Berlin Station Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Everything's Gonna Be Alt-Right
Modwild Carissa Pavlica at October 15, 2017 10:00 pm.

No time was wasted trying to explain to new viewers who is who or what happened during Berlin Station Season 1, and I appreciate that.

There was never a lot of emotional baggage or wasted scenes before, and Berlin Station Season 2 Episode 1 jumped right into the fray of the latest operation in Germany.

An alt-right political candidate intends to win in her run for office, and she'll ensure her victory by taking on a violent partner to...swing the election? I'm not sure, but I like the possibilities.

There are quite a few new faces in Berlin. BB Yates is the new station chief. She's brought in when things have gone so bad they need somewhat of a cleaner to get things working right again.

I would have thought she would be a play by the rules type of gal, but if she has rules to live by, she appears to have written her own book. That became apparent when she was playing along with another new face, Richard Hanes.

Hanes is an ambassador and voice for the president. From what he was saying, the president wants things to roll smoothly for the alt-right candidate, Katarina Gerhardt. Something about that doesn't sit well with viewers, nor does it sit well with Yates and Robert.

Robert was practically turning inside out in his skin while Yates assured Hanes everything was going to be fine, just fine. They'll do whatever the president wants. Then she told Robert afterward he needs to pay a little better attention because she was blowing smoke up Hanes' ass.

Like any skilled intelligence operative, she'll make nice with the people above her and then do what she thinks is right for her station. There wouldn't be intelligence if their only job was to do exactly what they were told.

Yates and Robert are already finding a working groove that feels better than how things ended between Robert and Steven Frost.

Steven is still not sorted out. He hasn't been fired, but he doesn't appear to have a functioning role within the CIA, either. Hanes offered him a job spying on Berlin Station, and unless I've lost my own ability to sniff out a rat, Frost is a rat.

Frost wasn't pleased to hear a "bull" was brought into to fix the mess he'd already made of the station. What kind of a buffoon would admit he'd left the place in such utter disarray?

It's the best place to be, I guess, when being recruited to spy on the group you left behind. Was he ever a good spy? His conversations with Robert left little to the imagination. From assuring Robert he'd told Hanes to stick the job offer up his ass, his next line of questioning was nothing but alarm bells.

Frost just finished saying Robert was the very best. Why would he suddenly be willing to turn on his new station chief and give up information about current ops to Frost?

Frost is a desperate man. I can imagine at some point this season he'll be on the wrong side of Berlin Station and wishing he'd made any other decision than the one I think he's already made.

With Yates came April. She's a young agent willing to do just about anything to get ahead. While she seems competent, she took a chance that put Valerie onto the radar of Gerhardt's top advisor. He knows where she lives.

He only knows about Valerie because she had to put herself into his line of site to keep April safe. Could they have waited five minutes and tried again? As it happens, yes. Joseph Emmerich was only dropping off some papers. Valerie not vacating made more of a mess than necessary.

Oddly, I liked Emmerich. Even while standing in front of Valerie, his threats weren't as I'd have expected. Maybe he'll be vital in helping bring down Gerhardt. If so, then I'll apologize to April and her first mission snafu.

The meat of Operation Stop Gerhardt lies with Daniel.

Daniel is deep undercover as Trevor Price. The team has already discovered the man who will be helping Gerhardt with her violent tendencies, and his name is Otto Ganz.

Much like Philip Jennings on The Americans, Daniel has taken on a new identity to get in with Otto's daughter so Trevor can get close to Ganz. The hot guy always has an in with the young daughter, right?

There was a lot of discussion about how far the team needed to be willing to go to get Daniel what he needed to prove to Ganz he was the guy he needed on his team, and it's a conversation I'm sure happens every day in government.

So how is Daniel supposed to convince Ganz he can provide him with weapons if he can't put them in his hands?

While there are no easy answers, in this case, Lena Ganz admitted she had no money to pay for the guns Daniel curated, so they went nowhere. That's not likely to happen again as the story progresses.

What I'm most interested in now is what kind of violence could help secure Gerhardt the election. Top on my list is Ganz and friends acting like a group of left-wing crazies and shooting up the town, somehow proving the need for a woman like Gerhardt in office.

Typing that proves how little I know of German politics. The exact opposite would hold true between the right and left in America. Any gun violence would propel the left into position rather than make the right look like the clear winner.

There isn't any violent scenario in connection with an election that makes any sense to me. What about you guys? Are you latching onto a plan that is escaping me?

Even if getting the guns was a test for Lena, it's inherent to the overall plan. It has to be, or else Trevor Price wouldn't have brought in his old friend Andrew Chevalier.

Daniel: I need you to listen to me very carefully. Twelve years ago in Chechnya, you created the identity of a gunrunner named Andrew Chevalier, and I need you to wake him up right now.
Hector: How did you find me?
We'll get to that later. The people behind me will kill us if you don't play along. My name is Trevor Price. Look pleased to see me, maybe you can go so far as to hug me. Just don't fuck this up.
Hector: If they don't kill you, I will.


I was wondering how they were going to bring Rhys Ifans back into play, and his entrance couldn't have gone any better. Ifans and Richard Armitage have such a great working relationship on screen that the loss of that duo would have been an incredible shame.

Who knows how long Hector will be around? Living the quiet life in the middle of Nowhere, Spain can't possibly suit him. He's going to have an itch scratched that will bring him back into the fold in some way or another even if he made more of a mess of his agency than Frost made of the station.

Berlin Station is back and firing on all cylinders. The new characters made themselves at home instantly, and the action began without a hitch. There is no doubt this now seasoned spy drama will be as good as or better than its freshman season.

What did you think of "Everything's Gonna Be Alt-Right"? Hit the comments with your thoughts on the premiere, the new characters and the return of Hector DeJean!

ET Obsessions: David Fincher’s ‘Mindhunter,’ ‘Time and the Conways’ and More!
By Stacy Lambe‍ 9:40 AM PDT, October 16, 2017


Here at ET, we’re obsessed with a lot of things – and here’s what we’re most excited about this week:

Why We’re Obsessed With ‘Wonderstruck’

Oscar-winning filmmaker Todd Haynes reunites with his Far From Heaven star, Julianne Moore, for a film that appears as wondrous as the title suggests. But after the very adult Carol, Haynes is doing something more family-friendly, about the parallel journeys of a young, deaf girl (Millicent Simmonds) who runs away from home in search of her acting idol (Moore) in 1927 and a boy (Oakes Fegley) who runs away from his Minnesota home in search of his father in 1977.

Wonderstruck is in theaters Friday, Oct. 20.

Why We’re Obsessed With ‘Mindhunter’

With Mindhunter, a new series about two FBI agents researching serial killers in the early days of criminal psychology, David Fincher reimagines the cop thriller for TV. Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany play the two agents, who use their research -- interviews with imprisoned serial killers -- to help with ongoing cases. Part procedural, part Fincher-esque horror show, the series shines when the FBI agents try to get into the minds of these psychopaths. “We’re paying tribute to these guys who started what's become a cornerstone of what the FBI does now,” Groff tells Rolling Stone. “But like them, we’re also trying humanize the serial killer, which, in some ways makes the whole thing even creepier and scarier.”

