Did anyone here watch 'Dark' yet?

I really liked this. Sure, it's derivative in a lot of areas; but the fact that I could never make up mind as to whether it was most similar to Stranger Things or Twin Peaks or It or Donnie Darko or something else entirely is a testament to the fact that it's very much a unique beast all on its own. It finds confident footing with a different artistic vision that obscures some of its less original elements and elevates them to a compelling level; the gloomy, impending atmosphere is always palpable, procured by strong aesthetics and an incredible original score.

The characterization is definitely a bit thin with some characters feeling more like tools for plot advancement than anything else; many of them lack uniqueness and personality in general, though as the season goes along this problem slowly rectified itself as the more essential characters were developed more thoroughly. Jonas and Mikkel in particular were easy to grow attached to; though in general this show does a great job of dividing its likable characters (Charlotte, Regina, Ines) from its unlikable ones (Peter, Hannah, generally Katharina) to total wild cards that are hard to pinpoint (Ulrich, Egon, Helge) that we're ultimately left with a broad spectrum of personalities who constitute a satisfying ensemble.

The story itself is deliciously mind-bending and addicting, with a ton of nifty twists I kicked myself for not seeing. The only ruinous thing to the mystery, for me, was the idea of certain characters being manipulators all along; I much preferred the moments when total randomness and coincidence lead to the greatest consequences, as it was most exciting and most intriguing for the story thematically. I wasn't huge on the ending cliffhanger either and it has me a bit wary for whatever comes next with this series, though I'm also looking forward to its future directions and am glad this wasn't a one-and-done miniseries, as there are so many more concepts to explore and characters to dig into.

I definitely recommend this as something worthy of checking out. One of my favorite new shows from this year.