User Reviews

Tatort (which translates as "crime scene") is a German series of crime films, that's been running since the 1970's and of which more than 1000 episodes have been made. Some characters like Kommissars Schenk and Ballauf in Cologne have been making episodes for many years, which are mostly great to watch.

Another one of these popular couples are Kommissar Thiel and medical examiner professor Boerne in the town of Münster, who also have created dozens of episodes.

And this is one of their best.

Boerne decides to take some time off and go to the Netherlands to write a book on death. Before he even gets to the border, he ploughs his car into a field, going 110 miles per hour. We see him crawling out of the wreck of his car. Fire engines, cops and an ambulance arrive, but everyone walks right past him. When he follows them back to the car, he sees to his astonishment how the firefighters pull his body out of the car. It turns out "he" is just his spirit, which nobody can see or hear, and in reality he is in a coma. His spirit can walk around in the real world, can see and hear people speak, tries to speak back, but invane.

I won't spoil the entire plot, but I guess the writer(s) must share my appreciation for "a matter of life and death" from 1946 by Powell and Pressburger.

One thing I will mention, because it contains my favorite line from the show. Professor Boerne is in Limbus, which appears to be the waiting portal for hell, or as his "guide" (who looks remarkably like Kommissar Thiel) calls it "department number Roman numeral II". This guide tells Boerne: "An den Himmel muss man glauben, aber die Hölle ist fur jeden da." In English: Heaven you have to believe in, but hell is there for everyone.

Apart from Game of Thrones (episode "Battle of the Bastards"), this is the only time I have ever, while watching a show, bounced around on the couch, actively cheering for a character to do this, or to say that. THAT is how engaged I was.