To be honest, MHz Choice kept me sane during the pandemic. This superior streaming service has riveting TV series from around the globe- mystery series from Denmark, thrillers from Germany, procedurals from Sweden, first-rate dramas from Italy. I found myself discovering new series to drown myself in, each time rewarded with great casts, unexpected plot lines, and often unbearable suspense. Here are some of my recent favorites.
Tatort: Streets of Berlin. In Germany, the long-running Tatort franchise has been a staple like the Law & Order franchise in the States. They have different detectives for different cities of Germany, but the newest on MHz- “Streets of Berlin,” is one of the best. It stars an electrifying Meret Becker as Nina Rubin, a lead detective, married with two children, who likes sneaking out and carousing at night to let off steam. She is assigned a prickly detective with a checkered past- Robert Karow (played by the frightening handsome Mark Waschke), formally working with the drug squad with a cloud hanging over him concerning the unsolved murder of his former partner. The first few episodes deal with his past and his exoneration but also reveal his complicated persona. Brash, headstrong, difficult with co-workers- his infuriating dismissal of the hard-working, terrific intern Anna (Carolyn Genzkow) makes you want to punch him. But his rather fluid sexuality, bedding men and women alike make him a fascinating, unique figure for a show like this. And it doesn’t hurt that they offer plenty of shots of Mark Waschke naked too. In the series, the two partners deal with drug mules, a suspicious gay murder, the death of a female cop during a seemingly innocuous disturbance of the peace complaint, and the severed finger of an underage prostitute arriving in the mail. Perhaps the finest episode is “Meta” which takes place around the Berlin film festival which becomes a movie within a movie within a movie with dizzying brilliance.
Captain Maria. This four-part mini-series from Italy is just sensational. It stars Vanessa Incontrado, as Maria Guerra, a widowed police captain with a wild-child teenage daughter Luce (Beatrice Granno) and a sweet, soccer-loving younger son. Maria moves the family back to her home town of Puglia, an incredibly beautiful seaport city, hoping to tame Luce, but is forced to confront her past in surprising, rather shocking ways. Her first day on the job she uncovers a bomb plot in the school where her kids are in, and it all sets the stage for a frightening war between a Mafiosa kingpin in prison and a red-haired computer hacker named Annagreca (Camilla Diana) and her pose of lost children who gather at a secret communal enclave nicknamed “Neverland.” Incredibly suspenseful, this had me on the edge of my seat.
The Undertaker. This Swiss mystery series stars the wonderful Mike Muller as Luc Conrad, who leaves his detective job to manage his family’s undertaking business after the death of his father. He hires an unlikely candidate for an assistant – Fabio (Reto Stalder), a goth-like kid in outlandish garb who shows up asking to work, and he turns out to be invaluable. Fabio eventually becomes a partner in the undertaking business. But Luc is forever being drawn into mysterious deaths and assists the police with the investigation- especially to be near his love-interest, the beautiful detective Anna-Maria (Barbara Terpoorten). This has been on for several seasons- one particularly memorable one concerned a wily killer who targets Luc Conrad and all the people he loves- even burying poor Fabio in a coffin in some undisclosed location while Luc frantically races to save his life. The latest season was about a guru-like shrink who uses dangerous hallucinogenic drugs on his patients. Starting this week is the beginning of the final season of the series and I am already heartsick to see it end- I’ve gotten so fond of the big bear-like Luc and the offbeat Fabio. It’s just a great show.
Alexandra Ehle. This series from France just started and I look forward every Tuesday to a new episode. It stars the charming Julie Depardieu (daughter of Gerard) as Alexandra Ehle, the quirky coroner at the Bordeaux Forensic Institute. For Alexandra, the autopsy is only the beginning. She is like a dog with a bone, unable to let things go until she solves the mystery of the death. She goes out and interviews family members of the victims and sticks herself into the investigation much to the dismay of her cop brother. An eager, sweet faced young man comes to work under her, who is warned from the start about her eccentric methods, but he only finds her fascinating as she is maddening. Julie Depardieu has a lovely quality on screen with her beguiling smile and crackpot ways- she is a joy to watch. The mysteries so far have been great fun.
Agent Hamilton. One of the recent series also had me riveted from week to week- a great Swedish spy thriller with the wildly charismatic Jakob Oftebro as Carl Hamilton, the moody secret agent and former Navy SEAL who once worked for the CIA in the United States. Carl is now assigned to the Swedish Secret Service to uncover who is responsible for several terrorist bomb blasts in Stockholm and a series of deadly cyberattacks. The more he finds out, the more his life is put in danger and he becomes a target, even from his own agency. Believe me, the phrase “trust no one” applies big time here. This nail-biting 10-episode series will drive you crazy it’s so good. And the great news is that there will be a second season. I cannot wait.
MHzChoice sounds like a new drug and it makes me want to get something more than Limited Basic on my ancient tv.
The Undertaker is right up my alley.