This 1-Season Sci-Fi Series Was an Underrated Follow-Up to Netflix’s Perfect Time Travel Show

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It’s become common for promising shows to be cancelled after only a few seasons in the world of streaming. Fans often lament losing a series they enjoy on platforms like Netflix. However, sometimes there’s a bright side: the cancelled show might be connected to another equally compelling series, giving viewers something else to watch. That’s the situation with this one-season sci-fi show, which many believe is Netflix’s best time travel series to date.

In 2022, Netflix released the sci-fi series *1899*, created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. The German-language show followed a group of European immigrants traveling to America by ship. Their voyage took a strange turn when they encountered another ship, one that was previously lost at sea. Though Netflix cancelled the show after only one season, *1899* delivered a captivating mystery that evolved from a historical drama into a mind-bending sci-fi horror. Despite the abrupt ending and unanswered questions, it’s a fantastic series, particularly for those who enjoyed the creators’ previous hit, *Dark*, known for its intricate time travel plot.

1899 Is the Perfect Follow Up if You Liked Dark

If you’re looking for a great time travel show on Netflix, look no further than *Dark*. Created by the same team behind *1899*, this three-season series, which originally aired from 2017 to 2020, tells a complex story about the town of Winden. It follows four families whose lives become intertwined by a mysterious event that spans decades and different dimensions. Though it didn’t always get the attention it deserved, *Dark* is a masterclass in time travel storytelling. The show is meticulously crafted, with every detail contributing to the larger narrative, and the creators carefully tracked all the time travel elements to ensure a cohesive story. This attention to detail makes the ending particularly impactful and rewarding for viewers.

Released just two years after *Dark*, *1899* isn’t a sequel or connected storyline. You won’t see any characters from *Dark* appear on the ship Kerberos in *1899*; the creators have confirmed they are separate universes. However, despite not being directly linked, both shows share a similar creative spirit and more than just the same team behind them. Both *Dark* and *1899* begin with a central mystery – a missing child in *Dark* and a lost ship in *1899* – which quickly expands into a larger, darker, and increasingly complex story. Both series also feature carefully crafted storytelling where every detail is important, and paying attention is richly rewarded.

Both *Dark* and *1899* cleverly defy expectations. *Dark* is complex and atmospheric, often leaving viewers completely in the dark about what will happen next – a hallmark of good time travel stories. While time travel itself isn’t the central mystery in *1899*, the concepts of time and intricate details are still crucial. *Dark* focuses on characters caught in a 33-year repeating cycle, whereas *1899* traps its characters within a limited timeframe, making the ending particularly surprising. *Dark* fully embraced the complexities of time travel, but *1899* concluded with a shocking science fiction twist that left audiences questioning everything they’d seen.

1899 Brilliantly Follows Dark’s Example of Exploring Existential Questions in Different Ways

As a critic, I found *1899* to be a fascinating, if ultimately incomplete, follow-up to *Dark*. Both shows really grab you with big, existential questions, but *1899* takes a slightly different path. Where *Dark* wrestled with free will versus destiny, *1899* used a more technological angle to explore the feeling of being trapped – and it felt like it was just scratching the surface of something truly terrifying about what it means to be human and what reality even *is*. It’s a real shame we won’t get to see where the story went, but even with just one season, *1899* adds another layer to the *Dark* universe and gives you plenty to ponder long after the credits roll.

Both Dark and 1899 are streaming on Netflix.

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2025-09-17 16:14