Netflix’s ‘Dark’ Is the Perfect ‘Stranger Things’ Follow-up You Can Stream Today

With Stranger Things coming to an end, fans will need another sci-fi obsession to fill their time. The Netflix hit has spent nearly a decade taking audiences to the Upside Down, dabbling in heavy concepts such as wormholes, other dimensions, and terrifying creatures. Now that Stranger Things has wrapped up its complex narrative, Netflix thankfully has the perfect replacement standing by to binge.

For audiences who loved the family dynamics and sci-fi elements at play in Stranger Things, there’s a twisty time travel series that demands attention. If the details of the Duffer brothers’ series ate into daily life, like puzzle pieces begging to find their place amid the growing mystery, then Netflix’s Dark is an intricate rabbit hole worth tumbling down. The three-season psychological thriller will plunge viewers into an elaborate timeline, with a series finale that expertly wraps up the series in a nice bow.

‘Dark’ Is the Perfect Sci-Fi Replacement for ‘Stranger Things’

The artwork featured in Dark

Netflix

Dark begins with the disappearance of children, which spurs a missing persons case in the small German town of Winden. While the setup feels simple enough, the show reveals a complex time-travel narrative far more elaborate than anything the inciting mystery suggests. The central characters whom audiences initially follow are reminiscent of older teenage versions of Stranger Things‘ young protagonists, giving audiences a way into the mystery. Yet, the citizens of the town become far more integral to the story as it unfolds, presenting another sci-fi story with grandiose stakes focused on a small town.

Much like audiences saw the residents of Hawkins traveling into the Upside Down and even The Abyss, the townsfolk of Dark‘s Winden are hopping between different time periods. As with any great series, each episode deepens the mystery, pulling viewers into the story while offering answers along the way to keep fans satiated. If that weren’t enticing enough, Dark holds a stellar 95% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with the audience’s score falling right in line at 94%. While the show takes its time with pacing, reviews agree that Dark is a sci-fi epic unlike anything fans have experienced before.

‘Dark’ Is a Complex, Time Travel Puzzle

Dark features a complex narrative that will engross fans. The series can feel overwhelming, as it jumps around, forcing viewers to lock in and pay attention. The show starts in 2019 and then takes fans to 1986, 1953, and even 2053, keeping audiences in the loop without holding their hand as they navigate the mystery. Dark‘s narrative and family trees are so intricate that there are even online charts fans can consult to understand the story better as it jumps from year to year. However, one of Dark‘s most endearing aspects is that any viewer can put the pieces of the puzzle together by simply paying attention, making the expertly crafted time-travel story feel accessible even in its most complex ideas.

The most exciting thing to draw Stranger Things fans in, though, is the show’s fantastic finale, which brings its overly elaborate story to a close without any loose ends or glaring plot holes, even if it requires some deep thinking to realize it. Dark was mapped out from the start, written and directed by the same people throughout, with a well-thought-out narrative that shouldn’t feel as cohesive as it does. Whether the finale of Stranger Things was seen as a disappointment or a triumph, fans of the show are sure to love Dark‘s sci-fi mystery on Netflix. Some may even dare to say that Dark is actually better.