I was surprised not to have seen this on any premium channels or PBS Amazon, but it's worth the commercials.
None of these characters is a stereotype, other than perhaps the SS character; other than him, people are nuanced, and the actors play them as such. I actually felt some empathy for some of the Germans, who, like any occupying force, are presented with uncomfortable choices and try to do their jobs professionally, without brutality. As time goes on, you can see how some collaboration would happen, and where both sides draw the line. This is the most fascinating part of the story for me.
There is a sense of claustrophobia with everyone, including the Germans, being crowded together and isolated from much of what's going on elsewhere. And almost nothing happens as you expect if you've watched a lot of WWII dramas, so you are drawn into this tiny world too right from the start. No matter how fair or honest the occupiers may try to be, it is ALWAYS a struggle for control and the power to take or save any life is in the hands of a few soldiers who would often rather not be there. Learning the motivations of different Germans as they exercise that power was fascinating, so was seeing how manipulation was balanced against brute force to get what people wanted.
I felt like there were some stories that stopped too abruptly and that a third season was planned, or should have been. But then, maybe that is what happens in war.
None of these characters is a stereotype, other than perhaps the SS character; other than him, people are nuanced, and the actors play them as such. I actually felt some empathy for some of the Germans, who, like any occupying force, are presented with uncomfortable choices and try to do their jobs professionally, without brutality. As time goes on, you can see how some collaboration would happen, and where both sides draw the line. This is the most fascinating part of the story for me.
There is a sense of claustrophobia with everyone, including the Germans, being crowded together and isolated from much of what's going on elsewhere. And almost nothing happens as you expect if you've watched a lot of WWII dramas, so you are drawn into this tiny world too right from the start. No matter how fair or honest the occupiers may try to be, it is ALWAYS a struggle for control and the power to take or save any life is in the hands of a few soldiers who would often rather not be there. Learning the motivations of different Germans as they exercise that power was fascinating, so was seeing how manipulation was balanced against brute force to get what people wanted.
I felt like there were some stories that stopped too abruptly and that a third season was planned, or should have been. But then, maybe that is what happens in war.