Der fünfte Mann

At this point the distance between the shows is more and more increasing, it seems that there was not much interest anymore to prolong the series. Wolfgang Menge did not like to continue to write the stories since he complained that he did not like the glorifying of the police as such. Critical tones are definitely rare and often more jokes then seriously meant. But the extra time between the individual productions did them good, the last episodes belong definitely the best. They changed the way the stories are told like here where the focus is far more on the criminal on the run then on the police on his heels. In fact, the leading police officer at the end of this show is completely forgotten. Hellmut Lange in his third and last appearance in the show gives a brilliant performance as a tough and demanding police officer, but the real star is the Austrian actor Werner Pochath, who plays a very scary baby-face-type bank robber and killer.