Sure, it's a different tone to '83 and '86 but it hits the mark. It also manages to highlight the chaos of the times and the hypocrisy of all parties and ideologies. Good fun.
25 Reviews
The final installment is a light-hearted romp
csteddy13 October 2020
Member for 14 years, this made me write a review
StuGoodman16 May 2021
Well what a series this is, interesting, light hearted, complex, captivating and truly a must see for anyone interested in Cold War, 80s music and some damn fine acting.
I can honestly say, the scenes with Sylvester Groth and Neil's Borman were excellent, and they had me play them over and over again. Outstanding actors and simply owned the screen when on.
It's a series that you should not miss, and do not view a dubbed version, watch with subtitles if you don't understand German.
Hoping there's gonna be more.
I can honestly say, the scenes with Sylvester Groth and Neil's Borman were excellent, and they had me play them over and over again. Outstanding actors and simply owned the screen when on.
It's a series that you should not miss, and do not view a dubbed version, watch with subtitles if you don't understand German.
Hoping there's gonna be more.
Amazing series... love it
Official_MNAA4 October 2020
I just love this series. Depicted nicely the complex political situation in Germany (east and west) during the cold war era, and gave an idea how it had a huge impact on global politics. Of course there are some side stories, but they made the series more interesting.
Deutschland89
npi-014222 October 2020
Again another great German series
ulf-sternberger25 September 2020
A great finale of the third season for me. By chance I saw today that the final season is online and I watched all the episodes straight away. well corona time. I've lived in Berlin since I was born and have often visited East Berlin with my father. always with the entrance fee of 20 D-Marks per person. The Berlin Zoo was cheaper! In the west everything is illuminated and modern, in the east of Berlin the smell of two-stroke engines and the houses sometimes looked as if they weren't renovated or renewed after the 2nd WW. Today it looks completely different. The actors, the script and the integration of the authentic film material are very successful. German productions are apparently only good if they are financed by Amazon or Netflix, see "Dark". It's worth watching the 8 episodes!
Great German TV
siemad27 September 2020
A solid conclusion to the 'Deutschland' Trilogy
Tweekums11 April 2021
These comments assume viewers have seen the previous two series, Deutschland 83 and 86, as it is necessary to watch those to fully enjoy this series. I watched in German with English subtitles.
Another three years have passed and things are about to change forever in the DDR; it is 1989 and various Warsaw Pact countries have opened their borders and let people out... in a matter of days the Berlin Wall, the very physical symbol of a divided Europe, is going to fall. Our protagonist, Martin Rauch, is once again caught up in the key events. These see various characters trying to plan for what happens next; making the DDR a fairer, but still socialist country, facilitating reunion with the Federal German Republic or just making money. For much of the time he is joined by Nicole, his son's teacher, who he becomes romantically involved with. This will inevitably lead to many dangerous situations and further confrontations with his aunt Lenora.
I found this to be an enjoyable conclusion to the Deutschland trilogy; it nicely incorporates real events and manages to be tense even when the target of an assassination attempt is a real person who famously was not assassinated. The cast does a fine job bringing the various characters to life. There are plenty of twists and turns which take Martin and Nicole across the wall to West Germany then on to Romania and Italy then back to East Germany. There are some flaws; it does feel as if it is trying to shoehorn rather too many events of the time into the story, such as the Romanian uprising, and the epilogue comparing the Berlin Wall the Trump's US-Mexico border wall was rather crass. That didn't spoil the series though; I'd certainly recommend it to those who enjoyed '83 and '86.
Another three years have passed and things are about to change forever in the DDR; it is 1989 and various Warsaw Pact countries have opened their borders and let people out... in a matter of days the Berlin Wall, the very physical symbol of a divided Europe, is going to fall. Our protagonist, Martin Rauch, is once again caught up in the key events. These see various characters trying to plan for what happens next; making the DDR a fairer, but still socialist country, facilitating reunion with the Federal German Republic or just making money. For much of the time he is joined by Nicole, his son's teacher, who he becomes romantically involved with. This will inevitably lead to many dangerous situations and further confrontations with his aunt Lenora.
