#30 days to spatort challenge

[anukkuna]

Day 21: Cross-over

Spatort/Polizeiruf Świecko: Finding Adam Raczek

(Adam Raczek portrayed by Lucas Gregorowicz)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I live and die on the hill of a Spatort / Polizeiruf 110 Crossover!

Some of you may have noticed a reappearing side character in Spatort fanworks: Vincent Ross from Polizeiruf 110 (like Tatort, it's a German crime TV-series with regional teams. When there were two Germanys (West and East, before 1990) it was roundabout the GDR's version of Tatort)).

(Vincent Ross, portrayed by André Kaczmarczyk)

For those of you unfamiliar with the origins of this crossover… well, I actually don’t know who came up with it either. But I can definitely see how and why the idea came about.

In Vincent’s debut episode, we learn that he’s just moved from Berlin to Słubice. Throughout the episode, there’s a recurring joke about him needing to return the moving van to Berlin, but the case keeps getting in the way. This move comes right after he’s completed his training to become a criminal investigator.

Sound familiar? Someone else also moved from Berlin to take up work as a criminal investigator...

Vincent is undeniably queer-coded, although he hasn’t had a formal coming-out moment in the series. That said, his character was introduced as the first genderfluid detective in the show. He often wears makeup, nail polish, and even a skirt in his debut episode.

Vincent has a Bachelor's degree in psychology and is a deeply empathetic character, presenting a sharp contrast to the station’s established detective, Adam Raczek.

Although Adam is initially skeptical and grumpy, Vincent approaches him with patience, eventually helping him open up. This dynamic was an intentional choice by the creators: Vincent was meant to act as a catalyst for Adam, helping him discover an emotional outlet - albeit, maybe, an overwhelming one - that forces Adam to confront some serious questions about himself. (Polizeiruf: Bi Panic)

And who else, if I may ask you, is a perpetually grumpy dumdum with an emotional valve firmly stuck, but somehow found the courage to return to his childhood best friend (and probable love interest) and his home?

I have to admit, for me, nothing sums it up as good as this amazing fan video by @zaubertrankkessel (which got me hooked on the cross-over in the first place):

The idea, naturally, is this: while living in Berlin, Vincent Ross and Adam Schürk clearly shared a flat. Vincent used his psychology expertise to help Adam process his feelings about his family and Leo, while Adam supported Vincent in his decision to pursue a career in law enforcement.

This brings me to my point: I need a Polizeiruf: Świecko / Spatort crossover.

But(!)

Specifically, I need a Finding-Adam-Raczek crossover!

You see, the first image in this post is actually the last shot we got of Adam Raczek in Polizeiruf 110. Adam has a lot of issues to deal with, especially his pill addiction (which even leads him to attack Vincent in their first episode together). His final episode ends with Vincent searching for him. He returns to Adam’s empty hotel room, where his pistol and badge have been left behind in a large envelope. Adam has taken off on his beloved motorbike, and from a remark made by one of his close coworkers in the next episode (Marian: "Where is Adam?!"), it seems no one knows where he went.

So, I want the Spatort-Team to help Vincent find Adam.

I want Vincent to discover a clue in an abandoned building.

I want Vincent to uncover more clues that tie into a criminal gang the Saarbrücken team dealt with a while ago - along with tire tracks that suspiciously resemble those from Adam’s motorbike.

I want Vincent to call Adam Schürk for help.

Maybe Adam goes rogue again, digging into the information Vincent shares with him.

But this time, Adam decides to tell the squad. Cue a crisis meeting where they revisit an old case - one their higher-ups would probably prefer to leave buried.

Of course, Vincent will eventually travel to Saarbrücken. When the team finally meets him, they’ll fall for him and his warm personality. Let’s face it - no one can truly resist Vincent.

However, Leo will also have to grapple with some feelings. Learning that Adam had a flatmate for years raises questions for him... Was there ever something more going on between them? And why, if Vincent is a psychologist and clearly someone Adam could confide in, did Adam never open up to him? Why didn’t he reach out to Leo? Why is all of this still so hard for him to this day?

It’s a painful realization for Leo.

But eventually, Leo understands that Vincent isn’t a threat. In fact, Vincent has his own unresolved feelings for someone he’s searching for - someone he cares about deeply. He misses Adam Raczek more than he should miss any colleague.

Rest assured, Pia and Esther had all of this figured out ages ago. In this case, they’ll have the rare opportunity to handle not just one, but two pairs of mutually pining idiots - assuming they find Adam Raczek, of course.

Which they will, of course.

There will be a stand-off. Running, shouting. Action and gun pointing.

But they will find Adam Raczek.

And Vincent and Adam will finally talk in the sunset. And return to Słubice together.

And that would be the crossover I want.

Look, I know, Vincent and Adam formally only had two episodes? But they had mad chemistry together. Like, Spatort-level-intensity, but different.

And they live rent free in my head ever since.

