1899 (2022)

This was the first show I watched after more than half a year. I took a massive break from watching anything else while I was busy with Gintama. I mean come on! Gintama is the type of show that deserves your complete attention. While I was looking for something good to watch. I had a lot of trouble finding anything that fit my tastes. I'm a huge sci-fi fan so I'm always looking for something that scratches that itch. My search ended up on a piracy streaming site. I was done looking through trakt and not finding anything. So I was hoping at least a collection of shows I can watch then and there would give me more options. This is when I saw a really cool cover. It immediately grabbed me. It screamed of high quality. It was 1899. I immediately went ahead and watched the trailer. Seeing characters wearing victorian clothing made me doubt if the show was for me. Then I saw a black pyramid. Then I saw the words "From the creators of DARK". With that, I was all in. I had no doubt in my mind that I was gonna skip this. Dark is a show I keep very close to my heart. It was my first non-English TV Series as well. The mystery. The twists. The characters. The freaking amazing production quality. There's no way I was going to miss a new entry by the same people who pulled something like that off. So I immediately watched the first episode. I went in expecting a very posh show. Something akin to a film about British royalty. Then the opening happened and I knew. I knew this show had a heart of sci-fi. I was so enthralled by the show. I finished it in two days. Even I was surprised. Coming from watching twenty-minute anime episodes. One-hour episodes were a bit hard to get used to. At least that was what I thought. 1899's story and cast grabbed me so hard I didn't feel the time running. I was glued to the screen. Every episode had me wanting more. One of the things I love about the show is how it manages to surprise me with every episode ending. Never was there an ending without a grand reveal or revelation. It always had me craving for more. To know more about the mystery. The season finale honestly gave me the chills. There are only a few titles that have made me throw the pillow I hold on to. This ending was one of them. Since the show explicitly said it was a 'simulation' I had my theories. But never did I expect it to be in the form of a freaking spaceship carrying humans! WTF. Now it all makes sense. The Prometheus. Maura's brother. Everything. Even if the show ended right there. I would've been plenty happy. This is definitely one of the best shows I've ever watched. Right up there with the likes of Sherlock, DARK and Westworld. Though it may not be as good as the likes of Westworld. With all the philosophical narratives- and how could I forget Dr Ford- The unique take surely makes up for a lot. I'm only doubtful of one thing. I have no idea how the story can top this first season. It was a magnificent ride from the first ep to the last. Now that the main twist has been revealed. I don't see how 1899 the year will stay relevant. Still, it's the DARK producers we're talking about here. I'll be keeping my hopes up.