I found this to be an enjoyable conclusion to the Deutschland trilogy; it nicely incorporates real events and manages to be tense even when the target of an assassination attempt is a real person who famously was not assassinated. The cast does a fine job bringing the various characters to life. There are plenty of twists and turns which take Martin and Nicole across the wall to West Germany then on to Romania and Italy then back to East Germany. There are some flaws; it does feel as if it is trying to shoehorn rather too many events of the time into the story, such as the Romanian uprising, and the epilogue comparing the Berlin Wall the Trump's US-Mexico border wall was rather crass. That didn't spoil the series though; I'd certainly recommend it to those who enjoyed '83 and '86.
Forest Gump in Germany distorting history
big_brother_198427 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
In the last part of the trilogy "Deutschland 89", continued placement of super-spy "Kolibri" into historic events feels like watching "Forest Gump" - but not in a good way.
The series jumps the shark by depicting the end of the Wall as being deliberately engineered by the very same super-spy, and not just as a result of confusion during the last phase of the failing state.
And the eastern secret service trying to kill the party leader and head of state, really? It would have been much more interesting to tell the story of the secret service trying to convince the army to go for the "Chinese solution".
However, the actors are still very good, and I think the depiction of the believer in socialism turning to terrorism is credible - while a lot of her former comrades have a smooth transition to capitalism.
Unfortunately, the mother of "Kolibri"'s child is not re-cast, but only ends up as a corpse - I guess the actress wasn't available at the time. Not being able to see the ambitious young cadre deal with the end of her side of Germany is a big loss, because this is the story of a whole generation being alienated from their now-unified country.
The series jumps the shark by depicting the end of the Wall as being deliberately engineered by the very same super-spy, and not just as a result of confusion during the last phase of the failing state.
And the eastern secret service trying to kill the party leader and head of state, really? It would have been much more interesting to tell the story of the secret service trying to convince the army to go for the "Chinese solution".
However, the actors are still very good, and I think the depiction of the believer in socialism turning to terrorism is credible - while a lot of her former comrades have a smooth transition to capitalism.
Unfortunately, the mother of "Kolibri"'s child is not re-cast, but only ends up as a corpse - I guess the actress wasn't available at the time. Not being able to see the ambitious young cadre deal with the end of her side of Germany is a big loss, because this is the story of a whole generation being alienated from their now-unified country.
Sundance gets 7 stars for its presentation of a great 10 star series
pompierson27 November 2020
From Deutschland 83 on I have been hooked by this ten star series. I believe Amazon prime had 83 and 86, can't be sure. My German is pretty rusty, but the 83 and 86 subtitles were clear even if translations weren't always quite right. Sundance repeatedly had illegible white subtitles against bright backgrounds, losing especially the banking discussions not clarified by the action. The cast, the power of the story line, the action scenes, tender scenes, characters, all 10 in my estimation, so my 7 is not for Deutschland 89 but for Sundance
More interesting than ´86, almost as good as ´83
BeneCumb21 January 2021
Due to the dynamism of the era and rapidly changing events (often chaotic) this Series may seem more hectic / less profound, but both BRD and DDR had such times in 1989... Decisions had to be taken rapidly, background information was limited, nobody knew how the USSR and West would react... I am sure there are no exaggerations in the script. Families, friends, relatives became involved in different opinions and activities plus the shadow of Stasi was around anyone - in spite of his or her former or current views.
The cast is strong here again, mostly familiar faces, with new angles and approaches. Again the mail characters and performers are more versatile here (as DDR was in fact a "male" society as all socialist countries - in spite of slogans), with Jonas Nay and Sylvester Groth most to my liking.
The ending scenes are somewhat peculiar, and it seems that Deutschland ´92 is not envisaged... Although I would not mind to see what happened to all these surviving personas in the unified Germany.
The cast is strong here again, mostly familiar faces, with new angles and approaches. Again the mail characters and performers are more versatile here (as DDR was in fact a "male" society as all socialist countries - in spite of slogans), with Jonas Nay and Sylvester Groth most to my liking.
