No matter what he does for the rest of his career, actorMichael C. Hallwill always be best known for his role as serial killer Dexter Morgan. With how many times Hall has returned to the part, it seems like he’s fine with that, as not only did he star in the originalDexter, but alsoDexter: New Blood,and nowDexter: Resurrection. Many TV fans know this is not Hall’s only big role, because before Dexter, he was alsoone of the stars of HBO’s celebrated drama seriesSix Feet Under. But Hall has been at it for decades with other films and TV shows too, including Netflix’sShadowplay. Also known asThe Defeated,Shadowplaywas only around for one season, butthis World War II-set thriller is unforgettable.
What Is ‘Shadowplay’ About?
First premiering on German television in the fall of 2020,Shadowplaywas available for all to see on Netflix starting in 2021. The one-season series, written byMåns Mårlind(Underworld Awakening), is set in 1946 andfollows a detective from New York City named Max McLaughlin(Taylor Kitsch). With Berlin a wreck after the end of World War II, the U.S. government sends McLaughlin there to help start a new police force. By his side is a very outspoken woman new to the job, police superintendent Elsie Garten (Nina Hoss). McLaughlin isn’t there just out of the goodness of his heart, though. There’s also an ulterior motive. While fighting crime in war’s wake, he is also searching for his missing brother, an Army soldier named Moritz (Logan Marshall-Green) who has gone AWOL.
As for Michael C. Hall, his character is Max’s boss, Tom Franklin, the United States Vice-consul. If you’re going in only wanting to see Hall, prepare to be disappointed, because although his character is vital to the plot and vastly different from how we’re used to seeing him, he is not the central focus.The Defeatedis more of a strong ensemble thriller, also starring the likes ofSebastian Koch,Benjamin Sadler, andTuppence Middleton.
‘The Defeated’ Is Perfect for Fans of World War II Fiction
Setting a fictional series in such a real, tragic setting that we all know about can go south fast if it’s not treated with respect.If you’re a fan of anything set during World War II, you’ll be relieved to know thatThe Defeatedgets it right. Much of this is due to the show’s cinematography, which sits with the ruins of Berlin, letting the focus linger on bombed-out buildings and rubble in the streets without trying to glamorize it in any way. It is graphic, gory, and filled with violence, asit accurately portrays the crime that would take over any warzone after those who came to help leave. Part of the bloodshed, however, also deals with the hunt for a serial killer!
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Beyond the plot,The Defeatedwill make you think about what this time was like forthe real people of Berlin who are left behind and have to clean up the mess others made. The series does it all with a slow-burn approach that doesn’t attempt to sensationalize. Yes, it’s a thriller, but it doesn’t get bogged down in tropes while sacrificing characterization or Berlin as it once was. Hall’s Tom Franklin sums it up best when he tells Max, “Berlin is one big rotten cake divided into four slices.” It is now owned by the United States, Russia, France, and England. For Max, he will help watch over the smallest area of America’s sector, where he will find out what desperate people are capable of in a world where one war has ended, but another has begun.
Taylor Kitsch Proves That He’s Worthy of Being a Huge Hollywood Star in ‘The Defeated’
Michael C. Hall might be the most recognizable faceinThe Defeatedfor some, but as good as he is,it’s two actors above anyone else who carry the series. One is Nina Hoss, a name you might know, but the actress is a big star in Germany. She gives her all to every scene as the complex and hotheaded Elsie. In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Taylor Kitsch said he was told he would love her when he signed on forThe Defeated, and those words turned out to be true. He heaped praise on the actress, saying, “Now she is one of my favorite actors or actresses I ever worked with. I’m a fan for life. She is just incredibly giving. No ego.”
Butwith Taylor Kitsch as the lead, it’s his time to shine. For so long, it felt like the actor was on the cusp of superstardom. After breaking out onFriday Night Lights, he tried to do the same in the movie world. He got to be in Gambit inX-Men: Origins Wolverineand was the lead inthe box office bomb that was the underratedJohn Carter. However, Kitsch was a much better fit for things likeTrue Detectiveor playingDavid KoreshinWaco— or in this case, as a desperate cop inThe Defeated.
When asked by The Hollywood Reporter how he picks his roles, Kitsch said, “The actors I admire don’t worry about the repercussions of ‘what are people going to say?’ People like Benicio [Del Toro], he’s had a lasting effect on me. Or Josh Brolin.” If he can live up to those examples, he’ll be just as big of a star as everyone thought he would be a decade ago.WithThe Defeated’s compelling writing and impressive cast, however, it’s no wonder that Michael C. Hall signed on. He might be used to being a big TV star, but inThe Defeated, he was happy just to be a part of a series while letting someone else lead the way.
The Defeated
