Mephisto Waltz Part 1

Max has made a success of his time in The USA, and successfully launched a book, back in Austria however, Oskar has messed up on a case, he turns to Max for help in identifying the identity of Mephisto, a powerful criminal, who sells state secrets.

Great to have Max and Oskar back, I'm glad they've decided to carry on with it, although this is definitely a stripped back run, with just two episodes.

Entertaining, fun and somewhat camp, perhaps not the same quality as the previous series, but still a fine start.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't find it a little far fetched, but then the show has always been a little wild, the casino scenes for example, way over the top.

Some exquisite location work once again, it's a decadent production, it looks terrific. Sets and costumes once again, terrific. All we needed was Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford singing Phantom of The Opera.

7.5/10.

This is not just about this episode, but the entire 4th Season, which is, essentially, one long episode due to an overriding story arc. So, why did I title this "Whodunnit?" Because it can't possibly be the same folks who brought us the marvelous, engaging, wry-witted, and clever first three seasons. Visually, this season, like all of the others, is just stunning. Filmed using glorious architecture, inside and out, plus earthy, believable sets for the, shall we say, less upscale parts of town. But my god, the plot. Obvious clues in early parts of the season that clumsily reveal the guilty parties before things have even gotten started. Long stretches of time with certain characters in seemingly endless peril. And, without giving anything away, there are big chunks of storyline that aren't really happening. The acting is weary and mannered, and the dialogue banal and predictable. I LOVE the first three seasons, so my disappointment at Season 4 is profound. This is not the first TV series to endear themselves to an audience, and then pull the rug out from under them by drastically altering the ethos of the show, but it's one I simply didn't expect it of. If this is what "Vienna Blood" has become, because of its handlers, there's no point in looking forward to a fifth season.