The Defeated

Last updated
The Defeated
Also known asShadowplay
Written by Måns Mårlind
Production
Production companies

The Defeated, also known as Shadowplay, is a 2020 television series.

Contents

Plot

New York Police Department Detective Max McLaughlin gets assigned to post-World War II Berlin by the United States Department of State to help organize and establish a new police force and at the same time, looks for his brother, Moritz, a United States Army soldier who went missing at the end of the war, and helps Elsie Garten, a novice female German police superintendent, to fight crime in 1946 Germany.

The two lead characters, brothers Max and Moritz McLaughlin, are named after German literary characters from a 19th-century illustrated children's book, Max and Moritz: A Story of Seven Boyish Pranks. The book also features prominently throughout the series. [1]

Episodes

  1. "First Trick". New York Police Department Detective Max McLaughlin is sent to Berlin by the United States Department of State in 1946 to help German police superintendent Elsie Garten establish a new police department after World War II in the hopes of finding his brother, Moritz, a United States Army soldier who is thought to have died.
  2. "Brother of Edmund". Vice-consul Tom Franklin, Max's boss, puts pressure on him to investigate and crack the murder case of two American GIs as soon as possible, and Max and Elsie question Karin.
  3. "Rainbows". An auxiliary police officer has discovered where Karin is, but she manages to flee to the "Angel Maker", a German crime boss and abortionist; Max does not find Moritz himself, but at least he will find his sanctuary and discovers he is holed up in a boathouse.
  4. "Nakam". Moritz discovers crucial documents in high-ranking Nazi officer Otto Oberlander's home; Tom's wife Claire helps Max in his investigation; Claire discovers that her husband is collaborating with the Nazis; and Max and Moritz disagree about what should happen to Franklin.
  5. "Bellyful". When Max and Elsie's unit locates Karin once more and pursues a contentious line of questioning, the investigation in Berlin goes on.
  6. "Blessed". Elsie and Max make progress in the investigation, but Karin and the Angel Maker continue to be one step ahead. Elsie also takes dangerous action to defend her husband Leopold.
  7. "Mutti". When Max discovers the truth about the secret flights, he issues an ultimatum to Moritz, and Karin and the Angel Maker organize a fatal attack on Max and Elsie's police precinct.
  8. "Homecoming". When Max and Elsie find out where the Angel Maker is, he has one last ruse up his sleeve; Moritz targets Tom, setting up a confrontation with Max.

Cast

Production and distribution

The series was written by Måns Mårlind, [2] and produced by Tandem Productions and Bron Studios. [3] It premiered in Germany on ZDF in four film-length episodes in October and November 2020. In Australia, it was shown as Shadowplay in 2021 on free-to-air TV station SBS. [4] The Defeated was distributed on Netflix on 18 August 2021. [5]

Production on The Defeated took place entirely in Prague and surrounding locations in the Czech Republic, standing in for WWII-era Germany. [6]

Reception

The Daily Telegraph 's Ed Power rated the series four out of five stars. [7] The Sydney Morning Herald 's Kylie Northover rated the series three out of five stars. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Max and Moritz</i> German language illustrated story in verse

Max and Moritz: A Story of Seven Boyish Pranks is a German language illustrated story in verse. It was written and illustrated by Wilhelm Busch and published in 1865, and has since had significant cultural impact, both in German-speaking countries, where the story has been passed down through generations, but on the wider world, after translation into many languages. It has been adapted for film and television, as well as inspiring comic strips and children's TV characters and having things named after it.

<i>M</i> (1931 film) 1931 film by Fritz Lang

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moritz Bleibtreu</span> German actor

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References

  1. ↑ "Why Max McLaughlin from The Defeated Looks So Familiar". looper.com. 21 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  2. ↑ Petski, Denise (10 April 2019). "Taylor Kitsch & Michael C. Hall Lead Cast of Shadowplay Drama Series from Tandem & BRON". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  3. ↑ Hopewell, John (19 July 2019). "Tandem's Berlin-Set Shadowplay Goes for Edge". Variety . Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 Northover, Kylie (24 February 2021). "Gorgeous – but graphic – post-war thriller explores a broken Berlin". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. ↑ White, Abbey (31 July 2021). "Netflix's New Releases Coming in August 2021". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "Prague-shot post-WWII drama The Defeated premieres on Netflix". The Prague Reporter. Archived from the original on 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  7. ↑ Power, Ed (18 August 2021). "The Defeated, review: a grimly gripping thriller set in the ruins of post-war Berlin" . The Daily Telegraph . London. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.

Further reading

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