Tag Archives: Season 3

“Makari” Season 3 – TV series review

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A scene from the Italian light murder mystery series “Makari.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

It’s been almost two years since I reviewed the earlier seasons of this light, charming Italian murder mystery series, “Makari,” set in sunny Sicily. I encourage you to read the prior reviews to refresh your memory (as did I), to better understand the players and relationships for this third season. Here’s the link to that review: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2023/07/makari-season-2-tv-series-review/.

This round includes four separate cases, with some significant story arcs running throughout. The episodes are a bit longer than before – each about 2 hours – but the light tenor of the series continues. Peppe helps Saverio with everything, while providing the rest of us with the comic relief of his clumsy, overly-friendly puppy personality.

This year, Saverio is enjoying some success as a novelist, leading to his being offered a guest teaching position at a nearby school. The students couldn’t possibly be less interested in books at the start. But he, of course, wins them over. Suleima has completed her architecture studies and is working on a project for Saverio in their eponymous village of Makari. Their blissful co-habitation is threatened when an old beau of hers, Guilio (Eugenio Franceschini), suddenly appears with a sob story of failed romance that makes him turn to his former best friend for solace. He becomes a thorn in Saverio’s side throughout the season, as ulterior motives emerge.

In the first episode, Saverio is asked for help from an old girlfriend who is being sued by another of his exes; one of their husbands is killed, making the other’s a prime suspect. Suleima becomes suspicious that one or both of the women might still have the hots for her guy. In the second, the restoration of a nearby village leads to sharply divided factions among the locals on its direction; one side demands emphasis on historical purity; the other wants to create more of an active arts center. That results in one of the leaders gettin’ hisself kilt. Also, it starts to appear as if the foxy teacher Michela (Serena Iansiti) who recommended Saverio to the school may have more intimate aspirations.

The third is both the funniest and most irritating of the lot, as Suleima’s parents arrive unexpectedly to also stay in their house. Her overbearing dad still thinks of Giulio as the son he never had, and the son-in-law he should have had, fawning over him endlessly, while criticizing and nitpicking at everything about Saverio. That drags on alongside a vendor’s murder at a major book festival. The last episode takes place at a swanky spa that may not be the miraculous new-age health and healing operation that it purports to be. Naturally, while our little crew of protagonists is there, a doctor turns up dead. As has happened several times in the series, Saverio first has to convince the cops that it wasn’t an accident before working towards a solution.

As before, the series thrives on Saverio’s easygoing charm and Peppe’s levity, plus the rocky course of his love for Suleima. The mystery element continues to remain well-written, maintaining suspense throughout each. No need to binge, but watch them in order to follow the course of several relationships. By the end, you’ll likely join me in hoping for a fourth season.

“Makari” Season Three, mostly in Italian with English subtitles, begins streaming on MHz Choice on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

“Bordertown” Season 3 – TV Review

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Ville Virtanen as Kari Sorjonen, in the Finnish crime series “Bordertown.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

The first two seasons of the moody Finnish police procedural, “Bordertown” were excellent, featuring one of those troubled, eccentric, brilliant police detectives that have been so popular for many years, in many countries.

Here is the link to my laudatory review of Season 2 to bring you up to speed on characters and relevant backstories for this one: www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2024/04/bordertown-season-2-review/.

Unfortunately, Season 3 doesn’t quite live up to the first two. Again it’s 10 episodes, with each featured crime covered in two or three of them, and several subplots carried over from before and recurring throughout this one. Kari’s wife dies in the first, and the way he and daughter Janina deal with their grief is the stuff of which melodramas are made for the whole season. Many clashes and moody musings take up considerably more of the running time than before, and grow rather tedious for those who are watching for the sleuthing.

Brilliant psycho Lasse Maasalo (Sampo Sarkola) energizes many of the episodes with his devious and deadly schemes, showing the quiet cunning of villains like Cristoph Waltz’s Nazi colonel in INGLORIOUS BASTERDS. Former assistant Niko, who’s been promoted to head their Serious Crime Unit, is overwhelmed by the admin duties of the position, especially agonizing over a looming budget cut that could mean the end of its existence. Kari’s other partner, Lena, is still at odds with her less-than-stellar past and with her daughter, Katia, for reasons that become increasingly muddled.

