Dark Season 3 Review: The End is the Beginning

Past and future, light and shadow, Jonas and Martha. The duality of the universe runs strong through the veins of Dark, and as it closes out its third and final season, the show looks to strike that balance and reveal its full intentions.

Some story beats don’t quite land with the impact of previous seasons, but closing that information gap while bringing its expansive ideas to a satisfying, emotional conclusion are its main intentions, and it does this very well.

There is this destructive decay that hangs over the season, where history is doomed to be repeated by forces beyond one’s control. It’s a fact that has been hammered home over the course of the two seasons and helps anchor this one.

That previously mentioned duality plays a significant role now, but saying how the third season uses this is an exponential spoiler. Given how the second season closes off with a second Martha taking Jonas away from the apocalypse, some of its implications can be used as a jumping off point.

The storytelling technique remains mostly the same, but with new (sometimes menacing) faces joining in and the sense that we are truly in the end times of the show. That sense of finality looms large, and the writing reflects that while never losing sight of one of its most important aspects: the characters.

So much of what makes Dark work is its character development and their interlocking fates, how everyone plays their part whether they realize it or not.

Early on, characters a little on the wayside finally find their significance to the story in some rather ingenious ways. Some prove to be massive while others find their contribution to almost be like a cruel joke, not on their characters but by fate.

Some of these cases feel like missteps while others are poignant, even if rather dark.

A number of story choices come at a cost, where pieces prove a little unnecessary when the full endgame is revealed.

Some sequences also lose their effectiveness as they rub along the line of going for shock rather than being dictated by story, while other moments feel a little late as they wait for other stories to catch up. With so many moving pieces it’s likely impossible to avoid, but this does rob some moments of their full impact.

There’s also the issue for those watching who get lost by the time jumps and who’s who of it all; this season certainly won’t fix that, as it expects you to be prepared as it adds layers on top of what’s already established.

But this season is largely easier to follow than the previous, even with all of this in mind, as it finally sheds the mystery of who exactly is a liar and who is telling the truth, something the show has been wrestling with holding onto for as long as it can.

Despite all of this, the show doesn’t lose any of its power. It’s still a deeply investing story with great characters and beautiful direction that I care about immensely.

Because for all of these issues, Dark still holds a special power, three seasons deep. This season feels more like Lost than ever, and even when the story is going down paths that I don’t entirely agree with, the journey and the sense of being in the hands of confident storytellers break through those disagreements.

The main cast, for the most part, return as great as ever. The season pairs off characters normally not seen together, and so different dynamics and energies help gain new views on characters while allowing their performers interesting new avenues to work with.

Lisa Vicari has been a large part of the show before, but she is the standout as Martha Nielsen during the third season. So much of the third season rests on her shoulders, the character and the writing allowing her to show sides of herself that the past could not provide. She brings a lot of heart to the role, and makes a perfect co-lead with Louis Hofmann.

Hofmann brings a level of pain and heartache to his final round of portraying Jonas Kahnwald, where there can be stretches without dialogue and his performance speaks volumes through his presence.

The entire cast is used exceptionally well, where its massive canvas and timeline allows for anyone and everyone to play their part during this final cycle and to shine in their own way, as mentioned before.

The production continues to be one of the most visually interesting on television, with its fantastic use of history creating a unique enough look to separate the timelines, while also using its science fiction trappings to create some arresting images of awe, destruction, and occasional moments of beauty.

The main titles keep the kaleidoscope style of reflecting onto itself, same as the previous years, but there’s this finality to them this time, with imagery that really plays into the main theme the eight episodes are going for. They continue to strike a wonderful tone for the show, and this version may be a clear favorite.

One of the most powerful factors of the show is its score, and Ben Frost continues to deliver. Recognizable themes mark their return while others, like an ominous piano two-tone that plays for a particular character, fit in perfectly. This will be another winner for soundtrack fans.

While there are certainly some story issues at times, Dark manages to tell a fantastic, encompassing story of the townspeople of Winden that brings fate and acceptance into clear view.

It’s still one of the shows to beat when it comes to its style and production design, and with its final season, that trend continues with some vibrant, exciting moments while marrying them to deep character development that spans decades.

These eight episodes are a fantastic conclusion for Dark, and co-creators Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar have successfully and at times brilliantly closed their storytelling loop in dramatic, emotional fashion.

 

Are you excited about the third and final season of Dark? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Dark returns for its final season on Saturday, June 27 on Netflix.

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