Mindhunter is now streaming on Netflix.

Why We’re Obsessed With ‘Berlin Station’

The Epix thriller returns with a second season that does anything but shy away from the messy real-life politics -- news leaks, whistleblowers, terrorism and nationalism -- that have creeped into so many shows lately. Led by Richard Armitage, the cast adds Keke Palmer and Ashley Judd, who plays the new C.I.A. station chief, B.B. Yates. As Judd tells ET, B.B. represents the modern woman -- a strong female who’s “clever,” “unafraid to piss people off,” especially “the boys’ club,” and accomplished in her own right -- and the actress made it clear, there’s a relief in not having to contextualize or justify her power. “I love that B.B. is an unapologetic leader, just a leader through and through [and] very ready to suit up and show up and say this is how it is,” she said.

Berlin Station airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on EPIX.


Why We’re Obsessed With ‘Time and the Conways’

Elizabeth McGovern -- one of many Downton Abbey cast members busy with fall projects -- and Anna Camp take on a revival of J.B. Priestley’s play about the decline of a wealthy British family in the mid-1900s. The production, directed by Tony winner Rebecca Taichman (Indecent), marks McGovern’s return to the Broadway stage for the first time since playing Ophelia in a 1992 Roundabout production of Hamlet. She’s a total delight onstage, playing an indulgent mother who would prefer nothing less than living in a state of bliss when all her kids are home. Meanwhile, Camp has fun with Hazel, particularly in the second act, which brings the story of two eras together.

Time and the Conways is now playing at the American Airlines Theatre in New York.

BERLIN STATION Review: “Right to the Heart”October 23, 2017


The station is back and once again flying by the seat of their pants in this week’s episode of BERLIN STATION, “Right to the Heart.” The episode made a return somewhat to its dripping drama past with a slower pace, rather un-suspenseful action, and lots of really dark frames.

That’s something that does bother me about a lot of shows – not just this one – for whatever reason, it seems as though DPs have decided that modern depictions of night should include zero lighting and wardrobe has decided that any characters in night scenes should obviously where dark clothes as well. Because who actually wants to see what’s happening on the screen in front of them, anyways? I miss the old days of inexplicable light that allows us to see every tiny detail, particularly as a character laments that it’s too dark for them to see and they’re crawling around on the ground.

But I digress.

I’m still trying to process my feelings about this episode. On the one hand, I do feel slightly more invested in this season’s plotline, since the pilot episode did set up a good change of tone and pace for the season. However, this episode completely disregards the adjustments in the pilot, and returns to the speed and vibe that season one gave off. So, while I am more interested in our characters and the developments they make towards their mission, I did feel a bit bored by the episode. In fact, I couldn’t sit still – I got up and cleaned my bedroom while watching this episode.

That’s how bored I was – I cleaned my room to be less bored.

Okay, while true, that may be a bit of a harsh analysis. If my room hadn’t been a mess, I likely could have sat still through this entire episode.

I did enjoy that we got to spend most of the episode with Valerie, especially after the second episode was entirely Daniel and Hector. I just wish the entire plotline of the story didn’t have to be her wooing the rightwing campaign manager of the woman running for Chancellor. If we got a few more moments of suspense, with Valerie having to convince someone a little more thoroughly of her cover like Daniel did, then maybe my attention would have been a little more invested in this episode.

I’m still trying to put my finger on what it is about this show that makes it feel so slow to me. You could blame it on how used to guns and fight scenes and bombs exploding I’ve become because of American film and TV, but I don’t think that’s it. Sure, I enjoy super-Americanized shows like Dirk Gently, (small self-promo: I write reviews for that, too) but I also like intense dramas that tend to just involve people talking dramatically to each other.

Berlin Station is something in between – the dialogue and emotion is toned down like it would be in a more action-based show, but action doesn’t always come in every episode. This makes sense for the idea that these are CIA spies trying to keep low profiles and gather intelligence, but it doesn’t make for very entertaining TV. We need some sort of spark, whether its higher stakes and immediate conflict, more action, or just a faster pace with a slightly more complicated arc. The pilot got the balance right, and I’m hoping that further episodes into the season will, too.

I’m also a little disappointed on how shallow Keke Palmer’s character’s development has been. That scene where she thanks Valerie for taking her out in the field not only seems unnecessary, but it also makes Keke’s character feel like someone out of a coming-of-age Disney TV movie (which is the type of character I generally associate Keke Palmer with). This is disappointing, because I’m really interested in seeing what sort of dynamic, flawed character this young new girl at the CIA could be. And she does look very young in comparison to her counterparts – I’d like to spend an episode with her and her insecurities about keeping up with expectations and not ruining dangerous missions.

Speaking of disappointment, I’m also disappointed that they threw Ashley Judd’s character, BB Yates, into bed with Robert. Of course it’s not a romantic thread (or at least they’re not turning it into one as of yet) but still. Could we for once have a show where the women characters don’t always have to be involved with a sexier storyline, for once? I mean, everyone on this show is having sex, so it’s not some terribly sexist depiction for once, which is good, but honestly, I’d would have loved to see a character on this show who was competent and kept her work life and personal life/emotions separate. I get that makes coming up with interesting conflict a little more difficult, but I have faith that these writers could figure it out and do it well. But, it’s a little late for that now.

Here’s to hoping that throwing Hector back into the mix in Berlin will spice up the conflict between the characters and that the episodes from here on out can pick up the pace a little bit more!

TB-TV-Grade-B
Season 2, Episode 3 (S02E03)
Berlin Station airs Sundays at 9PM on Epix

Keine Angst vor den Amis: "Berlin Station 2" auf Netflix

Ein Terroranschlag inmitten des deutschen Wahlkampfs: Wieder muss Agent Miller ausrücken und undercover im Nazi-Milieu aufräumen
Gianluca Wallisch

6. November 2017, 07:12

Richard Armitage ist Agent Daniel Miller in "Berlin Station".
Foto: Netflix

"Deutschland, wach auf!", schmettert die Kandidatin der rechtsextremen Perspektive für Deutschland ihren Sympathisanten entgegen und erntet dafür frenetischen Jubel. Wie schon im ersten Durchgang der Agentenserie Berlin Station orientiert sich auch die Handlung der aktuellen, zweiten Staffel an realen Gegebenheiten. Ging es zuerst um einen Whistleblower, der das Berliner Büro der CIA unter Druck setzte, so ist es diesmal ein drohender Terroranschlag inmitten des deutschen Wahlkampfes.

