Where's Wanda?

Although it had a weird and for my taste slow start, the show got better, deeper and more intriguing along the way. I liked the combination of dark humor and an unfolding mystery that at times is best described as a tragedy. However, the beautifully written and portrait characters give it an uplifting vibe which is gripping. I felt touched and connected with Wanda's Family at any point along the way despite the many questionable actions that were taken. After the first two episodes I didn't really want to like it and then I ended up binge watching it, writing this review with a big smile on my face.

Im a native german speaker, being able to watch it in its original language is a big plus. I can safely say the acting is outstanding. Especially the two leads, carlotta and dedo. Apart from them there are many outstanding performances as well. I accidentally watched a scene in english once and the dubbing couldnt quite grasp the original tone of the show. Its german in the best way possible, i cant put it any differently. The humor to me is perfection. The plot is gripping and kept me entertained throughout. With 5 episodes out and three to come i doubt theres anything that could happen that'd make me dislike this show. Its quickly become one of my favourite shows. I love the cinematography and i adore the intro. I showed it to my girlfriend and sister and they were both instantly obsessed with it too. I love that AppleTv+ doesnt shy away from actually spending money on their shows. Netflix has been disappointing me in that department. They'd rather produce 10 seasons of mediocre shows and give them a small starting budget, then cancel all except one or two who do really well. AppleTv+ has a higher budget for their shows and the cinematography really stands out to me again and again (eg in Acapulco and The Big Door Prize). I hope that it'll be renewed or at the very least a wrapped up story. I'm excited to see whats to come.

Where's Wanda? Is an 8 episode dark comedy series which sees Parent's Dedo and Carlotta take matters into their own hands to search for their missing 17 year old daughter, Wanda. After bugging most of their small town they get much more than they bargained for. Each episode is like a new chapter in a book, focusing on a new family which sheds light on the town, the individuals or Wanda. It's a fun box of mysteries. We often jump between the day Wanda went missing and the present day with new information filling in blanks and helping us to see situations from different vantage points.

The show is self-aware and check ins with several themes including relationships, sexuality, loss, friendships, loneliness and comes with several pop culture references not to mention some enjoyable narration from Wanda herself. Where's Wanda? Is carried by its fun nature and many quirky characters including Carlotta who is the strong head of the family, Dedo who is the happy go lucky husband and Ms Rauch who grounds the show as a no nonsense detective.

Ep7 compares an interesting criminal case to a good novel where you need a strong story, loads of characters and interconnected plots that are brought together in a satisfactory manner. For the most part, Where's Wanda? Manages to bring its plot together. Whilst there are a couple of questionable script choices and a few leaps in believability overall Where's Wanda? Is an easy to watch, fun, enjoyable and gripping comedic mystery that ticks many boxes.

After watching the show, and only learning towards the start of the first episode that it was in German I must say that the acting was so compelling I almost didn't need to use the subtitles. It's a quirky comedy with a complex dynamic of family emotions in a very trying time After the first two episodes. I'm excited to see more.

Wanda's mother or the actress who plays her is what steals the show. There were a few scenes in the first episode where I was completely captivated by the actresses ability to convey those complex emotions I mentioned earlier, the only downside of the show and reading subtitles while watching it is that you can find yourself missing out on incredible color pallets and visually interesting camera work trying to decipher a sentence during an important plot point.

I guess the overall score is not representative for this fantastic, heartfelt dark comedy, you literally can't dub German humor. It's like with Korean shows such as Squid Game, you watch it in the original language with subtitles or you don't watch it at all. Axel Stein is in the business since he is a little boy, he was always sarcastic, the reason why he is still in business is because he is somewhat unique with the way he uses his voice, this will get lost in translation no matter how good the actor on the other side of the microphone is. It's a cute comedy series, with a heartfelt topic, where two average people are crossing lines into a world they never thought they would cross in order to find their missing daughter. Give it a chance, it's quite funny.