Where's Wanda?

Review of Where's Wanda?

After reading a favorable review of "Where's Wanda? In the NYT, I decided to check out this series. I'm a struggling language student looking for a respite from the drudgery of studying basic German. "Where's Wanda?" turned out to be perfect. The series, about the bumbling efforts of the suburban Klatt family to find their kidnapped daughter is funny and engaging.

Although the dialog is very simple, it is still way above my A2 German level. Dual language subtitles aren't available on Apple TV (as they are for Netflix), so there are many steps I must take to slow down the playback, capture screenshots and translate the dialog. I wouldn't go to this effort for most of the German language series appropriate for my level.

Even if you aren't a language student, this sweet, goofy dramedy is a gem. The cast of characters includes Carlotta and Dedo, the endearingly inept parents; Ole, their über-capable and nerdy deaf son; and of course, Wanda, their eye-rolling, smart-mouthed daughter. And what's not to love about a town that holds an annual festival in honor of its very own mythical evil hairy monster, the Nuppelwochen?

Many scenes are improbably silly: After Dedo detaches a (presumably) venomous snake from Carlotta's leg, he is told he cannot not let it go-the snake must go along to the ER for proper identification. As the couple drives to the hospital, an arm hangs out of the car window, grasping a brightly colored serpent. The Klatts come up with one hopelessly misguided scheme after another...but their hearts are in the right place, so we hope for the best for them.

Look, we're only 3 episodes into this series, so nobody can really rate it fairly except on those three episodes.

After the first episode, I would have rated it a 5/10. After the second episode, I would have given it a 7/10, and after the third episode, I'm sticking with 7/10.

The first episode was a little goofy and just so wholesome as to be boringly corny. Add the German language and culture (which is the primary reason I'm watching this series, for language learning), and it seemed like they didn't know what they were doing. Just another poorly written German series when they're honestly capable of so much more.

BUT, after the second episode, with a decent cliffhanger-like ending that makes you question what you think you know from the first episode, you think OK, I gotta see the next episode to see what happens. Of course, that was last week and the third episode just came out a day or two ago.

So, after the third episode, you get another little morsel of potential plot twisting that teases the idea that you, the viewer, don't have the whole picture here in this story. There seems to be something completely off going on here. Like maybe I'm being played with, as the viewer. Almost, maybe, topsy-turvy.

Yeah, I'd go as far as to give it an 8/10 at this point, but not until I see some proof of what I'm seeing, proof that there may be some really ingenious writing here, not just people who seem clever, but are actually bad writers trying to be clever.

It's definitely worth hanging onto this series through the end of the season to see what happens. Take the season as a whole before deciding if this is good or not.

Although it had a weird and for my taste slow start, the show got better, deeper and more intriguing along the way. I liked the combination of dark humor and an unfolding mystery that at times is best described as a tragedy. However, the beautifully written and portrait characters give it an uplifting vibe which is gripping. I felt touched and connected with Wanda's Family at any point along the way despite the many questionable actions that were taken. After the first two episodes I didn't really want to like it and then I ended up binge watching it, writing this review with a big smile on my face.

Im a native german speaker, being able to watch it in its original language is a big plus. I can safely say the acting is outstanding. Especially the two leads, carlotta and dedo. Apart from them there are many outstanding performances as well. I accidentally watched a scene in english once and the dubbing couldnt quite grasp the original tone of the show. Its german in the best way possible, i cant put it any differently. The humor to me is perfection. The plot is gripping and kept me entertained throughout. With 5 episodes out and three to come i doubt theres anything that could happen that'd make me dislike this show. Its quickly become one of my favourite shows. I love the cinematography and i adore the intro. I showed it to my girlfriend and sister and they were both instantly obsessed with it too. I love that AppleTv+ doesnt shy away from actually spending money on their shows. Netflix has been disappointing me in that department. They'd rather produce 10 seasons of mediocre shows and give them a small starting budget, then cancel all except one or two who do really well. AppleTv+ has a higher budget for their shows and the cinematography really stands out to me again and again (eg in Acapulco and The Big Door Prize). I hope that it'll be renewed or at the very least a wrapped up story. I'm excited to see whats to come.

Honestly, this is a great programme; if you're on the fence due to the low rating, don't let that deter you & just give it a go.

I personally find the programme engaging, funny & different to what is usually churned out from the Brits & Americans - yes, you may have to read the subtitles but after a while, you don't even realise you're doing it!

I'm a huge fan of Nordic TV series' such as Trapped, so that helps and I'd say that this is 'up there' with the best of them.

I would definitely recommend watching Where's Wanda for a new, fresh and funny series that keeps me wanting more. Genuinely don't understand the low ratings!