The ending scenes are somewhat peculiar, and it seems that Deutschland ´92 is not envisaged... Although I would not mind to see what happened to all these surviving personas in the unified Germany.
Amazing series. Captivating, educational ... the best in its class
BaronVonKolisch18 May 2021
After a tank full of red herrings, the series comes to a deserved conclusion. It is nicely worked through, although some might say a little on the cheesy side.
Looking back at the production in its totality, almost every good quality that we could have wished for was there in abundance. A dynamite script, a relentless pace, and some very classy acting ... to mention just a few.
And almost as the credits begin to roll, we are served up one final treat. Footage of President Trump extolling the virtues of his wonderful new wall. History repeats, and lessons are not always learned. In such cases, poking fun is the prerogative of the filmmaker. - 8.8/10.
Looking back at the production in its totality, almost every good quality that we could have wished for was there in abundance. A dynamite script, a relentless pace, and some very classy acting ... to mention just a few.
And almost as the credits begin to roll, we are served up one final treat. Footage of President Trump extolling the virtues of his wonderful new wall. History repeats, and lessons are not always learned. In such cases, poking fun is the prerogative of the filmmaker. - 8.8/10.
Pretty much jumped the shark
kimmt-076531 October 2020
A relatively weak offering compared to the first two seasons. Feels superficial and contrived on all levels with little or development of the what feels like 100s of side-storylines and characters. A few genuinely funny moments (Sylvester Groth is great as always) and the odd moment of tension but mostly the lame tale of Martin trying to chase down his evil auntie all over Europe. Leaves you feeling like they really could have done so much more with this pivotal, explosive moment in German/European history. And the script writers obviously just called it in. The dialogue is so stilted at times, it feels like a high school play. A shout-out in particular to Lavinia Wilson who delivered a performance that, though barely possible, was even worse than the script. I thought my eyes would never be the same again, having rolled so often at her attempts at playing the femme fatale. Grauenhaft.
Good Series. But skip the last 10 seconds.
ianrogers13 March 2021
Entertaining series. Music was a lot better in 83, 86 seasons. Good wrap up for 89. However, there was no need for the last 10 seconds of political visual commentary. Comparing the Berlin Wall with the United States southern border is asinine.
Loved it!
tobbejonsson25 June 2021
A wonderful conclusion to this trilogy about the cold war. Lots of loose ends and storylines are resolved....in a way. But are they really? These people who are all pawns in a political chess game can't really escape their past.
And that is what is so great about this series. There is really no clear villain or hero here, all are just doing their jobs. Shown here in a brilliant way imo.
A lot of reviewers were critical about the last 10 seconds (especially certain Americans), but I think that was a great montage of pictures of where we are going...or might be going. History will reoeat itself unfortunately.
And as an outsider being to the US a lot, and know some about American politics, I can say that I am worried where we are now. The country hasn't been this politically divided since the civil war.
And that is what is so great about this series. There is really no clear villain or hero here, all are just doing their jobs. Shown here in a brilliant way imo.
A lot of reviewers were critical about the last 10 seconds (especially certain Americans), but I think that was a great montage of pictures of where we are going...or might be going. History will reoeat itself unfortunately.
And as an outsider being to the US a lot, and know some about American politics, I can say that I am worried where we are now. The country hasn't been this politically divided since the civil war.
Stunning
robsepb24 April 2021
Brilliant acting, fantastic sets/locations, lots of tension and intrigue throughout. The inter weaving plots and characters give rise to a very atmospheric experience and showcase perfectly just how warped, frightened and cloudy some parts of the world were through the 80's. D89 is a fitting end to a trio of exceptional series.
Compelling from a human point of view
robhandfrand-1077117 April 2021
This was really interesting for me. I was 18/19 when these events unfolded and I was a student of German, studying The Cold War.
