Netflix’s 95% RT Sci-Fi Hit Dark Is A Must-Watch For Mystery Lovers

Eight years ago, Netflix released a brilliant sci-fi series that hooked audiences in the first ten minutes itself. Soon after its premiere, the show became one of the best sci-fi offerings not only on Netflix but across all streaming platforms. It still remains one of the best additions to the sci-fi genre, and, after three well-rounded seasons, it boasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%.

Although Netflix’s catalog has a wide range of TV shows in almost every primary genre, sci-fi is the one that the streaming service has always heavily invested in. Especially during the early days of streaming, Netflix did not shy away from pouring money into some of the most innovative and subversive science fiction dramas.

Around this time, a genius non-English TV series landed on Netflix and gradually rose in the ranks to be appreciated as one of the most groundbreaking science fiction dramas of its decade. It had a strong three-season run before it reached its natural conclusion. Fans of sci-fi only need to watch its first episode to realize they’re in for something extraordinary.

Dark’s Mysteries Will Hook You Right From The First Episode

Credit: Julia Terjung / Netflix

Dark‘s opening episode is titled “Secrets.” Although it does not give a glimpse of the show’s massive overarching scale and vision, it draws viewers in with its grim narrative setups and character introductions. In its opening moments itself, it highlights how the main character, Jonas, experienced the tragedy of losing his father a while before the show’s present timeline.

Meanwhile, the central town also struggles to come to terms with the recent and unexplained disappearance of a teenager named Erik Obendorf. As the episode continues, a mysterious cave is introduced, which eventually becomes the primary device for the show’s sci-fi plot.

Unlike many mainstream sci-fi shows on Netflix, Dark does not try to be simple. Instead, in episode 1, it presents many parallel story threads and only hints at how they will potentially tie together in the future. This alone is enough to get most viewers intrigued and stick around till things get even wackier and more interesting.

Subtle details in Dark‘s episode 1 also foreshadow that a massive time travel story lies ahead. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice how the show’s creators, Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, carefully introduce many unanswered questions and mysterious details in episode 1 that get the most incredible payoffs as the show progresses.

Dark Is One Of The Best Mystery Box Shows Of All Time

Lost is often touted as one of the best mystery box shows of all time, and it undoubtedly deserves the title. However, Netflix’s Dark, too, easily tops the list because of how it immerses viewers deeper and deeper into its thrilling time travel drama before gradually unfolding its philosophical depth.

The problem with most mystery box shows is that they introduce way too many mysteries and questions and then struggle to answer them before ending their run. Many shows like Lost were weighed down by similar challenges. Netflix‘s Dark, however, defies the norm by delivering an almost perfectly circular narrative that leaves no stone unturned before its final credits start rolling.