The word “Babylon” is the name of the glorious, infamous and sinful Mesopotamian city in Biblical writings. Today, we use the word as a noun describing a degenerative society of immoral hedonism, oppression and a corrupt political system. Add “Berlin” and then set the Weimar Republic era of post-WWI Germany as the stage, and you are left with a jungle of sex, drugs, scandalous politics, Freudian psychology and roaring ‘20s romanticism in a neo-noir universe. This is “Babylon Berlin.”
The Netflix series follows transferred police inspector Gereon Rath from the quaint western city of Cologne, Germany to his arrival at the heart of explosive social progressivism in Berlin. He appears to be a different animal with a very obscure and tortured past but a dang good detective nonetheless. There is a dual protagonist scheme going on in this show.
The other leading character is Charlotte Ritter, “Lotte.” She is an impoverished young woman from the streets. Her ambitions to become an official member of the Red Castle homicide department are often hindered by the sexist treatment she endures from her male colleagues. When paired together with our leading man, the duo is unstoppable and repeatedly finds themselves in the most high-stakes scenarios that will leave you on the edge of your seat (or bed, I don’t judge). You will be rooting for them so hard!
One of the most interesting aspects of this show is that it breaks the formulaic tradition that
restricts many crime dramas. It does not have a rise and fall modality that starts and finishes each episode (like “CSI”), but a cohort of multiple stories that are intricately woven together which spill out over to the following seasons. After all, this was a novel.
This is a show that will require your attention to detail, and you find the gratification you deserve once the chaos settles and facts gently float down like pieces that smoothly fit the grooves of a grand jigsaw puzzle. If you’ve grown exhausted from the predictable, this is the show for you.
Like Joe, I am a man of the exotic—in terms of the type of art I consume. “Babylon Berlin” incorporates the importance of musical storytelling with awesome dance sequences and original scores and lyrics that provide macabre narration to the plotlines in a cabaret-style. “Zu Asche, Zu Staub (Psycho Nikoris)” is an S-tier banger and I encourage you to go on YouTube right now and watch the clip.
With the release of its 12-episode third season on March 1, this has been the most expensive production in German television history, already nearing $50 million in costs after the first two seasons’ release. It was a challenge to organize the 3,000 speaking roles, nearly 5,000 extras and over 150 characters in this crime drama universe.
Some of the most fascinating aspects of this show are the jaw-dropping set design and period-specific fashion that completely capture the golden age of Germany. There are three directors that work collaboratively on each episode. They shoot by location, not by episode, so all three directors are simultaneously filming different scenes for one episode.
This is a series that will satisfy cinephiles, historians, musicians, romantics and lovers of crime and suspense. As the saying goes, “Everyone Once in Berlin!”
Great story great writing!