A police officer is on trial

The biggest surprise awaits fans of the afternoon crime series “Morden im Norden” right at the beginning of the first feature film “Am Abgrund” (director: Dirk Pientka, book: Christiane Rousseau): Inspector Finn Kiesewetter (Sven Martinek) appears to die. Amidst the scattered debris, he rode his motorbike over a cliff. But as often happens on television, in the end everything is not always as it seems at first glance… Das Erste repeats the film in 2023 in prime time. “Morden in the North – Am Abyss” will be available in the ARD media library starting Wednesday, November 12.

This dramatic event was the end of a series of unfortunate circumstances that began two days earlier in the old town market of Lübeck: Adam Reichelt (Adrian Julius Tillmann) tried in vain to steal a ring. Patrol officers Romina Petersen (Caroline Hellwig) and Mirco Jennings (Jörn Hentschel) prevent his escape, and Mirco ends up pushing the groaning thief to the ground with a knee to the upper body.

We can’t help but think, at least briefly, about the tragic death of American George Floyd in May 2020. However, in the TV crime drama, Adam managed to exonerate himself. He also took a police officer’s service weapon and fled to a parking garage with a female hostage. Inspector Kiesewetter and Lars Englen (Ingo Naujoks) who happened to be passing by gave chase. When Lars comes into the gunman’s line of fire, Finn has to make a decision: he shoots Adam, who dies at the scene.

Finn then has to face an internal investigation by Linda Stamm (Pina Kühr). After an unexpected statement from the hostage (Maja Jurić), he was suspended; to protect himself from the press, he retreats to his old holiday home on the Baltic Sea, while Lars and Gregor (Jonas Minthe) work hard to free him. Prosecutor Elke Rasmussen (Tessa Mittelstaedt), who happens to be in town, also wants to support her old friend. But when he arrives at the holiday home, Finn isn’t alone…

“Morden in the North – On the Abyss” is a solid and enduring thriller. Viewers do not need any prior knowledge of the evening series “Morden in the North” produced by NDR (new episodes start Monday, November 24, weekly, at 18:50, on the first day): “We wanted to tell a story that also understands and captivates viewers who have never seen a single episode of ‘Morden in the North,’” explains lead actor Sven Martinek in an interview.

He and director Dirk Pientka, who staged about 30 of the 170 episodes broadcast so far the previous night, spoke highly of their colleague Maja Jurić: She was “a great discovery”, Pientka enthused: “A stroke of luck. She is an extraordinary young woman whose biography shows clear parallels with her character’s story.”

In fact, both the actress, who was born in Sarajevo in 1989, and the character she embodies had to flee war zones in their childhood: “Miriam fled the Kosovo war, while I fled the war in Bosnia at the age of three,” reports Jurić: “I was lucky enough to come to Germany with my parents.” These parallels give a special touch to the crime thriller that is already worth watching.

The first will show the second feature film, based on the nightly crime series “Morden im Norden”, on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 20:15: In “Morden im Norden – Because you are evil”, 25-year-old Anja Liebke (Valerie Stoll) disappears without a trace after a fight with her boyfriend Patrick Holthusen (Valentino Dalle Mura). The evidence pointed to murder, but Patrick was acquitted at trial. Two years later, Anja’s body was found. New clues point to Patrick again, but he can’t be charged again in this matter…

Morden in the North – In the Gorge – Mon. November 17 – ARD: 20:15