I was really interested in the human side of that era and it was fascinating watching this from a German perspective alone, whereby each side became a pawn in the East vs West battle. There were no good or bad guys. Good and bad behaviour was depicted on both sides and, in the East, in particular, quite ordinary people were sucked into the politics, pitted against their families and embittered and corrupted. I really felt for Martin with his personal struggle to achieve a normal life and how the situation he found himself in changed him.
I know some people didn't like the ending with Trump and the comparison with his Mexican wall to the Berlin Wall, but I don't know if the filming occurred before or after January 2021. Whenever it was, it serves a stark reminder that democracy is more fragile than we think and we should not become complacent because it can easily be snatched from under our noses. America was a near miss.
I was really interested in the human side of that era and it was fascinating watching this from a German perspective alone, whereby each side became a pawn in the East vs West battle. There were no good or bad guys. Good and bad behaviour was depicted on both sides and, in the East, in particular, quite ordinary people were sucked into the politics, pitted against their families and embittered and corrupted. I really felt for Martin with his personal struggle to achieve a normal life and how the situation he found himself in changed him.
I know some people didn't like the ending with Trump and the comparison with his Mexican wall to the Berlin Wall, but I don't know if the filming occurred before or after January 2021. Whenever it was, it serves a stark reminder that democracy is more fragile than we think and we should not become complacent because it can easily be snatched from under our noses. America was a near miss.
Authentic
donrinsang18 May 2022
There is an unmistakably authentic atmosphere about this story which makes it different from period dramas in general. Characters and plot are organically created. Such a different take on the world of spies. East Germany and terrorism episodes of those days are well mixed in the operations of the government. And there is no doubt that this story resonates more vividly in the minds of europeans. The tension is always present, even in apparently common exchanges of dialogue. Very compelling.
Pale and boring in comparison with 1st season
olgakiritchkova25 October 2020
Climax to this cleverly written East German spy drama ... a lot of fun but with dark undertones
ok_english_bt4 November 2023
Save the best for last! Sequel to Deutschland 83 & 86, 89 takes up the story with the events leading to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Probably like 'The Crown', what with my lack of historical knowledge I'm never quite sure if what I'm seeing is a 'recreation' or 're-imagining' of history? Whatever, creators Anna & Jörg Winger again impressively combine drama, history and old news archive footage of the time to show the unravelling of the East German State (DDR) and its infamous Stasi and spy agency HVA in what is obviously a critical moment in German history. For the last installment of the trilogy, new characters appear alongside the regulars, like the excellent Svenja Jung playing Nicole, Martin's latest love interest, and Raul Casso as Valdez an underhand CIA agent in Berlin trying to recruit Martin. The series remains pretty faithful to its origins, so clear 'threads' run throughout this 3 year update. Spy Martin Rauch played by Jonas Nay, Maria Schrader as Lenora Rauch his cousin and HVA handler and Sylvester Groth her boss Walter Schweppenstette are outstanding as usual, and well supported by the rest of the cast, no weak links really. The production qualities make Deutschland exciting to watch, exquisitely shot mostly in and around Berlin with some lovely attention to detail like the typically garish & kitsch 80s decor and quaint ancient-looking computers, all of which add up to a wonderful hit series.
Deutschland 89's remembered history looks rather dated admittedly, but isn't that the point as it loses nothing of the power and dynamism that gripped the first 2 series? This one has the odd quirks of characters adjusting to the new realities, intelligence agencies aware of what's coming down the tracks who then try to disappear into civilian life and not leave any trail behind them. There are some quite funny moments, for example where leaders of HVA relocate to a villa in Sorrento, Italy, and plot their re-entry into capitalist society, hilarious. Other agents try to infiltrate Western Germany and prepare for unification, Martin & Nicole even find themselves in Timisora, Romania, on the cusp of revolution. Lots of good 'moments' in amongst its 8 episodes.
At heart though, there's a darker side to Deutschland 89 with its impending social upheaval, terrorist threats and the undoubted soul-searching of a country about to reinvent itself for the 4th time in the 20th Century. Which might explain why a German series took off in other countries before it became a hit at home. Originally relayed by Sundance TV and Germany's RTL, it was picked up by Amazon Prime for 86 and 89 and is now rightly one of the most popular foreign language spy dramas ever. Paula Milne & Oliver Hirschbiegel mini-series 'The Same Sky' follows a similar storyline of an agent being posted in West Berlin, and is also worth a look.
