'Im Angesicht des Verbrechens' is without a doubt one of the best German shows in quite some time, which is not saying much, though, considering the abysmal quality of recent German TV programming. Amidst all of the dreck 'Im Angesicht des Verbrechens' distinguishes itself with a good story, a variety of good characters, and a general ambition, which is very refreshing, even if it's not always lived up to.
The show is quite well written, but ultimately let down by sub-par editing and various stylistic missteps. I can overlook those up to a degree, but they constantly overshadowed an otherwise decent show.
Also, while there are some good actors at work, some of the less important roles are played by lesser actors. Way too often I found my attention diverted because the characters would speak so unnaturally. Many of them over-pronounce their words, and it felt like they were reading their lines instead of acting them out. The script is also guilty of underestimating the viewers' intelligence and feeling the need to spell out every single thing. The show would tell you about things instead of showing them. Too often we would be shown a flashback of something we'd already seen at least twice, when it gets mentioned in a new episode. A little trust in the viewers' ability to remember those scenes would be greatly appreciated.
However, with all those negatives mentioned, 'Im Angesicht des Verbrechens' is still a very good show, telling an interesting story in a mostly well-done way. It's good, but just falls short of being great for a variety of reasons, most of which could have easily been avoided. It's still the best German TV show for quite some time, apart from KDD- Kriminaldauerdienst.
The show is quite well written, but ultimately let down by sub-par editing and various stylistic missteps. I can overlook those up to a degree, but they constantly overshadowed an otherwise decent show.
Also, while there are some good actors at work, some of the less important roles are played by lesser actors. Way too often I found my attention diverted because the characters would speak so unnaturally. Many of them over-pronounce their words, and it felt like they were reading their lines instead of acting them out. The script is also guilty of underestimating the viewers' intelligence and feeling the need to spell out every single thing. The show would tell you about things instead of showing them. Too often we would be shown a flashback of something we'd already seen at least twice, when it gets mentioned in a new episode. A little trust in the viewers' ability to remember those scenes would be greatly appreciated.
However, with all those negatives mentioned, 'Im Angesicht des Verbrechens' is still a very good show, telling an interesting story in a mostly well-done way. It's good, but just falls short of being great for a variety of reasons, most of which could have easily been avoided. It's still the best German TV show for quite some time, apart from KDD- Kriminaldauerdienst.