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Anyone watching Deutschland 83?

307 replies

Destinysdaughter · 03/01/2016 21:35

Am enjoying it so far. Very intriguing
premise and beautifully shot. I don't mind subtitles, find they make me concentrate more and am very interested in this period of history. Looking forward to see how it develops...anyone else? ( guess most of you are watching War and Peace tonight!)

OP posts:
glamorousgrandmother · 15/02/2016 08:57

I thought it might have been Alex who killed himself but I don't think he had a gun handy whereas his Dad probably did. So Martin saved the world and ended up playing happy families with the girl who betrayed everyone.

What do you think happened to Thomas? He got an exit to the West but was immediately picked up by Tischbier (sp?). I assume he was being used as a spy.

Leslieknope45 · 15/02/2016 12:37

Great episode last night. I really felt for Annette. Just a product of the system.
Wonder what future Martin can have there now?

gingercat12 · 15/02/2016 14:28

Martin seems to go the way of his surrogate father, General Edel I thought. Years of passive-aggressive family life.

What happens in the next ones? 1989 is when Hungary opens the borders. But what about 1986? I can only think Chernobyl off-hand.

RockNRollNerd · 15/02/2016 15:23

Gorbachev was starting to get going with Glasnost and Perestroika in 1986 so that would probably provide a good range of plots I think there were also mounting debt problems in the GDR during the 80s?

Loved last night's double bill, it ended really well I thought, if there is a next series I will be looking forward to it but if that's it then it finished up in excellent style (am a sucker for a bit of an ambiguous ending in things but I know they're not to everyone's taste).

It was really only the two sisters Leonora and Ingrid who came out anything like unscathed at the end - Ingrid was mostly ahead of the game (especially with her new kidney) but she's pretty much cashed in her chips with the Stasi and presumably had burned all her library in the final scene - she had Martin home though and a grandchild on the way. Leonora will presumably carry on charming, bribing and threatening her way through the next few years, possibly with some time in Mozambique but she looked to have a nice stash of passports and hard currency with her.

diddl · 15/02/2016 15:24

I loved it.

Loved the surnames!

Surely he won't be welcome in the East or the West?

SymphonyofShadows · 15/02/2016 18:48

I thought it was the General who shot himself at first but Alex did look at the briefcase on the floor when he came in. I agree with PP, it's to keep us guessing. I think if there is an 86 Alex's tests will have come back negative.

gingercat12 · 15/02/2016 21:08

Ok, so I tried to remember my own life in in 1986 cheated a bit as well.

So Gorbachev visited Berlin.
Argentina v Germany in the World Cup final (watched every single game).
Boris Becker won for the second time in Wimbledon.
But I think we were all a bit nervy about Chernobyl (a pilot told us that if we look down now, we can see the remains of the power plant - that was before the sarcofag was built).
The US bombed Libya.
1985 saw deadly terror attacks on Europe by the PLO.
RAF and the Red Brigades were active.
Films: The Platoon, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Aliens, Top Gun.

Davros · 15/02/2016 21:34

Brilliant! Can't wait for more. I think Alex shot himself

Theydontknowweknowtheyknow · 16/02/2016 15:01

I think the Dad shot himself. Alex is young and gay in the 80s so has more story possibilities.

Martin will stay with his naive traitor wife but will hanker after the West German woman and go back into the game to be with her again.

Oh and the wall will come down in 1989 Grin

NoahVale · 16/02/2016 19:55

finally saw the final. that was great. loved the scene with martin hiding in the car, with the little girl putting her fingers to her lips, then waving him off with her magic wand
and the kidnapping of Yvonne.
shame as it seemed that martins mother burnt her books.
and poor Alex, tears that his Friend was a mole for the East, which was what he would have liked to have been possibly, or he felt he was just such a hero who let them down.

NoahVale · 16/02/2016 19:56

Welcome to the free world Thomas,
why was he sent to the West?

6 years on and the wall came down

NoahVale · 16/02/2016 19:57

thank goodness for General Fuchs.
The paranoia was amazing wasn't it.

NoahVale · 16/02/2016 19:58

I bought this record back in 1982

Kennington · 16/02/2016 20:02

Such a good show - and I loved the E. German interiors.
Surely another series? The baby will be 6 when the wall comes down. Poor annet really didn't get it though. Why was Martin with her? Although she was beautiful.

wowfudge · 16/02/2016 22:39

I thoroughly enjoyed this - one you had to watch when it was on.

I'm not sure I believe General Edel would have killed himself, but then the one person he felt could rely on and liked turned out to be the mole. His wife left him and his kids hated him. His status through his career was shot too, pardon the pun. I don't think angry Alex would have had the guts to shoot himself, but he might have shot his dad given everything that had happened.

Martin loved the freedom he had the west and the lifestyle. It was really interesting.

I know the writers pitched it as a trilogy, but that doesn't mean the next series (if it gets commissioned) will feature the same characters.

Leslieknope45 · 16/02/2016 22:52

Welcome to the free world Thomas,
why was he sent to the West?

The East sold some people to the west who welcomed them as refugees. Not sure how you could manage to get to West and not be locked up- maybe it depended on what your crime was?

SymphonyofShadows · 16/02/2016 23:06

Why was the person who greeted him on the West an E German plant though?

Leslieknope45 · 17/02/2016 09:23

I just read that Swedishedith. Fascinating!

scarlets · 17/02/2016 11:10

I think that Tischbier will use Thomas to gain more info about the mobile libraries/Thomas' friends in the East. He will pretend to be a sympathiser, but will pass the intel to his handlers across the border.

SymphonyofShadows · 17/02/2016 11:14

I thought that too scarlets he was there for some dodgy spying purpose.

rattata · 17/02/2016 11:41

I loved it too. Although I didn't understand how the Brothel incident would just be covered up and Alex allowed back into the army at such a sensitive time, no questions asked. That poor prostitute and her child waiting at the school gates for her.

I laughed when Yvonne tried to hitch her tight leather skirt up a bit when running away from the Stasi guy and also when she was getting ready for the concert - big hair, a ton of make up, earrings, cigarette, booze - god I miss the 80's.and being young.

I loved the Edel's house - stunning (but timeless, not really 80's)

gingercat12 · 17/02/2016 12:42

SwedishEdith That sounds good.

I am waiting for Marion Brasch's book to come out in English www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B006LI7ZB2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1455712711&sr=1-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=Marion+Brasch

BingoBonkers · 17/02/2016 14:58

Marking spot! Back later.

HalleLouja · 17/02/2016 19:13

I really enjoyed the series. Not sure if there is going to be another one or how they would do it if there was one. Its scary all the stuff that happened on our doorstep.

I thought it was really well acted.

I also think it was General Edel who killed himself and not Alex.