And doesn't Deutschland 89 have one of the best endings in a drama series ever, even if it's a bit make believe? Particularly, with the timely reminders that the end of the Cold War, or 'The End Of History' as it came to be known, doesn't mean the end of the world's problems. We can but dream ... highly recommended.
Deutschland 89's remembered history looks rather dated admittedly, but isn't that the point as it loses nothing of the power and dynamism that gripped the first 2 series? This one has the odd quirks of characters adjusting to the new realities, intelligence agencies aware of what's coming down the tracks who then try to disappear into civilian life and not leave any trail behind them. There are some quite funny moments, for example where leaders of HVA relocate to a villa in Sorrento, Italy, and plot their re-entry into capitalist society, hilarious. Other agents try to infiltrate Western Germany and prepare for unification, Martin & Nicole even find themselves in Timisora, Romania, on the cusp of revolution. Lots of good 'moments' in amongst its 8 episodes.
At heart though, there's a darker side to Deutschland 89 with its impending social upheaval, terrorist threats and the undoubted soul-searching of a country about to reinvent itself for the 4th time in the 20th Century. Which might explain why a German series took off in other countries before it became a hit at home. Originally relayed by Sundance TV and Germany's RTL, it was picked up by Amazon Prime for 86 and 89 and is now rightly one of the most popular foreign language spy dramas ever. Paula Milne & Oliver Hirschbiegel mini-series 'The Same Sky' follows a similar storyline of an agent being posted in West Berlin, and is also worth a look.
And doesn't Deutschland 89 have one of the best endings in a drama series ever, even if it's a bit make believe? Particularly, with the timely reminders that the end of the Cold War, or 'The End Of History' as it came to be known, doesn't mean the end of the world's problems. We can but dream ... highly recommended.
awful sequel
o-3260328 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The theme is very clichéd and politicized, and it is said that capitalism has won the victory. It's really amazing... It's hard to put into words
Several important charismatic characters and their planes Finally it's a distortion of the character to let a sexy Cuban handsome guy carry the black pot
The originally cold father suddenly became a kind grandfather, and the arc of the role could not be said at all
Compare other characters to not even have character arcs at all?
Why are the two beautiful girls so desperately in love with Martin? Martin is really beautiful, but the baseless dedication of the two female characters is beyond the point of saying that it feels like a hasty ending, and forcing it to end makes people feel very bad.
And the fake death at the end, I can't come up with a more cheesy ending than that
There are also several important characters that are missing throughout the whole process, and seeing a bad script that doesn't want to star at all can't rule out this possibility. Including Gay Guy Book Writer Annette, all of these important characters are missing, so that Martin doesn't have the opportunity to react at all, and in this part, Martin's growth is also inexplicable Compared to the particularly delicate ending of the second part, the treatment of the third part at the end can only be said to be extremely disappointing, and the intentions of many of the characters, the background, their motives are not interpreted at all, and then they give the characters some blunt purpose, as if Brigitte must help Martin. I simply couldn't understand the motivation for doing so. And the aunts have to preserve capitalism through violent assassinations, and I can't understand why they have to do it.
Not only is the characters disappointing, the whole plot unfolds, there is no logic at all, there is no rhythm between each other, and the overall development is very passive, which makes people feel more and more boring the more you look at it.
Several supporting characters, including two big fools of the Russian soldier brother KGB, the Romanian agent of the Black Panther, have more of a hilarious presence at all, and not only does it not effectively advance the story, but their presence feels very abnormal and depressing.
There are several story lines that look like a celebration of capitalism, a critique of socialism, and the lack of depth and critical thinking as a whole, and it feels very strange
Anyway, it looks like it's really bad, especially for the end of the last episode, which destroyed such a good image of the first and second seasons. Very disliked TV series. Bad reviews. The taste of the music is also very bad, as if the second and third parts are made by two different people. This step of Martin seems to be a demon, killing people and not feeling any guilt, and there are even many lines that are not clearly stated.
