''Berlin Station'' is an American drama television series created by

Olen Steinhauer Olen Steinhauer (born June 21, 1970 in Baltimore) is an American writer of spy fiction novels, including ''The Tourist (novel), The Tourist'', part of the Milo Weaver series, and the Yalta Boulevard Sequence. Steinhauer also created the TV serie ...

. The series stars Richard Armitage,

Rhys Ifans Rhys Ifans (; born Rhys Owain Evans; 22 July 1967) is a Welsh actor and musician. He was the frontman of Welsh rock music bands the Peth and Super Furry Animals. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in ''Notting Hill'' (1999), ''Kevin & ...

Leland Orser Leland Jones Orser (born August 6, 1960) is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous film and television roles, notably as Lucien Dubenko in the television series '' ER'' (2004–2009) and Sam Gilroy in the '' Taken'' film series (2008–20 ...

Michelle Forbes Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo (born January 8, 1965) is an American actress who has appeared on television and in independent films. Forbes gained attention for her dual role in daytime soap opera ''Guiding Light'', for which she received a D ...

Richard Jenkins Richard Dale Jenkins (born May 4, 1947) is an American actor who is well known for his portrayal of deceased patriarch Nathaniel Fisher on the HBO funeral drama series '' Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005). He began his career in theater at the Tri ...

Keke Palmer Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer (born August 26, 1993) ( ) is an American actress, singer and television personality. Known for playing leading and character roles in comedy and drama productions, she has received a Primetime Emmy Award, five NAACP ...

Ashley Judd Ashley Judd (born Ashley Tyler Ciminella; April 19, 1968) is an American actress. She grew up in a family of performing artists: she is the daughter of the late country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country music singer Wynonna ...

John Doman John Doman (born January 9, 1945) is an American actor best known for playing Maryland State Police Superintendent, Deputy Police Commissioner and Major William Rawls on HBO series ''The Wire'' (2002–2008), Colonel Edward Galson on '' Oz'' (20 ...

Tamlyn Tomita Tamlyn Naomi Tomita (born January 27, 1966) is a Japanese-American actress and singer. She made her screen debut as Kumiko in ''The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986) and reprised the character for the streaming series ''Cobra Kai'' (2021). She is also ...

, and

Ismael Cruz Córdova Ismael Enrique Cruz Córdova (born April 7, 1987) is a Puerto Rican actor who gained national attention playing Mando on ''Sesame Street''. Cruz also had a role in the Showtime original series ''Ray Donovan'', and in the third season of ''Berlin ...

. Bradford Winters had been

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

for its first two seasons, with

Jason Horwitch Jason Horwitch is an American film and television writer. He is the recipient of the Writers Guild of America’s Paul Selvin Award for FX’s ''The Pentagon Papers''. Horwitch created AMC’s conspiracy thriller television series ''Rubicon'' and ...

taking over for season 3. A ten-episode first season premiered on

Epix Epix (pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as P) is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the Epix Entertainment LLC subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a subsidiary of Amazon's MGM Holdings, Inc. The channel's pr ...

on October 16, 2016. On November 17, 2016, Epix renewed ''Berlin Station'' for a second season, originally planned to contain ten episodes, which premiered on October 15, 2017 and concluded a nine-episode-season-run on December 3, 2017. On December 6, 2017, Epix renewed the series for a third season, which premiered on December 2, 2018. It was canceled on March 29, 2019 after three seasons. In 2021, all three seasons were released on DVD from

Paramount Home Entertainment Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, and originally Paramount Home Video) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global. The division oversees PPC's home entertainme ...

Plot

The story follows Daniel Miller ( Richard Armitage), who has just arrived at the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...

station in

Berlin, Germany Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constituent ...

. In season 1, Miller has a clandestine mission: to uncover the source of a leak who has supplied information to a now-famous

whistleblower A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whi ...

named Thomas Shaw. Guided by veteran Hector DeJean (

), Daniel learns to contend with the rough-and-tumble world of the field agent: agent-running, deception, and the dangers and moral compromises. In season 2, four months after Miller was shot at the end of season 1, he recovered from his injuries sufficiently to be given a new clandestine assignment: to infiltrate a

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

German political party believed to be planning an act of terror right before an upcoming election.

Cast

Main

* Richard Armitage as Daniel Miller, a cerebral

officer who shifts from working as an analyst at Langley headquarters in the USA to serving as an undercover officer in Berlin and is tasked with finding a leak in CIA operations *

as Hector DeJean, a disillusioned veteran CIA officer with dubious tactics and many secrets *

as Robert Kirsch, a devoted and successful Deputy Chief who digs intelligence out of the city of Berlin through a mix of force, diligence, and cleverness *

as Valerie Edwards, the no-nonsense administrator who serves as a Berlin Station Internal Branch Chief, and later Station Chief *

as Steven Frost (seasons 1–2, guest season 3), a veteran of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, who serves as the CIA's Chief of the Berlin Station in season 1 and is retired at the start of season 2 *

as Sandra Abe (season 1), a quiet presence leading the efficient operation of Berlin Station while having an affair with her boss, Steven *

as Richard Hanes (season 2), the new American ambassador to Germany and an old friend of Steven's *

as April Lewis (seasons 2–3), the new young case officer assigned to Berlin Station *

as BB Yates (season 2, recurring season 3), Berlin's new Chief of Station, nicknamed "The Station Whisperer" *

as Rafael Torres (season 3), an officer for the

Special Activities Center The Special Activities Center (SAC) is a division of the United States Central Intelligence Agency responsible for covert and paramilitary operations. The unit was named Special Activities Division (SAD) prior to 2015. Within SAC there are two s ...

of the CIA, previously in the military

Recurring

Mina Tander Mina Tander (born 4 December 1979) is a German actress. She played BfV agent Esther Krug on '' Berlin Station'' from 2016 to 2019. Biography Born in Cologne, Tander is the daughter of an Afghan journalist father, who died when she was a child, ...

as Esther Krug, a German BfV agent and later the head of the BfV *

Mark Moses Mark W. Moses (born February 24, 1958) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Paul Young in the ABC comedy-drama ''Desperate Housewives'' (2004–2011) and as Herman "Duck" Phillips in the AMC period drama ''Mad Men'' (2007–2014). ...

as Jason Wolfe, Berlin Station's supervisor at the CIA (seasons 1 and 3)

Season 1

* as Jemma Moore, Steven's superior at the CIA *

Caroline Goodall Caroline Cruice Goodall (born 13 November 1959) is a British actress and screenwriter. She was nominated for AFI Awards for her roles in the 1989 miniseries ''Cassidy'', and the 1995 film ''Hotel Sorrento''. Her other film appearances include ' ...

as Kelly Frost, Steven's wife * as Hans Richter, an old-world spy who has risen to the highest ranks of the BfV * as Julian De Vos, a courier funneling information from "Thomas Shaw" to Claudia Gartner *

Claudia Michelsen Claudia Michelsen (born 4 February 1969) is a German actress. She has appeared in more than eighty films since 1989. Selected filmography External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Michelsen, Claudia 1969 births Living people Actors from Dresden G ...

as Patricia Schwarz, Miller's cousin *

Antje Traue Antje Traue (; born 18 January 1981) is a German actress. She appeared in her first English-language role for the film ''Pandorum''. Internationally, she is best known for her portrayal of the villain Faora in the 2013 Superman movie '' Man of S ...

as Lana Vogel, aka "Joker", a freelance agent * as Ingrid Hollander, a German reporter *

Zahra Ahmadi Zahra Ahmadi ( fa, زهرا احمدی; born 1983) is a British actress from Plymouth England of Persian descent. She is best known for playing the original Shabnam Masood in EastEnders. Career She is known for her role as Shabnam Masood in the ...

