Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is the first of two planned shows for Netflix. There is also a live-action reboot in the works. There might be more animated Resident Evil content on the horizon too, depending on how this show does. Netflix is in its video game phase of development and it seems to be doing well for the company in regard to its other gaming shows. Netflix even announced it might be distributing games soon.
How does Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness pan out? That doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things although reviews are largely mixed. What fans might be more interested to hear about is how this show ties into the bigger universe of the Resident Evil series. There will be spoilers ahead for the show as well as the other games in the franchise, including Resident Evil Village.
5 The Timeline
Before getting into Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness’ events, it is important to understand when it takes place as compared to other games in the series. Every main entry from Resident Evil 0 up until Code Veronica take place in 1998. That was apparently a very bad year for the world of Resident Evil.
The flashback where this show begins in Penamstan is in 2000. This is two years from when Raccoon City exploded at the end of Resident Evil 3. After that, Resident Evil 4 takes place in 2004 which sets Leon up as an aide to the President. Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness takes place two years later in 2006.
This is the same year that Resident Evil 5 takes place. Infinite Darkness is basically a prequel to Resident Evil 5, with the first known real zombie attack since 1998. Las Plagues from Resident Evil 4 was a different beast altogether which really puts the series into perspective.
4 Leon’s Outfit
Except for some other CG movies in the Resident Evil franchise, Leon lives a relatively comfortable life after Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. It would not be until 2012 that he would get dragged into another huge incident in the games via Resident Evil 6. There are a couple of things from this show that tie into that game.
One of the better jokes in Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is Claire commenting on Leon wearing the wrong outfit. When he changes out of his suit, his new outfit is very close to what he wears in Resident Evil 6. The attack on the White House in the show also foreshadows an incident from the 2012 game. It gets attacked again, leading to Leon having to shoot the President in the head after he gets turned into a zombie.
3 Tricell
There is a more obvious tie to Resident Evil than just the year 2006. One of the last scenes in Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness has Wilson being interrogated by someone. On the desk in front of him is a briefcase that says Tricell on it. That is the organization behind everything in Resident Evil 5. It’s actually more like a front for Umbrella but the result is the same. This presents a couple of questions.
How did Wilson escape the underground facility? Jason lets him go by mistake. Once Wilson makes it out, he is seemingly captured. Who captured him? And is he still alive? Based on what happens at the table, it seems like Wilson is turned into a monster and thus dies right there or in Resident Evil 5. The "who" probably doesn’t matter since if it was someone big like Wesker, the show would have teased it more.
2 Inhibitors
Wilson’s plan with the inhibitors explains one big question in the Resident Evil universe. That’s about how zombies and other mutants can be controlled by Umbrella or whoever. It kind of gets explained in some of the games but Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness reveals more.
Even what Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness explains isn’t much but it is something. It could even tie into the ending of Resident Evil Village. The BSAA sends in zombies to try and take out Miranda, which Chris is not too pleased about. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that this show followed the release of that game, and Capcom did announce DLC for Village, albeit with vague details. Maybe this could be about the BSAA experimenting with inhibitors.
1 Everything It Adds To The Lore
There are a few things of note that Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness adds to the greater lore. Ashley Graham is kidnapped in Resident Evil 4, prompting Leon into a mission to rescue her for the President. She is never seen again in the games or other media up until this point. Ashley doesn’t appear directly in Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness but an older version of her is seen in a picture.
Claire is seen wearing glasses which isn’t a huge thing but it does add something to her character. Maybe she wears contacts in the games or perhaps the addition in Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness won’t lead to anything. There are artistic licenses taken all the time in the greater Resident Evil franchise, be it the live-action films, the CG movies, or the novels. What is and isn’t canon can be hard to say.
Lastly, the Resident Evil series has some terrifying zombie animals in it such as dogs, birds, and alligators. Rats were never really a thing until this show. Their debut is horrifying and could tie into future games. This could be A Plague Tale: Innocence situation just waiting to happen.