As part of the East German counterpart to the Tatort franchise, Bukow & König has a unique flavor: the stories often concern lives shattered by 45 years of Communism and the divisions lingering long after Reunification. You’re not going to get that on American television! The industrial/seaport city of Rostock provides the backdrop and gives the series its gritty look and texture.

It may be a Rostock police drama, but it’s also very much about the unlikely friendship between a by-the-book cop/psychologist and her more spontaneous, local-boy partner. Their sparring and scenes together are the best part of the series – kudos to the series’ writers and Charly Hübner and Anneke Kim Sarnau.

One of the stories in the new season is about a mother – a former Rostock policewoman – whose daughter was raped and killed 30 years prior. She never got justice for her daughter, and never stopped seeking it.

This season, both Bukow and König are in freefall – Bukow living with his father and stumbling through his new existence as single father of two sons (whose wife left him for his colleague – ouch!) and König still working through trauma from the rape she suffered in Season 2. She and Bukow are also under investigation for her assault on the rapist and Bukow’s assistance in helping her cover it up. The incident has taken a terrible toll on their friendship and contributes to each one’s personal unraveling.