Netflix’s Archive 81 ends on a rather jarring note, as the final twist completely transforms the destinies of the central protagonists. Archive 81 season 1 follows archivist Dan (Mamoudou Athie), who finds himself at the nexus of a sinister mystery while restoring camcorder tapes shot by a woman named Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi), who purportedly died at the Visser fire in the ‘90s. What follows is a deranged labyrinth of secret cults, vested interests, and the presence of something otherworldly that lurks within the footage.
Over its eight-episode run, Archive 81, produced by horror director James Wan, unravels in gripping, slow-burn fashion, flipping between timelines, hence alternating between the perspectives of Melody and Dan. Created by Rebecca Sonnenshine, Archive 81 is loosely based on the eponymous hit podcast by Daniel Powell and Marc Sollinger and is currently in its third season in terms of storyline. Although the Netflix series picks up the core characters and storylines from the podcast, it abandons pure cosmic horror in favor of more mythologically-grounded occult motivations, practices, and beliefs.
Right off the bat, audiences are made to understand that Dan’s fate is connected to that of Melody’s, as his father used to be her psychiatrist 25 years ago. Moreover, the trauma of losing his family to the mysterious fire is mirrored in the burning down of the Visser, which proved to be Dan’s primary motivation to accept the job (apart from the hefty salary). As Dan is the beating heart of Archive 81 in many ways, here’s a look at the pertinent questions that surround the series and what the ending could possibly mean for him.
What Happened to Melody Pendras At The Visser In 1994
Although Melody’s presence at the Visser was purely motivated by her need to search for her mother, it is later revealed that the information that Julia lived at the Visser was faked by Samuel in order to lure her in. Essentially, Melody’s family was a part of the Baldung coven, a bloodline of witches who had sacrificed their ancestral magic in order to trap the ancient entity named Kaelego. As the cult at the Visser needed the blood of a Baldung to activate the ceremony (a sort of blood magic key for the ritual to work), Melody was lured into the building in order for her to fulfill this purpose. Later, as explained by Julia, as film was capable of capturing parts of our reality otherwise unseen to the naked eye, the habitual replaying of the tapes by Dan helped thin out the veil between our world and Kaelego’s realm. This is the reason why Dan and Melody were able to communicate in a sort of limbo dream state, as Melody was transported into Kaelego’s world, the Otherworld, by accident during the ritual in 1994.
Archive 81's Kaelego Demon Explained
While there are no real-world correspondences to Kaelego from a historical or mythological perspective, Kaelego exists within Archive 81's fabric as a 14th-century deity, known as both god and demon, depending on who one asked, similar to the cenobites in Hellraiser. The ruler of his own realm, devotees to Kaelego believed that he had the ability to reverse death, grant miracles, and create a whole new beginning while erasing the pain inherent within the human experience. The members of the Vos society held similar beliefs in 1924; however, Iris Vos’ core motivation was to have a child, which she was unable to conceive due to possible medical reasons. The lull of Kaelego was often an illusory one, as innocent participants like Rose were unaware that they would be sacrificed during the ritual, only believing that the deity would help actualize one’s deepest desires.
In 1994, the cult at the Visser wished to carry out the ritual and invoke Kaelego due to a mix of reasons. It is unclear what Samuel really wanted, but as per his conversation with Melody, he claimed to be a seer with the devotion to carve out a new world that could elevate humanity as a whole. Other members such as Cassandra and Tamara most likely had their own covert motivations, while in the present, Virgil Davenport wished to harness Kaelego’s powers for himself. As Kaelego’s statue was made of Kharonite, a rare, black material that was part of the remnants of the Kharon comet that crashed on earth millions of years ago, it is possible that Kaelego is an ancient, interdimensional entity with intentions that span way beyond basic human comprehension of good and evil.
What Happened To Dan & Samuel At The End Of Archive 81
At the end of Archive 81, Dan, with the aid of Melody's mother, who happens to be a Baldung witch, opens the portal to Kaelego’s Otherworld and ventures within to extract Melody. Although tempted by Kaelego to stay on with the false of the lull of his family still being alive, Dan fights through the illusion and manages to extract Melody. However, right when they reach the exit, Samuel arrives and grabs Melody, pushing Dan in another direction. While Melody makes it back to the present, having not aged at all, there is no sign of Samuel or Dan. In the end, it is shown that Dan has managed to travel back to 1994, being considered one of the few who survived the burning of the Visser.
While it can be argued that Dan is still under some kind of spell inside Kaelego’s Otherworld, this seems unlikely as the demon’s realm is characterized by dust particles that permeate the air, characterizing the otherworldliness of the realm. Dan’s reality seems very much like our own, and it seems that he has somehow swapped places with Melody, albeit with a different outcome of him surviving the fire. What likely happened is that Dan went through another portal and doesn't remember. When he and Melody were running back to escape the Otherworld, he noticed two portals — one open and another behind a closed door. Samuel pulled Melody into the open portal, and it can be assumed that Dan went through the other one and ended up in 1994, whereas Melody returned to the present day. So is it possible that Kaelego’s realm has exits that branch into different timelines, hence transporting him back to the past?
The more pertinent question is the absence of Samuel, which might prove to be more sinister as things unfold in a potential season 2, as his motivations remain the murkiest out of all the characters. There must be some clear reason as to why Samuel separated Dan and Melody, hinting that he is playing the long game and has several wildcards up his sleeve.
Archive 81 Season 2 Story Setup
In a potential Archive 81 season 2, the onus would definitely fall upon Melody, as it would be entirely up to her to help search for Dan and extract him to his present reality. More players would undoubtedly be a part of the conspiracy as a whole, and it would be interesting to witness Melody interacting with characters like Mark, who can fill her in about the extent to which Dan persevered to help Melody out. There’s also the question of what lies ahead for Dan in 1994, what happened to everyone in the cult, and whether this switcheroo has impacted the outcome of events from a temporal perspective. As per Sonnenshine (via Variety), discussions about Archive 81 season 2 have not ruled out the return of Kaelego, hence audiences can expect the return of the obscure, dangerous demon and his potential motivations in the upcoming season.
What The Archive 81 Ending Really Means
The Archive 81 ending has massive repercussions on its central characters. On the one hand, Melody has returned to the present reality after spending 25 years in Kaelego’s realm, which is bound to have repercussions on a psychological level. As she has been reunited with her mother, it is likely that she will delve deeper into her Baldung ancestry, and what it means to be the keeper of ancient magic, especially with her return. On the other hand, Dan needs to navigate the world of 1994, a realization that dawns upon him as he sees a report of Kurt Cobain’s death on the television and watches the shadow of the Twin Towers looming over his hospital building. Moreover, there’s Virgil Davenport himself, who will not stop his mad search for power, given the lengths he went to collect Baldung blood and unearth the truth about Melody’s tapes. Moreover, questions about who burnt down Dan’s home when he was a child still lingers, pointing to shadow organizations with their own motives, who are somehow connected to the cult of Kaelego and the harkening of the end of the world as we know it.