PEOPLE really need to give foreign language shows a chance. Watching films and TV shows from other countries gives us an insight and appreciation into another type of society, while also allowing us to observe and evaluate the nuances of a foreign language and culture, which includes different ways of thinking, different ways of seeing the world and its people, and different thematic concerns and presentations of people, things, and situations, that may be familiar to us. “Kingdom,” for example is a South Korean show that tackles the concept of a zombie outbreak while including political intrigue and peasant life in the country’s medieval Joseon period. Brazil’s “3%” is a dystopian series that pits people against each other in a bid to see who can survive long enough to win scarce resources.

“Elite” from Spain is a teen melodrama, focusing on rich kids who attend an elite high school. Each of these shows is entertaining in its own right, and they all come from a unique culture that is ingrained in the fabric of each particular show. Similarly, the German show, “Dark” also presents something that is rooted in the country from which it emerges, and like all of the others, “Dark” also manages to be universal in its themes, fusing science fiction, religion, family drama, teen melodrama, and detective story into a complicated, intellectually-stimulating, heartbreaking saga that is very different from anything Hollywood and the English-language movie and TV machinery have produced thus far.

The second season begins exactly where season one ended, with our hero, Jonas, being transported through time into the future, where the town of Winden has been destroyed due to a fault in the nuclear plant and a great majority of the main characters have died. Jonas tries to go back in time to save his mother, his friends, and everyone else in Winden. However, his actions, as before, causes a chain reaction that results in disastrous and complex consequences. The concepts of time travel, religion, and the laws and theories of physics continue to play integral roles in the storyline at the centre of “Dark,” and the writers and creators go deeper into the complex labyrinth of mystery and science that have come to define the show. Season 2 is not an easy watch, but then again, “Dark” is not for people who want their shows to be literal or unchallenging. There is definitely the risk of becoming entangled in the show’s multiple storylines and myriad characters to the extent that the entirety of the season might not be understandable to the fullest degree, but in some warped way, the risk seems worth it. It is almost as if the show’s many gifts (brilliant storytelling, fantastic acting, twists, characterisation, etc.) more than make up for a narrative that sometimes defies comprehension, not because it is nonsensical or maudlin, but precisely because it is so layered and complex and intelligent.

Apart from the plot, the performances of all the actors are simply out of this world. Louis Hofmann and Andreas Pietschmann who both play the protagonist, Jonas, are very good because they are both given more emotional weight to carry in the second season. There is something particularly heartrending in the scenes where the characters try to change a past that is determined to come through, and Hofmann and Pietschmann both carry these scenes particularly well. The older actresses who play Claudia Tiedeman, Julika Jenkins and Lisa Kreuzer, both convey the hutzpah and strength needed for this particular role. Two other standouts include Mark Waschke, who plays the terrifying priest, Noah, and Sandra Borgmann, who plays the future version of the deaf Elisabeth Doppler. Truly, the cast and acting are two of the best things about the show, and the casting director deserves much credit. Each actor brings his/her best to the second season, and the cast is one of the reasons why I will continually return to “Dark.”

The soundtrack also needs some commendation, because the musical score (with its soaring violins and tinkling bells) seem to work hand in hand with the production design and cinematography to create the eerie atmosphere that the show would be nothing without. Many episodes in the second season close with a slow-motion reel of particularly poignant and/or shocking moments for the characters and without a doubt, the music is an essential part in conveying the power of these particular scenes.

Overall, the second season of “Dark,” maintains its role as one of the most entertaining series currently showing, stacked with talent in the acting department, along with outstandingly good writing and directing. It should be essential viewing for every audience member who believes that art should force us to think as well as to feel. It is a show that can also be studied by actors and writers, where everything from playing a role already established by another actor to learning how to deliver brilliant twists can be gleaned. I look forward to the third and final season, which will begin airing in 2020.