Spectacular SRF series Basel's "Beschatter" puts Zurich's "Tatort" in the shade

The SRF series "Der Beschatter" about detective Leo Brand and his pupils is entering its second season. The many likeable characters are crucial to its success. Nevertheless, there is no third season.

What could possibly go wrong? I like Roeland Wiesnekker 's acting and I'm a fan of Esther Gemsch and Martin Rapold. And Michael Steiner's "Und morgen seid ihr tot" was the Swiss cinema event of 2021 for me.

Oh yes, and Basel is my favorite city anyway, ever since I was given a chocolate bar in a confectionery shop there as a curly-haired blonde kindergartener. But shadowing, i.e. being a detective, is not a chocolate job.

Now private detective Leo Brand, played by Wiesnekker, is back investigating in the city on the Rhine bend.

And this much can be revealed in advance: The first episode of the second season of the SRF series "Die Beschatter" begins tonight at 8.10 pm with a bang.

Lots of patience, keen eyes and a good memory

Leo Brand ended his career with the criminal investigation department years ago. To improve his dire financial situation, he subsequently opens a detective school.

While the supposedly former best policeman in Basel broods at night, he likes to down two or three whiskies too many. At least that was the case in the first season.

A lot of patience, alert eyes and a good memory are the be-all and end-all of a successful detective, according to Brand. There was no mention of clouded thoughts.

Something seems to be wrong with this man. And so it comes as no surprise: no sooner has the first episode of the second season of "Der Beschatter" started than Leo Brand is arrested.

The Basel police suspect him of multiple murders. He is said to be the so-called Sleeping Beauty Killer. Viewers of the first season remember.

Is there a rat in the Basel CID?

How did Brand's DNA end up in the suitcase of a serial killer? Who is after him? Or is there a rat at the Basel CID? Questions upon questions.

Brand remains cool and says: "How is it possible that forged evidence has turned up in a murder case for the second time?" It's just stupid that Brand can be seen on various videos. Brand's answer: "Deepfake."

To get him out of prison, his student detectives have to prove his innocence: Esther Gemsch, Martin Rapold and Dardan Sadik are back in action, as is Meryl Marty.

And then there's another big surprise - actually, there are two. More on that later.

Unfortunately, the student detectives are denied access to important files during their investigations. Fortunately, Leo's daughter Valentina is as cool as her father - despite death threats against him.

But then Leo Brand is brutally beaten up in prison and begins to fear for his life. What is really going on? And are his students' unconventional methods enough to get their teacher back to freedom?

"I would have let them arrest me too"

The many narrative threads in the SRF crime series are in no way detrimental to the suspense. This has a lot to do with the great "Beschatter" ensemble.

"The many likeable characters are crucial to the appeal of the SRF series "Die Beschatter"," wrote the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper about the first season. That's the case again this time. Momoll, the Basel "Beschatter" easily outshines the Zurich "Tatort".

Meryl Marty also shines in the second season as the tongue-tied Agotha. However, she is also responsible for Leo Brand ending up behind bars. And starts a nasty argument with his daughter in the episode.

But even Brand thinks that his student detective was right. "I would have had myself arrested in her place."

Leo Brand: "From now on, we're a team"

Meanwhile, detective Brand remains unpredictable. And shortly afterwards sends his daughter home to her mother because he believes she is not safe with him.

Towards the end of the first episode of the second season of "Beschatter", however, he has some wonderful news for his student detectives:

"You've all passed the detective exam, from now on you're all my assistants. And when I say all, I mean all, including Agotha. From now on, we're a team."

That needs to be celebrated. Martin Rapold from Schaffhausen goes all Büne Huber from Patent Ochsner in Bern and sings "Scharlachtrot" over an after-work beer in Basel:

"It's filmryf, the scene. In the night of Christmas. The moon is a white round hole and peeks out at the forest I ... "

No third season of "Beschatter"

Oh yes, that song was surprise number one. And what's the second? Joel Basman is set to join the Basel detective agency in the second season.

It will be interesting to see the first appearance of the 38-year-old, who caused an international sensation in the highly acclaimed ARD series "Eldorado KaDeWe", among others.

After only two seasonsSRF cancels crime series "Der Beschatter"

But what can already be said: Head writer Simone Schmid and filmmakers Michael Steiner ("Grounding", "Mein Name ist Eugen") and Timo von Gunten ("La femme et le TGV") have managed to develop the series "Die Beschatter" in an exciting and multi-layered way.

So it would only make sense for the Basel detectives to continue tailing people in a third season. Why else have they all passed the test now?

Unfortunately, Swiss television SRF has other plans, as blue News reported on Friday: "The story of the Sleeping Beauty murderer is now over."

And further: "We assume that the series will end here and there will be no third season."

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