‘Mammals’ (2024) Recap: ‘Dark’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Bats Head into the City of Austin, Texas at Dusk in Episode 101 of ‘Mammals’ – ‘Dark’. (Photo Courtesy of BBC America.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Premiere of ‘Mammals’.
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66 million years ago, the landscape of our world changed greatly. For this tropical paradise of a planet was ruled by massive beasts known as dinosaurs. Who truly towered over everything and were at the top of the food chain. But a rogue asteroid that impacted with what is now known as the Gulf of Mexico, brought about that change in question. For it spewed rock and dust into the atmosphere and throttled the sun and ended the reign of the dinosaurs. Which in turn allowed for every species that survived to fight for superiority of the planet and the ones that won out, were… mammals.

For the planet is simply writhing with them, and that includes us, and well… the time has come to properly explore the species that stepped in after dinosaurs walked the Earth and learn what so many of them have become around the world, courtesy of a brand-new BBC America documentary, entitled Mammals. In fact, the series premiere of this incredible journey, wasted little time in diving into such explorations, by showcasing how some mammals, haven’t exactly stepped away from their roots. For so many of our ancestors operated in the dark while the T. Rex roared and so many still do, as evidenced by ‘Dark’.

A story that explored how mammals operate under the cover of night in this century, and they do so… in a fascinating manner. For some, sleep as we do, such as the other apes in the world, and they face dangers we will never know. Because while we sleep in our beds, behind secured doors, they are in trees and vulnerable to predators at night. Giving rise to broken sleep and fights for survival, thanks to predators that can see them in the dark. While others, go about and live in the middle of the night, such as the fennec fox. Who uses its massive ears to hunt under the cover of darkness. For the still of the night allows for sound to travel well and allows for this tiny little fox to find what its needs to survive, and he’s not the only one up late. 

For the armadillo goes about its life under the cover of darkness, as do all the little rodents that make up the world beneath our feet, and while some mammals operate at night, they put on quite a show while doing so. After all, we do see bats as their evening begins, and that brings about real beauty and wonder as they emerge from caves and now man-made structures as well, to hunt. Since there are so many bats that live beneath the bridges of Austin, Texas, and wow the city and its tourists when they emerge to go about their business. Plus, if you’re careful, you might see wolves roaming about in Chicago past sundown. Since they have learned to live alongside us in the midst of the night, because the dark is indeed where so many mammals thrive.

All of which made, for a fascinating opening chapter to this saga. Wherein we came to learn, that the human perspective on nighttime and how it operates, is vastly different than reality. For only our world stops when the sun goes down, and the rest of the world comes to life and moves about around us, above us and below us. For the most primal instincts of mammals haven’t left in the slightest. They’ve just adapted to a new world and well, the amazing sights we saw here, leaves us curious as to what other lessons await us, as we explore the world of mammals through this incredible and insightful new series. Until next time.

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