![]() ![]() ![]() Nevertheless some of the acting does stand out, especially Nicholas Ofczarek as Robert Neder, the estranged husband. That many of the actors are caricatures, from Bach’s prime suspect to the police and especially the prosecutor, is the collision of unnuanced performances with poor direction and writing. It, like so many other things in the show, is a red herring but one left unresolved. This is like a bomb dropped unexploded where you are always waiting for the timing device to go off and it never does. The director and writer make implications of collusion and corruption throughout the series without ever going deeper and that is a major frustration. The motivation to ignore evidence and block the inquiry is never pursued, leaving the viewer to assume a level of incompetence that may have been motivated by corruption. The acting is a bit spotty as several of the characters are poorly drawn and shallow. This is a very good series and will be a welcome addition to the many excellent crime series that can presently be streamed on various platforms. His obsession drives the story while driving him mad. “Dark Woods” follows this true life case over a period of 25 years and the obsession of Bethge, the brother, who knows there is evidence that the police have refused to look at. Karoline Schuch as Anne Bach and Matthias Brandt as Thomas Bethge in “Dark Woods.” Photo courtesy of Topic. Bach, unable to take the lack of respect, the disdain, and the sheer incompetence, if not corruption of the criminal investigation service, transfers back to Hamburg. The years go by and even when new evidence crops up, the local police of Lower Saxony in concert with the head prosecutor, refuse to budge or investigate. ![]() The police abandon their investigation, convinced that the husband did it even though they can’t prove it and Bach faces greater and greater hostility. As the case grows colder and colder, he realizes that he has made a giant mistake. It is the prosecutor who decides that Bach’s lines of inquiry are baseless and refuses to issue subpoenas or search warrants.īethge is a by-the-book career officer and when Bach comes to him with her suspicions and frustrations, he coldly informs her that she must follow the rules and obey the hierarchy. The prosecutor has the power to decide who and what is investigated. But the police, with the cooperation of a prosecutor more interested in closing cases than investigating them, refuse to even consider other possibilities. Barbara went missing after an encounter with a man she met at a party and he should also be in the mix. Bach, it turns out, was his protégée at the police academy, and she feels they should focus on more than just the husband. Coincidentally, and very inconveniently, Barbara is the sister of the head of the Federal police in Hamburg, Thomas Bethge. Richard is seeking the dissolution so he can marry his girlfriend and Barbara has been putting up a big fuss. She sets out all the reasons why they should not close this case but her arguments are ignored.Ĭonvinced that they have solved a probable serial killing, they focus on the disappearance of Barbara Neder, the wealthy, soon-to-be ex-wife of industrialist Richard Neder. She already has three strikes against her-she’s new, she’s an outsider from Hamburg, and, primarily, she’s a woman. An irritant to their quick over-and-out solution is the newest member of the team, Anne Bach. Stripped, bound, and possibly sexually assaulted, the police zero in on a troubled artist who lived nearby and was acquainted with the area. In the summer of 1989, the bodies of two different couples were found in the forest of lower Saxony, shot at close range with a small caliber weapon. The title is apt in more ways than just the titular forest. Written by Stefan Kolditz and directed by Sven Bohse, “Dark Woods” is based on true events. “Dark Woods,” a six part mini series premiering on the Topic streaming platform, is a fitting title. Matthias Brandt as Thomas Bethge and Karoline Schuch as Anne Bach in “Dark Woods.” Photo courtesy of Topic. ![]()
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