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In episode 16 (6 of season 2) of Netflix series Dark, called "An Endless Cycle", the main character Jonas finally has the chance to prevent the horrible thing that happened to his family. However this is what happens:

Jonas tries to talk his father out of committing suicide. It turns out his father was not planning to kill himself. Then Jonas finds out that he himself has started his fathers misfortune by leading the young Mikkel to 1986. Then Claudia shows up and says that the world in which Micheal/Mikkel does not kill himself is no good either. As in this one is no good and the other one is no good too. All the trauma is forgotten and also all the hard work Jonas put in to prevent the traumatic suicide of his father. Without much discussion they all agree that Michael should hang himself.

How is it possible that a person who Jonas does not even know very well can persuade him with one sentence to be an accomplice in something so horrible and something he was trying so hard to prevent?

What i would have expected was

Michael urging Jonas to take Mikkel to 1986 so as to make sure Jonas is born - at least as a parent that would be my sentiment. Or maybe have that subverted and make Jonas choose between being selfish and lead Mikkel away or have his existence wiped from history. But this is not discussed at all between Jonas, Michael and Claudia.

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  • Brilliant question. While keeping the consistency of the events was important to Claudia, at that point, neither Michael nor Jonas could have cared less. After all, Jonas initially went back in time for the first time to bring Mikkel back and erase himself.
    – MovieMe
    Sep 9, 2020 at 13:15

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All the trauma is forgotten and also all the hard work Jonas put in to prevent the traumatic suicide of his father. Without much discussion they all agree that Michael should hang himself.

In the end, Jonas cannot prevent Michael killing himself if he so chooses. What Jonas wanted was to talk to Michael, to talk him out of it.

Unbeknownst to Jonas, Michael hadn't actually considered killing himself. But because of the things Jonas talks about (in trying to get him to not do it), he ends up making it clear to Michael that he must kill himself.

Given that Michael's mind is made up, Jonas cannot change this sequence of events anymore. Even if he somehow prevents the suicide from happening on the exact date it happened before, Jonas is unable to stop Michael going through with it whenever he gets a chance.

One of the big changes of character that happen is how Jonas can become Adam. Jonas wants to change the world and make things different. Adam wants the opposite, he takes a much more nihilistic approach. When he speaks, he talks about either things being kept the same, or he talks about the end of things.

Jonas going through that experience where he ends up talking his father into suicide, therefore causing things to happen the same way they always did, is likely one of the first (if not the first) experiences that emotionally damage Jonas and set him on the path of becoming Adam.

When you look at what Adam says and how he tries to shape the world, it starts sounding a lot like Jonas could've responded to Michael's inevitable suicide: if things are always going to be the same, then why bother with it all? That ideology strikes at the heart of Adam's goals.

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