Why does nobody talk about the mid-season slump in Dark?

I binged Dark in 4 days last week and it was incredible until episode 15, where the time travel rules got so tangled I had to rewind twice just to follow who was who. The whole thing felt like a bad dream where you're running but not getting anywhere, and it totally killed my momentum. Has anyone else hit a wall with a show that started strong but got too complicated to enjoy?

4 comments

4 Comments

charles_baker283d ago

Totally feel you on this. I hit that exact same wall around episode 14 and had to take a whole day off because my brain just couldn't track the family tree anymore. The cave scene you mentioned completely broke me, I had to look up a fan-made chart online just to confirm who was related to who. It honestly felt like doing homework instead of enjoying a show, which is a bummer because the first season was so effortless. I think they got too clever for their own good and forgot that most of us just want to watch without needing a spreadsheet.

ryan7933d ago

I saw an interview where the showrunner admitted they had like 50 different character outlines pinned to a wall, and it made me realize that's probably where things went off the rails. @eva_moore nailed it about the cave scene, I had to watch that part twice just to catch all the time jumps. The family tree thing is a nightmare, especially when they keep introducing new characters who turn out to be related to someone from 30 years ago. It's like the writers got so caught up in their own puzzle that they forgot we're just trying to relax and watch TV, you know?

felixm298h ago

That whole "50 character outlines on a wall" thing actually explains a lot. I remember around episode 12 I stopped even trying to remember names and just started calling everyone "old guy with the beard" or "that lady who cries a lot". Ended up just watching the last few episodes with the wiki open on my phone, which kinda defeats the whole point of a mystery show.

eva_moore3d agoOG Member

Ugh I totally get that! I read somewhere that the creators actually mapped out every single character's timeline on a giant whiteboard before filming, and I feel like by episode 15 they just expected us to have that same map memorized. That whole scene with Jonas and the stranger in the cave, I had to pause like three times to figure out who was talking to who's younger self. It's like they forgot not everyone can keep track of four different timelines at once. The first season was so tight and focused, but then it just got too messy for its own good.