In his December 4, 2017 review for Scroll.in, Devarsi Ghosh argues that Dark has impressive production, casting and atmosphere, but its characters and familiar time-travel ideas leave the series short of distinctive science-fiction or crime television. He sees its resemblance to Stranger Things as mostly superficial.
What Ghosh finds effective
Ghosh’s strongest praise is for the series’ craft and mood. He writes that “the production values are top-notch,” and also points to the casting, dread and bleak atmosphere as bright spots. The small-town mystery gives Dark a sinister quality that he associates with Twin Peaks.
Why the comparisons do not make it feel new
The review acknowledges that Dark is increasingly compared with Stranger Things: both are framed around a missing boy and a small-town mystery. But Ghosh considers that resemblance superficial. He places Dark among a wider set of familiar genre touchstones, invoking time-travel stories such as Back to the Future, 12 Monkeys, Looper, Predestination and Primer.
The character and time-travel problems
For Ghosh, the central weakness is that plot takes precedence over character development. He finds the characters unmemorable, which makes the series’ elaborate mystery less compelling as drama. He also argues that its time-travel ideas do not feel fresh, and questions how the story can avoid the familiar constraints of predeterminism and causal loops.
#1 Best Overall
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Ghosh’s verdict
Ghosh concludes that Dark may temporarily satisfy viewers seeking something in the vein of Stranger Things, but does not offer much that is new to science-fiction or crime television. That is the judgment of a 2017 review, not a claim about how all viewers respond to the series.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Rank #4
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Rank #3
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Rank #2
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Read Devarsi Ghosh’s review in Scroll.in.
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