‘Babylon Berlin’ Recap: ‘Season 4, Episodes 3 & 4’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The Dance Marathon Gets Underway in Episodes 403 and 404 of ‘Babylon Berlin’. (Photo Courtesy of MHz Choice.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 403 and 404 of ‘Babylon Berlin’. To revisit the Season Four Premiere, click here.
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There are a great many reasons that people tune into the hit MHZ Choice series, Babylon Berlin. For some, it’s the chance to enjoy a period piece, which are rare in this day and age. For others… it’s about the historical lessons this show sends our way. Since it is also set in the era when the Nazi regime rose to power and that allows for moments of reflection regarding how they obtained said power. Plus, it also features incredible characters that we love and adore and cannot get enough of. But of the many reasons we all tune in, there is one above all that we each share in. In that, this is just a well-written show. One that tells amazing stories, and never was that more evident than during this week’s episodes.

For this week’s block of stories… offered up engaging journeys that saw Rath and Charlotte deal with some fascinating moments. For Gereon that involved, working to maintain links in the SA. Because there was a power struggle taking place in its world that jeopardized Rath’s chance to continue to infiltrate the SA and report back and when he wasn’t working to save that particular case, he was stuck dealing with the strangeness of his broken brother and… handling some surprises involving the dead man that issued the gambling licenses in Berlin. Mainly because Rath came to learn that no one in the city had reason to want to kill him. Because without him, money wouldn’t flow, and gangsters couldn’t operate. Which meant that someone else stepped in to cause trouble.

Which was troublesome to learn, because this person, who remained in the shadows for the entire episode, was clearly eager to sow discontent and financial problems for the underworld. In fact, we saw them in action in this story… as they skewed bets and flipped fights to their liking and the trouble inherent with such an act, relates to the reality that it could create mob wars on the streets. For men with that kind of power, don’t like having their riches toyed with and will quickly turn on each other for resolution. Which we saw hints of here, and one cannot help but wonder if this act relates to the future. Since chaos in the streets would be a lovely talking point for a future despot eager to speak to why control and law and order are so very necessary.

But while it was fascinating to see Rath dig into this case and all the strangeness it brought about, there was more happening within the city. For Toni was trying to find safety and that brought her home, wherein she found more death and sorrow and worked with her siblings to try find food and money to survive another day. Which led to close calls and eventual chaos. For not only were the police looking for her, but so was the SA Youth, who eagerly wanted to impress their boss and that brought forth the death of a police officer when an attempt to give her salvation went awry, and that more or less plunged her into deeper trouble with the law. The kind that forced Charlotte to make a powerful and heartbreaking decision.

Because while her sister struggled to say hidden, Charlotte worked to pay her bills. For not being part of the police department anymore meant that she had to find funding in some manner. Which brought her to a multi-day dance marathon at the club. Wherein she and other competitors would in essence, dance until they dropped. A contest that Charlotte should have won easily and for a time, it appeared she would, despite having to switch through several men as her dance partners. But she made it to the final round, and only had to beat one last dance duo, and that was when Rath and the department let her know what was happening with her sister and well, it was either the money… or family… and Charlotte chose family. Putting her finances at risk to ensure a future for her sister.

Sadly, that went nowhere because Toni worked hard to say hidden, but that did speak to what Charlotte values and all of this brought together, one epic episode. For this was just filled to the brim with incredible storytelling, and moments that have us curious as to what comes next for Rath and Charlotte. Not to mention, there were all kinds of plot threads assembled for resolution here, such as the trial at hand, the jewel and the matter of the secret society of the White Hand. All of which speaks to how epic this series is and how much it packs into a single episode and that is going to make the wait for next week’s block of episodes quite difficult. Since we simply must know what great writing and great moments lie ahead. Until next time.

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