User reviews

Review of Where's Wanda?

After reading a favorable review of "Where's Wanda? In the NYT, I decided to check out this series. I'm a struggling language student looking for a respite from the drudgery of studying basic German. "Where's Wanda?" turned out to be perfect. The series, about the bumbling efforts of the suburban Klatt family to find their kidnapped daughter is funny and engaging.

Although the dialog is very simple, it is still way above my A2 German level. Dual language subtitles aren't available on Apple TV (as they are for Netflix), so there are many steps I must take to slow down the playback, capture screenshots and translate the dialog. I wouldn't go to this effort for most of the German language series appropriate for my level.

Even if you aren't a language student, this sweet, goofy dramedy is a gem. The cast of characters includes Carlotta and Dedo, the endearingly inept parents; Ole, their über-capable and nerdy deaf son; and of course, Wanda, their eye-rolling, smart-mouthed daughter. And what's not to love about a town that holds an annual festival in honor of its very own mythical evil hairy monster, the Nuppelwochen?

Many scenes are improbably silly: After Dedo detaches a (presumably) venomous snake from Carlotta's leg, he is told he cannot not let it go-the snake must go along to the ER for proper identification. As the couple drives to the hospital, an arm hangs out of the car window, grasping a brightly colored serpent. The Klatts come up with one hopelessly misguided scheme after another...but their hearts are in the right place, so we hope for the best for them.

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.

Look, we're only 3 episodes into this series, so nobody can really rate it fairly except on those three episodes.

After the first episode, I would have rated it a 5/10. After the second episode, I would have given it a 7/10, and after the third episode, I'm sticking with 7/10.

The first episode was a little goofy and just so wholesome as to be boringly corny. Add the German language and culture (which is the primary reason I'm watching this series, for language learning), and it seemed like they didn't know what they were doing. Just another poorly written German series when they're honestly capable of so much more.

BUT, after the second episode, with a decent cliffhanger-like ending that makes you question what you think you know from the first episode, you think OK, I gotta see the next episode to see what happens. Of course, that was last week and the third episode just came out a day or two ago.

So, after the third episode, you get another little morsel of potential plot twisting that teases the idea that you, the viewer, don't have the whole picture here in this story. There seems to be something completely off going on here. Like maybe I'm being played with, as the viewer. Almost, maybe, topsy-turvy.

Yeah, I'd go as far as to give it an 8/10 at this point, but not until I see some proof of what I'm seeing, proof that there may be some really ingenious writing here, not just people who seem clever, but are actually bad writers trying to be clever.

It's definitely worth hanging onto this series through the end of the season to see what happens. Take the season as a whole before deciding if this is good or not.

Honestly, this is a great programme; if you're on the fence due to the low rating, don't let that deter you & just give it a go.

I personally find the programme engaging, funny & different to what is usually churned out from the Brits & Americans - yes, you may have to read the subtitles but after a while, you don't even realise you're doing it!

I'm a huge fan of Nordic TV series' such as Trapped, so that helps and I'd say that this is 'up there' with the best of them.

I would definitely recommend watching Where's Wanda for a new, fresh and funny series that keeps me wanting more. Genuinely don't understand the low ratings!

I genuinely had to push myself to finish the first episode of Where's Wanda?, and it was quite a challenge. I'm familiar with Heike Makatsch's acting skills, but her performance in this series fell far short of what I expected. The two main characters are portrayed poorly, and their performances lack the depth needed to engage viewers.

The setting feels exaggerated and over-the-top, and it didn't encourage me to keep watching. The storytelling is confusing and becomes frustrating quickly. I really struggled to get through the first episode and don't feel motivated to continue.

The show seems to be trying way too hard to be funny, but the jokes miss the mark entirely. The humor is poorly written and falls flat, and I couldn't help but wonder how a script with such low-quality jokes made it through. It's baffling that the writers apparently didn't test the humor with others-it's just painfully off. Even if this was the intended tone of the show, it simply doesn't work. This kind of humor pushes viewers away, at least for me, instead of drawing them in and motivating them to continue watching.

As for the actor Alex Stein, I'm unsure what his past roles have been, but I'd assume they were better, considering this is an Apple TV+ production. Unfortunately, his performance here didn't resonate with me either.

Overall, the way the series is presented lacks coherence and polish. While I appreciate the effort behind the production, it simply didn't work for me.

I've now watched the first four episodes. Initially, I thought it would be another 40+ minute show I'd drop for being boring and slow, but surprisingly, it wasn't. The start of the first episode was pretty average, and I wasn't sure if I should continue or stop, but it kept getting better and even had some genuinely funny scenes in the last 20 minutes. The second episode, although longer, remained engaging and interesting without a single dull moment. The third and fourth episode were also intriguing.

Few reviewers are complaining that they don't sympathize with Wanda's character because they only saw one scene where she was acting annoyingly. They don't care enough to feel sorry for her being missing or to wonder if her parents will be able to find her, and I understand that. But, as you continue watching the episodes, you'll start to feel sympathy for the parents. They are doing much more than most parents would to find their daughter, and the brother is also doing everything he can to help. Watching them try to find her in a crazy and borderline illegal way is entertaining.

You'll enjoy it more if you don't think too logically about what's happening. For example, they're spying on people to get information on their missing daughter, but they're doing it in the most amateurish way possible-if this were real life, they'd have been caught more than five times by now.

