"Tatort" from Cologne: addicted to evil

The “crime scene” from Cologne is mostly programmed for simple social criticism. Here the commissioners are still outraged by grievances that are clearly explained. Since employee Norbert Jütte (Roland Riebeling) has supported colleagues Max Ballauf (Klaus J. Behrendt) and Freddy Schenk (Dietmar Bär), the WDR “Tatort” has also had its running gag, because where Max and Freddy investigate under high pressure, you love Norbert the cosiness. His slowness is notorious, as is his disinterest in work. At first one could take this as a joke to the cliché of the civil servant mentality, but in the last few episodes it was noticed that Jütte (increasingly also mentioned by his first name) was able to score with thorough deliberation. The joke, if it ever caught, had outlived itself.

In “The Charm of Evil”, Jütte's past at the custom in Wuppertal plays the decisive role in clearing up a brutal murder of women.

Only Jütte can really track down Susanne Elvan's (Neshe Demir) murderer.

Even if the commissioners catch him at the beginning, watching the crawling movement of a snail on his keyboard with fascination.

"And now you wait all morning until the cattle is over the keyboard?" "Or do you both type in competition?" The snail, "Your heraldic animal".

Jütte switches to turbo and everyone is amazed

Got it, is that it now? In Cologne there is still the opinion that the television viewer has to be picked up from where he is. In the dark. The snail, that's Jütte! Understood? The animal has done its duty and is no longer seen, but the man reverts to the earlier form. Tremors when he sees the crime scene photo of the victim, develops heart problems. One worries about him. The case that almost brought him early cardiac death in Wuppertal is like the Elvan case. Both victims were stabbed in a furious rage, both with belts strapped around their eyes. Jütte switches to turbo, and everyone is amazed: he used to be an “over-ambitious ambassador”. Always at the limit, always under power, ”say the Wuppertal people.

The dead woman from Cologne was married to Tarek (Sahin Eryilmaz), a resocialized violent criminal. Daughter Mia (Tesha Moon Krieg) and ex-husband Torsten Merser (Nikolaus Benda) think he is the murderer. Susanne Elvan came into contact with Tarek through the pen friendship portal of the psychologist Bianca Ambach (Tanja Schleiff). Intimate letters, cuddly cell, stable relationship after being released, excellent social prognosis. Lydia Rosenberg (Juliane Köhler), the psycho-specialist of the Cologne police, explains the syndrome that drives women to violent criminals ("Charles Manson had laundry baskets full of love letters in his cell"). Jütte investigates similar cases. So far everything sounds like Cologne's “crime scene” routine. Good for guessing, also visually appealing (camera Felix Novo de Oliveira), exciting, average television food.If it weren't for a second narrative level.

The lonely Ines (Picco von Groote) also fell in love with an inmate through a pen pal. Bastian "Basso" Sommer (Torben Liebrecht) is gentle, but soon becomes brutal outside and abuses Lenny (Wulf Kurscheid), the son of the single parent. Basso repeatedly disappears at times when attacks on women are perpetrated. This subplot is the linchpin of "The Charm of Evil".

Only shortly before the end does it become apparent that this “crime scene” is not as simple as expected. Seen from the end, it works almost as well as the exceptional Cologne case “Weiter, Immer weiter” with Roeland Wiesnekker in the guest role. Not surprising, both scripts come from the author duo Arne Nolting and Jan Martin Scharf (who also directs), two suspense professionals who play cleverly with audience expectations. The die-hard Cologne “Tatort” fan is still not neglected. For the first time, the beer for two in front of the nocturnal cathedral backdrop becomes a cozy trio, and Freddy is allowed to drive a Ferrari out of the evidence room for an investigation. The abysses that cause mothers to bring convicted violent criminals into their children's homes are also examined almost subtly.They are victims of romantic ideas and their fascination with strength - and possibly perpetrators who blindly hand over their children.

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