Berlin Station

Season 1 is worth an 8 rating, with suspense, unpredictability and interesting characters. Season 2 is somewhat interesting if weak overall, but it all falls apart in Season 3, where a weak main story line is supplemented with some utterly useless side-stories. The whole Diver plot is of no relevance and the 'twist' ending is utterly underwhelming. the April Lewis love affair only detracted from the overall story, and one gets the feeling that her inclusion in the overall plot is just political correctness.

Its an excellent new series. Its still to be aired and we are seeing some judgmental reviews already. The series need time and story needs to be understood in it's context. Some have criticized the story for being about hunting down whistle blowers. Well the story just began. It shows, how much spy agencies are on the verge of collapsing their personal identity all the time. It also reveals how people with potential sources can be a threat to the worlds biggest spy agency. At the same, it highlights personal lives, tedious inside jobs and also the rogues within the various agencies. It also shows how German spy agency and the CIA work together in the marriage of inconvenience.

I must say its a thriller with a very strong cast and must be seen without any prejudice. Spy agencies are controversial around the world and this series makes every thing more intriguing. Its not even aired but quality music, great camera work and outstanding cast should make it one of the successful new series. I highly recommend it to people with taste in spy movies.

/refers to Season 1/

This decade has produced a number of spy series dealing with the post Cold War period, mostly from UK or US, with new technology elements both facilitating and complicating intelligence activities in the foreign soil. Unlike in most series, in Berlin Station, we saw troubles and rivalry between the agencies of otherwise friendly NATO allies - US and Germany - with disclosure of state secrets in the background. Although the run of events is uneven and the guilty parties and their motives are revealed too soon, there is enough thrill, some unexpected turns, and logical development of characters operating in a nice metropolis called Berlin (as I spent there almost a week a couple of years ago, I had a lot of joy of recognition).

As for performances, they were good at least, with several pleasant US/UK character actors, e.g. Richard Jenkins, Leland Orser, or Rhys Ivans; well, the latter's "exterior" has become very similar to that of Peter Stormare :) As often in espionage productions, male characters/performers are more interesting here as well.

I had my doubts where to rate the series with 8 or 7 points - and yet, 7 as the ending was trivial plus I have been "spoilt" by more intriguing and sophisticated series, e.g The Americans. But still, I am eager to watch Season 2 when it comes to light.

Have you seen recent Homeland episodes? How about Blacklist? They have been renewed even though the female protagonist of the former has run her course and episodes are now predictable, and The Blacklist's female protagonist quickly gets on your nerves with her daddy issues and sappy Tom Keen/baby scenes. Just read the reviews. But Berlin Station has Richard Armitage, Michele Forbes, Rhys Ifans, Leland Order, Richard Jenkins, and Ashley Judd. All, save, Judd are excellent, especially Rhys Ifans who plays a convincing tortured bad boy. Sure, the language is at times crude, but that's the way it is for some characters. And there are a few sex scenes, but hardly any and always in context. It's the viewers responsibility to read the content before watching rather than whining about 'offensive' words or scenes. Are the sets and locations perfect? No, but they don't have a GOT budget, yet they still do a convincing job nonetheless. This is intelligent character-based CIA action that takes place outside the US. Great group of actors, good writing and like Homeland, has a socio-political undercurrent. Riveting watching...

EPIX has not renewed Berlin Station. The series is left unresolved. The fan base deserves better. An abbreviated fourth season, at the very least, is necessary to give closure to an outstanding spy series.