Loyalty, love and betrayal in season 3 of ‘Das Boot’

We follow three storylines across Europe as the war rages on in this gripping new season.

Robert Ehrenberg (Franz Dinda) in season 3 of ‘Das Boot’. Source: Bavaria Fiction

--- Warning: contains spoilers from seasons 1 and 2. ---

It’s spring 1943. We’re out at sea, and Commander Swinburne, clutching the notice of his son’s death in a vice grip, is at the helm. In his avenging sights are the Germans who killed Daniel.

It’s a fiery start to season 3 of Das Boot. There is no escaping the brutality of the war. But what this series does so well is convey life’s grey areas – not all ‘baddies’ are ‘bad’, and not all ‘goodies’ are ‘good’; we always have a choice over how we behave. We’re moving from out at sea, to Dusseldorf and Kiel in Germany, Liverpool in England and Lisbon in Portugal to follow three storylines this season.

Here’s what to expect.

Germany

Hannie Lessing and her father Captain Wilhelm Hoffmann (Luise Wolfram and Ernst Stötzner). Source: Bavaria Fiction

In Germany, we are reacquainted with Captain Wilhelm Hoffmann, who is recovering well from a heart attack, and braving it in the face of grieving his son, Klaus (Rick Okon). His daughter Hannie is taking care of him while son-in-law Albrecht Lessing has his eyes fixed on political advancement. Hoffmann seems to be more hindrance to him than help, though. Hannie (Luise Wolfram) is feeling increasingly restrained and has built up a store of secrets.

Chief Engineer Robert Ehrenberg has been posted to land, overseeing preparations of the new U-949 for which new recruits are being trained, and quickly. Young ‘sewer rats’ Pauli and Harri (Alessandro Schuster and Aniol Kirberg) are pulled off the streets for a chance to join the crew, and befriend young Berndt (Yuri Völsch) in the process. The three will remain deeply connected.  

Ehrenberg meets young Fanny, who is milling around his ship and living quarters since his home was bombed and wife and son killed. She’s determined to gain access aboard. Her mother Greta now runs the optical store in place of her father. The paths of these three are to cross throughout the season, providing welcome heartfelt moments.

We also meet Commanding Officer Buchner again, who’s put in charge of U-949. Buchner’s manner doesn’t exactly earn him the respect of the crew. He has an uphill battle to climb while Ehrenberg is assured of Buchner’s ineptitude, fattening his workload.

England

Commander Jack Swinburne (Ray Stevenson). Source: Bavaria Fiction

Commander Swinburne (Ray Stevenson) is as surprised as anyone when he’s promoted following the fatal encounter with the Germans at the start of the season.

But for now, he’s returned home to wife Daisy (Jo Hartley), and neither can find a way to comfort the other in their grief. While Daisy finds a way to accept Daniel is gone and forge on, Jack is falling deeper into despair. How does he climb out of it?

He embraces his latest mission as a distraction: to captain HMS Perseverance and hunt down the U-949. He is even more remorseless in his approach than ever.

Portugal

Bettina Gruber (Anna Schudt) and Hagen Forster aka Werner Giese (Tom Wlaschiha) in ‘Das Boot’ season 3. Source: Bavaria Fiction

Hagen Forster (Tom Wlaschiha) is back. In Lisbon under the assumed name of Werner Giese, his mission is to find the killer of a fellow member of the Gestapo who identified a German spy informing the Allies. His investigation connects him with a host of straight as well as shady characters, and eventually, his fate meets up with that of the crew of U-949.

At times, you’d be forgiven for forgetting a war is going on, what with people revelling in general merriment. But its murky undercurrent is ever present.

At sea

With U-949 on a mission to pick up then drop off precious cargo to neutral waters in Portugal, and the HMS Perseverance in hot pursuit, things are as tense and precarious as ever. Inevitable tragedy befalls the crew on both sides, and remarkable feats are achieved too, in the face of the most extreme of challenges.

In this meticulously rendered drama, it’s the relationships at sea that are arguably the most compelling, especially when under fire, or in the aftermath of accidents or tragedy. How do the men interact before, during and after duress? Where do honour and conscience fit in, even when humanity is dissolving? How do relationships, new or established, fare when circumstances heighten to their most dire?

The ensemble cast – forgive the pun – is as watertight as ever. Their depiction of the extremes of human behaviour, the nuances, the opportunities presented to do better or worse, to betray another or stand up for them, is impressive to say the least.

We can only hope there is more to come, but for now, dive right into season 3. 

Season 3 of Das Boot premieres at 11.20pm on SBS VICELAND on Tuesday 12 July. Stream all three seasons now at SBS On Demand. Dive straight into season 3:

Or start at season 1: