Netflix’s sci-fi series Altered Carbon takes place around 400 years in the future, but since protagonist Takeshi Kovacs has been alive for more than 300 years it’s easy to lose track of the show’s timeline. To make matters even more confusing, Altered Carbon season 2 picks up 30 years after the events of the season 1 finale and moves the action away from Earth, to Takeshi’s home planet of Harlan’s World.

Altered Carbon season 1, which released on Netflix in February 2018, is set in the year 2384. However, Takeshi was actually born circa 2100. Some time before his birth, the first human colonists on Harlan’s World discovered a unique alloy and remnants of alien technology that were used to create cortical stacks: disks that sit at the top of a person’s spine, storing their mind and memories in the form of a code called DHF (Digital Human Freight). Stacks can be swapped between bodies and backups of a person’s DHF can be stored elsewhere, allowing humans to effectively become immortal.

The flashbacks to Takeshi’s time with Quellcrist Falconer as a member of the Envoys take place in the 2120s. Quell, the inventor of stacks, came to believe that eternal life had a negative effect on the human psyche and led to greater social inequality, and that it would be better if stacks were limited to a lifespan of around 100 years - which became the basis for her rebellion. Several years after the devastating Battle of Stronghold, Takeshi was killed and his stack was kept on ice for 250 years. He was woken up again 2384 and hired to find the killer of Laurens Bancroft. After successfully completing that mission he spent the next thirty years searching for Quell - which brings us to Altered Carbon season 2.

Altered Carbon Season 2 Is Set In the Year 2414

The exact year is not explicitly stated in Altered Carbon season 2, but based on the season taking place 30 years after the end of season 1 we can surmise that it’s set in the year 2414. Since Takeshi Kovacs was born circa 2100, this means he is approximately 314 years old by the time Altered Carbon season 2 begins. It’s worth noting, however, that because he was held in limbo for 250 years of his lifespan, he does not suffer from the same diminished empathy that the Meths - who have been conscious for hundreds of years - tend to display.

Altered Carbon’s Timeline So Far

Some of the following dates are approximate, since Altered Carbon doesn’t mark flashbacks and time jumps with exact years. However, based on season 1 taking place in 2384 and characters frequently referencing how long ago certain events took place, here’s the timeline of the show’s story so far.

  • Late 21st century - Konrad Harlan and the other founders arrive on Harlan’s World. 2100 - Takeshi Kovacs is born on Harlan’s World. 2112 - A 12 year-old Takeshi kills his father. He is arrested by CTAC, who offer him a chance to enlist, and his stack is put into an adult body. 2122 - Takeshi (back in his birth sleeve again) is reunited with his sister, Reileen, who is now a member of the Yakuza. Takeshi abandons CTAC to protect her. While hiding out, the two are discovered by Quellcrist Falconer’s Envoys and decide to join them. 2130 - Quell and the other Envoys are killed in the Battle of Stronghold, leaving Takeshi as the Last Envoy. 2134 - Now working as a mercenary on Harlan’s World in a different sleeve, Takeshi is discovered by Jaeger and the Praetorians. His body is killed and his stack is put on ice for 250 years. 2384 - (Altered Carbon season 1) Takeshi’s stack is put into the body of police officer Elias Ryker, and he is tasked with finding Laurens Bancroft’s killer. 2414 - (Altered Carbon season 2) Takeshi is wearing the sleeve of a female lounge singer on Maghda Prime when he is captured by Trepp, a bounty hunter working for Horace Axley, and brought back to Harlan’s World.

More: What To Expect From Altered Carbon Season 3