as Clare Itani, an American agent and DeJean's girlfriend *

Daniela Ziegler Daniela Ziegler (born September 5, 1948) is a German actress and singer. Biography After studying acting at the Schauspielschule Bochum, she had engagements in Trier, at the Deutsches Theater in Göttingen, at the State Theatre in Hanover, and ...

as Golda Friedman, a

Mossad Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...

agent *

Sylvia Hoeks Sylvia Hoeks (; born 1 June 1983) is a Dutch actress and former model, best known internationally for her roles in ''Blade Runner 2049'' (2017) and ''The Girl in the Spider's Web'' (2018). Early life and education Hoeks was raised in Maarheeze, ...

as Claudia Gartner, the courier between De Vos and Hollander

Season 2

Thomas Kretschmann Thomas Kretschmann (; born 8 September 1962) is a German actor who has appeared in many European and American films. His notable roles include Lieutenant Hans von Witzland in '' Stalingrad'' (1993), Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in '' The Pianist'' ( ...

as Otto Ganz, a German

alt-right The alt-right, an abbreviation of alternative right, is a far-right, white nationalist movement. A largely online phenomenon, the alt-right originated in the United States during the late 2000s before increasing in popularity during the mid-2 ...

extremist *

Emilia Schüle Emilia Schüle (born 28 November 1992 in Blagoveshchensk) is a Russian-born Germany, German actress. Career Emilia Schüle was born in 1992 History of Germans in Russia, Ukraine and the Soviet Union, in Russia to an ethnic German family. Whe ...

as Lena Ganz, Otto's daughter *

Natalia Wörner Natalia Wörner (; born 7 September 1967) is a German actress. Biography After finishing high school in Stuttgart, Wörner moved to New York City, where she studied acting at Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. In 2000, she returned to Germany, wh ...

as Katerina Gerhardt, head of the alt-right party ''Perspektive für Deutschland'' (PfD, “perspective for Germany“) *

Heino Ferch Heino Ferch (born 18 August 1963) is a German film, theatre and television actor. His notable film roles include Albert Speer in ''Downfall (2004 film), Downfall'' (2004) and Harry Melchior in The Tunnel (2001 film), ''The Tunnel'' (2001). Biogr ...

as Joseph Emmerich, the #2 leader of the PfD *

Jannis Niewöhner Jannis Niewöhner () (born 30 March 1992) is a German actor known for his role in the ''Timeless'' trilogy of films: ''Ruby Red'', ''Sapphire Blue'', and ''Emerald Green'', based on a book series written by Kerstin Gier Kerstin Gier (born 8 Oct ...

as Armando, an undercover agent for the BfV *

Scott William Winters Scott William Winters (born August 5, 1965) is an American actor. Winters is of Irish and Italian descent, and grew up on Long Island and in Scottsdale, Arizona. He attended Brophy College Preparatory, a Jesuit school in Phoenix, Arizona, Phoen ...

as Nick Fischer, a CIA agent * Brandon Spink as Noah Kirsch, Robert Kirsch's son

Season 3

Katarina Čas Katarina Čas (; born 23 September 1976) is a Slovenian actress. Early life Čas was born in Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia, then part of Yugoslavia. Cas is the daughter of Miran Čas (July 22, 1952, Slovenj Gradec - February 23, 2015, Ljubljana), a ...

as Sofia Vesik, a controversial Estonian tech CEO * Adi Kvetner as Rodion Volkov, a Russian

Spetsnaz Spetsnaz are special forces in numerous post-Soviet states. (The term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or .) Historically, the term ''spetsnaz'' referred to the So ...

soldier working for Krik *

Julian Kostov Julian Kostov ( bg, Юлиaн Костов; born 25 August 1989) is a Bulgarian actor, filmmaker, talent manager, and former professional swimmer based between London and Los Angeles. He starred in the film ''Another Mother's Son'' (2017). On tel ...

