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Der Kommissar - Schwierigkeiten eines Aussenseiters
episode 78
West Germany 1974
produced by Helmut Ringelmann for Neue Münchner Fernsehproduktion/ZDF
directed by Michael Braun
starring Erik Ode, Reinhard Glemnitz, Günther Schramm, Elmar Wepper, Helma Seitz, Elfriede Irrall, Raimund Harmstorf, Joachim Ansorge, Wolf Richards, Curt Bois, Dirk Dautzenberg, Rosl Mayr
written by Herbert Reinecker, series created by Helmut Ringelmann, Herbert Reinecker, music by Rolf A. Wilhelm, title theme by Herbert Jarczyk
TV-series Der Kommissar
review by Mike Haberfelner
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It starts with the noise of shattered glass from the liquor store
downstairs one night, upon which Margot (Elfriede Irrall) wakes up her
huband Domrose (Wolf Richards). He takes his handgun out of his drawer,
goes downstairs, is struck over the head with a bottle and killed. Inspector Keller
(Erik Ode) and his team (Reinhard Glemnitz, Günther Schramm, Elmar
Wepper) investigate, and despite most evidence leading to the conclusion
of a classic murder and robbery situation, there are some pieces that just
don't fit, like why wasn't Domrose's gun loaded, and why did the robber
break into the store from the backdoor inside the apartment building -
which would lead to the conclusion that the culprit was someone from
inside the house. Only all the tenants of the building are pretty
ordinary, honourable citizens, all but unemployed biker Theo (Raimund
Harmstorf) and his alcoholic father (Curt Bois). Of course, everybody
suspects Theo, everybody but Margot, incidently. Of course, Keller puts
Theo under close scrutiny, and he finds him a pretty agressive young man -
who nevertheless loves his father very much. Meanwhile, Margot is seen
meeting her next-door neighbour Eckter (Joachim Ansorge) at night in a
nearby park for a secret get-together, and Keller soon finds out the two
are having an affair. So he questions Eckter some more, and he's quick to
pin the murder of Domrose on Theo's father, claiming he has only not
spilled the beans sooner because he pitied the old man. So Keller visits
Theo and father again, and Theo now tells the truth, his father had been
down at the shop at the time of the murder, had found the dead man, but
Margot gave him all the money from the register and a bottle of liquor to
get rid of him, figuring he'd remember nothing anyways, being drunk as he
was, while she and someone else had apparently actually plotted the
murder. Keller is ready to believe that, but as he lacks any proof, he has
his men arrest Theo's father while he hides in Margot's apartment until
right after the arrest, Eckter storms in and pretty much gives himself
away - all the proof Keller needs. Now the mere concept of the
tough biker who loves his dad actually shows quite a bit of heart not
often found in crime TV in general - but unfortunately the characters in
this story are all painted in exceptionally broad strokes, even for a
series like Der Kommissar, which is not exactly known for
its subtlety. Thus one can't really take this entry into the series
seriously, but the complete lack of subtle characters paired with an
over-constructed murder case and screenwriter Herbert Reinecker's
trademark stilted dialogue do make this one a fun watch at least - if for
all the wrong reasons.
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