04. Faceless Killers

Kurt Wallander is certainly not xenophobic. But when his daughter Linda introduces him to her Syrian boyfriend Jamal over dinner, he can barely conceal his bias. An emergency call frees him from the embarrassing situation. On a remote farm, an old couple has been attacked and savagely mauled. The man is already dead, but with her last words the dying woman (Karin Bertling) breathes an incomprehensible hint about the fleeing perpetrators into the inspector's ear.

Wallander hints to his colleagues that the word could have referred to foreigners. An unknown informant passes on the confidential tip to the press, which gleefully exploits the issue. Shortly afterwards, a reception camp for asylum seekers burns down and a migrant is shot dead by a xenophobic fanatic. Wallander feels responsible for the riots and works feverishly to solve both cases. It soon becomes clear that the murdered farmer paid hush money to a woman who had an illegitimate child with him. However, this late revelation does nothing to solve the murder of him and his wife. The investigation finally focuses on the shady Valfrid Strom. The right-wing extremist murderer of the defenceless migrant embodies the perfect culprit for Wallander. When Strom resists arrest, the detective shoots him as he flees. However, the farmer couple is not on Strom's conscience. To solve this case, Wallander has to question his prejudices.

Picture: ARD Degeto/Yellow Bird/Left Bank Pictures/Steffan Hill