It's not just because of the chemistry between the two characters, by the way. It's also because of some comments made by the actors (especially Lucas Gregorowicz) who said on multiple occasions that he fell head over heels ("schockverliebt") for André Kaczmarczyk.

Affectionate... I guess.

Fun fact: Lucas Gregorowicz decided to leave Polizeiruf 110 before the showrunners had finalized his replacement. Neither he nor André anticipated how well they’d click. Apparently André even tried to convince him to stay at some point.

Lastly, the making-of for their first episode teased an intriguing observation: usually, "when you have a male and a female actor, people will automatically assume some kind of romantic tension between them. Why don't people assume the same when it's two male actors? That's the kind of potential the new constellation brings." (Lucas Gregorowicz, Making-Off Hildes Erbe (still schockverliebt, I guess)).

Anyway, fingers crossed for this becoming reality (if not on TV then on ao3, please someone give) and in the meantime - have fun with this post!

[adaptingant]

January 11 - Day 15: Morally dubious police work.

Auf jeden Fall in dfL die Szene, als Adam Herrn Weißer vom Wettbüro mit dem Auto umfährt.

[juliaandthephantoms]

30dtsc Day 30: Hype for Das Ende der Nacht.

Google Trends nähert sich wieder einem Spike. We're so back!

[leo-woods]

👕 30dtsc - Day 7: Favorite outfit(s) 👕

Leo and the holster + short-sleeved-t-shirt-tucked-in-dark-jeans combo (aka the deadly combo)

[treibholz-des-universums]

30dtsc - Day 5: New Beginnings

[onyx-stuff]

Day 24: Nighttime🌃

Diesmal nur eine kleine Skizze✨

[30dtsc]

30-Day Tatort Saarbrücken Challenge: Countdown to "Das Ende der Nacht"

Welcome to the Tatort Saarbrücken 30-Day Challenge! 🎉 As we count down to the release of the new episode, Das Ende der Nacht on January 26, we’ll be diving deep into the world of our favorite favorite sad, gay and morally gray German detectives from Tatort Saarbrücken. Whether you're a fan of fanfiction, GIFs, fanart, or just want to share your thoughts, this challenge is open to everyone!

Each day, we’ll explore a different aspect of the show. From your favorite characters and quotes to unexpected moments and underrated scenes, this is your chance to celebrate everything that makes Tatort Saarbrücken unforgettable. Feel free to interpret each prompt however you like—there’s no wrong way to participate! ✨

Here’s how it works:

Starting on December 28, you’ll post your responses to the daily prompts, leading up to the big episode release on January 26.

You can participate in any format—whether that’s writing fanfiction, creating fanart, sharing GIFs, or simply offering your thoughts and reactions in a text post.

Of course you don't have to participate every single day, heaven knows we all have lives. Feel free to share your content, even if just for one prompt!

Don’t forget to tag your posts with #30dtsc so we can all see your awesome creations! All posts with this tag will be reblogged here.

Despite the fact that this post is written in English, of course feel free to use German (or any other language, really), too! Truth is I don't know enought German to write a whole post and I also wish for non-German speakers to be able to participate in this event as well.

Here are the daily prompts:

December 28 - Day 1: Favorite episode. December 29 - Day 2: Favorite character. December 30 - Day 3: Favorite case. December 31 - Day 4: Closure. January 1 - Day 5: New beginnings. January 2 - Day 6: Favorite line(s). January 3 - Day 7: Favorite outfit(s). January 4 - Day 8: Favorite underrated moment(s). January 5 - Day 9: Favorite side character. January 6 - Day 10: Favorite bond. January 7 - Day 11: Sleeping on the job. January 8 - Day 12: Snacking on the job. January 9 - Day 13: Cleverest detail. January 10 - Day 14: Favorite location. January 11 - Day 15: Morally dubious police work. January 12 - Day 16: The squad. January 13 - Day 17: Tearjerker moment(s). January 14 - Day 18: Lighthearted moment(s). January 15 - Day 19: Love languages. January 16 - Day 20: Alternate Universe. January 17 - Day 21: Cross-over. January 18 - Day 22: Job equipment. January 19 - Day 23: The S in Saarbrücken stands for... January 20 - Day 24: Nighttime. January 21 - Day 25: Unspoken. January 22 - Day 26: Favorite character trait(s). January 23 - Day 27: Favorite actor/actress. January 24 - Day 28: Music. January 25 - Day 29: Waiting. January 26 - Day 30: Hype for Das Ende der Nacht.

Special thanks to @nichtspizzamitlinkemglitzer for helping me defining the prompts!

My spatort sideblog: @leo-woods

[spadeoftears]

30dtsc day 12: snacking on the job

doesn't quite fill the prompt but I thought this is funny

[miacolada]

New beginnings 🎊

Adam konnte Silvester noch nie etwas abgewinnen. Und doch stand er vor Leos Haustür mit einer Sektflasche in der Hand.

