The Grossdeutsches Reich (Greater German Realm) is triumphant. I’m amazed the boy choir wasn’t singing Tomorrow Belong To Me. There are shadows and rasping and Nazis. There is growing malevolence by menacing and unpleasant people. There are acrimonious exchanges, righteous rages and no narrative layers. Archer stands idly by as unremitting misery and an atmosphere of menace take place. People are deliberately malicious. Archer is the least compelling character.

Dunn the junior cop is dead. Archer has been a cop for 15 years?!? Archer shrugs off the social conditions and I’ve utter disdain for him. Archer has false purpose. A work permit and a ration book are needed for a job. No job and well, you can guess what happens. This lacks coherence. People have menacing intent. This is not appointment to view TV. This was not a concise narrative. TPTB banalise the storyline and it has no emotional weight or bleak aesthetic.

Kellerman is a prat. There is no nightmarish dread or conspiracy narrative. This has a lack of nuance. Kellerman rides the King’s horses. The Germans are like ‘Allo Allo’ rejects. Where are the Royal family? There are tensions within the German military. Huth has a wearisome insistence on being awful. Sylvia lurks. A US newsreel is used for exposition. Archer flirts with the wooden Barbara and talks to men in tuxes. There is no specific villain. People have malice of intent. I’m utterly indifferent to this. Characters are uncaring and have no emotional navigation. People are less than warm.

This was ill-considered. There is a mention of de Gaulle (what became of him?) and it is stated that flying boats left for Iceland at the very end. Everyone is clean and well dressed. The King is sick and has been moved from the Tower of London. Is Barbara supposed to be Archer’s impassioned soul mate? Archer ignores his son and shags around and is ripped. I’m sure policemen in 1941 looked waxed and buffed. Huth tries for cold, causal menace. The atomic programme is part of what’s going on. Huth goes on about the glory of the Reich. The self-satisfied and emotionally disconnected Archer punches Huth and this was trivial and fanciful. No compressed lucidity here.

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