Berlin Station – “Station to Station” Review. Spies Are Us.

Series Premiere

Air Date: Sunday, October 16, 2016, at 9/8c on EPIX

Rating: ★★★★★ 3 Stars

When I first heard about Berlin Station, I got excited, very excited, mostly because of the casting. Series lead Richard Armitage, who plays CIA Analyst Daniel Miller, is not only easy on the eyes, he fits the bill of what you want a spy to look like – tall, handsome, fit, and intelligent. While all these things make up the Hollywood version of what operatives look like, spies come in all shapes and sizes. The impressive casting in Berlin Station includes Richard Jenkins as Chief Steven Frost, Rhys Ifans as Case Office Hector DeJean, Michelle Forbes as Internal Branch Chief Valerie Edwards, and Leland Orser as Deputy Chief Robert Kirsch.

"Station to Station" begins in reverse, 2 months ahead of Daniel's official arrival in Berlin. All episodes will lead to this moment. Photos ©2016 EPIX. All Rights Reserved.

There are some intriguing plot points throughout the series premiere, “Station to Station,” but there are also some incredibly droll moments. Berlin Station is an intensely dialogue heavy series that requires the audience to pay particular attention to what’s being said. It also needs your undivided attention; otherwise, you may overlook small things that occur in the background. Admittedly, I did rewind a few times because I kept feeling like I was missing something. And, why does it appear to be as thought Berlin is this hot bed of spy activity, generating spy after spy like a proverbial “Spies Are Us?” I wanted to love Berlin Station, again because Armitage was the driving factor for me to watch the show; however, after watching the first two episodes, I realize there are other key players vying for the top spot in my sights. Jenkins gives an amazing performance as Chief of the CIA’s Berlin station. He has been in numerous films and commands his presence onscreen. Jenkins’ subtly is his secret weapon.

Valerie Edwards, with Daniel in the background, inform one of their own he's been compromised. Photos ©2016 EPIX. All Rights Reserved.

Forbes impresses me with her uncanny ability to make you believe she is on your side while simultaneously putting a knife slowly in your back. The confrontations between Frost and Edwards become icy (no pun intended) a few times throughout both the series premiere and second episode.

Fun fact – both Armitage and Ifans don American accents in Berlin Station, but it’s not like Americans haven’t portrayed with a British or Welsh accents before. I digress. Daniel and Hector are old pals but as friendships go in the spy business, it’s unclear how thick that friendship truly is; although, I’m intrigued to find out the history. Ifans gives a complicated performance as his character Hector seems to be struggling with many facets of the CIA’s operational practices. His perplexing situation involving Faisal (Kerem Can), his informant, puzzles me beyond words. Perhaps I should rewatch the episode to see if I missed something.

“Station to Station” isn’t the best series premiere I’ve watched as there is room for improvement. Seeing Daniel wearing a baseball cap while doing his spy thing leans heavily toward cliché. The best way to be innocuous is to blend in, not stand out. Hats, sunglasses, and any other obstructive items only make you appear more suspicious. It’s like running from the scene of a crime when walking would make you appear less obvious. Although there is one character in the premiere that wears the most gauche wig – at least I hope it’s a wig. Yikes.

Daniel's lack of "red eye" flight fatigue doesn't go unnoticed by Valerie as she introduces him around the office. Photos ©2016 EPIX. All Rights Reserved.

“Station to Station” focuses on Daniel’s supposedly inconspicuous transfer from Langley to Berlin but in reality, he’s there to figure out the next moves of the mysterious and unknown Thomas Shaw. Drawing on influences from well-known, real-life events involving the likes of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, Berlin Station gives life to Shaw, an unidentified entity who uses cryptic methods to provide information to the press that exposes damaging CIA secrets. With operatives being outed left and right, the folks at CIA headquarters in Langley must shut down Shaw’s operation as quickly and as quietly as possible. But there is a twist – is Thomas Shaw also a murderer? The plot thickens.

Needless to say, there is a proverbial mole in the agency, go figure. It seems everyone in the CIA has something to hide. The overplayed plot devices – an extramarital affair, questionable business practices, and duplicitous undermining tactics – become a bit stale throughout “Station to Station,” but the second episode holds hope that the writers were just getting warmed up with the series premiere. One of Berlin Station’s strengths is filming on location in Berlin. The city itself is a character as its gorgeous architecture and landscape lend authenticity to the spy series.

If you are looking for something intelligent and complex to sink your teeth into, Berlin Station fits the bill. Though the series premiere does have some drawbacks, it does end with a bit of an eyebrow raiser, making you wonder whom you can trust. The answer – no one, perhaps not even yourself.

Tune in to the Berlin Station Sundays at 9/8c, only on EPIX.

For more on the show, go to http://www.berlinstation.com/

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.