What's it about?
- God is dead and the Internet is to blame
His real name is Robin Kahle, but most people know him by his stage name, Simson. He's an extremely popular prankster, a video artist who plays tricks on others. But now he's lying dead in the old town. Shot. He had many enemies. Internet star Scoopy (Wilson Gonzalez Ochsenknecht), who always stood in his shadow. Or the sleazy media manager Magnus Cord (Daniel Wagner), who squandered a large part of Simson's fortune. And what about the doctor Dr. Frantzen, who sold painkillers on the side to the prankster? Then there's the young Emilia Krohn, who idolized Simson. The Dresden detective duo Sieland and Gorniak have a lot on their hands - and have to make sure they don't become victims of a prank themselves.
Why is this "Tatort" worth watching?
Especially younger people's lives are increasingly taking place in the digital world. A fact that the "Tatort" rarely takes into account and where detectives still only use their phones for calling. When internet stars reach millions of people and effortlessly earn five-figure monthly salaries, the TV crime drama can no longer ignore this cosmos.
What's annoying?
Social media stars with "spirit" and "personality" who "deliver" because "content is king". The portrayal of the YouTube generation exceeds the boundaries of parody. The film (written by Richard Kropf, directed by Gregor Schnitzler) feels like the fantasy of a crusty TV editor - not like a reflection of digital reality. Good intentions aren't always well executed.
Moreover, another dimension is added: The internet community is implicitly held responsible for the complete expulsion of God from society. While churches are empty, young people gather for social mourning to mourn their deceased idol. The few remaining Christians are scared off by a prankster dressed as Nietzsche who sits in the church and shouts "God is dead".
The detectives?
With this murder case in the milieu of young internet stars, detectives Henni Sieland (Alwara Höfels) and Karin Gorniak (Karin Hanczewski) are entering new territory. While they experience their first shitstorm, their married boss Peter Michael Schnabel (Martin Brambach) seeks his luck on a dating site - which everyone in the precinct knows about.
To turn on or off?
Yes, this "Tatort" has major weaknesses - and that's not even counting the hectic ending. For a lazy summer evening, the charming Dresden team with Martin Brambach, Alwara Höfels, and Karin Hanczewski is good enough. If you don't take the story too seriously, it's bearable.
The "Tatort" episode "Lexel X" was first broadcast on 11 June 2017. The ARD will repeat the crime drama on Sunday, 11 August, at 8:15 PM.
Scoopy, the internet star who often found himself in Simson's shadow, was visibly affected by his friend's death. His lamentations echoed throughout the digital world, stirring a wave of sympathy and mourning among their online followers.
Despite his popularity, Simson had many adversaries, and questions arose about whether one of them had taken the drastic step of ending his life. The detectives, Sieland and Gorniak, must navigate this precarious landscape, ensuring they do not become the next victims of a digital prank.
