The fourth (and possibly final) season of Das Boot follows the course set in the third season. The number of submarine scenes at sea is further limited and the action mainly takes place on the mainland. With only six episodes, the story focuses on one central theme, set in Berlin and Naples.
After his escape from the Americans, Klaus Hoffman is celebrated as a hero in Berlin. However, the Gestapo does not trust him and prevents him from receiving a new command. We are in the late summer of 1943, a time when Nazi Germany suffered its first major defeats. Confidence in victory is beginning to crumble, although no one dares to express this openly.
Both the traditional military elite and fanatical Nazis have doubts. The former plot a coup and hope for an honorable peace, while the latter work on escape routes and securing their looted loot. After the death of Hagen Forster at the end of the previous season, there is a need for a new antagonist. We find this in SS-Sturmbannführer Koch. Like Hagen, he also sometimes struggles with the excesses of the regime.
Koch, who has smelled trouble about a conspiracy, searches vigorously for the identity of Fidelio, the leader of the conspirators. He also suspects Klaus Hoffman's involvement, but given his hero status he needs real proof. To do this, he calls in naval officer Schulz, who is having an affair with Hannie, Klaus' sister. Hannie plays an important role in this season. Her story highlights the threat and inhumanity of the Nazi dictatorship and its consequences for everyday life, even for the elite.
The fourth season of Das Boot impresses again with its quality, visual aspects, eye for details and strong acting performances. The focus is mainly on the political and police aspects, with less emphasis on the war actions in a submarine. This is definitely recommended for fans of the previous seasons. Unfortunately, it looks like Sky wants to shut down the series due to the high costs. Although the current season ends with a full-fledged finale during the American landing near Naples on September 9, 1943, history still offers enough material for several seasons. Let's hope for more!
About the writer, Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
