The I-Land (TV Mini Series) The Dark Backward (2019) User Reviews

Happy End

[nataraj · 7/10 · 15 September 2019]

All in all, not a bad ending.

Sure, none of the characters in the film are going to be very happy.

Except, maybe Taylor. From what I've heard, she seems to get along well with her host.

I wonder - will the Warden be redeemed? Aw, well. I guess not. He's - what do they call them? - "irredeemable". I'm sure Cooper and K. C. will have a lot of fun with him. But ... will they find their way back?

See ... even after the final "real world" scenes, I am actually more interested in what could happen next in the sim. And that is indeed something good stories do: "Tell us what happens next! Please!" Maybe we could have a story without the whole mind bending and external interference? Yeah, I'd like that.

Still, I do not believe there should be a sequel. Once is enough.

7/10.

IT'S ALL BACKWARDS

[andrew-1698 · 2/10 · 19 October 2019]

So Chase gets pulled from the sim exonerated after her near death experience in the last ep.

We learn the Warden tried to sabotage the i-land experiment & sent in two rogue Marshall's (Bonnie & Clyde).

The confusing bit was why Chase was in there "voluntarily" despite thinking she was on Death Row along with other "irredeemable" prisoners like Brody , Donovan (psychotic murderer), Mason (not a soldier but shot up a Mall), Blair (the angel of death nurse), Moses (manslaughter?) & the others like KC, Taylor (alive & living with a cannibal), & the rest of the group who, to me, may have had cases which could've been deemed less cut & dried.

The two agents, Bonnie & Clyde refuse to pin the blame on The Warden. The Warden then arranges for Chase to have a lethal injection & is saved in the nick of time by Dr Wyss.

Chase then finds out that she was actually an avatar on the i-land & that she's actually older than she appeared on it. She's released back into a world she doesn't recoginise, a futuristic world changed by rising tidal waters,

The final shot sees the Warden in a familiar setting.

Long story short - average fare that is probably ok if you're stuck at home & can't get out. For the most, & especially early on, the viewer will likely find all the main characters highly unlikeable (sadly that includes the main protagonist). There were a few moments that struck a chord (the 1% of society who operate financially & socially in a different world to the rest of us; how climate change may affect our future which will likely be caused by the continuous accumulation of wealth at the cost of the planets resources; how the elite influence society at large including through technology; how we perceive what the truth is). Go out & enjoy life now.

Dear netflix, please stop wasting your money and our time

[aboalhyjaa · 3/10 · 13 September 2019]

This episode as all the before is useless. I usually if i hated a show watch it again to know why but excuse me sir i cant watch another minute from this stupid show

A pointless twist

[anselmdaniel · 4/10 · 18 March 2024]

This review contains spoilers.

The I-Land's seventh episode and finale to the first season is entitled 'The Dark Backward'. The episode takes place after the conclusion of the last episode with Chase being awakened in the prison. She must deal with the Warden as he attempts to remove Chase.

The finale is incredibly messy. This finale takes place almost entirely in the real-world prison. The episode heavily features Chase as she navigates her release. The episode also features the return of the Warden as he tries to eliminate Chase. This plot thread in this episode makes no sense. The simulation of the I-Land was already being seen by the jurors. They also had talked to Chase before and Chase had told them already that the simulation was inhumane.

There are hilarious moments in this episode mainly with the Marshals and the Warden. The Warden getting caught in this episode was hilarious as he advocates for the extermination of the death row inmates. Even when he knew that Chase was innocent it did not stop the Warden from wanting to kill her. In addition the Warden stating how great the cannibal was in the simulation, made for a hilarious few minutes as he said this during the juror hearing.

The final twist of Chase being an avatar made no sense. If she was actually in the prison system for a long time, then many events in the series made no sense. Cooper was Chase's husband and he had murdered Chase's mother. For some reason, Cooper still decided to not confess even after Chase was caught by law enforcement. Cooper in the simulation showed that he cared for Chase. However this was not reflected in this twist. In addition, the twist fails because Chase was able to do stunts that would be impossible for a woman her age. She was able to knock out and fight several guards. She was also able to jump out of a truck and roll. These stunts would cause her severe injury and she would not be fit to immediately continue.

I would not recommend the season one finale 'The Dark Backward'. The episode is a funny conclusion, however the episode fails in logic.

Grade: D.