Netflix’s ‘1899’ Is No ‘Dark,’ But It’s Still Worth Watching

On Thursday, Netflix launched 1899, the brand new collection from the creators of Darkish, simply the perfect sci-fi present on Netflix and presumably one in all its finest choices interval. A real gem within the time journey style, as soon as that crafted a masterful, difficult and finally satisfying storyline throughout three seasons. So for sure, no matter that staff did subsequent could be value trying out.

1899 is wildly completely different from Darkish apart from being, for lack of a greater time period “actually bizarre.” After one season I can’t say I prefer it as a lot as I did Darkish, although I’ll admit I took some time to heat as much as that collection earlier than I appreciated its genius.

It’s…very exhausting to speak about 1899 and what works and doesn’t with out moving into spoilers, however I’ll do my finest. At baseline, the present follows a variety of passengers on a cross-Atlantic ship, all fleeing Europe to flee varied darkish secrets and techniques of their previous. One other ship owned by the identical firm, the Prometheus, has been misplaced within the ocean for 4 months, presumed sunk, however the brand new all of the sudden ship will get a sign from the Prometheus giving them its obvious location. What’s going to they discover there?

That’s…about so far as I can go together with the precise storyline, and that’s actually simply the primary episode. You’ll perceive by the tip of episode 2 that 1899 shouldn’t be a remake of Season 1 of The Terror, one other ship-based horror thriller, and is definitely one thing much more unusual and complex, although I suppose I shouldn’t have anticipated something much less from the Darkish staff. It’s additionally not a “ghost ship” story within the conventional sense, in any respect.

You’ll most likely not consider the place the present ends based mostly on the place it began, and one problem I’ve is that it possibly even goes too far with its twists, turns and divulges concerning the true nature of the story, and when you perceive what’s happening, it someway manages to truly decrease the stakes fairly considerably so the tip isn’t fairly as tense because it must be.

Supposedly, like Darkish, 1899 is meant to have a three-season arc, although with the present state of Netflix, who is aware of if it should truly dwell to see that play out. On condition that Darkish would have been butchered if it was reduce a season or two brief, Netflix could be clever to allow them to do no matter they need right here. And the way in which season 1 ends, I’m extremely curious to see what a second season goes to appear to be, as there’s no likelihood it should remotely resemble the primary.

So sure, finally I like to recommend it. It’s participating, deeply unusual and unsettling, and one thing I wish to see extra of now that this weird first season has wrapped. Hopefully it will get to have its full run.

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Decide up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller collection and The Earthborn Trilogy.