Berlin Station

/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.

After 9 episodes, I'm anxious for the final episode and hoping this isn't a single season series. The writing is excellent and leaves me thinking about the questions that linger between episodes. I love the fact that the writers are totally faking me out time and again. Nothing predictable here.

The cast has been giving an all-out performance. The character Hector is a very convincing "dark" character. Very believable and probably the best performance of the entire cast.

The first episode lays the ground work leaving some questions not being answered until the last episode. Character development is top notch.

While this may be seen as a somewhat anti-American in the way that it vilifies the CIA, it's a great story line.

Very impressive production.

Excellent show but it is on the slower side. It's not perfect, there are a lot of cliches and some poorly written characters but it's still a great watch. As the series progresses it gets more intricate and the characters improve.

They don't really delve into politics but they do clearly have a bias. It's not an issue in the show, you can just ignore it for the most part. Some of the story's are painfully cliche but the stories usually become so complex that they become more interesting.

Berlin Station is a very John Le Carre type of spy story, but centered around the American CIA rather than the Brits. The story has requisite twists and turns, a complex plot centered around the War on Terror and a Julian Assange style leaker who wrecks havoc with the American spy agency and it's relationship with it's counterparts from other countries.

There are a number of good performances in this show. The European setting gives the show a different feel from most American TV fare, and that in itself is very effective in making the show unique. Even Homeland, which is similar in setting, seems very American, where this show just looks and feels different. The weakest part of the show may be the somewhat contrived and clichéd nature of one or two of the backstories that are supposed to add depth to the characters. Oh..she's in an interracial relationship, and he's having an affair with his secretary, and he's disgruntled and uses hookers because his kid back in the USA is disgruntled...etc. Some of that is too 1,2,3 check off the box plot devices that just aren't adding anything to the story.

The main spy story weaves its way through enough twists and turns to keep one interested, like a Le Carre spy novel, the angst and motivations of the main characters, and their regrets at past mistakes gives them the beat-down feeling of Smiley. There is no James Bond or Jason Bourne here, just people doing routine spy work and trying to cope with moral ramifications and amoral counterparts.

Superficially anti-CIA, I think the story is more about moral relativism, and the evil that men do. There are more bad-guys than good guys in this one.

If you like a complex plot executed well by talented actors, then you will enjoy this show.

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...