Spoiler warning: 1899 season one
The Netflix series 1899 is nothing short of a brainteaser, brought to us by the creators of Dark, Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar. Set on a ship named Kerberos destined for America, the mystery thriller follows various passengers as their various secrets are revealed. While they hope to shake off their past and start anew in New York, things on the ship are not what they seem.
Upon discovering the Prometheus, a ship that was lost at sea, they search it for survivors and find a young boy on board. But he’s not the only newcomer to the Kerberos, and the arrival of the two causes unrest on the ship. Not only are the passengers haunted by their pasts and their identities, secrets and ulterior motives begin to come to light, but main character Maura discovers that the world they know isn’t real.
To add another layer to the chaos, the finale reveals that they are instead on a starship trapped in a simulation called Project Prometheus. If you were confused by the twists of season 1Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Viewers have taken to the internet to ask their questions and theories, but unfortunately we’re left with more questions than answers. Here we want to explore key questions that will hopefully be fully explained when the show is renewed for a second season.
Who are the passengers of Project Prometheus?
As mentioned earlier, we discover that the passengers of the Kerberos were not in fact at sea, but in a simulation. Maura is the creator, but it seems her brother Ciaran has taken over the project and is now in control. We see in the season finale that the other passengers are trapped in simulation pods as well. But who are these people and how did they get stuck in the simulation? Are they also just passengers aboard the spaceship, or maybe crew members? Did they volunteer in the simulation before Ciaran took control? Are they voluntary participants in the project, or are they forced and imprisoned against their will? Will the criminals be punished in this endless nightmare simulation?
And of course we also want to know the purpose of the simulation, and finding out who the passengers are and how and why they got there will give us insight into the meaning of the simulation. This is by far one of the biggest questions of the series that we hope to see fully explained in Season 2.
What is the cause of the virus?
As the simulation begins to wind down, a virus spreads throughout the ship. Daniel knows it’s dangerous and avoids touching it. But Virginia is less fortunate and comes into contact with the virus. It slowly begins to consume her, eventually claiming her by the time the simulation is destroyed. We don’t know what this will mean for her yet. Will she be revived in the next cycle? Will it have changed her in some way, or maybe the virus has rendered her brain dead?
The cause of the virus is also a mystery, perhaps caused by Daniel’s interference in the simulation. He has been trying to rewrite the code and put an end to the simulation for some time and may have accidentally created it. Or maybe it’s Ciaran, his attempt to get rid of Daniel and Elliot and keep them from waking Maura. Anyway, we think the virus will have a lasting effect and will be back in Season 2.
Why did Ciaran take over Maura’s simulation?
Initially, we think that Maura’s father, Henry, is in control of the simulation and that he trapped her there to perform some sort of experiment on her and the others by playing the simulation on a loop. But we find out later that this is not the case and that Maura was the creator of the simulation and she had made it for her son Elliot who was dying. It would preserve his consciousness and allow him to live in a world with his mother and father forever, but since it doesn’t, it looks like something has gone wrong.
However, it is not Henry who has taken over the simulation as we initially think; he is also stuck in the simulation. Instead, Maura’s brother Ciaran has taken control of the project, but we don’t know why he did this, we don’t know. Daniel and Elliot are finally able to wake Maura up, and while we haven’t introduced her brother yet, he sends her a message to welcome her to the year 2099.
It will be crucial to find out why he took over the project and what he plans to do storyline in season 2.