The crime plots are again varied and intriguing, including a couple of serial killers, the patriarch of a feuding family being offed, brutality within the enclave of a demented cult leader and his flock of acolytes, and a poison or pandemic mystery threatening the whole community.

The shift of balance between criminal activity and inner workings of the principals’ minds is what made the same number of episodes seem longer. A couple of writers from the first two seasons were replaced in the third, perhaps by former psych majors feeling compelled to apply their education in this non-clinical arena. The good news is that the season – and presumably the series, since it’s been four years after the last one aired – ends with a reasonable degree of closure on all threads. For those who want more, there was a follow-up TV movie in 2021 with many of the characters returning. It’s on Netflix, but I was even more disappointed by the script for that one. It felt as if they were still pumping a dry well.

“Bordertown: Season 3,” in Finnish with English subtitles, is available streaming starting Tuesday, June 4, on MHzChoice.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

Ville Virtanen

“Babylon Berlin” Seasons 2 & 3 TV Series Review

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A scene from the German TV historical series “Babylon Berlin” Season 2. Courtesy of MHz Choice

As promised in last month’s review of the German historical thriller “Babylon Berlin: Season One” (https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2024/04/babylon-berlin-season-one-review/), May bestows upon us the bounty of Seasons Two and Three, in which Germany’s political and economic upheavals deepen. These two seasons remain in 1929, bringing us up to the global you-know-what that led to the Great Depression. The train with its mysterious, hazardous contents remains in play among several factions with assorted motives.

Both seasons are longer – 10 and 12 episodes, respectively – which may not have been a plus. The pace seems slower than before, with less overt action per hour. The suspense and looming aura of menace, however, are ramped up and broadened, with more characters bringing more subplots and social issues into the picture. Rath is still our beleaguered hero; Charlotte’s role is significantly increased as she works her way into the police force despite overwhelming sexism within and beyond the department. She may be the smartest person in most rooms but none of the guys other than Rath can even recognize that, much less appreciate it. One downside is that the Mata Hari-esque “Countess” (Severija Janusauskaite), who lit up the screen with her vamping villainess in Season One has very little face-time in these rounds. More steak; less sizzle.

Political maneuvering and corruption are emphasized much more, which would be fascinating in a totally fictional setting, but feel more disturbing since we all know which way the historical winds are about to blow. References to Hitler and “The Party” increase, and the repugnant tactics of those dark forces seem likely similar to the reality. Gottfried Wendt (Benno Furmann) smugly exudes Machiavellian evil as Rath’s new boss. The deranged son of a wealthy industrialist, Alfred Nyssen (Lars Eidinger), tries to earn his nasty mother’s respect with his foresight about the 1929 stockmarket crash to come, but nobody’s listening, since he’s never contributed anything useful up to that point.

Helga (Hannah Herzsprung), the widow of Rath’s brother and his secret inamorata, who was barely involved before, becomes a major figure in these seasons, not only complicating Rath’s life, but winding up in the middle of other plot-lines. A string of murders impeding production on a movie financed by a couple of gangsters is central to all the proceedings, with political, social and financial implications swelling the ranks of the suspect pool.

Production values and performances remain first-rate all around. Season Three ends with plenty of unfinished business but Season Four is slated to stream here next month. As a caveat, I’m not sure how far into the 1930s the series will run. But as it progresses, the current rise of right-wing parties around the globe might make this less entertaining and more alarming than it would have seemed a decade ago. Adjust your viewing decisions accordingly.

“Babylon Berlin: Seasons 2 & 3,” mostly in German with subtitles, stream on MHzChoice starting May 28.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

“Deadly Tropics: Season 3” – TV review

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Sonia Rolland in French crime series “Deadly Tropics.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

Regular readers know I’ve reviewed dozens of streaming TV series from a number of European countries over the past few years. The light-hearted cop show, “Deadly Tropics (Tropiques Criminels)”, based in an idyllic (other than the requisite murders and assorted felonies) Caribbean locale has been one of my favorites. That made the 18-month gap between the domestic release of the first two seasons and this next one seem even longer.

