“Tatort” repeat today from Dortmund: When Faber shows emotions

“Tatort” repeat from Dortmund
When Faber suddenly shows emotions – emotional chaos in the area

The ARD repeats a Dortmund “crime scene” from 2021. After the murder of a police colleague, the commissioners are investigating within their own ranks. The case requires a deep analysis of interpersonal relationships.

What’s the matter?

Police chief Nicolas Schlüter (Daniel Kötter) is hit by a car during his morning jog and fatally injured. The car was registered to Schlüter, so the 28-year-old was not a random victim. The Dortmund investigators Faber, Bönisch, Pawlak and Herzog initially don’t have the slightest trace. Schlüter was valued by his colleagues and his superior Kathrin Steinmann (Anne Ratte-Polle). He seemed to have a happy marriage with his wife Simone, and the two were expecting their first child. The further the detectives progress with their investigation, the more the intact facade begins to crumble.

Why is “Crime Scene: Masks” worth it?

The film (screenplay: Arnd Mayer and Claudia Matschulla) succeeds in what is often neglected in other crime films: an intensive examination of the characters and their history. At the beginning, all the protagonists still wear the “masks” that give them the title and do not want to reveal anything about themselves or show any emotions. This changes in the course of the investigation. A wide variety of emotions are presented: disappointment and anger, jealousy and passion, humiliation and shame. “It was important to me to stage the characters in a psychologically coherent way and to portray their emotions in a believable way,” says director Ayşe Polat, for whom it is the first “crime scene.” This project was successful.

What bothers?

The “crime scene” focuses primarily on interpersonal relationships and approaches the motive for the murder on a psychological level. Anyone expecting gripping suspense or fast-paced action might be disappointed. Unfortunately, the story falls flat at the end: after 60 minutes it is very clear which direction it is going.

The commissioners?

It is the second case for Stefanie Reinsperger as Chief Inspector Rosa Herzog, but like her colleague Jan Pawlak (Rick Okon), she remains in the background. As in many Dortmund cases, the focus is on the investigators Peter Faber (Jörg Hartmann) and Martina Bönisch (Anna Schudt). Their private relationship never seems to be completely clarified: While Faber secretly has a crush on Bönisch, she continues her flirtation with KTU employee Sebastian Haller (Tilmann Strauß). Faber shows completely new sides in the film: the otherwise grumpy inspector suddenly discovers his emotions and can even be seen in a love scene.

Turn on or off?

Commissioner Peter Faber in the throes of love – that alone makes it worth tuning in (again).

The “Tatort” episode “Masks” was first broadcast on November 28, 2021. ARD will repeat the case on Friday, November 3, 2023, at 10:20 p.m.