5 tips to get through the most complex TV show ever, 'Dark'

While critics have raved about the German series, it was an extremely difficult - but rewarding - watch for the writer.

I had to.

Stephen King called it "terrific."

Some 2.5 millions votes were cast before Rotten Tomato users crowned it the "greatest Netflix original series".

My social media timelines lit up with glowing reviews of the series.

I'm talking about Dark, a German series which just ended its run after three seasons last June.

But more than just joining the bandwagon, I wanted a show that challenged me and forced me to think. I mean if I'm spending so many hours watching TV because of the pandemic, it might as well engage the mind right?

Dark did that, and then some. It is by far the most complex TV show I've ever seen. (Forbes aptly called it "the most mentally-exhausting show".)

It begins with the disappearance of a boy in the small town of Winden, Germany. So what's so complicated about that?

To avoid giving away any major spoilers, let's just say Dark has to do with time travel. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill time travel show that just gives simplistic answers, riddled with loopholes.

It goes to great lengths to work out all the nitty-gritty that has to do with time travel, discussing scientific theories and concepts.

While critics have raved about the show, it was extremely difficult for me to get through all three seasons. And if that's the case for you too, here are five tips to help make your viewing experience a bit easier:

'Dark' begins with the disappearance of a boy in the small town of Winden, Germany.

1. Binge-watch it

Dark isn't the kind of show where you can pick up where you left off, say, a month down the road. Try to watch as many episodes as possible in one sitting. If that's not possible, aim to watch at least an episode a day.

Don't let too much time pass between episodes, as there are a lot of things to remember from earlier episodes in order for things to make sense in later episodes.

And if you've completed one season and you're thinking of going on a month-long break before starting on the next season – don't. Some questions you may have in an earlier season get answered at a later season. So there won't be much of a pay off if you don't remember what the question was in the first place.

(During my first attempt at watching Dark, I watched it intermittently and ended up having to rewatch the show from the beginning because I was literally – in the dark.)

2. Press pause

For most TV shows, if you're not clear about something someone said, you simply watch on, expecting things to "explain itself" later on. With Dark, that's not the case. Things only get more complicated later.

So don't be afraid to hit pause or even rewind if you find yourself unable to grasp a certain concept a character raises. It's important to understand as much as possible earlier on.

3. Chart it

As hinted earlier, a big part of Dark has to deal with time travel. As such, the show constantly visits multiple timelines in an episode, and often, viewers aren't told which timeline they're currently at, relying on the characters' choice of clothing, hair, make-up and so forth as identifiers.

This sounds like a lot of work, but draw up a simple chart (yes, I'm talking about the old school peta minda type of chart). Otherwise, certain plot twists might go over your head (as it did with me).

Be wary about Googling for existing charts online though, as they're filled with spoilers.

Viewers aren't the only ones relying on charts to keep track of things. Characters on the show do it too!

4. Recaps are a saviour

So you don't want to draw up a peta minda. I get it. Secondary school Sejarah was traumatising. Instead, read spoiler-free episodic recaps. Metawitches (a TV recap site also recommended by Stephen King) breaks down the events of every episode very thoroughly, and helps you to make sense of what's happening.

This is especially helpful because, as mentioned before, the show brings up a lot of concepts and gets very technical. You may not be able to figure things out on your own.

5. It's OK if you don't understand everything

At some point, I might've torn my peta minda to shreds and simply watched it without attempting to remember and understand everything. And I realised, as much as it is a cerebral show, it also has a lot of heart. That too can be very rewarding.

All three seasons of Dark are available on Netflix.