Katelbach attempts to publish his findings on the collaboration of German defense cartels with secret rearmament. He is nearly upstaged by gossip regarding the Betty Winter case, but suddenly, the Nazis break in and ransack the offices of Tempo, searching for Katelbach in particular. His editor protects him while he escapes out the back.
Moritz wants to join the Hitler Youth, but is denied by his devoutly Catholic, anti-war mother. He moves back in with Gereon, who approves.
Gereon follows up on the list of names targeted by the political police. The vast majority are either dead or in prison, with their contacts not friendly to calls from police. He deduces from the shorthand that "Fritz Hoeckert" and "Otto Wollenberg" are in truth Richard Pechtmann and Horst Kessler. He pays a visit to Horst's apartment, posing as a Nazi party boss from Munich, but only finds his girlfriend.
Charlotte seeks help from Hans Litten and Red Aid for Greta's legal defense.
The Nazis, Richard and Horst, attempt to track down Katelbach at Frau Behnke's apartments, unsuccessfully. Katelbach enlists Frau Behnke in delivering his manuscripts to his editor, Heymann.
Helga discovers that she is indeed pregnant, presumably with Gereon's child.
The conservative conspiracy defeated in the previous season regroups. Seegers, the Nyssens, Wendt, and other conservative heavyweights such as Heinrich Bruening gather at a dinner party to discuss their future plans. Marie-Luise Seegers, the rebellious communist daughter of Generalmajor Seegers, spars with Councilor Wendt. The conspiracy plots to politically destabilize the Weimar Republic and manipulate the popularity of the Nazi Party to return the monarchy to power.
Esther, wife of The Armenian, seeks to take on the role of Betty Winter's double. When Weintraub denies her this, she does not take it well.
While transcribing witness interviews, Charlotte recalls that Vera did personally know Walter Weintraub due to witnessing an emotional outburst at the studio, and lied about it to the police. Vera confesses that she had an affair with Weintraub, and that he pressured her to lie about his alibi on the day of Betty Winter's murder.
Tropes:
- Amateur Sleuth: Frau Behnke begins her career as one in this episode, acting as a courier between Katelbach and Heymann as well as successfully evading her Nazi tail.
- Bookcase Passage: Behnke and Katelbach hide the latter's room from the Nazi brownshirts by covering the doorway with a wardrobe.
- Dramatic Irony: While Gereon is searching for Horst Kessler, his nephew/surrogate son Moritz is out camping with him as part of the Hitler Youth.
- Historical Domain Character: Heinrich Bruening, future Chancellor of Germany, makes an appearance at the Nyssen party. Hans Litten was also a real person, who famously once called Hitler to the witness stand and subjected him to a rattling cross-examination.
- Incredibly Obvious Tail: Richard and the other Nazis aren't subtle when it comes to following Frau Behnke.
- Rebellious Princess: Marie-Luise Seegers is this, being the rebellious and outspoken daughter of a general from the Prussian Junker elite.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Gereon's alias as "Schneider" from the NSDAP's Munich headquarters.
- Right Hand Versus Left Hand: When denied what he wants from his mother, Moritz goes to his stepfather, Gereon.
- Stealing from the Till: Weintraub is embezzling money from the film shoot.
- We Help the Helpless: Hans Litten, the communist lawyer, does extensive pro bono work for those who cannot afford a legal defense. His aide is Marie-Luise Seegers, daughter of one of the most reactionary monarchist generals in the Reichswehr.
