Babylon Berlin Season 4 - What We Know So Far
If you still somehow haven't binged one of the best shows on TV, now's your chance to get caught up on the first three seasons of "Babylon Berlin" before the fourth season arrives on Netflix. And if you're still on the fence, here's what you're missing: "Babylon Berlin" is a German-language drama based on the series of novels by Volker Kutscher, and it's both a crime show and a period piece. It's set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic, the fragile democracy that governed the country after World War I and collapsed in 1933. "Babylon Berlin" touches on many issues related to both the wars and the interim period.
"Babylon Berlin" follows two main characters. The first is Gereon Rath, a Berlin police detective and World War I veteran who still struggles with PTSD and guilt over the death of his brother in the conflict (spoiler: his brother's not really dead.) The other main character is Charlotte Ritter, who began the series as an administrative assistant at the Berlin police department and since then has become the city's first female police officer. Along the way, Gereon and Charlotte have investigated cases that have taken them everywhere from Berlin's cabaret scene, to the seedy underbelly of the early film industry, to the collapsing financial sector and the rise of violent nationalist political movements that will culminate in World War II.
The first two seasons dropped on Netflix in January 2018, and the third came out two years later in January 2020. The producers of "Babylon Berlin" have already confirmed that there will be a fourth season, and it should arrive relatively soon. Here's everything we know about the next installment of "Babylon Berlin."
What is the release date for Babylon Berlin season 4?
Neither Netflix nor "Babylon Berlin's" production company, Filmgesichter, have announced a release date for season 4, but we can still estimate when it will be available. Season 3 had 12 episodes, and according to star Volker Bruch the production took about six months, from November 2018 to May 2019. Season 3's official premiere on Sky 1 was on Jan. 24, 2020, a month before its Netflix premiere. So altogether, the time between Season 3's start of production and its premiere on Sky was about 14 months.
Luckily for fans, season 4's production is already underway. In January 2021, Filmgesichter posted a casting call for 2,000 extras for the upcoming season. The casting call also indicated that Season 4's filming would begin "in the spring." Filming was ongoing as of May 4, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
So, if season 4 follows the same schedule as Season 3, that would put its premiere some time during summer 2022, at the very latest.
Who's in the cast of Babylon Berlin season 4?
So far, only one new cast members for "Babylon Berlin" season 4 has been announced. As reported by Deadline, Mark Ivanir will be joining the show. The Ukranian-Israeli actor has appeared in TV series like "Homeland," "Transparent," and "The New Pope," as well as the films "The Terminal" and "Get Smart." Ivanir's role hasn't been specified yet, but since he's the only major addition to the cast at this point, we're comfortable speculating that he'll be Season 4's new big bad — see the plot section below for more.
Volker Bruch and Liv Lisa Fries will no doubt be returning as Gereon and Charlotte. Otherwise, many of the show's recurring cast members will most likely be returning as well. Season 3 saw the return of Gereon's brother Anno, thought to be killed in World War I. That caused problems for Gereon and Anno's wife Helga Rath, who started a relationship after the war. Hannah Herzsprung and Jens Harzer will probably be back as Anno and Helga.
Finally, since Season 4 will return to Berlin's criminal underworld, Mišel Matičević will probably be returning as the Armenian, the nightclub owner who runs crime in Berlin. Ronald Zehrfeld will probably be returning as the Armenian's associate, Walter Weintraub.
What will Babylon Berlin season 4 be about?
Let's start with the Season 3 cliffhanger.
That season ended with the global financial collapse of 1929. It hit Gereon hard and he relapsed in his sobriety, taking a massive dose of morphine. The next season will jump ahead to 1931, but it's likely Gereon will still be struggling with opioid addiction. Season 4 will also continue exploring Gereon and Charlotte's personal relationship — after all, they finally kissed during season 3. Co-creator Henk Handloegten told "Express" that the fourth season will definitely continue that storyline.
As for the crime side of the equation, Handloegten also told Express that Season 4 would closely follow the plot of Volker Kutscher's third "Babylon Berlin" novel, "Goldstein." In the novel, an American gangster named Abraham Goldstein arrives in Berlin and makes a play for control of its criminal underworld, and Gereon investigates him as a favor for the FBI.
However, other sources, such as the German magazine Qiez, have indicated that Season 4 will also include elements from Kutscher's fourth "Babylon Berlin" novel, "The Fatherland Files." That novel finds Gereon investigating a mysterious murder with ties to the rising Nazi party. But whether Season 4 adapts "The Fatherland Files" or not, the Nazi party will definitely be more and more of a problem for Gereon and Charlotte going forward.