The concept of time travel typically differs in most TV shows and movies, but Netflix’s time travel TV shows with no plot holes, especially because going back in time or learning about the future are paradoxical concepts by default. Even though movies like Back to the Future try to establish rules of time travel in sci-fi, they’re not strict and end up causing more problems than solutions.

And then there is Dark. The Netflix series is one of the best-written sci-fi titles of all time, and across the show’s three-season run, it redefines the idea of time travel altogether. Dark arguably has no plot holes, and even the most confusing and paradoxical aspects of the show are there for a reason.

Dark Fixes All The Usual Time Travel Plot Holes By Embracing Them

Dark Doesn't Shy Away From Time Travel Tropes

Although there are some head-scratchers in Dark, they’re not really plot holes. For example, how time travel is possible in the first place. Rather than introducing a strange device or an ambiguous figure, the mind-boggling sci-fi show Dark simply explains that those who enter the wormhole cave can only travel back or forward 33 years because of the lunar-moon cycle. While it’s a strange explanation, it works.

Dark delves into the concept of deterministic time loops, which means that the events of the past, present, and future are all fixed. This would usually mean that altering an already established fact is disastrous, but in Dark, the changing of events is necessary to keep the plot moving forward. Normally, characters are discouraged from interacting with their past selves, but Dark embraces this with the portal, which often ends in trouble, regardless.

Dark Can Be So Confusing, You Won't Be Thinking About Plot Holes

There's Way Too Much Drama To Be Focused On Potential Errors

Yes, there is a lot of confusion in Dark, but there aren’t any plot holes in of moments that directly contradict something that has already happened. For example, there are a few potential explanations as to how Noah gets from 2040 to 1921, but there is nothing to suggest it should’ve been impossible, either. The interactions between Dark’s main characters and the overarching, gripping mystery story are far too distracting by themselves, to the point that audiences aren’t even thinking about plot holes.

You’ll be perplexed when watching Dark, but not necessarily because of the logistics of time travel.

Every action that is taken alters its origins, and it’s much more interesting to see how it impacts the story, rather than dwell on how it’s possible. Without fail, the show provides an explanation, and while some are more ambiguous than others, viewers aren’t (ironically) completely left in the dark. Time travel is intriguing, but Dark’s main engagement is due to themes such as generational trauma and the overall enigmatic narrative. You’ll be perplexed when watching Dark, but not necessarily because of the logistics of time travel.

Few Movies & TV Shows Have Gotten Time Travel As "Right" As Dark

Executing The Concept Of Time Travel Correctly Is Difficult

One thing Dark is consistently praised for is consistency, especially when it comes to the science side of things. It’s considered one of the best complex sci-fi TV shows ever for exactly this reason. Time travel TV shows and movies often feature a story in which the concept is used to save the day, but Dark utilizes it in order to seek the truth. Time travel is hard to get right, and unless a project is a comedy, it’ll face harsh criticism about how it’s executed. Dark doesn’t use time travel as a gimmick, which is where other titles fail.

It makes the show incredibly difficult to follow at times, but this works in Dark’s favour. The fact that audiences want to find plot holes, and are so invested in the story that they become obsessed with little details, but cannot, only proves that the time travel elements are well-written. Dark tackles cause and effect beautifully, which many other time travel TV shows and movies either forget to acknowledge or only do so partially.