One of my favorite Tatort Teams are the Kommissars of the Dortmund chapter. Hauptkommissar Peter Faber and his college Hauptkommissarin Martina Boenis are both experienced police officers, and are both dealing with insecurities and relationship issues. Enter "the new one", Hauptkommissarin Rosa Herzog. Frau Herzog right away shows competence and readiness to join the Homicide Squad in Dortmund, a population center filled with political tensions and violent crime. Facing potential stress situations, Herzog appears shaken and tense, clearly indicating past personal trauma related to her work. Another capable team member, Hauptkommissar Jan Pawlak is also dealing with problems at home, as his wife, a recovering drug addict, has disappeared, leaving their young daughter unattended.
All of this ongoing internal drama is perfectly interwoven with the story line of this episode. A fire in a low rent apartment complex reveals a covered-up murder of a young woman. The main theme is the racially charged "Twitter War" between organized right wing extremist groups, rebellious young immigrants, their left-wing counter-activists and the heroes/villains caught in the middle. When Hauptkommissarin Boenis is falsely accused of being a "Nazi", with "doctored" Internet videos offered as evidence, the new team member, Hauptkommissarin Rita Herzog takes the initiative to "fix this" unfair smear.
The handling of the socially relevant subject matter in this Tatort episode is gritty and unflinching, but also fair and balanced, showing all sides of the anti-immigrant and racist underbelly of current (German) society. The call to resist extremism responsible for a "splitting of society" is genuine, and I believe an effective counter weight to the forces that prefer to tear down bridges, rather than building them. One very touching side plot is the mellowing of Hauptlkommissar Faber, who is (for the first time) showing a deeply caring and compassionate side, and is so obviously struggling to show his romantic feelings toward Hauptkommissarin Boenig (who, of course, is presently otherwise attached). With each new episode in the Dortmund Tatort Saga, the audience wants the emotionally "broken" Hauptkommissar Faber to heal and find happiness. We can only keep watching...and keep hoping!
All of this ongoing internal drama is perfectly interwoven with the story line of this episode. A fire in a low rent apartment complex reveals a covered-up murder of a young woman. The main theme is the racially charged "Twitter War" between organized right wing extremist groups, rebellious young immigrants, their left-wing counter-activists and the heroes/villains caught in the middle. When Hauptkommissarin Boenis is falsely accused of being a "Nazi", with "doctored" Internet videos offered as evidence, the new team member, Hauptkommissarin Rita Herzog takes the initiative to "fix this" unfair smear.
The handling of the socially relevant subject matter in this Tatort episode is gritty and unflinching, but also fair and balanced, showing all sides of the anti-immigrant and racist underbelly of current (German) society. The call to resist extremism responsible for a "splitting of society" is genuine, and I believe an effective counter weight to the forces that prefer to tear down bridges, rather than building them. One very touching side plot is the mellowing of Hauptlkommissar Faber, who is (for the first time) showing a deeply caring and compassionate side, and is so obviously struggling to show his romantic feelings toward Hauptkommissarin Boenig (who, of course, is presently otherwise attached). With each new episode in the Dortmund Tatort Saga, the audience wants the emotionally "broken" Hauptkommissar Faber to heal and find happiness. We can only keep watching...and keep hoping!