Wie schon damals gibt Berlin eine sehr coole Kulisse ab für Spionage-Gschichtln, auch 28 Jahre nach dem Fall der Mauer. Und wieder muss Agent Daniel Miller (ein zumeist eher uninspirierter, vielleicht aber auch bloß von der Regie zur übertriebenen Coolness gezwungener Richard Armitage) ausrücken und undercover im Nazimilieu aufräumen. Sie ahnen schon: Wettlauf gegen die Zeit, brennende Sorge der Kollegen, dass Daniel auffliegt und abgemurkst wird usw. usf.
Trailers Promos Teasers

Der Plot wäre ja recht interessant, aber die Umsetzung ist dann doch allzu konventionell. Kaum eine Szene, in der man sich nicht an John Le Carré und Frederick Forsyth erinnert fühlen würde. Auf Altmeister zu setzen, ist zwar ein bewährtes Rezept; aber mehr auch nicht. Innovative TV-Unterhaltung muss heute weiter gehen. Homeland war so, zumindest in den ersten Staffeln, bevor sich diese Serie totlief – wie die meisten anderen auch.

Und so bleibt das Spannendste oft das rasante Intro mit David Bowies Song I'm Afraid of Americans. Die einzelnen Folgen beweisen dann, dass die Serie nicht aus einem Guss ist: Bisher kamen in 14 Folgen acht Drehbuchautoren und fünf Regisseure zum Einsatz. Zu viele Köche ... (Gianluca Wallisch, 6.11.2017)

Berlin Station Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Everything's Gonna Be Alt-Right
Carissa Pavlica at October 15, 2017 10:00 pm. Comments


No time was wasted trying to explain to new viewers who is who or what happened during Berlin Station Season 1, and I appreciate that.

There was never a lot of emotional baggage or wasted scenes before, and Berlin Station Season 2 Episode 1 jumped right into the fray of the latest operation in Germany.

An alt-right political candidate intends to win in her run for office, and she'll ensure her victory by taking on a violent partner to...swing the election? I'm not sure, but I like the possibilities.

There are quite a few new faces in Berlin. BB Yates is the new station chief. She's brought in when things have gone so bad they need somewhat of a cleaner to get things working right again.

I would have thought she would be a play by the rules type of gal, but if she has rules to live by, she appears to have written her own book. That became apparent when she was playing along with another new face, Richard Hanes.

Hanes is an ambassador and voice for the president. From what he was saying, the president wants things to roll smoothly for the alt-right candidate, Katarina Gerhardt. Something about that doesn't sit well with viewers, nor does it sit well with Yates and Robert.

Robert was practically turning inside out in his skin while Yates assured Hanes everything was going to be fine, just fine. They'll do whatever the president wants. Then she told Robert afterward he needs to pay a little better attention because she was blowing smoke up Hanes' ass.

Like any skilled intelligence operative, she'll make nice with the people above her and then do what she thinks is right for her station. There wouldn't be intelligence if their only job was to do exactly what they were told.

Yates and Robert are already finding a working groove that feels better than how things ended between Robert and Steven Frost.

Steven is still not sorted out. He hasn't been fired, but he doesn't appear to have a functioning role within the CIA, either. Hanes offered him a job spying on Berlin Station, and unless I've lost my own ability to sniff out a rat, Frost is a rat.

Frost wasn't pleased to hear a "bull" was brought into to fix the mess he'd already made of the station. What kind of a buffoon would admit he'd left the place in such utter disarray?

It's the best place to be, I guess, when being recruited to spy on the group you left behind. Was he ever a good spy? His conversations with Robert left little to the imagination. From assuring Robert he'd told Hanes to stick the job offer up his ass, his next line of questioning was nothing but alarm bells.

Frost just finished saying Robert was the very best. Why would he suddenly be willing to turn on his new station chief and give up information about current ops to Frost?

Frost is a desperate man. I can imagine at some point this season he'll be on the wrong side of Berlin Station and wishing he'd made any other decision than the one I think he's already made.

With Yates came April. She's a young agent willing to do just about anything to get ahead. While she seems competent, she took a chance that put Valerie onto the radar of Gerhardt's top advisor. He knows where she lives.

He only knows about Valerie because she had to put herself into his line of site to keep April safe. Could they have waited five minutes and tried again? As it happens, yes. Joseph Emmerich was only dropping off some papers. Valerie not vacating made more of a mess than necessary.

Oddly, I liked Emmerich. Even while standing in front of Valerie, his threats weren't as I'd have expected. Maybe he'll be vital in helping bring down Gerhardt. If so, then I'll apologize to April and her first mission snafu.

Daniel is deep undercover as Trevor Price. The team has already discovered the man who will be helping Gerhardt with her violent tendencies, and his name is Otto Ganz.

Much like Philip Jennings on The Americans, Daniel has taken on a new identity to get in with Otto's daughter so Trevor can get close to Ganz. The hot guy always has an in with the young daughter, right?

There was a lot of discussion about how far the team needed to be willing to go to get Daniel what he needed to prove to Ganz he was the guy he needed on his team, and it's a conversation I'm sure happens every day in government.

So how is Daniel supposed to convince Ganz he can provide him with weapons if he can't put them in his hands?

While there are no easy answers, in this case, Lena Ganz admitted she had no money to pay for the guns Daniel curated, so they went nowhere. That's not likely to happen again as the story progresses.

What I'm most interested in now is what kind of violence could help secure Gerhardt the election. Top on my list is Ganz and friends acting like a group of left-wing crazies and shooting up the town, somehow proving the need for a woman like Gerhardt in office.

Typing that proves how little I know of German politics. The exact opposite would hold true between the right and left in America. Any gun violence would propel the left into position rather than make the right look like the clear winner.

There isn't any violent scenario in connection with an election that makes any sense to me. What about you guys? Are you latching onto a plan that is escaping me?

Even if getting the guns was a test for Lena, it's inherent to the overall plan. It has to be, or else Trevor Price wouldn't have brought in his old friend Andrew Chevalier.

Daniel: I need you to listen to me very carefully. Twelve years ago in Chechnya, you created the identity of a gunrunner named Andrew Chevalier, and I need you to wake him up right now.
Hector: How did you find me?
We'll get to that later. The people behind me will kill us if you don't play along. My name is Trevor Price. Look pleased to see me, maybe you can go so far as to hug me. Just don't fuck this up.
Hector: If they don't kill you, I will.

I was wondering how they were going to bring Rhys Ifans back into play, and his entrance couldn't have gone any better. Ifans and Richard Armitage have such a great working relationship on screen that the loss of that duo would have been an incredible shame.

Who knows how long Hector will be around? Living the quiet life in the middle of Nowhere, Spain can't possibly suit him. He's going to have an itch scratched that will bring him back into the fold in some way or another even if he made more of a mess of his agency than Frost made of the station.
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Berlin Station is back and firing on all cylinders. The new characters made themselves at home instantly, and the action began without a hitch. There is no doubt this now seasoned spy drama will be as good as or better than its freshman season.

What did you think of "Everything's Gonna Be Alt-Right"? Hit the comments with your thoughts on the premiere, the new characters and the return of Hector DeJean!