Several important charismatic characters and their planes Finally it's a distortion of the character to let a sexy Cuban handsome guy carry the black pot
The originally cold father suddenly became a kind grandfather, and the arc of the role could not be said at all
Compare other characters to not even have character arcs at all?
Why are the two beautiful girls so desperately in love with Martin? Martin is really beautiful, but the baseless dedication of the two female characters is beyond the point of saying that it feels like a hasty ending, and forcing it to end makes people feel very bad.
And the fake death at the end, I can't come up with a more cheesy ending than that
There are also several important characters that are missing throughout the whole process, and seeing a bad script that doesn't want to star at all can't rule out this possibility. Including Gay Guy Book Writer Annette, all of these important characters are missing, so that Martin doesn't have the opportunity to react at all, and in this part, Martin's growth is also inexplicable Compared to the particularly delicate ending of the second part, the treatment of the third part at the end can only be said to be extremely disappointing, and the intentions of many of the characters, the background, their motives are not interpreted at all, and then they give the characters some blunt purpose, as if Brigitte must help Martin. I simply couldn't understand the motivation for doing so. And the aunts have to preserve capitalism through violent assassinations, and I can't understand why they have to do it.
Not only is the characters disappointing, the whole plot unfolds, there is no logic at all, there is no rhythm between each other, and the overall development is very passive, which makes people feel more and more boring the more you look at it.
Several supporting characters, including two big fools of the Russian soldier brother KGB, the Romanian agent of the Black Panther, have more of a hilarious presence at all, and not only does it not effectively advance the story, but their presence feels very abnormal and depressing.
There are several story lines that look like a celebration of capitalism, a critique of socialism, and the lack of depth and critical thinking as a whole, and it feels very strange
Anyway, it looks like it's really bad, especially for the end of the last episode, which destroyed such a good image of the first and second seasons. Very disliked TV series. Bad reviews. The taste of the music is also very bad, as if the second and third parts are made by two different people. This step of Martin seems to be a demon, killing people and not feeling any guilt, and there are even many lines that are not clearly stated.
Story ok...purpose not!
Theo-ZA25 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It was quite clear from Deutschland '86 that the producers and authors have an agenda. They are globalists! They want a One world and any conservative vision would be evil and wrong. In this they use a divided country that has to reunite to further their ideology...
How they connect it to that last 10-15 seconds where a real country wants to protect itself can only be visualised by idiots and globalists. Any real patriot, nationalist and conservative would understand why you want to protect your country from the "invaders and uninvited" but they don't!
Pretty boring. Nothing new.
ansku-112 June 2022
I really like the main character but this season is such a waste. The auntie-nephew conflict is dragged painfully out again; totally unbelievable, annoying and just boring. Also the other story lines are quite unoriginal and uninteresting. Huge disappointment is the last episode where everything is in the open, again. So we'll done for another season which I am not going to watch.
All 3 seasons review - Deutschland 1983-1986-1989
gphgrm013 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is quite unique show about some exciting period in European recent history, with, unfortunately, quite ridiculous main character. The context story is very interesting, and a few supporting characters are really charismatic, but the protagonist, Martin, is a pointless, unbelievable, illogical creature, whose existence and doing are almost cartoon-like.
The plot in the Season one. Deutschland 1983, was sort of intriguing - he was sent to a mission in West Germany by his aunt, high intelligence officer, who recruited him to work for East Germany. He is not willing to do that, but he tries to get over with this and go back home. However, the problems in the plot started when he stops doing his tasks and starts posing as "good-doer", as somebody who has consciousness. From that point, this character looks idiotic, childish and pointless. And this is the main problem of the show. How to explain that several intelligence services want constantly to work with the guy who never does anything in the interest of his bosses?
