Quick check
“Tatort” from Mainz
Bonnie & Clyde try a threesome – new case for Heike Makatsch
Scene from the Mainz “crime scene”: Moritz (Jan Bülow) and Sophie (Anica Happich) attack gas stations out of weariness and shoot people in the process.
© SWR / Bettina Müller / ARD
A gangster couple attacks gas stations in Mainz and kills people. The only witness is blind – and also seems to be hiding something from the police. Third assignment of Heike Makatsch as “Tatort” commissioner.
- 4 out of 5 points
- A thriller that lives less from its tension than from the atmosphere and interesting characters
What’s the matter?
The inspectors Ellen Berlinger (Heike Makatsch) and Martin Rascher (Sebastian Blomberg) are called to a gas station late in the evening: A gangster couple has carried out a robbery and shot a person in the process. For the second time within two weeks. The only witness, Rosa Münch (Henriette Nagel), is blind. The investigators believe the student is in danger and offer police protection – which she refuses. Not the only strange behavior on the part of the young woman.
Why is this “crime scene” worthwhile?
In this case, it’s not about who the perpetrators are – that becomes clear relatively soon. “Blind Date” shifts instead to the question of why a wealthy couple raids gas stations and kills people indiscriminately. And what fascination this lawless behavior exerts on other people. A question that was topical in the 70s – when a surprising number of people glorified the crimes of the RAF.
What bothers?
As exciting as the approach is to deal with the motivation of the perpetrators: the search in this “crime scene” (book: Wolfgang Stauch, director: Ute Wieland) does not go particularly deep. Ultimately, the topic offered is “neglect of prosperity” – without breaking it down.
The Commissioner?
A surprise awaits Ellen Berlinger at home: David, a former friend from Liverpool, is visiting. He is the father of their little daughter Greta and has come to take her to England with him. What the Commissioner is faced with a dichotomy: As a single mother, she can actually not do her grueling job. But she has already given away a child once – she wants to make it a second time as a mother. She tells her aloof colleague Rascher about her problem. His only reaction: “Can we?”
Turn on or off?
In her third assignment, Heike Makatsch finally seems to have arrived at the “crime scene”. Turn on.
Ellen Berlinger also found out in these cases: