Okay. Sling TV fully cooperated tonight.
I haven’t posted much about the Berlin Station episodes as they’ve aired, aside from a rough go at Eps 1 and 2, which was a post about the difficult of choosing what to watch that first night.
I haven;t been over the moon with the series or Richard Armtage – him or his character. Not his fault. Sometimes there’s an Into the Storm feeling about him in this. But, now and then, there’s a chance for him to show something.
Tonight, there was lots of blinking and furrowed brows. And some beautiful profiles – though don’t expect them from my screen shots – bad quality. Also, his hair seems very black in certain light, Black without the Lucas blue.
(But what about that blue lit scene with Esther in the club? German club goers/entertainers really dress it up – full costume. I was mesmerized by the pole dancer/hooker)
I thought this episode (7) was suspenseful and shocking. Hector. Man, Hector. From the moment Claire died in Hector’s arms from Ruth’s gunshot, the threat was there for me that Hector was going to execute Ruth Iosova in cold blood. But, I was thinking –not really – because Daniel Miller is right there.
Turned out, Daniel Miller didn’t make a difference to the end result. There was a pathos and suspense in that scene that’s been pretty absent from this series. Tension as Hector points the gun to Ruth’s head; relief as he kneels down before her; tension again as he caresses her face – is he going to kiss her? I actually thought it for a sec – and then snap!!
I have to give more thought to Daniel Miller here – twice this episode he stepped aside while Hector engaged in the off pad: torture and murder. Shouldn’t Daniel Miller have worried the same as I did – and maybe made a move when Hector knelt without the gun?
Daniel listening as Hector tortures someone.
Questioning also the after show discussion that I overheard while I was writing. So, the creatives think that Esther really believes/knew it was the Americans who took Iosova? Then it must be true. Honestly, I believed the palm tree story. I figured the middle east. Since the writers know best, this means the CIA intentionally interfered with Frost’s operation, which had the same goal – the arrest of Iosova. I guess they didn’t trust him to pull it off, or they couldn’t wait a couple of days. Maybe they didn’t want to go through the Germans?
Daniel telling Valerie the bad news about Clare.
Sorry writers – it doesn’t make sense to me. I was leaning more towards Esther having some hidden agenda against Frost, and/or involving Daniel.
Congratulations to Daniel Miller for finally discovering that Hector de Jean is related to or is Shaw. We’ve known it for some time. [ETA] but I wonder whether the Hell Hector was sent to after Chechnya was running a black site? That could be supported by his speech to his latest torture victim, who lost an ear, and could also account for Julian DeVoss’s release. Furthermore, that’s the kind of experience that could motivate a Thomas Shaw.
And, to Stephen Frost – now you really have something to whine about.
Armitage Agonistes 
Not sure everything is so clear cut. They may still have a few surprises installed for us. Have to say I rather like Richard in his role.
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I’m sure they have some surprises, and even now there are so many unanswered questions about motivations, agenda and so forth – but I think it’s clear that Hector is at least part of Shaw, if not him alone.
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A confusing episode – and not really enough Daniel action imo. He was only kind of tagging along. And sorry, but the way the man kicked in the door to Metin’s flat, did not look like a desk jockey who was an everyman… Nonetheless, I liked this episode because there were so many unexpected turns. But well, that’s because the convoluted storyline is way beyond me. I have gotten used to not understanding what things mean.
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I agree about not enough Daniel action – but lots of reaction. He’s not getting enough to do, IMO. Hanger on, looker on,- not juicy enough for me, most of the time. I thought I understood what was probably going on with the the rendition – but then the show runners’ bit at the end showed me I was wrong. Again, I wonder why the CIA would interfere with an op with the same goals they had in renditioning (?) Iosova, with the exception that the legal means Stephen was moving towards would have put him in the hands of the Germans and then, legal proceedings – although according to what Iosova said to his wife, he was told he could have a lawyer ( really?)
I’m liking my theory better and better that Hector’s “Hell” was managing or working in a black site where he had to torture, and that’s why he’s bitter and on a mission, and that’s how DeVoss escaped. Because in answer to Daniel once or maybe twice, when asked wherehe was sent after Chechnya, all he had to say was some other station, and he didn’t.
It’s also possible that whoever at the CIA interfered with the Isis Bride mission, wants Forst discredited so he or a crony could get the Deputy job.
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Hector has been evasive about his past, at least since Chechnya, so yeah, there must be a really black spot where something happened that completely traumatised him. I couldn’t really make sense of his flash backs to the ocean – was that meant to tell us he was close to suicide? I still think that Hector’s part in the show is really much more interesting than puppy Daniel who is wagging his tail and tagging along. But I assume that Hector will get his come-uppance, i.e. he won’t be in a second season. Ok, that reconciles me with Daniel’s under-developed role in this season.
