Small Screen Renaissance

It seems that there are fewer and fewer films these days that engage me in new and interesting ways - films that challenge and provoke as well as entertain. The film world increasingly seems dominated by a bunch of spandex clad people throwing buildings at each other or shooting ray-guns and flying their hot-rod space ships through far away galaxies. Simultaneously, anyone not mesmerized by this cinematic Peter Pan Syndrome has been repeatedly told that we are also in the "golden age of television.” This essentially means that storytellers and filmmakers need to package their vision into a serialized format and squeeze it onto a smaller screen because there is no room at the multi-plex for serious and thoughtful filmmaking.

As a result, I have found I'm spending most of my time with new television shows rather than screening new films. Everyone has heard ad nauseam about the great TV shows like Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Deuce, Game of Thrones, etc. etc. Those are all great shows, but there is no sense adding my voice to the thousands and thousands of words already written about them. I want to focus on some very good and great shows that have flown a little under the pop culture radar.

Broen/Bron/The Bridge (4 Seasons: 2011-2018) – Although I loved this show and binged all 4 seasons as they came out, I am not sure I can look at it objectively because it appeals directly to two of my critical blind spots: investigative procedurals and Nordic Noir. I can watch even marginal shows that fall into those categories, but this one rises to the top easily. The first season of The Bridge had such a great premise that it has been re-made in numerous countries, even on FX here in the U.S. 

A dead body is found on the long, picturesque bridge that connects Denmark to Sweden. As a consequence, the investigation of the crime is shared between both countries and thus offers a glimpse into the societal differences, prejudices and ultimately the connectedness of both cultures. The mysteries are always vast and layered, but the stories never lose focus on the strong characters at the center of the series. Sofia Helin is wonderful as Saga Noren, the lead Swedish investigator and one constant character throughout all four seasons. Saga has some level of Aspergers Syndrome which makes for some unique investigative methodology and great interplay with her Danish and Swedish colleagues. While some of the events are implausible the storytelling is done with such style and conviction that you easily get wrapped up in the mysteries and immersed in the Scandinavian atmosphere. The first two seasons are the strongest but seasons three and four don’t disappoint at all and even wrap the series up with a nice denouement. Originally broadcast on Swedish and Danish television, the BBC and other European channels, the first three series’ are now available for streaming from Amazon Video.

Berlin Station (2 seasons: 2016-2017) – This is a classic espionage thriller set in modern-day Berlin. The U.S. is operating a secret intelligence office in Berlin and that office has recently been compromised by insider leaks of operations to the press. Daniel Miller is transferred to the Berlin station on an undercover mission to find and stop the leaker. While doing this clandestine work inside the station, Miller also has to contend with ongoing operations, protecting undercover sources, and numerous people and events from his past. Berlin Station is a well plotted tale of the intelligence game – and while it is probably not a realistic take on life as a modern-day spy, it is a sold thriller without huge leaps in plausibility. Fine acting and great stories with a nice balance of plot and character. This is classic thriller storytelling done well. 

The first season wraps up the leak storyline, and season two begins with how the station is dealing with the aftermath and changes wrought by that operation. This season is equally good with a very timely and intriguing plot revolving around the tide of far-right populism engulfing Europe (and now the U.S.) While the station deals with major changes, Miller begins an operation to infiltrate a German far-right political party to find out about possible terror plots. The series gets major extra credit points for using Bowie’s “I’m Afraid of Americans” for the theme song. Berlin Station originally aired on Epix, which explains how it received so little attention. Season three has been announced and premiers December 2, 2018. The first two seasons are now available to stream from Amazon Video.



Babylon Berlin (2 seasons: 2017-2018) – My second Berlin located and titled selection is a period thriller set during the Weimar Republic years. In the U.S. we hear almost nothing about the history of Germany between WW I and WW II so the setting is fascinating to me, and the fact that Tom Twyker (Run Lola Run, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) created the show and directed many episodes made this something I had to check out. Babylon Berlin is said to be the most expensive non-English language TV show produced and the budget shows on screen. The recreation of 1929 Berlin is fantastic and the acting first-rate. This is more of an ensemble drama with many seemingly separate plots that come together as the show progresses. As the show begins, WW I vet Inspector Rath has been sent from Cologne to cosmopolitan Berlin to track a pornography ring tied to the mafia. In Berlin, Rath becomes entangled in the social and political changes rocking the Weimar Republic while trying to simultaneously deal with his own personal demons. There are numerous twists and turns during the 16 episodes so to say too much would give away some surprises. Suffice to say, Babylon Berlin is a compelling amalgam of period drama, mystery and action thriller.  

