Streaming series review - Babylon Berlin: Season 4

Babylon Berlin: Season 4 ***1/2 (out of 5) The most expensive series in the history of German television continues taking us through 1930s Germany, including all its glory juxtaposed with the foreboding of horrors to come. Production quality of the first three seasons is not only maintained, but expanded in a number of impressive scenes. Below is the link to last month's review of the earlier years, bringing you up to speed:

https://patch.com/missouri/clayton-richmondheights/streaming-series-review-babylon-berlin-seasons-2-3

Much of the cast returns, with primary focus remaining on Rath and Charlotte, imposing more dramatic ups and downs on them than before. The action starts on 1930s’ New Years Eve and runs through much of 1931. The Nazi honchos are dripping with even more evil - some via political manipulations; others, including many of the cops, acting as thugs protected against repercussions; and one doctor whose zealotry and cruel experiments evoke the infamous Dr. Mengele.

A big part of the 12-episode season centers on power struggles within the Nazi factions that have a basis in history, though the series is fictional. The SS started as a middle- and upper-class organization loyal to Hitler and playing the long game, mostly scheming to undermine the system behind the scenes. The SA was the working-class alternative, driven by lack of jobs and post-crash poverty. They preferred dramatic displays of violence, hoping to delegitimize the government faster than the SS approach.

Once again, bingeing is advisable, since the number of featured characters and plot threads is growing. Charlotte’s sister Toni (Irene Bohm) becomes a major pain in the ass. Among the newcomers, Hanno Koffler’s Walther Stennnes flaunts his rage and brutality as the head of the SA. Mark Ivanir’s Abe Gold – a mysterious New Yorker returning to Germany to recover a priceless gem that was stolen from his family by whatever means necessary – brings a different dimension to the series with an excellent low-key determination. Production values remain first-rate, with a few scenes – notably a dance marathon, cabaret performances and several action sequences greatly transcending what one expects from small-screen presentations. The use of expanding iris shots after the opening credits further links the series to its era, when that visual device was popular.

The growing overt antisemitism and entrenching of Nazi ideology and advocates that reflect the history we know may be more upsetting than some would wish to experience. With the global rise of various fascist and nationalistic movements, once more stirring bigotries as a path to power, this may be more unnerving that it would have felt a decade ago. The season ends with resolution of many threads, but caps with an ominous development setting the table for a fifth season. If you’ve stuck with the first four, you’ll hope for it.

(Babylon Berlin: Season 4, mostly in German with subtitles, streams on MHzChoice as of 6/25/24.)