Everything's Gonna Be Alt-Right Review
Editor Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

4.5 / 5.0

User Rating:

5.0 / 5.0

Berlin Station Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Right Here, Right Now
Carissa Pavlica at October 22, 2017 10:00 pm. Comments


And just like THAT, Hector is back in the game.

Despite having a massive wine cellar at his disposal, Hector claimed to be three months sober on Berlin Station Season 2 Episode 2. I believe he was not only abstinent from alcohol but his incredibly addicting life as a thrill-seeking CIA agent.

That's all in the wind now, thank GOD.

Could Hector have lived his life in Spain without the thrills and chills he had been rushing on for so long?


He didn't seem to be doing too badly. Nestled in the middle of nowhere with a house that met his every need (gorgeous naked woman included), Hector seemed content.

Hector knows his limitations. He knew if he got involved again he'd get involved again. While he can live without it, but when a situation presents itself, it's hard not to press in there. His restraint was notable, however.

At first, he had a hard time remembering Andrew Chevalier. Or he didn't want to remember him. Once Daniel started him down that path, it was easy to get back into a character he hadn't played with in ten years.

What "Right Here, Right Now" did very well was play to Hector's strengths, which also happen to be the strengths of Rhys Ifans. They can both take charge of a scene so what might have felt like a calm and idyllic dinner initially is quickly overtaken with wild bursts of flavor not already on the menu.
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As both Daniel and Hector tried first to seal the weapons deal with Otto, then to discover his terror plan, they were both working Otto and Lena Ganz. Unbeknownst to them early on, though, Hector had the upper hand because Otto was trying to impress Hector.

As a man who was rarely told no, he was enjoying the challenge Andrew Chevalier provided. And while Armando's initial reaction when the fire was lapping at Otto's feet was to release the valve, Daniel knew from Lena to increase the pressure.

The discussion between Hector and Otto, as a result, was a lot of fun.

Not only did we learn why (on two occasions) Otto was buying into whatever the group he belonged to was selling, but that he was going to not necessarily wage a terrorist strike to swing the election, but to start an all-out war.

Hector: They really sold you a fairytale, didn't they, Otto. Something new, something pure. Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this, Otto, but it's all shit. Alt-right, alt-left, they got you marching to the same familiar fuckin' tune. They let you believe you have the power to change your fuckin' nation but it's an illusion, Otto, it's an illusion.
Otto: The pendulum is swinging.
Hector: The pendulum is swinging. Fuck me! Wake up, Otto! Open your eyes! Nothing ever really changes. Democracy rises, Communism falls. Communism rises, Democracy falls. It's the same shit in different coats. The only thing that brings around true revolution is war.


And can I please tell you how happy I am to hear "alt-left" from one of my favorite characters? Ah, God bless Berlin Station for giving me the opportunity to make that quote a "thing" when I've been rebuffed so many times for using the phrase in reviews.

I can die a happy woman.

I hate the alts. And while I realize neither of the alts was used in flattering content by Hector, that he was trying to take the biggest swing at Otto as he possibly could, it still made me smile.

It was a bummer Lena called Otto on his drinking because like Hector, I could have listened to the two of them talk about that stuff all night.

What was completely unexpected was "the goon" Armando being the son of someone important, at least a member of the BfV. Esther wouldn't be running her own son, right? Surely that would be against policy.

Daniel: Holy shit. I gotta call this in.
Hector: Shut up. That Hitler Youth guy's in there takin' a crap or something.
Daniel: Armando?
Hector: Yes.
Daniel: He's BfV. Esther Krug is running him.
Hector: What? And you brought him to my doorstep?

I don't know what other kinds of agents or government officials might work out of The Federal Office for Protection of the Constitution, but Armando's credentials were blown by using his sim card to call his MOM.


Hector figured out fairly easily the Hitler Youth (haha!) was banging Lena, but that didn't stop Lena from turning on the kid when she saw that sim card. The best thing about the fallout of his using it was it proved how much Otto trusted the two men he was getting into bed with.
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He wouldn't have done what he did in Chevalier's house if the trust wasn't sealed. But he didn't share with them what he found out about the kid, so now the four of them all hold pieces to Armando's "puzzle" that is going to get them into a heap of trouble.

When Otto kissed Lena and told her he loved her, it reminded me of when a mob boss knows he's sending someone off to be killed. Was he expecting Lena to get caught in his tiff with Armando? How much does his daughter mean to him?

She wasn't in danger for long, and I laughed out loud when the gang caught up with him racing along the dirt road. First of all, anyone who plays driving games knew Lena was going catch him eventually.

But Hector's commentary was the winner:

Nice parking!

Whether Esther is Armando's mother or not, he must have been out of touch with reality for a long time. Otto said he had been with him "forever," and if Armando thought someone was going to cover his ass after he started spouting stuff like "I'll tell everyone" the truth, he must have been crazy.

My initial thought is this can't end well for Hector. He's been in hiding and isn't exactly going to be greeted with a ticker tape parade. He also just killed someone's son who could identify him.

However, he's also back in it to save the world and has Otto to blame for his indiscretions. Things could turn around by the end of Berlin Station Season 2. Maybe what happens in Europe stays in Europe.

As for the storyline, if you've been paying attention, the right dominated in the recent 2017 German elections. I didn't follow them, nor do I know if the agenda the right used to win was similar to what Otto was feeling.

Otto's word, though crude, probably aren't all that different than what some alt-right groups in the US considered during our 2016 election.


Daniel: What the hell are you doing?
Hector: He trusts me. I can be useful.
Daniel: You're out of your mind.
Hector: I've been out of it too long. It's going to be just like the good old days, right Trevor?


No matter where you sit on the topics, if you take the time to listen, you can hear the despair of groups of people losing their heritage much in the same way newer groups coming into a country are trying to find ways to share and celebrate theirs in their new home.

Their thoughts don't begin as evil, but when history starts being erased or draped in shadows of darkness and one group of people lose what they feel is their identity while others' find theirs celebrated, tensions rise.

Nobody has found a good answer to stop the alt groups from preying on the fears these groups of people on both sides have or how to ensure a melting pot can exist again, but the feelings aren't affiliated with any one country or group.

And until there is less finger pointing and more two-way communication, possibilities like what's erupting on Berlin Station could become a reality. Do we have enough agents like Daniel with rogues like Hector to help us fix our mistakes?

Are you as glad as I am that Hector is back? Was Rhys Ifans on fire? Do you think Daniel and Hector are the perfect partnership? Who is Armando's mother?

Hit me up in the comments!!


Right Here, Right Now Review
Editor Rating: 4.75 / 5.0

4.8 / 5.0


User Rating:

5.0 / 5.0

Ist die Frage eigentlich ernst gemeint????? Ich habe keinen Zweifel, dass das das Codewort ist und im Zweifel alle Infos an Mrs. Krug gehen.

Berlin Station Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Do The Right Thing
Carissa Pavlica at October 29, 2017 10:00 pm.