Twyker brings his trademark visual style to the show and the entire cast does a wonderful job creating the characters that populate Berlin. That is important because Berlin and the Weimar Republic are a major character in this show. The plots, while myriad and vast are a macguffin of sorts because they are really an entertaining way to present the changes going on within German society at this pivotal time between WW I and the rise of Hitler. Through these characters, Twyker shows a representation of the social and political forces that were in play and the audience can see the poverty, and the beginnings of the populism and “Germany First” mentality that led to the horrors that followed the Weimar Republic. But, we also see the modern, swinging Berlin, a city enjoying a time of peace if not of prosperity, a city delighted to once again be a cultural center in Europe. Seasons one and two are available on Netflix and a third season has been announced (although Netflix has not yet committed to buy the rights for Season three yet). 

Taboo (1 season 2017) –Taboo is like a Hammer film made for the art-house rather than the drive-in. This isn’t to say that Tom Hardy’s show is pompous or condescending towards its pulp origins, but that it is done with style and a singular artistic vision rather than just as exploitation to entice a large audience. This gothic horror/drama is dirty, both literally and figuratively and visually captures the grittiness of London in 1814 - - this is no period drama with clever conversation over tea. Tom Hardy is mesmerizing as James Delaney, dressed all in black and scowling menacingly throughout the show. As Taboo begins, Delaney had been gone 12 years in Africa and was thought to be dead. He returns for his father’s funeral and begins to set in motion a mysterious plan of vengeance against the East India Company (headed by the superb Jonathon Pryce) and possibly the Crown itself. Through this straightforward revenge plot, Taboo tackles the issues of colonialism, racism and the symbiotic relationship between government and corporations (in this case the powerful East India Company).

Taboo does move slowly and often Hardy’s strong central performance is needed to carry some episodes through. Oona Chaplin is also exemplary as Delaney’s half-sister. Gossip about their relationship as well as about Delaney’s deceased mother provides a thread of mystery throughout season one. The biggest mystery however, is how and why Delaney went missing, and what happened to him during those 12 years. He returns not only with thoughts of vengeance but also with apparent mystical powers learned while he was gone. Taboo answers some of these questions but leaves others open to investigate more in season two. I am looking forward to returning to the grimy and treacherous world of Taboo in search of more answers. Season one aired on FX in the U.S. and the BBC in the U.K. It is available to stream or on Blu-ray from Amazon. Season 2 is scheduled to appear in 2019. 

Counterpart (1 season: 2018) – Another show set in Berlin, Counterpart is a compelling Spy-Fi show, combining a science fiction premise with an espionage thriller. Like Taboo, it is a drama that spins around a great central performance by a talented actor, in this case Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons. Simmons plays Howard Silk, a bureaucrat working at the Office of Interchange, a UN agency in Berlin for 30 years. He is not high enough on the hierarchy to know the details of his work and is merely a nameless functionary in the government machine. He exchanges coded communications with another agent but neither knows what the codes mean. One day, Howard’s superiors bring him to a secretive meeting where Howard meets someone who looks identical to him. It is explained to Howard that during the final years of the Cold War a portal to a parallel universe was accidentally created in the building that would eventually become the Office of Interface (OI). The alternate Howard has disobeyed protocol and come over because he has information that an assassin with a kill list has crossed over. One of the people on the list is Howard’s sick wife, who is an agent at the OI.

From this compelling sci-fi premise the show launches into a season of drama, espionage, and action. Simmons as both Howard and his alternate is fantastic at playing the subtle but significant differences in each character. The believability of his performance is key to making Counterpart work as well as it does. Amid the mystery and double-dealings, there is reflection about the nature of identity and the role both our genetics and life choices make in determining who we are. Counterpart is filled with twists and turns, and you are never sure who to believe or what will happen next. It is fast-paced but filled with deep drama and self-reflection. The Berlin setting is again well used, and is filmed effectively to represent both our modern world and the alternate world that is similar but just slightly “off” from ours. Counterpart is a perfect mix of action and thoughtful drama – the kind of science fiction that should define the genre, and my favorite show of the five discussed here. I am not going to risk any spoilers by providing more detail, but seek this show out and watch it now. Season 1 aired on Starz and is available on Amazon to stream or on Blu-ray. Season 2 begins on December 9, 2018.

Honorable Mentions:

Dark (1 Season, 2017, Netflix) – Superficial Summary: German Twin Peaks without the quirkiness – the name describes its atmosphere; Season 2 expected in 2019

Frankenstein Chronicles (2 Seasons, 2015/2017, Netflix) –  Reimagines Mary Shelly’s monster tale as a police procedural with elements of horror and historical drama.

Top of the Lake (2 Seasons, 2013/2017, Sundance Channel) – Mystery series that also owes gratitude to Twin Peaks. Jane Campion directs Elisabeth Moss as she investigates the disappearance of a young girl in rural New Zealand.

The Kettering Incident (1 Season, 2016, Foxtel Australia/Streaming on Amazon) – Another dark mystery with a female protagonist uncovering buried secrets after returning to her childhood home in Tasmania.