Richard Brock

I am trying to get into this, to overcome the so far unpleasant female police detective. The 5 rating given here by one reviewer expressed. Some of what I feel. I chose it for the 8 IMBD rating but there were only 3 reviews so it may be deceptive.

Beautifully done...in everything. Strange that some rated this show low and complained that it IS SLOW...not sure what they expect, Star War movies or something?

This is a slow and heavy going series at times but it will eventually get to the point at the end. The main character is a grim looking man who walks around in a long dark coat, looking a bit like an unemployed vampire. The plots take a long time to get to the point, and seem to draw heavily on angst ridden people whose lives are really quite messed up. The supporting characters like the innkeeper and housekeeper play roles that seem to have no real bearing on the story and one can only wonder what their actual role in the series might be. The camera technique focuses a lot on extreme close ups of eyes, ears, and mouths, and with what appears to be a minimal use of makeup, the results can be quite disastrous at times as every skin blemish is exposed. My guess is that this is made for a very specific market, and therefore would not be a huge success globally.

First, there's the lead, Heino Ferch: tremendous presence and excellent actor. (If you happened to see Downfall, he played Albert Speer.) Plenty of great supporting actors. Secondly, thoughtful and intense stories, in my opinion; he is a tortured but arrogant psychologist, not a detective. It is deadly serious so if you prefer wise-cracking, quirky detectives and happy endings, seek elsewhere. Set in Austria with gorgeous backdrops despite its admittedly downbeat tone.

I am a big fan of all things European/detective orientated, tops for me: "The Bridge", "Spiral", "Beck", "Wallander", "tatort", "The Fall" etc. I also spent a lot of time in Europe the last 25 years in the cities they are set in. As one other reviewer commented, I love first of all seeing all of these amazing places in time capsulated form in these dramas. I also love the patience in thematic and character development. All of these shows have amazing ensembles, high level acting, directing, cinematography, etc.

Now to "Spuren", I find Heino Ferch to be brilliant in the character, which seems to be one of little humor. The plots are a bit slower than some in development, but if you are looking for something to take you out of your familiar routine and at the same time revisit or visit Wien in all of it's beautiful and funky glory this series may suit you well.