1899 (2022): Season 1

Title: 1899

Year: 2022

Genre:  Drama | Horror | Mystery |

Seasons: 1 |

Runtime:  60 min

Creator:   Baran bo Odar & Jantje Friese

Starring:  Emily Beecham, Aneurin Barnard, Andreas Pietschmann

7.6/10

1899. A migrant steamship heads west to leave the old continent. The passengers, a mixed bag of European origins, united by their hopes and dreams for the new century and their future abroad. But their journey takes an unexpected turn when they discover another migrant ship adrift on the open sea. What they will find on board will turn their passage to the promised land into a horrifying nightmare.

SHIP FILLED WITH IMMIGRANTS AND MYSTERY

Netflix German and multi-ethnic 1899 is an innovative and diverse TV series that follows the journey of a group of immigrants as they navigate their way through the challenges and joys of life, onboard a cursed ship.

It weaves together the stories of a variety of characters, including those of different ethnic backgrounds, to create a captivating tale that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The show takes a fresh approach to explore the multi-ethnic and diverse experiences of its characters, as well as the struggles they face in a new society. With its unique storytelling style, 1899 offers a unique insight into the lives of immigrants and their assimilation into American culture. The show also tackles important issues with a delicate touch, such as racism and inequality, while still managing to be both entertaining and educational at the same time discovering the curse of an ancient ship.

The cast of 1899 is truly a diverse one. Taking into consideration both the ethnicities and genders of the main characters in the show, one can see that the series is incredibly well-balanced. Most of the cast is either Spanish, French, Asian, or danish.  Most of the characters are European. What’s interesting is how the story shapes the relationship between Maura Franklin and Eyk Larsen, played by Emily Beecham and Andreas Pietschmann. People onboard the ship, in the middle of nowhere with fantasy inputs, make the story a somewhat confusing and triggering experience. It’s a lot of character, and a lot of individuals to keep track of, Maura and Eyk and Daniel is one of the few in the lead.

As it tries to fixture on the group experience, the collective experience, it doesn’t become clear what each role might be before episode five where there’s a major turning in the plot, shifting the narrative and deepening the mystery plot. It feels more grounded after a few episodes, and it starts to take form. We get a few answers implemented as the show goes on. There’re some confusing elements that are still unanswered by the season finale, hopefully, that comes whenever the next season arrives.

Safe to say is that this is a complicated, dark, heavy TV series that requires passion and interest to watch. It has a few horror plots, mystery, and suicide scenes entailing the story beyond what’s going on on the ship. It’s worth a watch if you can keep the interest enough high and invest in these characters. The dialogue and soundtrack come off a little blunt on some occasions and to many characters, developments happen to keep track of it. It’s a sublime, multi-language series that’s a decent watch with some surprises along the road.