'Archive 81' ending explained: What happens to Dan Turner?

Archive 81, the highly anticipated supernatural horror series, has been freshly launched on Netflix this January 14 2022. The series stars super talented, yet criminally underrated actors, such as Mamoudou Athie, Dina Shihabi, Matt McGorry, Julia Chan, Martin Donovan, and some more.

Throughout the years, mystery horrors on Netflix have made their own separate fan base and it is only growing with time. So it's no surprise that the arrival of Archive 81 has already started to create a lot of buzz among the viewers of this genre.

Warning: This article contains spoilers!

---

'Archive 81': Ending explained

This ominous series, loosely based on the well-known podcast Archive 81, presents viewers with a distorted maze that is filled with unsolved mysteries in the form of video tapes, intertwined waking dreams, and supernatural elements. Let's take a look at how the ending of the series unravels to viewers.

Why does Samuel save Melody?

The end of the series is undoubtedly exciting to witness. Dan enters the other world to save Melody with the help of her mother who belongs to the Baldung bloodline. Dan finds his family there, all happy and together. But Dan quickly realizes that it is a trap to keep him there. He then resumes his quest to find Melody. Dan eventually finds Melody and they both hurry to get to the other side of the portal. But suddenly Samuel arrives and takes Melody out of the portal, leaving Dan behind.

For Samuel, leaving Dan behind seems quite reasonable but the question remains why does he save Melody? Why does he take her on the right path? Is there a hidden agenda? Now that's something to look forward to.

---

How does Dan ends up in 1994?

As the event quickly unfolds, viewers can see Dan getting stuck inside the other world, helpless, and alone. The tension of the scene rises. But within a few minutes, the viewers get to see Dan waking up at a hospital in 1994, all clueless just like the audience. The portal is the key to the other world but can it be a key to another timeline? Right before Samuel takes away Melody, two doors are shown in the scene. Can the other door be the way to the past? Only the future will tell.

---

Where is Iris Vos?

Earlier in the series, viewers saw Iris Vos inside the other world. But when Dan gets there to save Melody and bring her back to this world, the audience does not see Iris anywhere in the other world. Is this the end for Iris? Or did she end up somewhere else, just like Dan, in some different timeline? What new storm will she cause? Now that's an intriguing question. Let's hope viewers get a season 2 where these questions will be answered.

Don't forget to watch the mystery horror series Archive 81, now streaming only on Netflix.