The origin of BB's beginnings as a station whisperer was explored on Berlin Station Season 2 Episode 4, and it was a lot more personal than expected.

She's a woman who feels deeply and passionately, and after a horrendous accident took away the man she loved, she threw herself into her work.

What better way to remain solitary than to burst into a station, clean up a mess, make enemies in the process and blow back out of town just as quickly as you arrived?

But for what would seem to be a first for BB, she's opening up again.

Even though she coldly brushed off Robert both personally and somewhat professionally when he asked for her help with Noah, working closely with him and then finding her way to his bed had a far more profound effect on BB than she expected.

She spent the better part of a day whisked back to her past in memories she found very difficult to recall, and they weren't brought up because of similarities to the case they are working.

No, the feeling she is recalling is how well she worked with a partner, someone who understood her and on whose level she worked so well her work and private life felt as one entity. All I can see is working with Robert is having that same effect on her.

Even though they haven't been together long, they understand and support each other with a high degree of trust. It's a natural relationship, and those don't come often in jobs like they have.
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Meeting Steven Frost and feeling his desperation (yes, I said it again and will continue to say it) at wanting back into the game, so much so that he'd support whatever Ambassador Haynes wanted to do even if it meant seeing his former second in command shipped away if BB failed, clarified Robert's position to her.

He might have had something special with Steven, but even Steven didn't have the confidence in Robert that BB has in him in such a short amount of time.

BB's refusal to speak in front of a civilian about CIA business tickled me, and her chat with Steven to stay out of business he not only has no right any longer to be in but not enough information to weigh in with any amount of understanding also pleased me.

Stop trying to play the good guy. You don't do it nearly as good as you think.
BB

Steven is only standing on Haynes coattails because he wants to be relevant again, not because he cares about what's happening or the people who are currently fighting the battle. That was evident in the way he flippantly told Robert to ask his boss why he wouldn't be taking her place if she got shipped back to Langley.

His attempt to rip holes in their relationship didn't work, though.

The way Daniel and Hector are working Lena and Otto is admirable.

Daniel: Your father doesn't teach you? He keeps a weapon but doesn't teach you how to use it. He plans an attack but doesn't let you in on the target. Your father doesn't trust you.
Lena: You don't know what you're talking about.

Daniel had a feeling Lena wouldn't be able to hurt anyone with a gun she didn't even know how to use, but for a second there, I had visions of things going horribly wrong when she had the defunct gun aimed at a guy. If he'd lunged at her, she could have found out the hard way how worthless a gun could be.

But Daniel is a good judge of character and bet correctly. He saved her from herself, let the guy walk, and gained a bit more trust in Lena along the way.

Lena was incredibly confused. She didn't feel she had the trust of her father but still wanted to know the plan. Daniel was tearing her in two directions. You don't want to be a part of this, but damn, your dad is cruel for not telling you about his plans.

Otto was getting similar treatment from Hector, who called him out on his treatment of Lena as a not only a non-trusted source but no better than a dog. I was wondering what the hell was going on with Otto, too, but apparently, he just wanted to save his girl the grief of knowing ahead of time death was coming.

It's an odd state for a man ready to kill so many to think so kindly about his daughter, so thoughts like that never cross my mind. But having those thoughts and being so close to Lena makes for a far more complex villain and one more interesting than a one-note character and killing machine.

With the news delivered that the first and second blasts would be delivered by way of a bomb on a bridge that would kill everyone on it (from what I could gather), Daniel and Hector had enough news to report back to BB.

And BB, finally, could stop lying about what they were doing and let Haynes in on their operation. He could have been pissed, but BB handled it well. Hey, dude, you said we couldn't touch the election. What was I supposed to think? Or something along those lines.

She was right. Maybe the right back home wanted the right in Germany to do whatever it took to get the job done. BB even left making a move to stop the bombings in Haynes' hands. By this point, he's letting her hold it in hers. If it all falls apart, she's out of there sooner rather than later.

BB had already come to her conclusions about Robert and let him back into her world. She stopped giving him the cold shoulder after they slept together and even met his son as Robert's boss, making things much easier between Robert and Noah.

So when Haynes gleefully said if it all fell apart BB would be on the first plane back to Langley, she said Robert is off the table. I need a gif of her spinning on her heel and walking away instead of shaking his outstretched hand to seal the deal.

I'm not numb to the fact Valerie went off book to shred Emmerich's file and get a little closer to the man, but I think it's to keep him on a short leash. They don't know for sure he's clear of the action based on what April learned, nor do they know he won't be a key figure going forward.

He's into Valerie, and well, Emmerich is an attractive man who isn't afraid to treat Valerie well while she's on the case. Is it wrong to get so involved? Yes. But I'm not ready to slap her hand away quite yet. Not until I see it going too far.

What do you guys think of everything that went down? Were you surprised to see it was love that drove BB to her station whisperer reputation? Is Valerie in trouble? Will Otto successfully plant the first two bombs before they stop him?

Hit me up in the comments!

Do The Right Thing Review
Editor Rating: 4.25 / 5.0

4.3 / 5.0


User Rating:

5.0 / 5.0

Ich dachte eigentlich auch, dass klar ist, dass diese Aktion Chefsache ist. Immerhin ist Daniel involviert.

Ist wahrscheinlich auch wieder so eine gestörte Wahrnehmung wie die Aktion mit der ausgebauten Feder bei der Waffe in der letzten Folge. Da wurde teilweise auch nicht erkannt, dass Daniel/Trevor die Feder zur Sicherheit erst aus der Waffe genommen hat, damit Lena keinen Schaden anrichten kann und sie dann, als es darum ging jemanden (vermeintlich) zu erschießen, wieder in die Waffe gebaut hat.

Review der Folge 3 "Mitten ins Herz" / "Right to the heart":

http://www.tracking-board.com/berlin-st ... the-heart/

BERLIN STATION Review: “Everything is Going to be Alt-Right” / “Right Here, Right Now”
October 16, 2017

Berlin Station dives into a topical subject that feels very close to home in its second season back-to-back premiere of “Everything is Going to be Alt-Right” and “Right Here, Right Now.” In an interesting change of pace, the show starts out strong with a tone adjustment that has the show actually feeling much more like an action-spy-thriller than the drippy and dramatic soap vibes it gave us last season. And equally surprising, but pleasant all the same, the tonal shift actually makes the title theme (Bowie’s “I’m Afraid of Americans”) feel like it fits the show. So kudos, Berlin Station, you’re improving.

Another added benefit of this tonal shift is the believability of our characters’ abilities to do their jobs. They don’t seem like the spies-who-can’t-spy-right. They feel like seasoned veterans who have been through the ringer and are trying to move on without making the same mistakes, and this angle is far more interesting than watching what seemed like a bunch of dramatic doofs running around blindly trying to get the scoop on each other.

I also like that the show is filling itself full of competent, women spies. This season has added two new stars, Keke Palmer and Ashley Judd, successfully making this randomly niche show possibly the most star-studded currently on TV. Like good lord, how do they even have any money to cover production costs?

