Oderbruch

Very appealing crime series from German production! For the first time, the German television station ARD is collaborating with the American television station CBS on a series production. Dark atmosphere, morbid images of the Oder between Poland and Germany, German and Polish are spoken! Director and producer Christian ALVART does a lot of things right.

The entry is awesome and can easily keep up with the current fourth season of the HBO series TRUE DETECTIVE. The main actors (Karoline SCHUCH, Felix KRAMER, Lukas GREGOROWICZ) are fine, and there is a nice surprise in episode 4!

This German series is recommended and is based on masterpieces such as THE PASS, BABYLON BERLIN, LIEBES KIND and DARK.

The production quality is great. Even with that budget. Casting is top tier. Especially different actors portraying the same character at different ages.

Felix Kramer is perfect for what he tries to be.

Not the usual protagonist you expect, tho.

I enjoy him even more here than in 'Dogs of Berlin'.

Karoline Schuch is impeccable. One of Germany's top 3 actresses working today for sure. Nothing more has to be said.

Lucas Gregorowicz is wonderful. Would have loved to see a bit more of him. Came a little short in my opinion.

The production design is awesome. Many sets, but each given a lot of love.

Julius Gause isn't my favourite here. But he does a lot for his young age, gotta respect that.

The seniors and child actors do a very solid job as well. Especially Maggie's father at '97.

Overall, I enjoyed this a LOT.

One too many twists at the end, maybe. A bit too much drag and/or the wrong focus in one middle episode. And the ending is rushed imo.

More of this.

8/10.

Rare quality show on ARD with international cast

Without spoiling where this is going: I recommend watching the whole series either in one go or split into two.

Definitely watch the first 3 or 4 episodes back-to-back, since the first episode alone is not a good representation of what the show is like on the whole.

Those of us who live in Germany know better than to expect good writing, direction and cinematography on top of okay acting.

We do have a number of extremely talented actors here, but more often than not, the production around them fails them completely.

Not the case with "Oderbruch".

It starts benignly enough with a flood situation of the river Oder near the German border to Poland, but the flood is, like many things in this wildly ambitious series, merely a metaphore.

I mentioned DARK in the title. This series has nothing to do with DARK in terms of content or plot. It's totally different in every single way except one: like a folded piece of paper, both Oderbruch and DARK unfold bit by bit. And every time a new information is added, the nature of the series is changed forever.

This makes this series not only watcheable, but rewatcheable. Even the first episode, which as I said does not represent what the show is like, gives you more the second time around.

Not only is Oderbruch twisty, different and interesting. It is also ambitious. If a second season gets made, I am sure the story will expand even further in its scope. I am very willing to sacrifice the Fernsehgarten for that, even though the bosses at ARD would disagree with me.

Truly a standout series, a rarity in German television. The way it grabs your attention and refuses to let go is remarkable. Christian Alvart has long been known for his expertise in creating suspense, but what he and his team have achieved here goes beyond expectations. The tension is perfectly balanced and sustained throughout, making every scene compelling. The show's mix of crime and mystery is executed with such finesse that it's no surprise it received international recognition, even winning the Best Fiction Series Award at the South International Series Festival in Cádiz. Its popularity is undeniable, with nearly 7 million views on ARD Mediathek within just ten days of its release. "Oderbruch" is a prime example of how German productions can deliver world-class storytelling and unforgettable moments. It's a rare gem that raises the bar for what German television can achieve.

A series that isn't great in every aspect, but it's great that it's now possible in Germany to realize such a series with ARD. Of course, there's also something like Dark, and that's great too, but as a Netflix production, it's still something different and not comparable. Oderbruch is a very good, exciting mystery series that is best approached without any prior knowledge and given a chance, even if there may initially be aspects that seem poorly executed at first glance. Just wait and enjoy; it's definitely worth it. I'm a bit worried about the second season, tho, since the major twist is already known.