as Sergei Basarov, a Russian Spetsnaz sniper aligned with Volkov * Ladi Emeruwa as Dove Adeyemi, an asset that April is cultivating *

Robin Weigert Robin Weigert (born July 7, 1969) is an American television and film actress. She is best known for portraying Calamity Jane on the television series '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006), for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award f ...

as Jamie Hudson, Valerie's friend from college * Anja Antonowicz as Nina Bartek, Kirsch's neighbor *

James Cromwell James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940) is an American actor and activist. Some of his best-known films include ''Babe'' (1995), '' Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), ''L.A. Confidential'' (1997), '' The Green Mile'' (1999), ''The Queen'' ...

as Gilbert Dorn, a retired CIA agent revealing old secrets via podcast *

Robbie Gee Robbie Gee (born 24 March 1970) is a British actor, best known for his ''Desmond's'' character "Lee Stanley", for appearing in Guy Ritchie's crime caper '' Snatch'', and for his comedy roles in TV series like ''The Real McCoy'' and ''The Crouc ...

as Kayode Adeyemi, Dove's scientist father *

Dejan Čukić Dejan Čukić ( sr-Cyrl, Дејан Чукић; born 25 November 1966) is a Serbs of Montenegro, Serbian-Denmark, Danish actor. He appeared in the Kurt Wallander, Wallander TV film series as Lars in ''The Ghost'', based on the novel by Henning Ma ...

as Kolya Akulov, the head of Russian Intelligence SVR *

Nikolai Kinski Nanhoï Nikolai Kinski (born July 30, 1976) is a French-American film actor, who has also done work in television and on stage. He was born in Paris, and grew up in California. Currently residing in Berlin, he has acted primarily in American and ...

as Roman Platov, a Russian extremist working for Krik * Mikhail Boutchine as Vassily Krik, a Russian oligarch

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2016)

Season 2 (2017)

Season 3 (2018–19)

Production

announced a ten-episode straight-to-series order on May 21, 2015. Michaël Roskam executive produced the series and directed the first two episodes.

wrote and executive produced the series. Production started in November 2015.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...

took place in

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

Studio Babelsberg Babelsberg Film Studio (german: Filmstudio Babelsberg), located in Potsdam-Babelsberg outside Berlin, Germany, is the second oldest large-scale film studio in the world only preceded by the Danish Nordisk Film (est. 1906), producing films since ...

, which is co-producer of ''Berlin Station''. The whole interior of the CIA Station, which includes a security entrance as well as the big windowless office space within, was built on stages at Babelsberg's studios. Other scenes were shot on locations in Potsdam and Berlin, Germany. On February 7, 2018, it was announced that

would be joining the series as showrunner and executive producer. He will be replacing Brad Winters who had served in those positions for the show's first two seasons. For the third season, production moved to Budapest, Hungary.

Broadcast

A 10-episode first season of ''Berlin Station'' premiered on Epix on October 16, 2016. The series is exclusive to

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is broadcast free-to-air and on-demand in Australia on SBS TV. It also is available in Israel. The series has been licensed to more than 150 territories worldwide.

Reception

''Berlin Station'' has received generally positive reviews from critics. On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, the show holds a rating of 65 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". In a season 1 review for ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

,'' Maureen Ryan attests the series "an outstanding cast that takes its reasonably solid storytelling and raises it a few notches through sheer talent and charisma", praising especially

and

. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

Mike Hale called season 3 a "well-made but not hugely original mix of spycraft, action and sexy office intrigue" and noticed that "''Berlin Station'' is elevated by the surprising, and relatively unnoticed, quality of its core cast", mentioning particularly

whose "shifty, nervous energy still carries the show".

References

External links

* * * {{Epix, state=collapsed 2016 American television series debuts 2019 American television series endings 2010s American drama television series Espionage television series English-language television shows Epix original programming Television shows set in Berlin Television series by Anonymous Content Television series by Paramount Television