I’m watching it with subtitles and find it fascinating how the dubbed words virtually never coincide with the subtitles, though they always convey the same ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/10 "2024-03-24T20:04:55Z")
Interesting! I will have to check out 1899. Never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/11 "2024-03-25T06:37:56Z")
I enjoyed _Dark_ but it did get extremely convoluted and confusing the longer it went on. I think I enjoyed the retro 80s feel most. Just an aside on subtitles, and how they’re often not a direct translation, I noticed for another show on Netflix, _Griselda_, they translated ‘Washington’ as ‘DC’. Maybe they just couldn’t be bothered to type the extra characters! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/12 "2024-03-25T12:42:48Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > > [@Hamlet](#): > > > > After a great premise and interesting start, Dark was much more of a slog for us to get through to see if there was a payoff worth it. > > > > Hint: there isn’t. > > Dissenting - I really enjoyed it 🙂. However it does get more and more science-fictiony, complicated and, well, out there the deeper you go. If that bugs you, you may not enjoy it much. > > Me, I thought it was a pretty good show with a pretty strong ending. Mrs. solost and I very much enjoyed the entire series as well, though season 3 really did get way out there. It didn’t help matters that we were watching the seasons as they were released on Netflix, and there was a long gap between S2 and S3 which left me completely lost trying to catch up. I had to heavily reference [this ‘Dark’ Wiki](https://dark-netflix.fandom.com/wiki/Dark_Wiki) to re-aquaiant myself with all the characters and plot lines. > [@EllisDee](#): > > Speaking of the foreign language aspect, I’m watching it with subtitles and find it fascinating how the dubbed words virtually never coincide with the subtitles, though they always convey the same ideas. My theory on this is that they change the words to more closely match what it looks like the characters’ lips are saying-- the art of dubbing has gotten much better since the old ‘Godzilla’ movie days. Pay attention to what the dubbing says vs. the subtitles when you can’t see their lips moving, say, when a character’s back is turned. It’s much more likely that the dubbed speech and subtitles will match exactly in those cases. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/13 "2024-03-25T13:26:18Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Which of course drove me to rewatch [the greatest Andy Griffith episode](https://youtu.be/EpDmklLFXVc) there ever was or could be. (Missed edit window to add to previous post) BTW, thank you for that video clip. I was familiar with the song, but had never seen that ‘unofficial music video’, and it’s freakin’ hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/14 "2024-03-25T14:05:10Z")
I made the mistake of taking a break early in the second season, and when I came back to it I was completely lost. But I liked the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/15 "2024-03-25T14:27:09Z")
I’m surprised to hear you say that matching the children and adult character versions was tricky. I had many misgivings with the show, but I thought the casting of the actors was noticeably excellent. Though some of the ‘aging-up’ of actors was fairly crap. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/16 "2024-03-25T15:08:40Z")
I liked it throughout its run, although the first season was the best. I agree that the 3rd season got unnecessarily convoluted and would have been improved by removing one or two of the timelines entirely. But I think they tied it up well at the end, and the conclusion was satisfying. I had the same challenge keeping track of everyone, especially with the big gaps between seasons. There are a few “family trees” out there that I highly recommend referring to as you watch. Here’s an old thread about it: > [@Anybody watching the Netflix show Dark?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-watching-the-netflix-show-dark/804958): > > It’s a Sci-Fi Netflix original from Germany. I highly recommend it. The voice dubbing takes some getting used to, and it takes a while to get you invested and figure out which character is which, (trying not to spoil anything here), but it’s a great story. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/17 "2024-03-25T18:09:46Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Pay attention to what the dubbing says vs. the subtitles when you can’t see their lips moving, say, when a character’s back is turned. It’s much more likely that the dubbed speech and subtitles will match exactly in those cases. I’ve already noticed this, actually, where when the faces are not on screen the dubbed speech matches the subtitles. I had not put it together that the reason might be because they’re trying to match the lip movement better. I like your theory a lot. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/18 "2024-03-25T18:19:19Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Here’s an old thread about it: Thank you very much for this. I searched multiple times but never found that thread; I would have just bumped it if I had. The only one I could find was a thread with six posts about unresolved questions where the OP started by saying they had already watched all three seasons. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/19 "2024-03-25T18:57:18Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I searched multiple times but never found that thread… As I learned when I tried to find that thread, “dark” is a tough word in search. I had the advantage of knowing I’d posted in it, and it still took a little work. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2024, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289/20 "2024-03-25T19:52:18Z")
I really liked Dark but may not have enjoyed it as much if not for a very helpful discussion thread (at the time of its initial release) at another board. And, yes, 1899 certainly deserved another season or so imho. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-on-netflix/999289.md?page=2)