TV Series Review: 1899: Another mind-bending masterpiece

‘1899’ is another TV series from the creators of the critically acclaimed German Netflix series, ‘Dark’, Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar. The show follows in the footsteps of its predecessor by delivering a superb storyline that features numerous twists and turns that will have viewers sitting on the edge of their seats. Complimented with a stellar cast of actors and actresses, including Andreas Pietschmann (Dark) and Mathilde Ollivier (Overlord), 1899 is yet another masterpiece by the creative duo Friese and bo Odar.

1899 follows the story of a diverse group of emigrants travelling from Europe to the United States aboard a ship called the Kerberos in the year, yep you guessed it, 1899. From a young Chinese girl (Isabella Wei) masquerading as a Japanese geisha to a super-religious Danish family who claims their daughter (Clara Rosager) has been impregnated by God himself, we gradually learn what all these people seek in the new world. But more importantly, what they are trying to escape in the old.

It does not take long for the voyage to go awry when the ship stumbles across an SOS signal from its missing sister ship, the Prometheus, halfway across the Atlantic. Yet when the crew send a lifeboat across to the missing ship, they do not find what they expect. A small boy is the only person they find, everybody else has seemingly disappeared. Yet the boy is in shock and is unable to say a word, so we are left wondering, what happened to the passengers of the Prometheus? And when a mysterious storm rolls in and the compasses suddenly stop working aboard the Kerberos, the passengers begin to worry that they are due to face the same fate. The tension gradually builds and builds until it explodes into a mind-bending climax that will leave viewers desperate for more.

1899 is yet another example of brilliant storytelling by Friese and bo Odar and it's a must-watch for both fans of Dark and newcomers alike. While the series has yet to hit the heights of its predecessor, the ending seems to promise a season two, so we can hope that the show only gets better and better as it progresses.- ★★★★☆