Seasons(4) / Episodes(40)
Plots(1)
German television drama which follows police inspector Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch) as he carries out a mission to shut down an extortion ring in Berlin amidst the tense political climate of 1929, and young flapper Charlotte Ritter (Liv Lisa Fries), who sets out to become Berlin's first ever female homicide detective. (Acorn Media UK)
Reviews of this series by the user Necrotongue (32)
Babylon Berlin (2017)
The Weimar Republic is a great setting for a crime series with a political backdrop. For this reason alone, I was very much looking forward to the show and I wasn’t disappointed. On the other hand, some of the creators' decisions managed to dampen my enthusiasm. I was satisfied, but not enough to give five stars. Out of the sixteen episodes, three were considerably weaker. Unfortunately, this included the finale, which crossed over to another genre with the action, which spoiled my overall impression. Season 1 was definitely better, I immensely enjoyed the contrast between the crisis-affected daytime Berlin and its nightlife decadence. I was equally pleased with the clashes of political views (the two Bolshevik factions alone would have been enough). Whatever my complaints, the fact is that I enjoyed the series and wasn't bored for a moment, so I was more or less satisfied. Oh, and by the way, I can't get the theme song "Zu Asche, zu staub" out of my head no matter how hard I try.
()
Season 1 (2017) (S01)
A strong four stars. An awesome film noir (or should I say ‘series noir’?) set in the Weimar Republic, which was a fertile breeding ground for various political factions, as well as a thorn in the side of many Germans. I've always liked interwar Germany, just as much as I like the period of Prohibition in the US. The story was very well written, and I was pleased with the acting performances and the great atmosphere. All in all, I'm very happy with the first season.
()
Episode 1 (2017) (S01E01)
I'm definitely satisfied. Germany during the Weimar Republic is just as fascinating to me as the USA during Prohibition. It's true, the creators have launched so many plotlines at once that it's a bit confusing, but I assume the following episodes will clear things up.
()
Episode 2 (2017) (S01E02)
Well, well! In my previous review, I hoped things would get clearer, and they did. In just one episode, everything's in order. I'm really enjoying what I've seen so far, whether it's the police investigation, the intrigues between the Bolshevik factions, or Berlin's nightlife.
()
Episode 3 (2017) (S01E03)
The pacing was slower this time because the creators broke up the storyline with too many tangents. For example, I'm not sure I needed to know that Mrs. Ritter has "the French disease."
()
Episode 4 (2017) (S01E04)
The episode opens with a romantic scene by the River Spree, followed by a bloody crackdown on Bolshevik protesters (and others), and wraps up with some steamy tension and blackmail. Three in one — what more could you want? Sure, there’s always more, but I was satisfied and thoroughly entertained.
()
Episode 5 (2017) (S01E05)
An unexpected letdown. This has been the weakest episode of the season so far. The plot was less engaging, making the pace slower, and even the visit to the Dutchman didn’t really excite me. However, I did enjoy the heroic policeman injured during the protests, and I suspect Kardanov might actually be Rasputin with everything he survives...
()
Episode 6 (2017) (S01E06)
Even though the summer idyll at the rowing club didn't exactly speed things up, I enjoyed it more than the previous episode. The uncertain atmosphere of the Weimar Republic still works great, with tension almost palpable. I'm looking forward to seeing everything escalate. After the attack on the boiler house, I'm nearly convinced about Kardanov's true identity.
()
Episode 7 (2017) (S01E07)
It felt like the investigation stalled a bit, with only Lotte working as hard as ever. I have nothing against reminiscing about fallen comrades, but the diorama with the narration felt a bit bizarre.
()
Episode 8 (2017) (S01E08)
The finale was quite well done, leaving plenty of plot points open for the second season. However, the series still included some loose ends (like Gert’s storyline). Even though it was the most action-packed episode of the first season, it didn't exactly blow me away.
()
Season 2 (2017) (S02)
I found Season 2 very enjoyable, not counting episodes 3 and 8, which annoyed/disappointed me a lot due to the poor writing. The rest of the episodes were okay, so I enjoyed the great atmosphere and plot, rich in various political machinations, but I still think the first season was slightly better.
()
Episode 1 (2017) (S02E01)
The creators picked up where the previous season left off, and I was very satisfied with that. However, it was clear that this episode was setting the stage for the new season, which was a bit disappointing. I think they could have constructed the plot in a way that the transition between seasons would be more seamless.
()
Episode 2 (2017) (S02E02)
Another decent episode. The investigation followed a political trail, and since interwar German politics really fascinate me, I wasn't bored at all. However, the ending became very predictable from the binocular scene onward, which was a bit of a letdown.
()
Episode 3 (2017) (S02E03)
This episode really got on my nerves — I almost gave it just two stars. Honestly, I'm not sure if the creators are naive or if they think the audience will buy anything, but this scenic aerial tour of the Soviet Union's was a major letdown.
()
Episode 4 (2017) (S02E04)
After the previous disaster, the creators returned to their standard. This episode had that great atmosphere again, and the growing distrust and tension in the fractured society of the Weimar Republic, just before Hitler's rise to power, were well illustrated through the relationship between Rath and Wolter. I previously called Greta's storyline a loose end, but now I think there's more to it...
()
Episode 5 (2017) (S02E05)
I decided to let go of historical details for the sake of the story, and it worked great. The atmosphere was, as always, fantastic. The Bolsheviks took a back seat, giving way to the monarchists. The political situation was incredibly intriguing, and I really enjoyed Lotte's storyline.
()
Episode 6 (2017) (S02E06)
The political charades were the highlight for me. Rath's action against the assassins felt a bit forced, and of course, there was the classic last-second rescue. Sometimes, I wish someone would get saved with a couple of minutes to spare.
()
Episode 7 (2017) (S02E07)
I knew there was more to Greta's storyline! This episode shifted the focus from politics to more action, which was a nice change. However, I'm curious about who was really behind the raid on Benda's villa — it's hard to imagine a typical "brownshirt" coming up with that on their own.
()
Episode 8 (2017) (S02E08)
The finale left me just as disappointed as the aerial tour of the USSR in episode three. I don't think Commissioner Rath could even handle first aid for a sprained ankle — that was a pitiful sight. And I'm starting to think Lotte might be a distant relative of Kardanov, given their shared indomitable will to live. I also didn't quite get how Rath got into the train car and managed to close the hatch behind him, but whatever. At least it brought home a piece of wisdom: coal is black gold.
()
Season 3 (2020) (S03)
Season 3 of Babylon Berlin was the weakest one so far. The whole thing was unbalanced, there were moments when everything seemed almost perfect, followed by a slap in the face and a decline in quality (when it completely gave up on logic). Honestly, the whole plot with the killer of actresses seemed redundant and an obvious effort to fill the increased number of episodes. As long as the creators focused on politics, money, and the atmosphere, it was great. 4*-
()
Ads