The Defeated
| The Defeated | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Shadowplay |
| Written by | Måns Mårlind |
| Production | |
| Production companies | |
The Defeated, also known as Shadowplay, is a 2020 television series.
Plot[edit]
New York Police Department Detective Max McLaughlin gets assigned to post-World War II Berlin by the United States Department of State to help organize and establish a new police force and at the same time, looks for his brother, Moritz, a United States Army soldier who went missing at the end of the war, and helps Elsie Garten, a novice female German police superintendent, to fight crime in 1946 Germany.
The two lead characters, brothers Max and Moritz McLaughlin, are named after German literary characters from a 19th-century illustrated children's book, Max and Moritz: A Story of Seven Boyish Pranks. The book also features prominently throughout the series.[1]
Episodes[edit]
- "First Trick". New York Police Department Detective Max McLaughlin is sent to Berlin by the United States Department of State in 1946 to help German police superintendent Elsie Garten establish a new police department after World War II in the hopes of finding his brother, Moritz, a United States Army soldier who is thought to have died.
- "Brother of Edmund". Vice-consul Tom Franklin, Max's boss, puts pressure on him to investigate and crack the murder case of two American GIs as soon as possible, and Max and Elsie question Karin.
- "Rainbows". An auxiliary police officer has discovered where Karin is, but she manages to flee to the "Angel Maker", a German crime boss and abortionist; Max does not find Moritz himself, but at least he will find his sanctuary and discovers he is holed up in a boathouse.
- "Nakam". Moritz discovers crucial documents in high-ranking Nazi officer Otto Oberlander's home; Tom's wife Claire helps Max in his investigation; Claire discovers that her husband is collaborating with the Nazis; and Max and Moritz disagree about what should happen to Franklin.
- "Bellyful". When Max and Elsie's unit locates Karin once more and pursues a contentious line of questioning, the investigation in Berlin goes on.
- "Blessed". Elsie and Max make progress in the investigation, but Karin and the Angel Maker continue to be one step ahead. Elsie also takes dangerous action to defend her husband Leopold.
- "Mutti". When Max discovers the truth about the secret flights, he issues an ultimatum to Moritz, and Karin and the Angel Maker organize a fatal attack on Max and Elsie's police precinct.
- "Homecoming". When Max and Elsie find out where the Angel Maker is, he has one last ruse up his sleeve; Moritz targets Tom, setting up a confrontation with Max.
Cast[edit]
- Taylor Kitsch as Max McLaughlin, a New York Police Department Detective of partial German descent; he has come to Germany to find his brother, Moritz, and help novice German police superintendent Elise Garten establish a new police force in post-World War II Berlin.
- Logan Marshall-Green as Moritz McLaughlin, a United States Army soldier and Max's brother who has become mentally unstable since World War II.
- Nina Hoss as Elsie Garten, a hot-headed novice German police superintendent.
- Benjamin Sadler as Leopold Garten, Elsie's husband; currently being held prisoner in a Russian gulag.
- Tuppence Middleton as Claire Franklin, Tom's wife and friend of Max.
- Michael C. Hall as Tom Franklin, Vice-consul and Claire's husband
- Sebastian Koch as Dr. Hermann Gladow, also known as the Engelmacher ("Angel Maker"), an abortionist and crime boss who runs a crime syndicate.
- Mala Emde as Karin Mann, a woman raped by an American soldier who, after enacting revenge, is indebted to Gladow.
- Anne Ratte-Polle as Marianne, a member of Gladow's crime syndicate; something of a handler of Karin.
- Ivan G'Vera as Alexander Izosimov, a Soviet Army General detaining Leopold Garten, Elsie's husband.
- Maximilian Ehrenreich as Gad, a kind 16-year-old male novice German police officer assisting Max and Elsie.
Production and distribution[edit]
The series was written by Måns Mårlind,[2] and produced by Tandem Productions and Bron Studios.[3] It premiered in Germany on ZDF in four film-length episodes in October and November 2020. In Australia, it was shown as Shadowplay in 2021 on free-to-air TV station SBS.[4] The Defeated was distributed on Netflix on 18 August 2021.[5]
Production on The Defeated took place entirely in Prague and surrounding locations in the Czech Republic, standing in for WWII-era Germany.[6]
Reception[edit]
The Daily Telegraph's Ed Power rated the series four out of five stars.[7] The Sydney Morning Herald's Kylie Northover rated the series three out of five stars.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ "Why Max McLaughlin from The Defeated Looks So Familiar". looper.com. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ Petski, Denise (10 April 2019). "Taylor Kitsch & Michael C. Hall Lead Cast of Shadowplay Drama Series from Tandem & BRON". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ Hopewell, John (19 July 2019). "Tandem's Berlin-Set Shadowplay Goes for Edge". Variety. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ a b Northover, Kylie (24 February 2021). "Gorgeous – but graphic – post-war thriller explores a broken Berlin". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ White, Abbey (31 July 2021). "Netflix's New Releases Coming in August 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "Prague-shot post-WWII drama The Defeated premieres on Netflix". The Prague Reporter. Archived from the original on 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
- ^ Power, Ed (18 August 2021). "The Defeated, review: a grimly gripping thriller set in the ruins of post-war Berlin". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
Further reading[edit]
- Roxborough, Scott (12 October 2020). "Taylor Kitsch on Shadowplay and Taking on Darker Roles: "It's the Most Fulfilling"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- Loder, Peter (27 October 2020). "Im Schatten der Mörder: Brucker produziert internationalen ZDF-Krimi" [In the Shadow of the Murderers: Brucker produces international ZDF crime thriller]. Münchner Merkur (in German). Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- Scheer, Ursula (30 October 2020). "Kommt ein New Yorker nach Berlin" [A New Yorker comes to Berlin]. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- Staude, Sylvia (31 October 2020). "Schatten der Mörder – Shadowplay im ZDF: Leichen verstecken in Berlin" [Schatten der Mörder – Shadowplay on ZDF: Hiding corpses in Berlin]. Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 28 August 2021.
