"Tatort" today at 9.45 pm - The bus driver's fear of suicide
Evaluation
- 3 out of 5 Points
- "Two Lives" is the title of this "Tatort" rerun - and it contains two films in one: a Psychodrama and a Crime, where the murderer is not revealed until the very end.
What's the case about in this "Tatort"?
A man jumps off an Autobahn bridge and lands right in front of Commissioner Flückiger's old friend Beni's bus. Beni, who has already run over two suicide victims as a train conductor and hasn't dealt with it, is in a rage at the police station. They believe the dead man is Bauunternehmer Jakob Conti. However, he is supposed to have died in 2004 from the tsunami in Thailand, according to his wife and son's claims. The Lucerne commissioners Flückiger and Ritschard investigate on various levels. They look into the building company of the deceased, shed light on his family relationships, and try to get the therapist of the bus driver to break his confidentiality.
Why is it worth it?
When it comes to suicides, it is rarely the dead person in the spotlight, but rather the train conductors whose rails many victims die on. "Two Lives" gives the souls of such people a lot of space. A person who has run over someone with their bus or train feels responsible, even though they bear no guilt for the death.
What's annoying?
As with many cases of the Lucerne team, there is a certain leisureliness that permeates the entire production. There is hardly any dialogue wit, and one could have left the scenes earlier in some places. In Switzerland, clocks tick differently - it's not always easy to spend 90 minutes on it.
The Commissioners?
Among the most common clichés of TV detectives are: they are always lonely or unhappily in love - and they bicker constantly with their colleague. The Swiss team shows that it can be different: While Reto Flückiger (Stefan Gubser) celebrates his anniversary with his girlfriend by the campfire, his colleague Liz Ritschard (Delia Mayer) has fallen in love with the woman from the Asia Service. The two commissioners work well together professionally. A good case comes without artificial conflicts among the investigators.
On or off?
Calmly turn it on. This "Tatort" takes a lot of time to explore the figure of the bus driver, who was indirectly involved in several suicides and cannot come to terms with these experiences. In addition, the search for the killer remains engaging until the end.
The "Tatort" episode "Zwei Leben" was first aired on 17.9.2017. The ARD will re-broadcast the case on Sunday, 7. July 2024, at 21.45 hours.
- The investigation into the man's suicide at the crime scene leads Commissioners Flückiger and Ritschard to question the deceased's wife and son, who claimed he died in a tsunami in Thailand in 2004.
- Reto Flückiger, one of the Lucerne commissioners, is dealing with the reality of having run over two suicide victims as a train conductor in the past, and he finds solace in his anniversary celebration with his girlfriend.
- Markus Graf, the therapist of the bus driver involved in the case, refuses to break his confidentiality, making it difficult for the commissioners to gather necessary information.
- Liz Ritschard, another commissioner, finds herself falling in love with a woman from the Asia Service, adding a unique dynamic to their professional relationship.
