Rohan Jain
Netflix’s ‘1899‘ is a sci-fi show created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, known for the time travel series, ‘Dark.’ The story begins on a steamship called Kerberos, sailing from the Old World to the New World. It carries a group of migrants who harbor dark secrets and believe settling in America will solve their problems. However, one of the passengers, Maura Franklin, has an entirely different reason for going to New York. Her brother, Ciaran, has been missing since Kerberos’ sister ship, Prometheus, disappeared.
When Kerberos finds the Prometheus adrift in the waters, Maura joins the captain and a small crew to check if there are any survivors on the vessel. While the crew is away, an enigmatic man, drenched in water, enters Kerberos. He carries a bug that unlocks a room door. Interestingly, the room is right next to Maura’s room. Meanwhile, on Prometheus, Maura rescues a young boy who is the sole survivor on the steamship. Later, Maura crosses paths with the man, who calls himself Daniel Solace.
Over the series, we see Daniel indulge in strange activities. For instance, he contacts the young boy and asks him if he has found something. In another instance, he is seen looking at Maura’s picture, which makes the audience wonder what his connection with Maura is. Is he her husband? Well, let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD
Daniel Claims to be Maura’s Husband
Yes, Daniel Solace is Maura’s husband. Daniel reveals this in a confrontation between him and Maura after he makes the captain disappear with his remote-control device. However, it is quite hard for Maura to believe him. In fact, for a large part of the narrative, Daniel comes off as villainous, who might be working with the so-called Creator. However, in one scene, when someone shoots Maura, he instantly dives to save her. This shows that he does seem to have a special connection with Maura. As the story progresses, we discover his relationship with the boy and Maura, and his real motive comes to the forefront.
Due to certain circumstances, the boy disappears. So, the captain and Maura go through a portal to find the boy where Maura last saw him. They end up next to a grave and outside a mental hospital, which happens to be Maura’s father’s hospital. Since Maura knows how devious and twisted her father is, she believes the boy must be in there. While the Captain and Maura are searching for him, Daniel reaches the place with the remote device.
When the captain sees the remote, he grows hostile, and before he can attack Daniel, the latter makes the captain disappear. Maura gets scared of this and becomes more aggressive. To calm Maura down, Daniel tells her that he is her husband. He even tries to make her remember that the two have been married for 12 years, but the latter doesn’t recollect anything. So, instead of listening to Daniel, she locks him in a room.
Daniel knows that Maura’s and the boy’s lives are in danger. So, he finds a fake wall and goes through different portals to reach the grave. Daniel removes the sand from the top and goes inside the bunker underneath. We see the boy sitting inside, and he asks if his mother remembered anything. Thus, the audience realizes the young boy is Daniel and Maura’s son. Following this, Daniel goes to the same place where he had made love with Maura. But Maura reaches before him and finds photographs of herself with Daniel and the boy. It takes her a second to realize that the young boy is her son.
Now that she is calmer, Daniel explains how everything around her is a simulation, and none of it is real. He even tells her how she needs to wake up from this simulation and remember her real life. Otherwise, she will be trapped in it, and everything will be lost. This way, Daniel finally manages to convince Maura that he’s her husband and that everything he’s doing is to bring her back.
Read More: Who is the Boy in 1899? Does He Die?