Maybe the point was to present all intelligence services as idiots, but it did not really look so with other characters. His aunt, Lenora, and his father, Walter, looked as very serious agents throughout the entire show, and I watched the show mostly for them. Also, every woman who showed in the show falls for Martin, while he actually never shows any real emotion to anyone. He goes around, messes missions and kills or ruins bunch of people around, and everybody around behaves as if he was someone really important. In the third season, Deutschland 1989, I already laughed at every scene with him.
But the show did not really intend to show him as german type of Forest Gamp parody - it seems that the authors really believed that they did a great thing for real - created a hero. But their hero works for every intelligence, because he is too afraid to reject them, and then betrays all of them, does not do what they ask from him, but does much bigger damage and bloodshed, on his own terms. He is driven by almost Oedipal hatred towards his own aunt, for recruiting him into secret service, while he does not hate his own father, who did the same. Martin looks really like pretentious, misogynist idiot and makes the show looks idiotic at times. Especially the ending of the Deutschland 1989 (Season 3) is confusing. Why is CIA sacrificing their own people in order to protect a useless idiot who can't be trusted anything? I really did not get it. Explanation that a " spy woman from the West Germany", whom he also betrayed, is in love with him, and enables him to stay alive, is one possible solution, but really not convincing. The attempts to motivate Martin's behaviour by his love for his son is also lame. The agent who can be so easily blackmailed within two second because of his son, is laughable. Also the agent who goes to pursue his own justice, to kill whom he believes he should kill, is just a random murderer, not really a hero the show tries to present.
Also, the bad side of the show is its naivety at moments, about the entire story about German reunification, and glorifying the consumerism and freedom of movement. Now we know that the world unfortunately has not solved all people's problems by "tearing that wall". The show is very interesting occasionally, but in my opinion, ruined by the main character, and all this glorification of the "freedom in the West".
The plot in the Season one. Deutschland 1983, was sort of intriguing - he was sent to a mission in West Germany by his aunt, high intelligence officer, who recruited him to work for East Germany. He is not willing to do that, but he tries to get over with this and go back home. However, the problems in the plot started when he stops doing his tasks and starts posing as "good-doer", as somebody who has consciousness. From that point, this character looks idiotic, childish and pointless. And this is the main problem of the show. How to explain that several intelligence services want constantly to work with the guy who never does anything in the interest of his bosses?
Maybe the point was to present all intelligence services as idiots, but it did not really look so with other characters. His aunt, Lenora, and his father, Walter, looked as very serious agents throughout the entire show, and I watched the show mostly for them. Also, every woman who showed in the show falls for Martin, while he actually never shows any real emotion to anyone. He goes around, messes missions and kills or ruins bunch of people around, and everybody around behaves as if he was someone really important. In the third season, Deutschland 1989, I already laughed at every scene with him.
But the show did not really intend to show him as german type of Forest Gamp parody - it seems that the authors really believed that they did a great thing for real - created a hero. But their hero works for every intelligence, because he is too afraid to reject them, and then betrays all of them, does not do what they ask from him, but does much bigger damage and bloodshed, on his own terms. He is driven by almost Oedipal hatred towards his own aunt, for recruiting him into secret service, while he does not hate his own father, who did the same. Martin looks really like pretentious, misogynist idiot and makes the show looks idiotic at times. Especially the ending of the Deutschland 1989 (Season 3) is confusing. Why is CIA sacrificing their own people in order to protect a useless idiot who can't be trusted anything? I really did not get it. Explanation that a " spy woman from the West Germany", whom he also betrayed, is in love with him, and enables him to stay alive, is one possible solution, but really not convincing. The attempts to motivate Martin's behaviour by his love for his son is also lame. The agent who can be so easily blackmailed within two second because of his son, is laughable. Also the agent who goes to pursue his own justice, to kill whom he believes he should kill, is just a random murderer, not really a hero the show tries to present.
Also, the bad side of the show is its naivety at moments, about the entire story about German reunification, and glorifying the consumerism and freedom of movement. Now we know that the world unfortunately has not solved all people's problems by "tearing that wall". The show is very interesting occasionally, but in my opinion, ruined by the main character, and all this glorification of the "freedom in the West".
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