The Defeated Season 1, also known as Shadowplay, speaks of atrocities and mayhem as the citizens are reeling under utter turmoil after the war’s end. Written by Mans Marlind, Max Mc Laughlin, an American cop, is tasked with maintaining peace in Berlin (1946) while creating a new police force. He has to provide a supporting hand to a novice German policewoman Elsie to bring justice and peace. He has to unearth the mystery behind the murder of two American GIs as instructed by superior Tom Franklin, and he is under tremendous pressure to conclude the matter. He also has personal reasons to find the whereabouts of his brother Mortiz.
Elsie, an aspiring police officer, wanted to give justice to a girl whose dead body had shaken her conscience. While everyone was unmoved of a brother girl in such a challenging Germany where girls were largely misused, her efforts lead her closer to a man, “Angel Maker,” who is suspected of being behind such a heinous crime against innocent girls.
Who was Angel Maker?
Dr. Hermann Gladow is Angel Maker or Engelmacher (in German), referred to as a man that assisted women during the process of abortion as men and soldiers exploited them during the war. The expensive Penicillin was another reason girls found a clear balm for their state as he helped them. While his evil intentions to push them into prostitution in return for the act worsened their condition. However, Karin Mann is indebted to the man after being raped by an American soldier. He even killed American soldiers based on the lead he got from her. He took the help of his employees to extract confidential information from the military, which he used to sell to intelligence in the lure of hefty amounts.
Where was Max’s Brother, Mortiz
The elder brother of Max, namely, Mortiz, has been facing mental illness as he becomes hyper and highly violent. His childhood days were marked with utter violence when he saw his mother being shot by his father. The trigger was accidentally pressed to save him from becoming the next target, but then he knowingly pressed it again to end his life.
Max has hidden his brother’s violent characteristics from the army as he was fighting Nazis. Mortiz shot dead 32 camp guards after discovering the death camp, highlighting his violent behavior in Dachau during the war. Mortiz continued to wreak havoc while killing Nazis, and he got underground.
Before arriving in Germany, Max hoped his brother would return to lead an everyday life with his family. However, matters got out of hand.
Mortiz was shocked that his boss Tom Franklin was helping Nazis illegally with forged papers to move out of the war-torn country in return for secretly trading artwork. Despite pressure from Mortiz to gun him down, Max wanted to start a legal trial. This infuriated Mortiz, who tried to take matters into his own hands. Max handed “Shadowplay” to Elsie Garten, who hopes to shape the future of Germany.
What did Mortiz do further?
Mortiz was violent and abducted Tom’s family to gain information about another Nazi. However, Max soon arrived and shot his brother, but when he arrived later to check on him, he wasn’t there. Max’s brother is missing again. However, a farmer found Mortiz bleeding profusely, and he wanted to help him move to Italy. It is expected that he will continue to unleash terror on Nazis.
How was Angel Maker arrested?
Angel Maker and his new accomplice Karin Mann were about to bomb the police station after holding police officer Trude Schweistager. Even though Karin didn’t want in the final moment, it was too late. Max and Elsie learned about the hideout and arrested the man charged with murdering many innocent souls. They handed it to U.S. intelligence agencies. To start an everyday life, Maxe throws his father’s gun from the bridge as his time to return to Brooklyn finally arrives. Elsie was united with his husband, Leopold Garten. Unfortunately, Karin is expected to lead in the footsteps of her master and run a similar network.