A ten-episode first season premiered on Epix on October 16, 2016. On November 17, 2016, Epix renewed Berlin Station for a second season, originally planned to contain ten episodes, which premiered on October 15, 2017 and concluded a nine-episode-season-run on December 3, 2017.[4] On December 6, 2017, Epix renewed the series for a third season, which premiered on December 2, 2018.[5][6]
It was canceled on March 29, 2019 after three seasons.[7]
The story follows Daniel Miller (Richard Armitage), who has just arrived at the CIA station in Berlin, Germany. In season 1, Miller has a clandestine mission: to uncover the source of a leak who has supplied information to a now-famous whistleblower named Thomas Shaw. Guided by veteran Hector DeJean (Rhys Ifans), Daniel learns to contend with the rough-and-tumble world of the field agent: agent-running, deception, and the dangers and moral compromises. In season 2, four months after Miller was shot at the end of season 1, he recovered from his injuries sufficiently to be given a new clandestine assignment: to infiltrate a far-right German political party believed to be planning an act of terror right before an upcoming election.
Cast
Main
Richard Armitage as Daniel Miller, a cerebral CIA officer who shifts from working as an analyst at Langley headquarters in the US to serving as an undercover officer in Berlin and is tasked with finding a leak in CIA operations[8]
Rhys Ifans as Hector DeJean, a disillusioned veteran CIA officer with dubious tactics and many secrets[9]
Leland Orser as Robert Kirsch, a devoted and successful Deputy Chief who digs intelligence out of the city of Berlin through a mix of force, diligence, and cleverness[8]
Michelle Forbes as Valerie Edwards, the no-nonsense administrator who serves as a Berlin Station Internal Branch Chief,[8] and later Station Chief
Richard Jenkins as Steven Frost (seasons 1–2, guest season 3), a veteran of the Cold War, who serves as the CIA's Chief of the Berlin Station in season 1 and is retired at the start of season 2[10]
Tamlyn Tomita as Sandra Abe (season 1), a quiet presence leading the efficient operation of Berlin Station while having an affair with her boss, Steven[8]
John Doman as Richard Hanes (season 2), the new American ambassador to Germany and an old friend of Steven's
Keke Palmer as April Lewis (seasons 2–3), the new young case officer assigned to Berlin Station[11]
Ashley Judd as BB Yates (season 2, recurring season 3), Berlin's new Chief of Station, nicknamed "The Station Whisperer"[12]
Daniel Miller is sent to the CIA's Berlin Station with a covert mission to discover the identity of Thomas Shaw, a whistleblower leaking confidential intel to the German press.
2
2
"Lights Don't Run on Loyalty"
Michaël R. Roskam
Olen Steinhauer
October 23, 2016 (2016-10-23)
102
Daniel investigates the murder of Shaw's courier while Station Chief Steven Frost and agents Valerie Edwards and Robert Kirsch clash in their own investigation of a suspected ISIL collaborator.
3
3
"Riverrun Dry"
Christoph Schrewe
Bradford Winters
October 30, 2016 (2016-10-30)
103
Hector DeJean bugs Daniel's phone, and Valerie's surveillance reveals that one of her informants is lying to her. Investigators from the US arrive to lock down the station, leaving Steven and Robert concerned that evidence of their past indiscretions will be found.
4
4
"By Way of Deception"
Christoph Schrewe
Larry J. Cohen
November 6, 2016 (2016-11-06)
104
Steven outmaneuvers his rival for the promotion to Deputy Director. Hector works against Daniel's risky mission.
Daniel visits Steven to tell him that a new leak about the Chinese is going to be published by Berliner Zeitung that could affect Steven's position. Hector lets slip that he loves Clare. Krug is told to work with Daniel to take a Chinese political prisoner (Houjin Lin) to Poland, but the plane takes him to Beijing. At Krug's apartment, she seduces Daniel as a step in her recruitment of him. Valerie briefs Steven and Robert on a smuggling operation that gets young girls from Germany into Syria; two girls detained at the airport are interviewed by Valerie; Mossad shows interest in Robert who meets with Golda; initially, he rejects the overtures, but after disagreeing with Steven and Valerie over the logistics of the smuggling operation, he lean towards accepting; at the site of Daniel's mother's car bombing death, Krug tells him some 'home truths' about her; Daniel knows she is 'working' him and detaches; De Voss turns up outside Hector's apartment having been beaten.
