Tatort: Cologne

Sent home to be Cologne's homicide chief, Max Ballauf is immediately confronted with partner Freddy Schenk's professional jealousy.

A teacher recently acquitted of sexual molestation charges is killed by a bomb blast at his school. Suspicions initially fall on the victim's accuser, and Ballauf and Schenk struggle to piece together what happened when a second death rocks the campus.

While investing a highway rest stop robbery/murder, Ballauf picks up a little Filipino boy in flight. Could he be the lead they need to bust an international child-trafficking ring?

The body of a banker is found in the woods near Cologne; next to his body is a pile of charred bank notes. Ballauf and Schenk investigate this mysterious murder, as protesters threaten violence over an exhibit of photos documenting Nazi atrocities.

A woman's body is fished out of the Rhine, and the victim turns out to be an acquaintance of Ballauf's. The investigation leads to a chemical company, and the German intelligence services are found to be involved.

A dancer is found murdered near the grounds of a psychiatric hospital, and the prime suspect is a patient with a history of violence. But Ballauf and Schenk’s investigation opens up new possibilities: Is the patient merely a pawn in a devilish game?

A boy is found dead in a school bathroom, and Max goes undercover to investigate. He discovers an ongoing war between gangs of German and Turkish teenagers, and an unemployed right-wing radical who claims he protects children from foreign drug dealers.

Freddy and Max investigate the death of a wealthy gynecologist who's found dead in his swimming pool. The doctor’s wife and son suspect a prominent Pro-Life group, but the search for the killer leads to a maze of half-truths and evasions. Soon, a number of possible killers emerge, each with a completely different motive...

After a colleague’s long-time girlfriend is killed in the courtyard of a crowded apartment complex, Freddy and Max are frustrated when none of the residents admit to seeing or hearing a thing - and their frustration turns to bafflement when they discover that the victim was secretly pregnant. Who was the father of the child, and why was the victim planning a secret move to Hamburg?

The body of a four-year-old boy is found in a working class area. Schenk suspects they're dealing with a psychopath preying on the weak. Meanwhile, Max befriends Mirko, an emotionally neglected eight-year-old he suspects knows more than he's willing to admit. As they investigate the murder, they are drawn further into the world of children's fears, and grown up's dreams.

The body of wealthy real estate magnate Gerd Wesibach is found, his pores emanating a familiar odor: bitter almonds. At first his death is thought to be an assisted suicide, but it is soon discovered that he was poisoned. Ballauf and Schenk have a long list of suspects, and soon uncover a dubious euthanasia ring.

A blackmailer has been threatening the Kölsch brewery in Cologne. Concerned with his company's reputation, Belcher Sr. decides to pay the ransom in person, and is soon shot dead. But when the blackmailer demands a higher ransom and poisons the beer, Ballauf and Schenk suspect they're dealing with a copycat offender.

A man is shot to death in broad daylight on a busy street in Cologne. However, no shots were heard. When a second man is shot under similar circumstances, Ballauf and Schenk suspect they're dealing with a skilled assassin.

On a family trip to Holland, Freddy finds himself suspected of drug smuggling and is forced to go on the run to clear his name.

After a law student is shot on a college campus, Max suspects her hot-tempered ex-fiancé - but Freddy senses something more sinister.

After a badly-beaten child is left unclaimed at the ER, Ballauf and Schenk discover a flawed system unable to prevent child abuse.

When the daughter of a biker is brutally raped and murdered, Ballauf and Schenk must overcome their prejudices to make sure justice is served.