The Cologne crime scene “Pyramide” is a strong case about big dreams, greed and the deep fall at the hands of an unscrupulous investment company.
A consumer protection lawyer lies dead in his office, a woman is kidnapped and a businessman has a gun held to his head in a live stream online. Cologne inspectors Ballauf (Klaus J. Behrendt) and Schenk (Dietmar Bär) are trying to find out how everything is connected.
The unscrupulous system of an investment company
The head of the investment company “Concreta” Christopher Komann wants more. Much more. And he still earns more money by letting others work for him. His salespeople are at his feet, let him motivate them and do everything they can to become just as successful as Komann himself.
For André Stamm, an expectant father, what “Concreta” promises him sounds like winning the lottery. He has dreams:
I just want a nice apartment with enough space, just enough for a decent car… not having to turn over every penny three times… just live!
Tatort from Cologne: The dream of quick money
What he doesn’t see or doesn’t want to see: the “Concreta” works with a perfidious system. Investors are being talked into extremely risky investments. Of course, they are touted as completely safe. And the customer? He ignores the risk – which is not difficult, as he deliberately keeps it secret from him.
And if the salesperson, like André Stamm, doesn’t make any sales from cold calling, then he has to earn his commission through sales to his own family members. Problem: even the commission goes to the top of the pyramid, i.e. to boss Komann.
The consumer protection lawyer actually wanted to file a lawsuit against this system, but he was then found dead in his office.
André Stamm’s wife also doesn’t believe in big, fast, easy and safe money – she warns her husband more than once. But cheered on by his supposed role models with great penthouse apartments and big cars, he risks everything. Until what has to happen happens. The bubble bursts. Everything is gone. And with that also André Stamm’s wife.
SWR3 Tatort review: Outstanding cast
This crime scene is not told strictly, but rather in retrospective episodes, which means that we often know more than the detectives, but the case remains exciting in many areas. But for me Pyramid shines above all through the casting of Rouven David Israel as André Stamm and even more so through Robin Sondermann. He plays the pompous, vain, slimy and self-absorbed Concreta boss Komann so outstandingly that even Ballauf and Schenk are sometimes speechless.
Yes, admittedly, the actual criminal case is a bit bumpy at times. Still, this is a great Cologne case for me – 5 out of 5 moose.