“Mephisto Waltz,” the first episode of Vienna Blood Season 4, starts off with a thrilling scene that sets the tone for the rest of the season. Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard), who opens the episode, gives a haunting insight into human psychology by thinking about Sigmund Freud’s ideas that our childhoods often shape our compulsions, like gambling and taking risks. The story takes place in Vienna in 1909, and Commissioner von Bulow (Raphael von Bargen) announces that one of the city’s worst criminals, Franz Burgstaller (Murathan Muslu), has been caught, ending his rule. But this arrest sets off a series of dangerous, betraying, and mysterious events.
THE ARREST AND A DANGEROUS MISSION
At the start of the story, Oskar Rheinhardt (Juergen Maurer) and Sergeant Haussmann (Josef Ellers) are praised for their part in capturing Franz. But Oskar seems ready to move on until Constable Meier (Tobias Resch) tells them that Franz only wants to talk to Oskar. During a tense conversation, Franz tells Oskar that his life is in danger and asks to meet with Director Strasser (Simon Hatzl) to find out where Mephisto is. As a security director with a lot of experience, Strasser confirms that Mephisto is a very dangerous person to the empire and that he has been after this evil mastermind for years. Oskar doesn’t want to go with Franz to a secret meeting at a broken-down castle, but Strasser tells him to.
As the plan comes together, Oskar, Haussmann, and Meier get ready for the move. While Franz makes fun of Oskar for being violent, the lines between law enforcement and crime aren’t always clear. There is a lot of unease about the mission, and Strasser’s vague warnings make things worse. Strasser meets Franz at the castle. Franz says he knows who Mephisto really is. When Franz is ambushed, things get worse, and chaos breaks out. During the gunfire, Franz is shot in the head and dies, and Strasser is also killed. Near the end of his life, Strasser begs Oskar to find Mephisto, implying a web of betrayal and stolen secrets.
PIECES OF A PUZZLE
After the ambush, Oskar is being looked at more closely. Commissioner von Bulow wants answers and holds Oskar accountable for Franz’s release and what happened after. At the same time, Oskar’s investigation takes him back to the crime scene, where he finds cigarette ends that suggest more than one person was there. Eva Strasser (Theresa Riess), Strasser’s daughter, lets Oskar look through her father’s things to find answers. Oskar finds proof in Strasser’s papers that he is obsessed with a case from the past involving Lazar Kiss, a Serbian nationalist who tried to disrupt a Russian summit in Luxembourg. Strasser’s belief that there is a traitor in Vienna’s army makes Oskar even more suspicious.
Oskar’s research points to a group of people who are working together. The fact that two different kinds of cigarettes were found suggests that more than one person was involved in the ambush. Oskar goes to see Max, who has returned to his family home, to get some psychological insight. They only get back together for a short time because Oskar needs Max’s help to figure out what happened. They follow Franz’s ties together, which leads them to Valentina (Rina Juniku), a woman who knows Franz. She tells them that Franz was seeing a singer named Senor Carrillo behind their backs.
A NEW SUSPECT
When Oskar and Meier go to see Carrillo, his evasive behavior makes them suspicious. Carrillo says that he has no personal or professional ties to Franz. But his next phone call to an unknown friend suggests that he has deeper ties to the criminal underworld. When Carrillo is later found dead, Oskar and Max realize that Mephisto has a wider reach than they thought. In Carrillo’s things, they find coded messages and a clue that leads them to Riegers Palast, a casino where bets and secrets are freely traded.
Max suggests an undercover operation as a way to get into the casino. They want to blend in and get information by pretending to be an English lord and having Oskar serve as his valet. Charlene McKenna plays Max’s fiancée Leah Liebermann, who insists on joining the operation, which throws their plans for a loop. With help from Mendel Liebermann (Conleth Hill), the three get ready for their risky plan.
INTO THE LION’S DEN
When Max, Oskar, and Leah show up at Riegers Palast dressed to the nines, Manager Karner (Rainer Galke) greets them. The luxurious atmosphere of the casino is very different from the danger that lies below its surface. Max gets into a special area by using a gambling token he found among Carrillo’s things. He hopes to meet Mephisto’s friends there. At the same time, Oskar keeps a close eye on things and is ready for any sign of trouble.
The stakes are higher than ever at the end of the episode. The bad guy Max and Oskar are after is a shadowy figure with power beyond Vienna’s criminal underworld. The two must find their way through a maze of lies and danger to find out the truth about Mephisto. Lives are at stake and the peace of the world is in danger.
Stay tuned for more Vienna Blood news as Max and Oskar continue their search for justice. You can find the newest information, sneak peeks, and recaps of your favorite shows at tvacute.com.