But, adding some new voices untainted by last season will hopefully be good for the show, creating more opportunities for dynamic, interesting conflicts that have nothing to do with backstabbing each other or cursing like sailors. (Not that there’s anything wrong with cursing, it’s just that cursing tends to only be filler words, and nothing of substance is ever really said by a character whose dialogue is filled with filthy words.)

The premiere episode establishes this season’s undercover mission, as Daniel tries to uncover a plan by German Nationalists (read: neo-nazis) to attack a large group of liberal and progressive voters to try and swing the polls towards the very conservative and racist right. Goodness, does this topic ring any relevant bells? Hmmm…

Actually, the season is quite clearly based in a pretty current reality, with the new American administration that the Berlin Station is under being hinted at as fairly Alt-Right itself. (Aka, the show doesn’t name names, but we can assume they are writing from a reality where Trump runs the administration in the show as well.) I find it extremely interesting that the show has made the choice to become a pseudo-political commentary, and I’ll be interested to see how it plans to play this out.

The show also finds a way to bring back Hector and Steven Frost, Hector in a much more interesting way that definitely raises the stakes of the show. Daniel is flying by the seat of his pants to gain the trust of this alt-right nationalist leader as a fake arms dealer named Trevor, but the man isn’t interested in working with Trevor unless Trevor introduces him to the man he’s working with. Obviously, as an undercover agent, Daniel isn’t working with anyone, he just gets the guns from the CIA, but he has to pull someone else into the undercover mission, and the only person that fits the bill at a moment’s notice is Hector, who Daniel has kept tabs on. At the end of the first episode and then all of the second episode, we deal with the fallout of Hector becoming irreversibly intertwined into Daniel’s undercover mission, as the two first have to convince the leader that he can trust them, then are forced to kill an irresponsible German ally spy, and then must both return to Germany to close the arms deal. The episode ends with the question of whether Hector will be able to make it through security at the airport and fly back into Germany without being arrested for his work as Thomas Shaw or without his hastily and unexpectedly re-donned cover being blown.

Speaking of the second episode, it operated as a semi-bottle episode, focusing pretty much entirely on just Hector and Daniel working this cover in Spain. Because of that, the pace of the show slowed down a bit again and it wasn’t nearly as strong of an episode as the first. However, the action was still intriguing and the show didn’t completely revert back to its original confusing tone, so I would still call it a win for this show.

I’m surprised to say this, but I’m actually looking forward to finding out how this season plays out with these storylines, and I’m very curious to see how the show plans to use its newly-built political soapbox and tonal adjustment.

TB-TV-Grade-A-

Season 2, Episode 1-2 (S02E01-02)

BERLIN STATION Review: “Do the Right Thing”
October 30, 2017

It’s all about back story in this week’s episode of BERLIN STATION, “Do the Right Thing.” In an episode that greatly improves on the suspense and intensity of the drama unfolding in our story of spies, the show proves that it can tell a captivating story without the need to be full of guns and action.

The episode centers around BB, the new station director, and her backstory. We see that she has difficulty letting people in for fear of abandonment, and this is because of her mother leaving her as a child. We see her falling in love and getting engaged with another agent she is undercover with (in a flashback), and we see his untimely and unfortunate death just as the two are leaving their last undercover mission to go live their lives.

This backstory plays into BB’s motivation throughout the episode as we see her and Robert’s careers at Berlin Station be threatened by the current U.S. Ambassador. The question dangles over the episode as to whether BB will give into the Ambassador’s demands, risk her and Robert’s careers, or find some third alternative. This is a sort of up and down, will-she-won’t-she that occurs that makes the episode enticing.

At first, BB pushes Robert away, and so Robert turns to Frost, who is playing his own, sort of sad and pathetic, third-wheel game of cat-and-mouse, trying to clamber back out of retirement through the opportunity the Ambassador has extended to him. Frost has a lot to gain from BB failing and remaining out of the Ambassador’s good graces, but Robert is his good friend, giving Front a fine line to walk.

We expect that Frost is going to be able to turn Robert against BB, but Frost’s warning comes from a place of genuine concern for his friend, not out of a need to be back on top, and the warning doesn’t actually turn Robert away from BB, but actually allows her the opportunity to reinforce her allyship with him, when she decides to take Robert up on his request for her to meet his son as Robert’s boss and reinforce the lie that they both work for the department of regional affairs at the U.S. Embassy.

In the end, BB gives up all the information they’ve been able to uncover from Daniel and Hector’s undercover operation. Now that they know what the terrorist plan is, and that the far right political candidate is funding it, BB is equipped with a swaying power that would make it difficult for the Ambassador to shut her down and not let Berlin Station try to prevent the attack. The Ambassador makes her agree to resign if the mission fails, but BB demands that Robert’s job is off the table in this new deal. The Ambassador agrees to this.

Meanwhile, Valerie is dealing with her own side of the mission, trying to persuade the far-right political candidate’s campaign manager to help them gain access to an encrypted file that could possibly give them details to her connection to this potential terrorist attack. Again, we aren’t sure what her true feelings or intentions are. Is she playing the campaign manager, or is he playing her? He is clearly trying to pursue a romantic angle with her, but is Valerie truly interested in return, or is she simply playing him to ensure that the mission goes smoothly, and to gather any further intelligence the station might need? At first, things seem purely business. Valerie plays the part of a concerned agent who cares about this man’s reputation, despite her station orders to blackmail him. She plays a different card, gaining his trust by warning him that the station is willing to blackmail him into cooperation. Instead, she gets him to agree to do it without all of the extra fuss. However, as soon as she’s verified that the job was successful, she seems cold to him. As though she has completely played him, though she is in car with April, the rookie agent, and is perhaps putting on an unattached persona for her sake. Later, though, we see her shred the files April had dug up to blackmail the manager with, and then pay a visit to his apartment, where she puts the moves on him. Is she still playing him, or is she actually interested? It’s unclear, but trying to figure it out is rather interesting.

In the midst of all of this is Daniel and Hector, playing their parts as undercover agents to try and butter up an opportunity to glean information off of what the target for the attack is going to be, and what the plan for the attack will be. It’s just the right amount of action to pull us into the slower bits of drama and let us really analyze these characters and their motives. For once, following the line of thinking and attempting to dissect the motivations is clear. And it makes for a much better episode with real, deep characters and an interesting storyline. It also helps that our spies are much better at spying this season, as well.

So will the show continue to build on this formula for success? Or will it revert to its slower, more dull past? I guess we’ll have to keep watching to find out.

TB-TV-Grade-A

Season 2, Episode 4 (S02E04)

BERLIN STATION Review: “Right of Way”
November 6, 2017

Berlin Station kicks it up a notch in this aptly titled episode, “Right of Way.” For a second time this season, the show hits its mark with the perfect pacing and unexpected sabotage twist and plot turn that’s about to send us barreling down a new path to achieve the team’s end goal – this time, with Frost along for the ride.

