“Polizeiruf 110” today from Rostock: The border between law and justice

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“Police Call 110” from Rostock
The thin line between law and justice

Scene from the Rostock “Polizeiruf”: Bukow (Charly Hübner) and Katrin König (Anneke Kim Sarnau) take Guido Wachs (Peter Trabner, M.) in a tight spot.

© NDR/Christine Schroeder / ARD

Carsten Heidböhmer

How far can the police go to enforce justice? The rerun of “Polizeiruf 110” undertakes a disturbing thought experiment.

  • 4 out of 5 points
  • This “Polizeiruf” rerun is much more than a crime thriller: It poses a fundamental question about justice – and leaves the answer open.

What’s the matter?

The Rostock “This time, the “Police Call” team is digging up a 30-year-old case. In 1988, a colleague’s daughter was raped and strangled. The main suspect, Guido Wachs (Peter Trabner), was acquitted by the court. Although the police now have solid evidence to prove his guilt, he cannot be prosecuted again. That is how the legal system works. There are only two ways to hold the perpetrator accountable: he confesses to the crime – or he is proven to have committed another crime. The inspectors Katrin König (Anneke Kim Sarnau) and Alexander Bukow (Charly Hübner) are doing everything they can to put the family man behind bars. The otherwise upright König is even prepared to go beyond the limits of what is legally required.

Why is this “Polizeiruf 110” worth it?

Many TV crime dramas have addressed the difference between law and justice, but rarely is it as poignant as in “For Janina”. Is it OK to watch a criminal get away with it unpunished – or should you do something about it? And is the rule of law something that must be followed? The authors (book: Eoin Moore and Anika Wangard) do not give a simple answer and leave the decision to the viewer.

What bothers?

“Polizeiruf 110” gets going slowly. The reopening of an old case initially creates little tension, and a lot of police routine is played out here. It is only later that the viewer understands what this film is really about.

The commissioners?

At the beginning, Alexander Bukow is sentenced to a fine of 8,400 euros for making a false statement. He made this in order to protect Katrin König. But in her moral rigor, she turned herself in and thereby betrayed her colleague. The tense atmosphere erupts in a fight between the two investigators. After that, there are moments of tender rapprochement. Relationship status: complicated.

Turn on or off?

A gripping TV crime thriller that will stay with you for a long time. Be sure to tune in!

“Polizeiruf 110: Für Janina” first aired on November 11, 2018. ARD will repeat the episode on Sunday, June 16, 2024, at 8:15 p.m.

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