No-one is talking about the best TV show on Netflix

In a universe where the world for a Game of Thrones finale and films like Rise of Skywalker are fuel for an all-consuming cultural war, a TV show like Dark should be everything we’re talking about.

But we are not. And that’s weird.

The third and final season of Dark, a stunning show that cleverly combines family drama with time travel, was recently released on Netflix and, like the previous two seasons, ruled at every level imaginable.

Dark is essentially a mystery series. Similar to Strange things – The show it is most often compared to – Dark’s first season focuses almost exclusively on the search for a missing child. But in this show, the child did not escape into one parallel universe, but into another time 30 years in the past. In a nutshell, Dark is a show that spans several different time zones and dimensions.

Dark has everything. It makes complex, interwoven action changes on a level that does Westworld look like a pretend show for kids. It deserves these twists and turns also a finely written study of broken family relationships and claustrophobia in small towns.

It’s a show that effortlessly reconciles the risks associated with time travel narratives. Dark’s plot is so complex that I am waiting for it to fall apart completely. I’ve waited three full seasons for Dark to drop the ball and collapse under his own weight, but he hasn’t.

Oh oh. Here comes the exaggeration: this TV show is a damn miracle.

Probably the worst thing that can be said about Dark is that it is presumptuous. In contrast to other time travel shows such as Outlander – which wallows in the camp and somehow prompts you to watch ironically – Dark takes himself seriously. It is relentless.

Dark asks you to sincerely care about what’s happening on the screen. It adds several explicit references to Ariadne and the Bible to its plot. In most science fiction films, this would be enough to detach my eyes and roll them back into my brain, but Dark deserves his delusions of grandeur by actually being good enough to keep them going.

Do you want to spice up your waterproof plot, brought to life by dazzling performances and outstanding writing, alluding to Greek mythology and classical literature? Who should I say no to? Go for your life

Perhaps the best thing about Dark is that, unlike other so-called “prestige shows”, there is no loss of quality. No “wilderness” seasons like Lost. Or skippable episodes like Stranger Things. Dark doesn’t hurry towards its end like Game of Thronesor betray years of character building to serve the plot. No, it stays extremely calm and precise from start to finish. I can’t imagine another show like this. At least not on Netflix.

Why the hell is nobody talking about? Why isn’t the sustained quality of Dark shown on Twitter? Why don’t people get angry about spoilers or get into friendship debates on Facebook? Dark has literally just dropped its outstanding closing season on Netflix and it just feels like nobody – not even Netflix – noticed it?

Is it because it is “complicated”? Maybe. Dark can be difficult to track and 100% expects the audience to remember complicated details of an extensive family tree that spans multiple different timelines.

Is Dark Undervalued Compared to Other Shows on Netflix? Possibly. I did start watching Dark after the first season of Stranger Things. The show seems to run in the shadow of more popular shows in the recommendations.

Is it because it’s German? In spite of Parasites victory at the OscarsI think subtitles are still a massive barrier. I can absolutely see a large US network buying the license for Dark and producing a (most likely inferior) version of this show with English speaking actors.

In any case, more people should see Dark.

I mean it’s right There. Three seasons of perfect TV, available through a streaming service that you’ve most likely already subscribed to. Dark won’t disappoint you or turn you into shit like Game of Thrones. It won’t end unfinished like Deadwood or make sense like Westworld.

Dark is right there. To be talked about, to think about. Be obsessed. Do yourself a favor and check it out.