Babylon Berlin season 2

Having enjoyed the first season of Germany's most expensive production for the small screen, Babylon Berlin, I was keen to see where the 1920s/30s noir would go next. The first season was a visually stunning journey into the underbelly of Berlin as WW1 veteran Inspector Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch) is sent from Cologne to undercover an extortion ring with the help of young police clerk, Charlotte Ritter (Liv Lisa Fries). The show had that level of quality where it never wasted an episode with its efficient directing and sharp writing while supported by a terrific cast but how would season two compare?

With part of Gereon's mission complete with the burning of sensitive film material, he's still faced with the complex issue surrounding the train containing poisonous gas that entered the city last season and the supposed Russian gold contained within. Meanwhile the communist protests are up in arms following the street riots and the foreboding mystery surrounding Operation Prangertag, which could threaten the Treaty of Versailles, still looms large.

It had been a while since I finished season one and going into this brought some confusion in partly due to the brief season recap but it wasn't long before I found myself back in the show. The story begins with the discovery of a mass grave of bodies belonging to the Red Fortress which Gereon is assigned to while a rift starts to form between him and his partner, Bruno. Just as the first season managed to do last time around, the second offers much of the same, while gradually raising the stakes, but was just as engaging and offered a few surprises along the way. My only gripe would be in the somewhat over-the-top climax which never quite gelled with the more grounded aspects of the rest of the season, but it still can't detract from the overall entertaining experience.

Now with season three having released earlier this year, anyone who enjoyed season one should surely check this out as there's plenty to enjoy within the eight episodes found here. 'Enjoy' is still an odd word to use though as Babylon Berlin draws ever closer to what would become the rise of Nazi Germany and I sense we'll see more of this in season three as the show becomes more of a tragedy. There are dark times ahead for its characters and the growing sense of dread makes Babylon Berlin a compelling show to watch, making it a strongly recommended.