November 23, 2020
Watching Dark on Netflix: Tips for First-Time Viewers
Updated September 2026: in 2020 I shared first impressions of the German series Dark on Netflix after a few episodes: very dark night scenes, an excellent score, and subtitles that did not match the English dub. I have rewritten it into viewing tips for anyone starting the series now, with no spoilers.
Dark is a German science-fiction series that ran on Netflix for three seasons, from 2017 to 2020. When I started it on an iPad, three things stood out immediately: night scenes so dim I sometimes thought the screen had gone to sleep, a soundtrack good enough that I switched to headphones, and English subtitles that did not match the English audio. Each has a simple fix.
Why is Dark so hard to see at night?
Much of the series is deliberately shot in low light, and many scenes take place at night, in caves or in rain. On a phone or tablet in a bright room, detail disappears. Watch in a darker room, turn off auto-brightness and raise the screen brightness manually. On a TV, a picture mode designed for films rather than a "vivid" or energy-saving mode shows far more detail in the shadows.
Should you watch in German or with the English dub?
German audio with English subtitles is the better choice for most viewers. The performances are stronger in the original language, and the subtitles are translated from the German script. The English dub is written separately to match lip movements, which is why dubbed audio and English subtitles do not line up word for word. If you prefer the dub, turn subtitles off or choose the closed captions made for it.
Is it worth using headphones?
Yes. The score and sound design carry much of the tension, and a lot of it is low and quiet. Headphones, or a decent soundbar, bring out detail that phone or TV speakers lose. On Apple devices with AirPods, spatial audio can add to it on supported content.
How do you keep track of the story?
Dark follows several families across different time periods, and the same characters appear at different ages. Many viewers find it helps to watch in fairly close succession rather than weeks apart. Netflix published an official interactive guide for the series, and fan-made family trees are widely available; use them cautiously, because many contain spoilers for later seasons.
Does it really drag in places?
In my first few episodes, some scenes felt stretched, and I reached for fast-forward. It is a fair criticism of the early pace. Much of that slower setup becomes important later, though, so it is better to push through the first season without skipping.
My 2020 notes were written with only a few episodes behind me. With the right brightness, the original audio and good headphones, most of my viewing complaints have a simple fix.
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