To bring everyone up to speed, here are the links to those reviews on We Are Movie Geeks 

Season 1

“Deadly Tropics” (“Tropiques Criminels”) – TV Series

Season 2

“Deadly Tropics” Season 2 – TV Series Review

Although each of these eight episodes features a different crime, it’s advisable to watch the series in order, due to evolving relationships among the regulars, and a few recurrent plot-lines and supporting players that are better appreciated if one knows the context.

Season 3 picks up shortly after the last one. Gaelle (Beatrice de la Boulaye) is about to be married, but only via a chaotic course, as one would expect from her. Melissa (Sonia Rolland) has a number of romantic and family sidebars, as well. As before, the early episodes contain more humor in the mix; forensics maven Phil (Valentin Papoudof) gets even ditsier than before as a reliable source of comic relief. The later tales shift the balance more to the dramatic side; one even ventures into the supernatural realm.

Fans of other imports from MHz Choice will also enjoy seeing Francis Perrin, the eponymous star of the charming French mystery series “Mongeville” in a small, yet important, role in the first episode.

The sharply different personalities of the two leads continue to energize the series and complement each other in the tradition of Riggs and Murtaugh, Cagney and Lacey and many other cop-buddy pairings. Melissa’s default setting is serious and laser-focused; Gaelle remains irreverent but extremely effective, with method in her façade of madness. Episodes 6 and 8 are particularly dramatic and emotional in tenor, and to good effect. Some of the season’s crimes involve broad social issues like sexism in the military, the growing dangers of designer drugs, and the far-reaching consequences of spousal abuse.

As before, the season ends (thankfully) without cliffhangers but with several story arcs open for further development in Season 4, which aired abroad earlier this year, and should be destined to also cross the Atlantic. I just hope the wait won’t be as long for that next round of adventures with this delightful set of characters in their picturesque setting.

“Deadly Tropics (Tropiques Criminels): Season 3,” mostly in French with English subtitles, streams on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, Nov. 21.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

Béatrice de la Boulaye and Sonia Rolland in “Deadly Tropics”

“Pagan Peak: Season 3” – TV Review

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A scene from Episode 1 of German/Austrian crime drama “Pagan Peak: Season 3.” Courtesy of Topic.

The German/Austrian crime drama “Pagan Peak” is back for its third and final season, but it is fairly essential to understanding this final round to have seen the first two seasons, due to the substantial carryover of main characters and key issues shaping their current actions and attitudes. To help out, here is the link to my earlier review of “Pagan Peak”:

“Pagan Peak,” Season 2 – TV series review

Once you read the review (or watch Seasons 1 and 2), you’ll be caught up. Now that you’re up to speed, be prepared for a radical tone shift from a suspenseful dark procedural into something much creepier. More Lovecraft and Lynch (that’s David, not Jane) than Dalgleish or Sherlock in this final season.

The drastic change caused me to check the creators’ credits. Sure enough there was a huge behind-the-cameras overhaul with completely new writers, directors, cinematographer, and composer, among others. The contrast is jarring. The prior episodes seemed a bit slow. This year’s action unfolds at a glacial pace, replete with a surfeit of foggy exteriors and long contemplative stares into the void.

There’s a new serial killer, again with border-spanning elements to the crimes, requiring the joint efforts of cops from both countries. Ellie (Julia Jentsch) and Gedeon (Nicholas Ofczarek) are back but far from working in tandem. She believes he hid evidence from the previous murder of their colleague, Yela Franziska von Harsdorf), and tries to prove his complicity with her usual degree of determination, even while working tenuously with him on the new cases. Both lead detectives are viewed as damaged goods by their superiors, with Gedeon’s declining health also looming large.

One of the returning baddies is a family of wealthy local developers, trying to build luxury homes in a conservation area over the protests of environmentalists. They may also be involved in this new round of killings, many of which have particularly gory, ritualistic methods that may be due to a resurgent cult of Satanists. And for kickers, a neo-Nazi and child molester of yore add even more suspects and subplots to the package. It seems as if the new writers had stacks of rejected pilot scripts for a variety of productions and agreed to toss all of them into this one, leaving it to the editors to merge them coherently.

