March 8th saw the much-anticipated Deutschland 86 hit UK screens, after fans of the Cold War German thriller endured a nearly 4-year wait for the Deutschland 83 sequel.
Set three years on from Deutschland 83, the first episode of this series, titled “Tar Baby”, is primarily focused on the craft of Lenora Rauch, played by Maria Schrader. The viewer is drawn to her power and intelligence, giving the viewer a sense of déjà vu as she once again managed to draw Martin back into her schemes. However, this is most welcomed, as only does the episode really pick up pace once Jonas Nay makes his appearance.
We first find Nay, who plays main man Martin Rauch, playing the piano in Angola; the director’s way, perhaps, of including Nay’s own music ability in the show, despite his character stating in the pilot episode that he cannot play the piano.
Tar Baby takes the focus of the show beyond the borders of Germany, where the previous series retained its main focus, to the African continent. With the original theme tune remaining an ode to 1980s music, this episode also manages to touch on more sensitive issues of the time, including racial divides as signified in one of the opening scenes, with segregated elevators.
Although this episode answers several questions that the previous series left on our minds, including what happens to Martin after he blew his cover as a spy, there are still many questions that this episode has yet to answer; who was shot at the end of the last series – Alex or General Wolfgang? When will Martin get to see his child? What happens to Martin’s mother? and so much more.
For now, Deutschland 86 has delivered with all the suspense, action and intelligence that the show has become loved for, and with the first series bringing German television onto the international stage, this series looks set to deliver.
Deutschland 86 airs every Friday at 9pm on More4; all episodes are also currently available on All 4.
Louisa Polack
Image: Sundance