3rd and final season in June, new and avid watchers alike have been led to revisit some of their favourites yet unclear moments from the series to better appreciate the masterpiece the final season was.
Season 1 of Dark is not only full of hints about future seasons but also holds various metaphoric and symbolic clues that foreshadow future storylines. To better comprehend this, here are 10 things you may have missed in season 1 of Netflix’s Dark.
Alexsander Tiedemann Actually Carries His Wife’s Last Name
Audiences may not have realized this initially but Alexsander Tiedemann, Bartosz father and Regina Tiedemann’s husband, actually carries her family’s last name.
Aleksander Tiedemann whose real name is Boris Niewald most likely took his wife’s last name to not only leave his old life behind but to also further his chances at taking on the leadership of the powerplant after Claudia Tiedemann. Although this is something that is further explored in S2, audiences may have missed this in S1 as it is presented so naturally.
Mikkel Foreshadows The Mystery Of His Disappearance In Episode 1
In the episode, "Secrets," young Mikkel performs a magic trick for his father Ulrich in which he switches around the location of pins under a cup. His father, impressed by his efforts, asks him how he did it, to which he replies “it's not how, but when”.
Unbeknownst to both Mikkel and Ulrich, this was a foreshadowing to the mystery of Mikkel’s disappearance which he and the other characters will come to understand and experience later on in the season.
Mikkel’s Skeleton Outfit In Episode 1 Is A Clue To His Actual State
Additionally in the same episode, Mikkel is seen wearing a skeleton outfit which may be an allusion to his death as Michael Kanhwald.
Fans on Reddit have also speculated that the skeleton outfit may also be a homage to the time travel. Either way, we know that the creators of the show love dropping easter eggs which leave fans appreciating this clever wardrobe choice.
Ulrich Makes Reference To The Breakfast Club In Episode 5
In “Truths,” the audience gets to see young Ulrich say to Hannah “when you grow up your hurt dies” a line which he claims “hits him.. right in the face.”
This line, in particular, is derived from The Breakfast Club; a movie which premiered in 1985, one year prior to where Ulrich and Hannah currently are. As well as being a node to this cult classic film, this line itself also holds a lot of symbolism as we get to see in the future how much heartbreak their growth will also eventually bring them.
The Coin Means Something
The Pfennig or penny coin which is found on Mads Nielsen’s body in S1 EP 1 “Secrets”, is actually an early hint at the possibility of time travel in the show. The coin which can be traced back to both 1953 and 1986 is found in 2019, which is a clue for the audience that something has been carried through time.
The coin’s discovery also points out an identifiable link between Mads disappearance in 1986 and Mikkel, Erik Obendofrs and Yasin Friese’s disappearance in 2019. This further highlights Dark’s theory that everything is connected.
Lots Of The Main Characters Have Biblical Names
Dark is a series with many biblical themes. The characters' names themselves draw inspiration from individuals found in the bible whom God commands or encounters at some point. Jonas, for example, the main protagonist but is also the biblical character who was famously swallowed and lived inside a whale for 3 days after refusing to listen to God’s instructions about his future.
The same can be said for Jonas Kahnwald who in S1 finds it difficult to come to the with the events set out for him. It can be said that these biblical references are probably not just coincidences and carry within themselves a deeper philosophical and metaphorical meaning in Dark.
The Significance Of H.G. Tannhaus’s Book
Apart from time travel and the confusing alternating universe paradigm, ‘The Journey Through Time Book’ by H.G Tannhaus is an important foundation for the ideas presented in the show.
The book talks about time travel and serves as a manual for building and utilizing time machines and is gifted to Claudia by Helge, therefore, bearing a lot of significance which should not be overlooked.
The Significance Of Ariadne
In season one, Martha is cast in the school play as Ariadne, a character based on Ariadne the daughter of King Minos, a powerful warrior and rumoured son of Zeus. Legend says that Ariadne was given the task of safeguarding the Labyrinth by her father. However, she later falls in love with Theseus who comes into the labyrinth to kill the resident minotaur.
Ariadne eventually helps guide Theseus out of the labyrinth and helps him achieve his goal. Hence Martha’s Ariadne monologue in the fifth episode should be closely analyzed and taken into as it is an early foreshadowing of Martha’s journey and her role in working together with Jonas to unravel the mysteries of the time loop.
Infinity Loop Sightings
The infinity loop has become the show’s main insignia and can be spotted all throughout the first season. This is even before any of our characters come to understand its significance. For example in "Lies," a shot of Mads grave is captured from where we find out that he doesn’t have a “death date” but rather the infinity insignia to signify his inconclusive or continuing end.
This is to again reinforce the idea that everything is connected and that there is an answer to the seemingly unanswerable questions in the characters' lives.
Jonas’ Yellow Coat Bears Significance
Jonas’ yellow raincoat has also become a series emblem and is actually one of the items that remain as a constant in the series. The yellow raincoat is an item that does not change through time and remains as the sole identifier of the 2019 version of Jonas and his journey through time.
The colour yellow itself represents optimism and positivity and also draws similarities to a fisherman’s yellow raincoat which is said to increase visibility in dark areas. We know this to be fitting for both Jonas and Martha whose time travels have at times been difficult and dark.