That adds up to more territory than eight hour-long episodes should have to cover, especially while spending so much time on maintaining mystical, menacing mood rather than plot advancement. Beyond that, the tale unfolds in a non-linear format, including many scenes that could be real, memories or hallucinations without much distinction among those possibilities. Bingeing is recommended as an aid to retaining who’s who, who did what, and why they did it. Far more concentration is required for Season Three than the first two. The good news is that viewers get closure on all matters with nothing of import dangling that calls for more episodes or a telefilm.

“Pagan Peak: Season 3,” mostly in German with English subtitles, streams on Topic starting Thursday, Oct. 26.

RATING: 1.5 out of 4 stars

“Homicide Hills” Season 3 – TV series review

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Caroline Peters as Sophie, Meike Droste as Barbel and Bjarne Mädel as Dietmar, in “Homicide Hills” on MHz Choice. Courtesy of MHz Choice

The German TV crime-solving comedy series “Homicide Hills” debuts its third season on streaming service MHzChoice on June 27. Previously, I’ve reviewed the first two seasons of this German crime comedy series on this site, and in the previous seasons, Sophie Haas (Caroline Peters), a tough, brash cop from Cologne, was shipped off to become the police chief of a sleepy German village named Hengasch. Season 3 opens with Sophie’s wedding to Hengasch’s local vet. True to form, things go wildly awry, resulting in “marriage interruptus,” then morphing into another crime to solve in the series’ light-hearted fashion. Her charming father (Hans Peter Hallwachs) moves with his “nurse” to Poland, removing one of the reliable cast members from the equation. That’s a loss.

Sophie continues leading her three-member force in solving 14 episodes worth of crimes. Actually, the streaming release is 13 hour-long episodes from 2014, plus a longer movie that aired the following year to provide closure for story arcs of these now-familiar – and mostly likable – characters. There is a fourth season but it came out in 2022, with an almost totally different cast, so this batch is the swan song for our protagonist police pals.

As before, Sophie’s weekly sleuthing challenges are mixed with romantic developments and her ongoing efforts to get reassigned to the major leagues – the Cologne force from whence she came. Hengasch has too many lulls between crimes of import, so she almost jumps for joy whenever a new murder relieves the tedium. Barbel is coping with pregnancy and other personal distractions. Dietmar’s life is truly cursed when his demanding mom has to move in with him and his wife – the similarly-annoying Helga. The overkill of demands from the elder explains why he married shrewish Helga. It supports the axiom about men tending to marry women like their mothers. They’re two of a kind, and constantly compete stridently for his allegiance over the other in squabbles large and small.

The crimes and the levity surrounding them are comparable to the first two seasons, except for a bit more of the running-time focused on their personal lives. And it seems as if they stressed the comedic side more than before, including moments of madcap. But each outing continues to be cleverly written, mixing the mystery with the merriment.

A village historical event that’s re-enacted every 5 years goes awry when the pretend killing within it turns real. A safe-cracker escapes from prison, resulting in a very unusual sort of crime wave. Another involves a man killed during a parade, when it’s not clear who the bullet was meant for. The movie-length finale is a murder in a nearby village for which Sophie finds herself the main suspect. It’s presented in a RASHOMON style, alternating among the different perspectives of our principals under interrogation by another tough cop (Nina Proll), who is basically a humorless version of Sophie.

“Homicide Hills” Season 3, mostly in German with English subtitles, begins streaming on MHzChoice on Tuesday, June 27.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

‘Heroes’ Season 3 is going to be awesome!

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OK, so it’s not movie-related, but come on… how can I NOT talk about this TV show? We’ve spent so much time and attention on ‘The Dark Knight’ I think it’s only fair to briefly indulge my geeked out anticipation for this new season of one of the coolest shows on TV… EVER!!! Here’s the two minute long primetime preview commercial for the third season of ‘Heroes’ called ‘Villains’ … I mean, right there says it all. Now, watch the preview and tell me you’re not totally stoked!