Inspector Borowski

I enjoyed the first series of this detective drama very much.

It is very watchable and pretty consistent.

There were 3 of the 11 episodes which were either a bit too macabre or had disturbing subject matter, but there were also some really good stories.

I particular liked the ones where we know from the start who the perpetrator is and the story unfolds from both theirs and the investigation angle. Episode 3 was very good.

Axel Milberg (Borowski) is very likeable from the outset. Nothing flashy or heroic, just intelligent investigation. He is joined from episode 3 by Sibel Kekilli (Sarah Brandt), who acts acts a nice foil for Borowski's methodical pragmatic approach to police work.

Unlike most other contemporary dramas of this type, there are no subplots. No personnel relationships, et al, the stories just focus on each investigation.

Some of the plots are quite intricate and a bit confusing watching with German subtitles.

Also, there are a number of issues which never get explained. Maybe this is intentional.

There are also some good performances from support characters in the various episodes.

I really enjoyed the 11 episodes of this series 1 and the 6 episodes of series 2. Borowski is a great character, played very well and his supporting cast is also exceptional. Borowski is someone who has the mind and desires of a criminal and uses this to solve murders, all of which are very different. The darknet episode in season 2 was my favourite. It has its gory moments and is quite dark in episodes but thoroughly entertaining. One of those series I wished I could have watched more of once it had ended. Found the series on more4, Walter presents, glad I did.

This Series here is somewhat extracted from the whole Tatort, making it more compact, but it is still "old-fashioned" approach not too prevailed in the last decade. There are lots of static scenes and minimal depiction of the private life of the detectives, but the rather big area of Schleswig-Holstein, incl. Kiel with its large port, enables to create plausible and various criminal cases (vis-a-vis macabre stories happening in a small village). Alex Milberg is reliable and respectable, Sibel Kekilli is a different type, with their partnership creating both interesting and cliche moments - well, apparently difficult to avoid.

True, most viewers are not accustomed to watch 1,5 hour episodes any more and they have emanated from 1 case = 1 episode, but if you know what to expect you will get pleasantly directed and produced episodes.

I very much enjoyed series 1 and much of series 2, there was plenty of detective work and because of the length of each episode, there was a proper beginning; middle and end, with plenty of humour.

Series 3 began with a new side kick for Borowski and the episodes became painfully slow to watch. Like watching paint dry. Characters became deep and dark, and even the humour between Borowski and his boss in the earlier series had all but gone.

I had to look up where Kiel was, so it was interesting to get a photographic view of the area.

The principal actors gave good performances and overall was a good drama to watch, but I'm gad Series 3 only ran to 6 episodes - that was enough.