The Defeated Season 1: Is It Worth Watching?
The Defeated Season 1 is set in after-war Germany. This post World War 2 drama has enough in it to keep the audience engaged. It is definitely worth a watch. However, despite a decent cast, this series falls short of doing justice to its grand theme.
Largely, the story successfully portrays the state of Germany divided between the allies right after the war. But the problem I think lies in the subplots that at times feel mostly disconnected throughout the storyline.
At the start of the series, the story shows a lot of promise. But as it develops, three subplots emerge making it harder for the viewers to connect with a single coherent narrative. The lead protagonist on the other hand keeps switching between these subplots while dealing with his own personal demons.
Things get particularly messed up once a late twist in the story is revealed. Most of the finale also seems to be a setup for a possible second season, making the ending less than satisfying.
What Keeps This Series Alive?
Despite seemingly divergent stories within the main storyline, this series features some very good performances. The lead protagonist played by Taylor Kitsch keeps the series afloat with his decent performance. Other notable performances include that of Logan Marshall-Green and Nina Hoss.
Although this series mostly revolves around a crime investigation, the accurate portrayal of a devastated Berlin is something remarkable. The grim situation of the people living in a fragmented post-war Berlin is accurately described in the series.
Another interesting highlight of this series is the dialogue. There are many lines in this series that cleverly portray the state of affairs in that particular era. The emphasis of one of the antagonists on the value of information for instance makes for some intriguing dialogue.
Is The Defeated Season 1 Worth Watching?
So, Is The Defeated Season 1 worth watching or not? Clearly, this series is not as good as the impressions of the trailer. But having said that, it is not a total disaster either. It is a decent series that is worth a watch. Definitely not binge-worthy but offers some interesting stories of that era.