Between The Time
2020 – Our World
Episode 7 of Dark Season 3 begins with Martha arriving at Jonas’ house just as intended and brings him to her world. Only, she pauses at the front door as the screen splits in half and Tannhaus discusses just how many other realities there may be out there. In this alternate version to the events we’ve seen play out, Bartosz arrives and informs Martha that Adam lied; if she goes inside that house then everything will play out just as before. Bartosz pleads with her to listen and together they travel away from Jonas’ house while Jonas himself locks himself in the basement to save himself from the ensuing dark matter blast.
1974 – Our World
Tannhaus continues to create the machine while mourning the loss of his family. Desperate to try and change things, Tannhaus starts setting his machines up in the bunker. As we skip forward briefly to 1986, we see him start to piece together what he needs.
1890 – Our World
Jonas continues to experiment on the dark matter, this time falling closer toward becoming Adam than ever before when he’s struck by electricity that scars his arm. This looks like a sign of things to come and an indication surrounding just how he’s turning into Adam. Up in his room, he’s confronted by Bartosz who asks him whether the machine will even work. After mentioning paradise, Bartosz bitterly scoffs at the notion and tells him he doesn’t want that, he wants to go back to his time. As he heads outside, he runs into Silja who introduces herself and the two get talking.
1904 – Our World
That talking ends up as so much more. Bartosz is there to watch the birth of their son as he and Silja proudly name him Hanno. That very same Hanno who happens to be our Noah, meaning Silja and Bartosz are his parents. Unfortunately, Silja passes away during the birth of their second child 6 years later – this one named Agnes.
1911 – Our World
Bartosz is approached by Hannah who’s given birth to a little girl. A little girl called Silja. She’s brought before Jonas but this time his experiments have caused his face to scar just like Adam’s. She tells him that Silja is his daughter meaning she’s actually Adam’s sister. It turns out Eve told her exactly where to find him and she apologises for ruining everything. Cold and without empathy, Adam turns his back on her and tells Bartosz to get their room ready. That night, Adam kills Hannah in her room. As she lies dead, he takes Agnes outside with him.
1920 – Our World
Noah arrives in town desperate to find just who’s taken his daughter but before proceeding with his search, he asks for a room at the local bar. As he does, a young Noah arrives and runs into his older self. This inevitably brings Noah back to Adam who confirms he had nothing to do with Charlotte being taken. Adam manipulates him, telling Noah that he needs to find the remaining pages in order to save Charlotte’s life.
2023 – Our World
Claudia and Jonas work together to try and manipulate the God Particle. Unfortunately, it seems to be shielded by some sort of energy field. Jonas begins to lose faith in what they’re doing. After having come so far and for very little reward, he heads back to Mikkel’s room and tries to hang himself. Just as he’s about to die, Noah saves him and explains that as he turns into Adam in the future, there’s no way he’ll be able to die as time will not allow it.
2040 – Our World
Jonas (now resembling The Stranger) works with Claudia again with renewed vigor. Before their very eyes, it changes into the dark matter. However, the machine is still not working as intended, prompting Jonas and older-Noah to talk and discuss Claudia potentially lying and hiding something from them. As we soon see via flashbacks, the other-Claudia and our Claudia discuss trying to save Regina. As a way for Regina to live, our Claudia promises to try and find a way out of this and shoots her other world counterpart in the head.
2041 – Our World
Elisabeth and Noah grow up together, living in a cabin in the woods. She asks him to talk about paradise and as he does, Charlotte and older-Elisabeth from 2053 sneak inside and look upon baby Charlotte. Only, when they enter the house again their baby is gone. This ties back into the story we’ve heard from Tannhaus about two figures arriving with the child which, as it now appears to be, happen to be Charlotte and Elisabeth from the future. Noah immediately rushes to see Jonas and berates him for what’s transpired. Given he doesn’t actually know what’s happening, Noah leaves empty-handed and returns to Elisabeth. Clutching the book we’ve seen so much of in the past, he promises Elisabeth that he’ll bring their daughter back.
2020 – The Other World
Claudia adopts the persona of the other world’s Claudia as the older-Martha hands her the schematics to the time machine and tells her to give it to Tannhaus. This ties back into those scenes of Claudia arriving way back in season 1.
2052 – Our World
Jonas and Claudia (the much older version we’ve seen just before she passes away) work together to try and break the cycle. She tells him never to give up hope and sends him on his way with the book. As he leaves the bunker, Claudia rips out the various pages and stuffs them in her jacket. This entire time she’s obviously been working to try and get Regina back. As we see via an extended flashback, stretching over multiple time periods, all the pieces start to settle into place for what’s always come to pass. Only, the context is so much more powerful and meaningful now.
2052 – The Other World
Bartosz brings Martha to Eve and slashes her face with a knife, setting her on her path to becoming more like her; a memento for her to remember who’s side she’s on.
2020 – Our World
As the episode closes out, the machine whirs once more and engulfs Martha within. As she disappears, Adam looks down at his hands and questions just what he’s done as Claudia steps out from the shadows and greets him.
The Review Write-Up
More so than the other episodes in this season, understanding how everything slots together with that montage at the end is incredibly powerful and the various intricate family trees are certainly difficult to wrap your head around. Charlotte and Elisabeth’s journey in particular is mind-boggling while the two wrestling sides – Adam and Claudia – each have their own motives and reasons for doing what they’re doing. It’s interesting because both of these characters are driven by their desire to try and save their loved ones but go about it in a very different manner. The way these worlds are linked together, and how Eve handed Claudia the schematics to the machine that will eventually set everything into motion, is a great touch too and that momentous montage at the end of the episode only solidifies just how much has been planned and put into place. The finale looks set to really kick things into high gear but whether this can deliver a satisfying conclusion and tie everything together in a satisfying way remains to be seen. As a side note, details are revealed surrounding Tannhaus in the season finale that are not disclosed here for spoiler purposes. Suffice to say, this makes more sense when you watch it through but do be aware that these time periods state “Our World” to hide this.
