My tv channel broadcasting this series started advertising with trailers at least six weeks before the screening of Episode 1. On the look-out for entertaining and well-made tv series I told everyone to look out for "Shadowplay" because it seemed like the next 'big thing'.
Because the storyline dealt with the very early post-war Berlin, a subject not greatly explored in general cinema and tv, I very much looked forward to watching this series. But unlike many critics here, after 4 episodes, I'm greatly disappointed. So much so that even small details are annoying. So the two brothers make a pledge in the late 1920 to 'watch each other's back' an expression first used in print in a 1974 novel by John Le Carre. On the same occasion a very young Max uses the 'f' expletive and the character is the only in the series to continually repeat same when we meet him as an American policeman in 1946. What's the point? Realistically was this word's usage all the vogue at that time? It doesn't seem in character with the adult Max and is utterly annoying.
Enough has been said on the caricature of the Russians as thoroughly evil. It also beggars belief that a lone US cop would be sent to Germany to organise a policeforce but not be given any of the materials needed to get such a project off the ground. And it seems a bit of lazy scriptwriting that so far the main emphasis seems to be on Max finding his brother Moritz.
Things may improve but I may need to soon ring those to whom I so avidly recommended this series and apologise.
Things may improve but I may need to soon ring those to whom I so avidly recommended this series and apologise.