1899, a science fiction collection from Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, creators of the hit TV present Dark, premiered on Netflix in November 2022. TV producer Ruairi Carroll loved the present’s mysterious characters and storyline.
“No matter approach Netflix algorithms work, it was being pushed on my display on a regular basis,” Carroll says in Episode 562 of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast. “And I used to be seeing numerous trailers on YouTube, as a result of I comply with the Netflix channel on YouTube. And I form of burned by way of it to start with, and had a good time, I’ve bought to say.”
Regardless of the fanfare, 1899 was shortly canceled, concluding the collection on a painful cliffhanger that left the present’s many mysteries fully unresolved. Geek’s Information to the Galaxy host David Barr Kirtley was disillusioned that Netflix would finish the present in such a irritating approach. “It’s been greater than a 12 months because the present got here out, and I’m nonetheless simply consistently seeing folks grousing on social media like, ‘How might Netflix fund this silly present or this silly present? Why don’t they offer us extra 1899? That’s what we actually need,’” he says.
Fantasy writer Erin Lindsey loved 1899, however understands why the present was canceled, given the numerous indications that the story was spinning uncontrolled. “There was some critical storytelling entropy occurring,” she says. “I believe it was going fairly nicely for the primary few episodes, after which every episode bought exponentially weirder after that, to the purpose that I had misplaced persistence by the top.”
So is there any hope that 1899 followers will ever discover out what all of it means? TV author Andrea Kail hopes the solutions can be forthcoming in a single kind or one other. “Right here’s my proposal for Netflix, or not less than the producers,” she says. “May you please simply inform me what occurred? Clarify it to me. I don’t care, write it out. I simply need to know. I simply need to know what occurs subsequent.”
Take heed to the whole interview with Ruairi Carroll, Erin Lindsey, and Andrea Kail in Episode 562 of Geek’s Information to the Galaxy (above). And take a look at some highlights from the dialogue beneath.
Andrea Kail on mysteries:
Does all of it should make sense? I’ve been having this dialog with my buddy recently. She doesn’t like mysteries. She needs every part defined to her as you go, and I’m identical to, “Nicely, let it go within the second. Ultimately perhaps you’ll get a proof, and typically not getting a proof remains to be passable.” That’s most likely simply me as a reader/viewer. It doesn’t trouble me … I like not having all of the questions answered. I’m very a lot a “let it wash over me” particular person, particularly if my first impression, after I’m doing that, is that it’s nice.
Ruairi Carroll on Mystery Box exhibits:
I don’t thoughts the Thriller Field factor. Nicely, I can take it to a sure extent. I form of fell out of Lost. I loved The Leftovers from a few years in the past, and Darkish. However then typically I do run out of highway with it. And I’ll be trustworthy with you, there are days the place I used to be fairly comfortable to skip over one thing that was a Thriller Field and simply placed on Reacher on Amazon, and simply watch a giant man hit folks … Simply go along with it, that’s the one factor I can say about these Thriller Field issues. Simply go along with it. You’ll both bang your head off the wall for the remainder of the night time desirous about it, otherwise you’ll be like, “OK, I’m firing up Jack Reacher.”
David Barr Kirtley on Darkish vs. 1899:
What occurred to me with Darkish is that on the finish of Season 1, I used to be like, “There’s no approach they will probably wrap this up. There’s no approach this all is smart.” After which on the finish of Season 2, I used to be like, “OK, they did a surprisingly good job—approach higher than I used to be anticipating—of creating this all make sense, so I’m hopeful that in Season 3 every part will really make sense.” After which with Season 3, I used to be like, “Eh, I nonetheless have a listing of like 100 issues that they by no means answered that had been form of vital.” So if this had adopted the identical sample, I’m certain numerous issues would have been answered in a passable approach, however I’m nonetheless left with the overwhelming impression that on the finish of Season 3 there would have been a listing of 100 issues that no person can reply.”
Erin Lindsey on Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese:
I believe if anybody’s going to tug off [a Mystery Box show], it might nicely be these guys. We’ve picked it aside. That’s our job, a bit of bit, on this present, however this was an pleasing present. It was flawed, for my part, but it surely was pleasing, and I believe that even when I most well-liked Darkish to this, I proceed to be impressed by the eye to element and simply the pure ambition of what these guys are placing out, they usually might nicely nail it at some point. I’d advocate this present as pleasing if flawed, and I’ll watch the following factor they put out, and the following factor after that, as a result of I’ve a sense that one in all lately they’re going to hit it out of the park.