As for Frost – he is being played, too. That whole CIA cross-wiring thing just looks as if someone is trying to get him out. But who? Could Valerie be more than just number 3 in the station? I don’t really trust her. There is too much superficial emotion in that “spy”.
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I think I missed the Hector and The Sea scene. I’ll have to watch again ( want to, anyway) Valerie is connected to Operation Antoinette, and the Israelis are interested – so that’s what – plot number 30? I can’t imagine Valerie would’ve done anything to put Claire at further risk, like screwing up the Isis Bride op and also, in on interview, whether he’s putting us on, I don;t know, Armitage said something about how Daniel needs Valerie to be stright and above board. I thought that was interesting in light of the plot, which doesn’t give him and Valerie that much interaction – I don’t see where they have developed a very close working relationship – not like Val and Claire or Robert and Stephen.
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Benefit of the doubt – still hoping that it will all come together in the end.
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We had some similar reactions to this episode.
–I think the verb of “rendition” might be “render” but who knows if that’s what the CIA says.
–I think this show hits the sex club theme awfully hard. Yes, it’s something Berlin is known for and if that’s your scene it’s the city to live in, but it’s starting to look like the showrunners think that’s a sort of centerpiece of Berlin social life, and it’s not.
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I don’t know a thing about the Berlin Sex Club scene, but from this series and at least four different scenes, the “talent” are really great looking. They’re edgy, to me, almost futuristic and retro 30’s at the same time.
Re: Renditioning – I’m gonna stick with it if I need it again, because “render” in this context is reminding me of chicken fat , AKA, schmaltz – something we got a bit of in this episode.
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rendering? 🙂
I think that drag club isn’t really a sex club — it’s a lot more like a Kabarett. There are a lot of shadings of these places. I have to say I’ve never been in one, but that is also true I’m sure for everyone I knew in Berlin. It’s a very specific scene, and from the exteriors, often not quite that well kept up. It’s interesting that a bordello is portrayed with such clean lines here because they often aren’t on German tv. (anyway, sorry)
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I only saw this episode once, so far, but could there a clue as to where the guy with the bag over his head was taken?( Alexander) Detail of Alexander being offered a lawyer might be a clue. Snatch a guy off the street then offer him a lawyer. Civilized kidnappers. That made me laugh out loud. I like the show even though there is a shocking lack of Daniel in it.
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That points it to it being a place like Guantánamo, IMO.
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That’s the first place I thought of. But I didn’t think they could get there in the time elapsed. On second viewing, I guess they could.
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Maybe 14 hours or less?
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Yes, plenty of time, even on a private jet. I wonder if they offered him peanuts to go with the lawyer?
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Late to the party as been up to ears in work lately. But yeah interesting episode for once, mroe watchable than others in the series but still, loads of things don’t make sense and don’t add up and stretch believability way too far. Yes, its clear Hector helped Julian escape and most likely ran some stuff somewhere where torture was involved. Daniel as a by-stander and walker by is just not credible, sorry writers. But i’ve had way too many quibbles with the writing in this to feel like really saying sorry. The main and increasing one is underusage of Richard (apart from the way too many story strands – presumably just to give fodder for s2). Never before have i felt he was there mainly for decoration and eye candy. And while he is wonderful at it, what a waste of character 😦
And yes there was some stuff with Esther there where i thought what? Why was she particularly trying to undermine him with Hans? And you have to wonder who has it in for Frost that badly and why since he doesn’t seem particularly good at his job in the first place? And yes we’ve been hit over the head more than enough with Kirsch’s recurring family drama and Jewish food. I actually like Leland in it a lot, feels like the most real character to me, the one who seems like a real person but still does the job, everyone else has a look of caricature about them 😦 But how silly do they think we are that they feel the need to push the food and Jewish point so hard? Yes we got it, thanks very much the first time round and i rather believe the character stand up for himself well and won’t actually fall that easily.
And what’s become of Daniel’s IT spy? I rather liked her and she had potential.. they seem to loose interesting women very fast in this series but none of the men. And sorry to say but the women are far more interesting. Makes one wonder. I don’t look out for it specifically but Ingrid has potential and she’s just passing through, Sandra seems to be more intelligent and somehow a better spy than most of her bosses. And the ones we do get some of, like Valery and even Esther are very heavy one or two dimensional. I’m sick of the chips on Valerie’s shoulders and Esther’s furs and Stazi attitude, more variety please!
It’s still a confused thing, wants to do too much and manages to not do anything really well.. more focus, less distraction would be so much better. My heart is not in it supporting Daniel’s return if this is the Daniel we’re going to get. I don’t think people watching RA in this for the first time would rush to see more or book more of him and that makes me frankly very angry with the show runners. He is so much better. Gr!
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