6
6
"Just Decisions"
Giuseppe Capotondi
Story by : Olen Steinhauer & Amanda Kate Shuman Teleplay by : Olen Steinhauer
November 20, 2016 (2016-11-20)
106
At a secret meeting in a shielded BfV room between station management and the BfV, Valerie says that Ruth and Aleksandre Iosava are running an underground route from Germany to Syria for young girls to marry ISIL fighters; Cologne must approve the joint operation to thwart Ruth; Robert longs to be closer to his son and again meets with Golda, asking for help to get out of Berlin; at the operation 'go' briefing, Valerie, ever cynical, realizes it is about Steven wanting Jemma's desk; Clare tells Hector she is to be the 'ISIL bride' in the operation, so he confronts Valerie, who has excluded him from the op; Hector is not impressed that Daniel is on point and inserts himself into the operation at the food court, which goes bad when Ruth recognizes Clare; Ruth takes Clare, a shootout ensues and she escapes with Clare; Robert chases the van, but when he catches up with it, finds it empty; during the op, Robert tells Steven that Ruth's husband has been 'snatched'; Steven reflects upon his decisions with Sandra and she drops the title of the episode.
Story by : Amanda Kate Shuman Teleplay by : Adria Lang
November 27, 2016 (2016-11-27)
107
Ruth demands Steven return her husband; she calls him and offers Clare for his return and their safe passage out; Langley tells Steven the Romanians took him, which is confirmed by video obtained by BfV; Krug infiltrates a Romanian club to find out from Vasile who ordered Iosava taken; Langley negotiates with the Romanians to get a live video feed with Iosava, but needs POTUS to approve; Hector enlists Daniel to find Clare and, using unapproved and unorthodox tactics, finds a clue in the van at the police impound yard that she is in Wedding; with Valerie's help and "Brown Bear", Hector and Daniel track down Clare to a warehouse, where she has attempted, unsuccessfully, to escape; Clare dies at the warehouse as Daniel and Hector try to save her; Hector kills Ruth; Golda asks Robert to give her the file on CIA op 'Antoinette'; Sandra sees him looking at a file; as Hector takes Clare's body away, Daniel tells Valerie that Ruth escaped; Hans tells Steven that Shaw has leaked the rendition of Iosava to the press, pointing the finger at Steven Frost; the newscaster reports that a warrant is issued for his arrest.
The debacle of Iosava continues to plague the Station. Daniel thinks he has identified Thomas Shaw, and tries to track down Steven Frost. Robert Kirsch is encouraged to distinguish himself as Acting Station Director, by undercutting Valerie Edwards.
Daniel and Hector find their fates intertwined. Langley sends Clay Williams to investigate the Berlin Station. We see the Thomas Shaw origin story.
10
10
"Oratorio Berlin"
Joshua Marston
Olen Steinhauer
December 18, 2016 (2016-12-18)
110
Robert Kirsch and Valerie Edwards connect evidence to cast light on Langley's role in the Iosava rendition, while Sandra and Kelly Frost try to help Steven. The aftermath of Thomas Shaw lingers over Daniel. Elsewhere, Hector tries a new approach to make amends for bad behavior.
With Esther's help, Daniel fakes a murder as part of his cover as a black-market gun runner named Trevor Price. BB takes over as head of Berlin Station, and then she and Robert are called into a meeting with new ambassador Richard Hanes, who wants to be informed of all operations through Berlin Station. Although BB and Robert already launched Daniel's operation with Esther's help, they do not tell Hanes or CIA HQ in Langley about the operation. In addition, at Esther's request, Valerie and April plant a bug in Katerina Gerhardt's house. To prevent April from being discovered, Valerie has to distract PfD official Joseph Emmerich, who subsequently figures out her identity but seems more interested in flirting. In cleaning up his murder, "Trevor" makes contact with Lena Ganz, and (with Robert's help) he shows Lena samples of the weapons he can provide. She introduces him to her father Otto, who is looking to buy a large amount of weapons, but Otto refuses to talk with him unless he reveals his supplier and they visit him immediately. "Trevor", Otto, Lena and Armando (who is an undercover BfV agent posing as one of Otto's followers) end up at a villa in southern Spain, and the door is opened by a surprised Hector DeJean.
