Spoiler Warning: 1899 Season One

The Netflix series 1899 is nothing short of a mind-bender, brought to us by the creators of Dark, Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar. The mystery thriller is set on a ship called Kerberos, destined for America, and follows several passengers as their various secrets become exposed. While they hope to shed themselves of their past and start over in New York, things on the ship are not as they seem.

Upon discovering the Prometheus, a ship that had been lost at sea, they search it for survivors and find a young boy on board. But he is not the only newcomer on the Kerberos, and the arrival of the two creates a disturbance on the ship. Not only are the passengers haunted by their pasts and begin to have their identities, secrets, and ulterior motives revealed, but the main character Maura discovers that the world they know is not real.

To add another layer to the chaos, the finale reveals that they are instead on a spaceship trapped in a simulation called Project Prometheus. If you were confused by the twists and turns of season 1, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Viewers have taken to the internet to pose their questions and theories, but unfortunately, we are left with more questions than answers. Here we would like to explore the main questions that will hopefully be fully explained when the show is renewed for a second season.

Who Are the Passengers of Project Prometheus?

     Netflix

As mentioned previously, we discover the passengers of the Kerberos were, in fact, not at sea but rather in a simulation. Maura is the creator, but it seems that her brother Ciaran has taken over the project and is now in control. We see in the season finale that the other passengers are also trapped in simulation pods. But who are these people, and how did they become trapped in the simulation? Are they also just passengers aboard the spaceship, or perhaps crew members? Did they enter the simulation willingly before Ciaran took control? Are they voluntary participants in the project, or have they been coerced and entrapped against their will? Are they criminals being punished in this endless nightmare simulation?

And of course, we also want to know the simulation’s purpose, and figuring out who the passengers are and how and why they came to be 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 shut down, a virus spreads throughout the ship. Daniel knows that it is dangerous and avoids touching it. But Virginia is not so lucky and touches the virus. It slowly begins to consume her and finally claims her by the time the simulation is destroyed. What this will mean for her, we don’t yet know. Will she be revived in the next cycle? Will it have changed her somehow, or perhaps the virus has rendered her brain-dead?

The cause of the virus is also a mystery, maybe caused by Daniel’s interference in the simulation. He has attempted to rewrite the code and put an end to the simulation for some time now and possibly created it by mistake. Or maybe it is Ciaran’s doing, his attempt to get rid of Daniel and Elliot and prevent them from waking up Maura. Regardless, we feel that the virus will have a lasting effect and will be back in season 2.

Why Did Ciaran Take Over Maura’s Simulation?

Initially, we believe that Maura’s father, Henry, is in control of the simulation and that he had trapped her in there to perform some sort of experiment on her and the others by replaying the simulation on a loop. But we later find out that this is not the case and that Maura was the creator of the simulation and that she had created 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 as this isn’t the case, it would seem that something went wrong.

However, it is not Henry who has taken over the simulation as we initially believe; he is also trapped in the simulation. Instead, Maura’s brother Ciaran has taken control of the project, but we don’t know why he has done this, we don’t know. Daniel and Elliot are finally able to wake Maura, and although we haven’t been introduced to her brother yet, he sends her a message welcoming her to the year 2099.

Finding out why he has taken over the project and what he intends to do will be a pivotal plot line in season 2.