This might be my first German show, and I'm enjoying it so far. The lead characters, Carlotta and Dedo, are really likable, and the actors playing them are fantastic. The cast, direction, writing, and intro music (Mania by Alice Merton) are all great. So far, it's an interesting watch that shows what some parents go through to find their child, with a comedic and slightly emotional touch. I'll update my review after finishing it.

Update: Just finished Season 1, and it was awesome! Every week, I waited for the new episode. The last episode was really interesting and entertaining. I was actually about to cancel my Apple Plus membership, but when I found this show, just watching the first few episodes made me renew it.

I wish there had been a complete ending, but they left it on a bit of a cliffhanger, which I don't mind. I'd love a Season 2 or 3, though I don't fully trust Apple since they've canceled good shows after just one season, like Still Up.

If what happens at the end actually happens, they might just have to change the show's title. I didn't like the tiger scene that much. Anyway, I'd still love to see more of these characters and more German shows like this. It's the best mystery drama I've seen this year-totally binge-worthy, and I'd definitely recommend it. 4/5.

I assume the Germans tried their best when they wrote this comedy.

Where is Wanda is not funny, no good story twist no highlights, and there isn't really good dark humor like they promised. Suddenly it gets very kitschy when the family all together helps a woman to gives birth. Why this story twist I have no idea it's absolutely without knots to the story itself. That's the whole series it's actually an assembly of boring super short stories of the secrets of people in their neighborhood.

Better they will stick to genres they are good at, dramas like the series "dark" or "perfume".

Apple, if you want a German speaking dark humor TV-Series hire an Austrian team they know how to do it.

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.

Wanda's character came across as rude and irritating in her first scene. Frankly, I couldn't care less that she went missing-it's almost a relief that she did. I don't understand why directors often portray teenagers as difficult and expect us to sympathize with them. Oh well...

Wanda's character came across as rude and irritating in her first scene. Frankly, I couldn't care less that she went missing-it's almost a relief that she did. I don't understand why directors often portray teenagers as difficult and expect us to sympathize with them. Oh well...

Wanda's character came across as rude and.

This show is good with fun stories along the way. However, it felt as though the thing you should care most about, Wanda, was given the least consideration by the writers.

The premises are often interesting. But in the end, the story abuses the audience beyond the forgivable limits of self-aware, genre send up humor.

The main character gets in and out of trouble more frequently than OpenAI releases models.

It is a fun show that puts less focus on the main plot point than an open world video game does its main quest. By the time resolution occurs, you really won't be able to muster much enthusiasm.

Watch it. But don't say you weren't warned.

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.

"Where's Wanda" begs the question: Could those who wrote and directed this stuff actually believe that they were creating something worthwhile? Or were they like "The worm must taste good to the fish and not to the angler", because that's the spirit this show smells of. Conceit and contempt. Movie people would never watch the TV goo they produce for the masses.

The humor: cringe. The acting: too often abysmal. The plot: ridiculous. The ending: as predictable as with any low effort time waster. Yes, there is some originality, and it's bad. When the authors of a show are exhausted and come up with a silly, laughable, extreme idea, it might be called "jumping the shark". That already happened in "Where's Wanda", and it's a tiger in a German forest that is doing the jumping.

It is easy to explain, why professional critics have praised this show: Because it checks all the required boxes, tows the uniparty line, doesn't wake anybody up. Everybody who knows the rigid rules - and by now, who doesn't? - will recognize immediately who is good, who is bad, who will hook up with whom. There is a German word for that: linientreu (Lee-Nee-An-Troy). People who are linientreu will like "Where's Wanda". It should be a safe and satisfying experience for them. For a more sophisticated audience this should be a hard pass.

I liked this show so much!

The writing THE ORIGINAL STORY You have to give it a chance Honestly I was shocked about the ratings and now I am scared there won't be a season two Thia my first time writing a review and I am telling you to go watch now it's really sweet , amusing and surprisingly funny I liked every character the photography too .

It starts a bit slow but I found that necessary to the viewers build sympathy whith tha characters i really cried and laughed out loud in so many scenes The ending is just wow I am so excited for season two ( fingers crossed)

There were so many interesting characters and I feel the length of the show really good they didn't miss anything and served each character it's due.

Not sure of why this is scored at such a low rating it's got excellent story, very strong characters and strong actors in the roles. Exceptional cinematography which is help along with the locations. I did find the trailer didn't give it justice. Was surprised by the bit of the lighthearted considering the subject matter but some how it works very very well. Hope to see many season of this without dragging out too much however. Where is series is focus on one subject I hope the writers can come up with maybe some side story's to kick it along and easily shift focus. Will be interesting to see to see how they carry this out.

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.

I found Where's Wanda? To be one of the Apple TV+ shows that is harder to get into. The first couple of episodes are a bit rocky and you're not sure if the quirkiness is going to end up being a good or bad thing.

However, by about episode 3 or 4, the viewer starts to get to know the characters a little better and the whole premise starts to grow on you. From there on, the comedy, drama, tension and overall quirkiness starts to make Where's Wanda? A very enjoyable and entertaining production.

If you're up for a fun, quirky, unusual show that doesn't take itself too seriously, Where's Wanda? Should do the trick. Hopefully, Apple greenlights season 2, because the last episode certainly acts as a great cliffhanger for more adventures. I rate Where's Wanda? An 8.1.