This episode takes place entirely during one day at Hector's southern Spain hideout. Despite Hector's alarm at being found, Daniel manages to persuade Hector to re-adopt an old CIA cover of his as international arms dealer Andrew Chevalier and help Daniel close the deal with Otto. Otto pays "Andrew" a €100,000 down payment and places an order for 120 kg of Semtex and other explosives, but Lena then discovers that Armando is a BfV agent. When "Trevor" stops Otto from killing Armando, Armando takes Lena hostage and tries to flee, only to crash his car. Daniel and Hector find him, albeit seriously wounded, and Armando threatens to reveal Daniel's real identity if they let Otto capture him. Hector then kills Armando to prevent this, and "Andrew" then joins Otto, Lena and "Trevor" to return to Germany for the arms delivery in ten days.
13
3
"Right to the Heart"
John David Coles
Kiersten Van Horne
October 22, 2017 (2017-10-22)
203
Valerie works to obtain intel on the Far Right while Robert's teenage son Noah arrives in Berlin and asks questions. Meanwhile, Frost agrees to the Ambassador's request to spy on Berlin.
BB Yates' past is revealed while she juggles keeping Berlin Station's Far Right operation covert or revealing it to Ambassador Hanes; Daniel discovers a lack of trust between Otto Ganz and his daughter.
15
5
"Right of Way"
Bronwen Hughes
Lara Shapiro
November 5, 2017 (2017-11-05)
205
The Station's sting operation to catch the Far Right in an arms deal goes horribly awry, with Lena Ganz escaping after her father is killed by police. Meanwhile, Robert and Frost make plans to investigate the money trail behind the PfDs.
Robert and Frost travel to Norway to investigate the illegal money trail leading to PfD. Meanwhile, BB and Valerie devise a new plan involving a member of the Far Right, April makes an astounding discovery revealing an assassination plot, and Daniel is MIA for most of the episode, as he is bound and gagged.
17
7
"Right and Wrong"
Sarah Pia Anderson
Zach Craley
November 19, 2017 (2017-11-19)
207
April weighs telling Robert about Hector's assassination plot; Daniel tries to arrange safe passage out of Berlin for Hector with help from Esther.
Hector is wanted by German authorities for the assassination of Katerina Gerhardt, but Berlin Station begins to discover there is more at play than a jaded ex-CIA officer.
19
9
"Winners Right the History Books"
Giuseppe Capotondi
Bradford Winters
December 3, 2017 (2017-12-03)
209
A search for the truth behind Katerina Gerhardt's assassination and Nick Fischer's role in it. Meanwhile, a protest occurs outside the American Embassy as calls to turn Hector over escalate.
Epix announced a ten-episode straight-to-series order on May 21, 2015. Michaël Roskam executive produced the series and directed the first two episodes. Olen Steinhauer wrote and executive produced the series.[15] Production started in November 2015.[8]
Principal photography took place in Potsdam at Studio Babelsberg, which is co-producer of Berlin Station. The whole interior of the CIA Station, which includes a security entrance as well as the big windowless office space within, was built on stages at Babelsberg's studios. Other scenes were shot on locations in Potsdam and Berlin, Germany.[16][17][18]
On February 7, 2018, it was announced that Jason Horwitch would be joining the series as showrunner and executive producer. He will be replacing Brad Winters who had served in those positions for the show's first two seasons.[3] For the third season, production moved to Budapest, Hungary.[19]
Broadcast
A 10-episode first season of Berlin Station premiered on Epix on October 16, 2016.[8][20] The series is exclusive to Netflix in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is broadcast free-to-air and on-demand in Australia on SBS TV. It also is available in Israel. The series has been licensed to more than 150 territories worldwide.[19]
Reception
Berlin Station has received generally positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the show holds a rating of 65 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21] In a season 1 review for Variety, Maureen Ryan attests the series "an outstanding cast that takes its reasonably solid storytelling and raises it a few notches through sheer talent and charisma", praising especially Richard Jenkins, Michelle Forbes and Rhys Ifans.[22]The New York Times' Mike Hale called season 3 a "well-made but not hugely original mix of spycraft, action and sexy office intrigue" and noticed that "Berlin Station is elevated by the surprising, and relatively unnoticed, quality of its core cast", mentioning particularly Leland Orser whose "shifty, nervous energy still carries the show".[23]
