When the first female body is found, propped up like a hunting trophy, the police fear yet another serial killer in the border region between Germany and Austria. Meanwhile, our Austro-German investigator duo is unfit for duty: Ellie is struggling in the face of trauma, and the attempt on Gedeon’s life forces his early retirement. A new junior officer, Yela Antic, is on the case, but she isn’t able to complete it alone. As Ellie and Gedeon are forced to team up alongside Yela on this deeply unique investigation, they begin to see each other in a way neither could have imagined: as potential adversaries.
Inspired by the boundary-crossing Danish crime series “The Bridge” and utilizing the resurgence of Folk Horror, the latest season of “Pagan Peak” successfully builds on its solid first outing. Last season, a madman unhappy with humanity losing its harmony with nature began killing people while wearing various wood carved animal masks. Once again the series seamlessly bounces back and forth between Germany and Austria where detectives Ellie (Julia Jentsch) from the city of Munich and Winter (Nicholas Ofczarek) out of Salzburg, work together to solve another series of haunting murders.
** Spoilers Ahead From Last Season **
Set a year after the events of the Krampus Killer, Winter was shot in the head by gangsters he betrayed and is now recuperating following a lengthy coma. Ellie is an emotional wreck still reeling from her disastrous affair with her superior Claas (Hanno Koffler) and her near-death at the hands of the Krampus Killer. At first, it felt unrealistic for the traumatized detective to be back at work so soon but the teleplay makes it logical and dramatically compelling.
In Munich, Yela Antic (Franziska Von Harsdorf) is a junior detective occasionally seeking the guidance of Ellie when the veteran investigator is not absent. Yela is a capable investigator and surpasses her colleagues by asking more inquisitive questions during interviews with suspects. Ellie’s return to the force is short-lived and she places the latest homicide of a teenage German tourist in Yela’s lap. In the town of Zill, Austria, the young tourist was found near a river. Back in Salzburg, Winter is looking to return to active duty while battling memories of his mysterious past. After another murder that is similar in nature to the tourist (a victim’s mouth crudely stuffed with branches) Yela seeks out Winter and the two begin working together.
Co-creators/co-directors Cyrill Boss and Phillip Stennert jettison the debut’s Folk Horror aesthetic and take a Noir approach focused on intergenerational secrets and conspiracies. “Chinatown” particularly came to mind with Gössen, the central shady corporation yielding far-reaching power and unhealthy family ties. Most intriguing is the teleplay’s depiction of bizarre hierarchies within hunting cultures, showcasing ancient rituals utilizing violence to subsume everyone it touches. Amongst endless police procedurals to choose from, the thoroughly entertaining “Pagan Peak” should be at the top of your list.
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