What are the main plot spoilers in 1899 season 1? This article discusses some of the unanswered questions in Netflix’s 1899 and, of course, contains spoilers.
1899 is a series teeming with mysteries and plot twists that will leave viewers dumbfounded. This is the type of show that will be passionately debated online for many years to come, with many different fan theories coming to the surface. The show starts off as a standard period piece but quickly journeys into the mind-bending realms of science fiction, with an element of horror thrown in for good measure. Most of the show’s mysteries are somehow solved by the end of the first season, yet there is still plenty more to explore. There are plenty more questions to ask and many spoilers to discuss. So, if you have just finished the series and are looking to debate the many plot spoilers of 1899, then you have come to the right place.
What are the main plot spoilers in 1899 season 1?
Who is Ciaran Singleton?
For most of the series, Maura Franklin is seen searching for her missing brother, who may have been a passenger on board the Prometheus or is possibly waiting for her in New York. His letter to her states that he has figured out what their father is up to. Later on in the series, it is revealed that Maura is trapped inside a simulation of her own creation, which is now controlled by Ciaran, her brother.
Daniel warns his wife Maura about Ciaran. It seems her brother took over the whole program while Maura was in the simulation, and is controlling every aspect of this world. Daniel tried many times to get Maura out of the simulation, so that she could wake up and stop him, but he only succeeded this one final time. It appears Ciaran is the puppet master behind everything. He is the true villain we are yet to meet, who must be stopped at all costs. When Maura wakes from the simulation, Ciaran messages her, saying ‘welcome to reality’.
What is Project Prometheus?
Maura detaches from the simulation headset and finds herself on a deck, surrounded by the Kerberos passengers she’s grown to know more personally over the last few days. Out of the window, she sees that they are on a spaceship, called the Prometheus, floating in deep space. A computer screen reveals the spaceship’s data. This is Project Prometheus, a survival mission, heading towards a co-ordinate in space. The ship has 1,423 passengers and 550 crew members. The date is October 19th, 2099.
Project Prometheus looks like a survival mission for the human race, who have left their dying planet behind in search of a new, safer world. The passengers aboard are plugged into simulations whilst the ship journeys towards its destination, possibly to keep them entertained or oblivious to their insane situation. But it seems Maura has been trapped inside her simulation by her evil brother, for unknown reasons.
Why is Maura trapped inside the simulation?
Daniel reveals Ciaran’s corrupt plans to keep Maura trapped within the 1899 simulation indefinitely. Her father Henry explains how Daniel and Maura created this original simulation to keep their dying boy alive forever. This would imply that the mysterious boy, Elliot is actually just a simulation himself, within the game, who died long ago. Maura was obsessed with realities and keeping her son alive in some form.
Maybe Ciaran took advantage of her obsession and trapped her inside? Or maybe he wanted to take control of the family business and used her own creation against her? It is clearly all speculation at this point, but the show is presenting Ciaran as the main villain, not Maura’s father Henry, who admits he is just as trapped in the simulation as the rest.
What is the black material?
If the simulation works like a video game, with cheat codes (the scarab beetle) and controls (the black pyramid), then the black material found on the ship has to be a virus. It spreads throughout the simulation like a plague. If you touch it then you become infected. Poor Mrs. Wilson finds out this important detail the hard way and is consumed by the virus. Daniel is aware of the virus but doesn’t completely understand what it is or what it does.
It’s possible that the virus appears when the simulation is nearing its end, practically informing Daniel that they don’t have much more time. As the world starts to deteriorate around them, the black material is a great visual representation of this apocalyptic end. Daniel manages to hack the mainframe and destroy the virus, but he cannot stop the simulation from ending. He chooses to alter the coding instead so that Maura can escape once and for all.
Is 2099 a simulation as well?
The series works a bit like the world within a world format of Inception. The passengers are inside a simulation, which Henry oversees, but Henry is also in a simulation. This begs the question, is the 2099 world and the Prometheus spaceship just another simulation as well? I’d like to assume that the 2099 world is reality, else what comes after it? Are we going to travel even further into the future with each new season?
The simulation aspect means that it is hard to know what is real and what is fake. The show discusses lost memories and implanted ones. This means that we don’t actually know any solid facts about any of the characters. Maura’s family could all be a lie, she might not have a husband or a son. It’s also telling that not all of the characters are real either. When Maura exits the simulation, not all of the characters are accounted for, meaning that most of them are just a simulation within the game as well. Is Elliot a simulation? Is Henry? Possibly Daniel too?
The creators of Dark are known for their intricate storytelling and complex narratives, hopefully, they have the whole series planned out in advance. I don’t know about you, but I am desperate to see a second season and explore this mad world in more depth. What are your theories, please comment below.