There are several great things about this episode, but possibly the best one is the reveal that Frost might actually be playing double agent on the Ambassador, instead of on the CIA. What I mean by that is, in his reveal to Robert that the Ambassador shared the files on the mission that BB’s hand had been forced on, Frost noticed a lead and connection in the accounts the CIA was tracking, that might lead the CIA to not only catching the right-wing politician, but also the big fish who’s funding her, her campaign, and the acts of terrorism that she’s supporting.

For once in his life, Frost proves why he was the head of Berlin Station, and he makes plans with Robert to head to Scandinavia to hunt down leads on who is possibly funding this right-wing German politician.

Other great things happened in this episode, too, though. For starters, the episode didn’t go where I thought I saw it going. Actually, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I foresaw preventing the terrorist attack as being the end-all goal for the show, and was surprised at how quickly we were getting to the actual showdown. I even had to check to make sure the season wasn’t weirdly ending after only five episodes – new flash, it’s not.

I knew that something had to go wrong – it always does at Berlin Station – but I couldn’t see past this terrorist attack, unless the rest of the season simply dealt with the fall out. Here’s the deal, though – the episode not only finds a way to mess up the terrorist attack without it being the end of the opportunity for the CIA to stop this far right wing terrorist effort, but it also does so without making our spies look incompetent.

That’s one of the tendencies of this show that I’ve complained about before: ‘the spies who don’t spy right’ come out to play frequently in this show, and it deeply bothers me every time. Honestly, these are supposed to be some of the CIA’s best out here working, so why wouldn’t they be able to do their jobs right from the get-go?

This episode makes sure that every one of our characters is not only challenged by the quickly disintegrating plan happening around them, but also must use the best of their abilities to try and create a positive outcome to continue to reach their goals. Unfortunately, things still don’t end the way they want them to, but by the end of the episode, the show is in the perfect place to launch into a second half of the season with an unexpectedly intriguing plot development, and the potential for tension, action, and drama that will keep the pace up.

The show leaves us with a few different drama reveals. First, the Ambassador being the one to warn the right-wing candidate that her organized terror attack had been infiltrated, consequently ruining the CIA’s chances of arresting her and putting the entire team and part of Germany at risk. Second, Daniel and Hector blowing their covers to Elena, as Daniel takes pity on her and tries to help her escape arrest, now that she’s a German fugitive. Third, that Valerie has real feelings for the right-wing candidate’s security advisor and campaign manager. And finally, as I mentioned before, that Frost and Robert are on to a lead that may open up an even bigger right-wing conspiracy than they previously thought.

So what will happen in the next episode, and will the show manage to keep up it’s pacing and keep us intrigued with new developments? We’ll just have to watch and find out.

TB-TV-Grade-A

Season 2, Episode 5 (S02E05)
Berlin Station airs Sundays at 9PM on Epix

Berlin Station Season 2 Review: On Ashley Judd & More

By Jessica McBride
Updated Nov 12, 2017 at 2:17am

Published Nov 12, 2017 at 1:55am


If you’re looking for a new binge-worthy series, you might want to consider the sophisticated Berlin Station Season 2, which is airing on EPIX. The series, which brought actress Ashley Judd to the small screen for its second season, is like Homeland without Carrie to get in the way and annoy us. In other words, it’s a thinking person’s 24 with fresh-feeling characters and milieux and more geopolitical drama.

Stop reading if you don’t want to run across spoilers. As of November 12, the show’s second season was about halfway complete.

You’ll find some of the modern spy series tropes here; of course, the CIA agents in Berlin Station sometimes go rogue because it’s for the greater good as they outwit shady superiors. Of course, they’re trying to stop a terror attack, and time is running out (just not one on U.S. soil, as the series eschews the cliched parochialism of its predecessors. No, America is not always the center of the world in Berlin Station.) Of course, there’s a mole in CTU (well, actually, there was a mole inside the CIA itself in season one of Berlin Station, but never mind.) In season 2, there’s a mole, but he’s working for the CIA, and he’s infiltrated a neo-Nazi group that is trying to influence the German election. That’s an election of great concern to the American president.

However, the show’s Berlin stagecraft keeps it fresh; everyone’s at the top of their acting games, and Berlin Station’s geopolitical intrigue demonstrates the broader concerns at stake as the Americans’ interests collide (and sometimes coincide) with those of their uneasy German hosts. Think Spy vs. Spy. It’s not a shoot-em-up drama primarily, and that’s one aspect that makes it particularly clever; although there’s a little blood and guts, the real action occurs within the political and intelligence community maneuvering. Ashley Judd’s BB Yates is a new character, and she’s a complex one; she navigates both inside and outside of the secret-riddled system, giving Yates just the needed amount of unpredictability to remain interesting.

The plot seems stolen from the headlines, to some degree, and we’re led to make obvious parallels to them. In season 2, Daniel Miller (the protagonist from season 1, who is played with brooding intensity by Richard Armitage), has infiltrated an alt-right (neo-Nazi) group with shady ties to the rising, right-wing German political candidate. You might remember East German-born Thomas Kretschmann from The Pianist; here, he’s playing a Nazi again, this time named Otto Ganz and with a precocious, slightly punk but crafty teenage daughter in tow (who keeps bringing to mind a younger Franka Potente in Run Lola Run). Complicating matters: There’s a new American president whose very political, hard-nosed ambassador and administration are not-so-secretly sympathetic to the aforementioned right-wing candidate (but how far are they willing to go?), and her sympathizers are also threaded throughout Germany’s intelligence service. What is the CIA to do when it receives intelligence that she’s secretly funding alt right thugs to stage a terror attack in order to gain a few extra points in the polls? Who can be trusted? No one probably, in a world with agendas.

Showrunner/EP Bradford Winters told Deadline: “The idea behind the second season is the station taking power into its own hands having been the subject of forces beyond its control. It’s very much a flipping of the table.” However, in season 2, what’s the CIA to do if the American government is working against it, too?

Everyone’s going rogue due to the complex nature of the dynamic. Judd’s CIA station chief, BB Yates, keeps Miller’s activities off the books (at least at the start), surprising her new subordinates; the candidate’s charismatic chief strategist is getting pretty cozy with Michelle Forbes’ steely CIA agent, Valerie Edwards; Hector DeJean’s slippery ex agent is holed up in a Spanish mansion living up a life of semi-happy exile before Daniel knocks on his door; Richard Jenkins’ Steven Frost is working for the ambassador on the sly in sort of a shadow Berlin Station (at least the ambassador thinks so); and German agent Esther Krug (Mina Tangder) isn’t being upfront with her bosses, either. The series takes the viewer to exotic locales worthy of a Bond movie without the cliches (or at least The Night Manager), from Spain to Norway to Germany.

