Rentnercops

- Season 2

(2016)

Found in a single villa, the senior cops must examine the deaths of somewhat unpopular forensic doctor Körfer and a much younger Mrs. Weiss. Körfer was actually far more humane then they imagined, his successor Rosalind Schmidt capable and charming. Hui Ko quickly suspects Weiss's husband and is flattered to get field work checking him out, which even leads to his arrest. However the case in convoluted, with affairs and manufactured alibis, also involving Weiss's female buddy, and the cases' link is just too coincidental.

A man bleeds to death, stabbed in his beer pub, yet none of his mates admits having seen the murder or knowing a possible motive. The next morning, all six make confessions invoking bogus motives. Their wives, including the widow, also stonewall Edwin, Günter, Hui and Adam, who must work out why they conspire and set a suitable trap.

Günter and Edwin's next victim is a corpse find by the Rhine, of a mid thirties woman, whose dating-app enabled a busy sex life, a scary surprise for her naive partner. Alas for Hui Ko and Vicky, that means screening many lovers as potential victims, including Gunther's son in law Hanno's first client, with a special twist for a HIV-infected ex.

While shopping with wife Heidrun, Günter catches shy simpleton repeat-'petty' criminal Mirco Schulze cracking car lock, but is knocked down by Mirco's younger, but bigger and mean brother Kevin and abducted to their bossy mother's farm. Due to the cranial blow, he suffers amnesia and seeing a misleading arrest picture in the Cologne newspaper comes to believe he's a recently arrested master jewel thief and the knaves' father, so he takes over planning the next heist, which is not to Kevin's liking. Edwin soon realizes his mate must be in serious danger and moves ...

On Edwin's hated birthday, the mostly merry widower dodges all festivities and drags Günter along to attend the Cologne billiard tournament starring Dutch champion René Vandervelde. Edwin believes his cynical cake candles blowing wish comes true when they arrive at the murder scene before junior Hui Ko, as the venue cafe manager Rolf Althaus is found minutes later, fatally stabbed with his letter opener. Forensics rules against suicide, although he was virtually bankrupt and found out his wife, whose income covered the loss, has an 'innocent platonic' affair with his ...

Günter believes the Wermel spouses committed suicide by OD because of the husband's incurable Alzheimer. However, Edwin bets -for their facial hair- it's murder, suspecting the co-heir offspring. Son Jan, whose shop was bought with parental capital, and screw-up Goth daughter Stefanie, in debts as usual. The team finds out both kept secrets, like their parents, forcing the cops to reconsiders motives and opportunity.

Young athlete, who was hospitalized with a broke arm after a car accident, dies there from unprovoked cardiac arrest. His sister Sophie cries murder, Edwin and Günter see no evidence, dismissing Hui Ko's bad feeling about the improbable coincidence. When the accident culprit turns himself in, and admits having been paid to hit the youngster, all cops agree that's no bad luck. Yet they lack suspect and MO, until they learn the victim's organs were donated and speculate a life-rescued receiver may have orchestrated it all, presumably with a medical insider accomplice.

Art gallery keeper Patrick Wilke is beaten to death at home. His business partner points at madly jealous fresh widow Anika Wilke, who claims amnesia. Edwin arrest her, ignoring doubts from Günter and supervisor Vicky, who is trough tolerating Edwin's constant self-righteous insubordination regardless of law and regulations, reporting him to chief Ploch. Meanwhile business and private motives are investigated.

Edwin is suspended pending disciplinary procedure for self-righteous insubordination, but refuses to but out of work. He probes Günter and Heidrun as regular supper guest, to the grand-kids' amusement. Günter is not amused that Edwin, who was contacted in panic by his retired dentist Willi Lantermann, conducts his informal investigation for the fatal stabbing in the wood of a serial rapist, whose presumed latest victim was hit and run by Lantermann, who picked up the presumed murder weapon, a hunting knife, which checks out in forensics, also below the counter. Günter...

Reinstated Edwin and worried Günter interview two girl IT students who took in after a campus party a man they discovered died from cardiac arrest on their couch. He posed as Chicago exchange med student "Connor" but fits no such profile, being too old, and Dr. Schmidt's forensic autopsy later find he was administered an OD. Thus chief Plocher, who was eager to close the case a non-criminal, finding a colored foreigner' death 'inappropriate' enough, to (re)open it as the seniors and Hui Ko wanted. The victim is identified as an IT consultancy whiz and linked to a ...

At his 70th birthday party, Achim Wagner and his son in law die from the same poisoned barbecued steak. Their wives are vegetarians, hence suspect. Achim hired a P.I. to follow his son in law, but wasn't told, nor the authorities, about the pregnant daughter's regular beatings before. Achim has terminal cancer, which he never told his doted girl, but his wife knew. Edwin and Günter are inspired, although over-enthusiastically, by their own family who enjoy playing crime author on 'our case'.

Günter and Edwin solve the murder of salesman Brenner, who traded in dubious stuff: magnetic bracelets, esoteric attributes and food substitutes. His widow show no emotion, just concern who will pays the bill s for her and their four brat daughters, he was rarely home. Brenners phone records lead to his love nest, staged as a family home, but he's no bigamist, just had serial dates, notable with gullible female clients. The detectives wade trough a long suspect list, only to land sideways, while dealing with their own home stress, making good use of the free love nest...

Edwin and Günter question shy small fry Lutz Michel, who was easily caught, without loot, after the robbing of a small bank branch, which the knocked-down banker assures was carried put by several unidentified men, of whom no trace is found, Lutz claims there were none. Physically provoked by ever-cocky Edwin, Michel seizes his service gun, which he wore against regulations, and takes both retired cops hostage. Precinct CO Plocher temporizes demonstrating their working conditions to national police union executive Rainer Wendt, but passes out after eating the pizzas ...

Escape artist Kalisto's sword trough coffin trick fatally stabs his lush public assistant Sabine 'Morgana' Kowalski. Her twin sister and secret assistant Ushi cries murder and reports missing intakes, forensics conclude sabotage. *Edwin and Günter wade trough confusing alibis and motives as it turns out Kalisto, his mentor "Große Maldini" and the sisters mutually bugged each-other over (tax) fraud, disloyalty and blackmail. Witkamp's stabbing in his car shortly before only seems unrelated, primes suspect is his pickpocket cahoot Linus Geschke. Meanwhile Edwin ...

Ex-con Teddy's parole officer was fatally shot in a sky-rise social apartments block, the gun fund nearby with Teddy's fingerprints. Günter and Edwin got him jailed for non-violent crimes and believe him innocent of murder. His girlfriend Chantalle, who allegedly got Teddy on the right track, provides him with an alibi, but has her own sinful record. When a second parole officer is murdered, Günter and Edwin fear a greater plot. Son in law Hanno, whom Günter asked to accept Teddy's defense, gets more out of Chantalle.

Handsome young Gabriel Ruthe crashes to his death from a high building, right in front of devout simpleton Maria Frobel, whom Hui Ko dismisses as laughable airhead for assuming from the white feathers on his back it's her guardian angel. Edwin and Günther rebuke Hui Ko's assumptions, including suicide, although Gabriel's girl friend recently broke with him, but was actually dumped, with her gay housemate Benny Müller in a surprising part. Edwin's cardiac troubles can no longer stay hidden.