It is like they searched for the worst actors all over Germany and put them together into this episode of Tatort. On top of that the direction was bad too and the writing was ridiculous. It is hard to write an objective review when every aspect of this production was incompetently executed.
First of all a new inspector comes to Franconia, to Nuremberg, and the only bit of local color is a shot of Nuremberg's main station and phony Franconican accents. Hell, this new inspector is our, the audiences, eyes and ears; we should discover his new work place, his knew home, this "strange" place called Franconia through his eyes. But alas, this episode of Tatort could have been set anywhere in Germany. We get endless point of view shots from a car driving through the nightly Nuremberg. Why? We saw nothing anyway. Could have been filmed in Munich for all we know.
One review said that much of the runtime of this episode was dedicated to introducing the new characters and the new setting. Firstly, there were no characters, they were cartboard cutouts, soulless, badly written stereotypes: one inspector who cannot fire a gun, not even when she has to shoot during target practice; the comic relief boss who screams all the time; the new guy who, well is new. If those are the characters we have to live with for the next couple of years then the Francoian Tatort is doomed to failure. Secondly, there was not much time spent on introducing the "characters". We know practically nothing about the two principals, or three, if we count in the screaming boss. If one comes to a new city one has to move in, make new friends, go out eating because you haven't had time to shop. But no, nothing. The main character gets out of the train as if he wants to stay for three days, yet he is intent on staying for years.
The writing as mentioned above was ridiculous. Laughable dialogue, badly written action and scenes. The murder plot itself was okay I guess, or would have been, if the character introduction story had been strong. But it was not.
The direction: No, no, no! Maybe the director should have told his ham actors that they were not standing on a stage but that a camera was pointed straight at their faces. No need overact in every scene, worst of all the interrogation scenes and the scenes with the chief inspector. This actor obviously thought he was in a comedy.
The editing; it was unconventional the say the least. Was it bad? It was not good that I can say. There were flashbacks so clumsily intercut with the rest that every time I saw it a badly cut internet porn came to mind. And then there was the endless driving scenes at night, no dialogue, nothing to see. Why?
All in all, I am not a fan of reboots, but maybe they should reboot the Franconian Tatort, start over, discount this entry, throw it out of the canon, forget it.