Rhys Ifans crackles in every scene he’s in; his Hector is a scene-stealing combination of wily slipperiness and intelligence that hides a softer core. The villains here can become tough to dislike, which highlights the series’ sophistication. Otto and Daniel develop almost a brotherly bond (or is the latter just using it to flip the former into a witness?) Hector develops a soft spot for Otto’s kid (or is he just using her as leverage to go back legit? Or both?) The improv cover story tag teaming between DeJean and Miller is season 2’s highlight. The season is a mixture of old and new faces; Keke Palmer is new as the young recruit, April Lewis, but Robert Kirsch is back as BB’s exasperated and puppy dog-eyed number two.

It all works. Season 1 was entertaining, but season 2 elevates its game to a higher level.

BERLIN STATION Review: “Hoeyre Hook (The Right Hook)”
November 13, 2017

BERLIN STATION builds on an increasingly good season in this week’s episode, “Hoeyre Hook (The Right Hook).” With stakes that continue to mount, the episode unfolds a suspenseful number of plot reveals while leaning in to the idea of deception, even to the point of surprising viewers with intentional misdirection.

There were several great things to discuss about this episode, but first I want to dissect the one issue I had with this episode – or really, with this plot reveal. Robert and Frost head to Norway to investigate leads to uncover how the PfD was funneling money to terrorists, but when they discover that the money was actually being covered up and funneled by the CIA station in Norway, they’re suddenly shocked.

I take issue with their surprise, because honestly, I could’ve told you the ambassador back in Germany was in on the plan and helping the PfD out. Once we knew that the ambassador likely had something to do with tipping the presidential candidate offer, that only made it more obvious that he was in on it. Especially with his sending Frost off to follow the head of the Oslo station when he came to visit. The connections were obviously more than coincidence. So, when Robert got clearance from the station to visit Oslo and was immediately met by the station head, who wanted to send his driver with Robert (to keep an eye on him) it wasn’t a surprise, but became even more immediately obvious that the CIA was in on funding this terrorist attack. But Robert is absolutely shocked, and that’s honestly the most surprising thing about this whole plot reveal – Robert is genuinely being shocked to discover the ambassador is in on it, and likely funneling American money to prevent this attack.

Not that that detracted from the fun of watching this episode. It was honestly the best episode of the entire series to date. This is because it plays into the idea of deception with these spies on another level – even deceiving the audience in some ways – while also taking us on the actual hunt for intel to solve the funding mystery behind a potentially corrupt election and keeping the stakes high enough to hold our interest

The fact that Robert and Frost have to keep a low profile in Norway, find a recently hanged man, and then Robert is caught and almost killed for getting too close to the answer is an absolutely enthralling episode for this show. It also manages to keep the pace up, making the show much more entertaining to watch than some previous episodes, where the action was almost non-existent and the pacing as slow as molasses.

The Valerie deception was probably the highlight of the episode, however. This has been building up for weeks over multiple episodes, eventually implying that Valerie’s feelings for this campaign manager did go beyond her job – as it seemed her need to pry intel from him was over. Valerie’s feelings seemed to come to a head when she got in a fight with BB in the station office and BB seemingly fired her from the CIA, more or less in front of everyone.

However, as it’s revealed to us towards the end of the episode, this was planned between BB and Valerie. It looks legitimate, even on the station side, as BB has essentially terminated Valerie’s post, but that was simply to cover her tracks so she could double-down on the campaign manager and try to get closer to him, as she suspects there is something he’s not telling her and that she’s missing in the relationship between him and the PfD political candidate.

Finally, it also seems that Hector might be encouraging – and possibly helping – Lena attempt to assassinate the PfD candidate, and April is on to him. However, as a very green agent, it remains to be seen whether she’s reading too much into Hector’s words. Is Hector playing some unknown long game with Lena, or is the Thomas Shaw part of him coming out to play yet again?

These, and more questions, are left to be answered by next week’s episode. Let’s hope it’s as well done as this one.

TB-TV-Grade-A

Season 2, Episode 6 (S02E06)
Berlin Station airs Sundays at 9PM on Epix

BERLIN STATION Review: “Right and Wrong”
November 20, 2017

Berlin Station continues its winning streak of well-balanced, suspenseful episodes with “Right and Wrong.” In an episode that questions what it means to do the morally right thing when faced with an opportunity to deliver justice by any means necessary, the show teeters on a well-constructed line between all-in and giving up, and it does a surprising amount to get your heart racing.

Let me give a quick shout out to the masterful way this episode ends, so SPOILERS for those of you who haven’t watched yet. (Though seriously, why are you reading a review of the episode if you haven’t actually watched the episode yet? Go watch it. Now.)

The show builds to a beautifully crafted scene: Lena realizes she’s been a pawn for Hector and April the entire time, and refuses to go through with the assassination, instead telling them that she’ll seek revenge on Katerina on her own terms. So, in a surprising move, Hector dons his old justice-seeking persona Thomas Shaw (though of course he doesn’t actually say he’s Thomas Shaw, but we all know that deep down, Thomas Shaw is just part of who Hector is) and sets up to assassinate Katerina himself.

Of course, April is still questioning her choice in allowing all of this to happen. Should she do the morally right thing and stop the assassination, or save a nation from itself and allow a terrorist to be brought to unbridled justice, knowing full well her career and Katerina’s blood would be on her hands? In the end, it’s Valerie’s words that make April realize assassination isn’t the answer. She tries calling Hector, but he’s already up at his sniper spot, taking aim.

We get continual cutaway shots as Katerina roams around the stage, giving her victory speech to her supporters, and each time we cut away to her, the suspense intensifies as we’re waiting, thinking this time, this time we’re going to see her get shot and drop to the floor.

But it doesn’t happen. Instead, we see Hector double down on his determination, take aim, and then the screen goes dark, and we hear the shot being taken. But we don’t know what happens. I suppose we’ll have to wait until next week to know for sure. To see the fall out. I’m very excited and curious to know what’s going to happen.

Honestly, though, this is such a masterful episode on so many levels, not just for its ending. The balance of revealing details that muddle everything, even making America funding the PFD party and the thwarted terrorist attack transform from a black and white, right vs. wrong issue into an entirely gray scenario, just as Valerie reiterates to April at the end. The addition of some action in terms of the chase scene in the mall as Daniel is betrayed by his German intelligence lover and contact. April’s contemplation throughout the entire episode about whether to reveal Hector and Lena’s plan or to let it play out and pretend she knows nothing about it. All of these elements combine to make the suspenseful spy drama that Berlin Station always had the potential to be, but never quite was in the first season.

This episode is dripping with beautifully strung out character studies, deception, and tension. Every piece of it flows together to create an intriguing hour of television that has us rooted to our seats, waiting to see what happens to these characters and the fate of the democracy and justice systems they’ve sworn to uphold and try to protect.

For once, these spies are truly spying right, and I am so here for it. I can’t wait to see how this plays out in next week’s episode.

TB-TV-Grade-A+

Season 2, Episode 7 (S02E07)
Berlin Station airs Sundays at 9PM on Epix