Happy new year! 🎉 Hier ist mein Beitrag zur 30dts challenge day 5 „new beginnings“ ♥️ Entstanden ist das Ganze aus einer Schreibblockade heraus… da habe ich einfach mal den Fingern freien Lauf gelassen. Viel Spaß!

word count: 7.300

[anukkuna]

Day 13: Cleverest detail

I'm not sure whether this counts as a 'clever' detail or just as 'interesting symbolism' or whatever... also, I'm just speculating here, so maybe, nothing of what I'm about to say was ever intended by the director and welp...- anyway, here's my two thoughts:

The scene in which Adam has to undergo the strip search for prison and its related scenes:

The scene is presented in snippets. We cut between the office scene with Leo and Pia and, later, a longer flashback scene with Roland. It’s in this flashback that the stick and Roland’s method of suicide - intended to frame Adam as the murderer - are revealed.

In the office, we see Leo and Pia piecing together the bank robberies committed by Boris Barns and Roland Schürk (because Adam handed Leo the photo and related evidence at the lake). They come to realize that what happened back then is still very much connected to Adam’s current situation.

Meanwhile, Adam is being subjected to a thorough examination by the prison physician. (The only way it could be more literal is if they actually x-rayed him!)

We also see him lie effortlessly - for example, when asked whether he smokes. (And, of course, this is where we get his iconic line: "Alles klar. Mir scheißegal.") As a viewer, this was another moment in which thought: 'Wow, he’s really good at this. At lying... huh.'

What I really want to focus on here, though, is the theme of being caged in this scene. First of all, the way it’s shot: from outside the windows with these metal grids inside. We’re watching Adam, visibly uncomfortable, undress in a cage created by:

1. His own colleagues, whom we just saw in the previous scenes (with Leo, his partner, being the one who had to put the handcuffs on him); and -

2. His manipulative and abusive father, as shown in the following scene.

This is also the scene where Adam’s large snake tattoo is revealed, likely altering the viewer’s perspective on the title Das Herz der Schlange. (At least, that’s what happened for me.) You might think: Ohhh... the heart the snake is protecting is Adam’s heart! So, in a way, the episode could literally be called Adams Herz (Though, to be fair, one could have drawn this conclusion earlier, when Roland paralleled himself with the frog and Adam with the snake in the terrarium.)

And then there’s the way Adam briefly looks almost(!) directly at the camera - like a trapped, caged animal that would much rather fight or flee but isn’t allowed to.

There is, of course, a deeper and more sinister layer of symbolism to this.

Within the fandom, there has already been discussion about the association of snakes with negative traits - particularly due to their role in biblical contexts.

One major theme, I believe, is the idea that evil is inherent in the snake’s nature, tied to its association with temptation and sin.

This is another clever detail I’d like to highlight (if it was intended that way! Also, apologies if someone else has already written about this and I’m unaware.) So…

In the flashback, we cut to Roland, Adam’s father. In German (and, I believe, in English as well), there’s a saying:

"Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm" - "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

So, is Adam tempted to discover how far he has fallen - from the metaphorical, biblical tree (and the real one we see later)?

How much of his family’s criminal tendencies and energy has Adam inherited? Are deception and lying things that come naturally to him? Is there, deep within the heart of the snake, some lingering trace of evil? Even if Adam were never intentionally criminal, are there still aspects of his 'nature' he can’t control (and which would that be)?

Esther seems to suspect as much. She believes Adam tried to kill his father before. Even after learning that it was Leo (and Adam) acting in self-defense, she continues to distrust Adam in Ep. 4. On the rooftop, she openly says to him, “I don’t trust you.”

Snakes are often associated with being cunning, deceitful, and unpredictable - silent predators that suddenly strike. Are we, as viewers, meant to draw these parallels to Adam? Or is this meant to make us question these stereotypes?

Later, when Roland utters his last words, I was wondering the same thing... wondering if this is what they're getting at.

"Adam... meine Krone."

- Roland Schürk, Das Herz der Schlange

I feel this refers both to the crown of a tree and the crown of a king, (which is traditionally passed down to his heir, of course). (It’s worth noting that the crown, as a symbol, has been scratched into the bark of the tree where the money is buried. R+A - Roland and Adam. A place where they likely went before... maybe when Adam was much younger?)

But make no mistake. Telling Adam where the money is in his final moment is not meant as a kind gesture at all.

Roland correctly suspects that once Adam knows where the money is - whether or not Adam really finds or takes it - other gangsters will come after him. Adam is even tortured by Boris in prison over it. This becomes Roland’s final attempt to torment Adam, presenting him with criminals, who will come after him, as well as a difficult moral choice: Should Adam return the money, which he could use as compensation? (After all, the bank likely didn’t go bankrupt from the robbery, so it might even be morally justifiable for him to keep it.) Or should he keep the money - and risk both his job and his relationship with Leo in the process?

Adam is caged, in more than one way. How will he escape?

[anukkuna]

Day 19: Love languages

Spatort, according to the five love languages.

Adam: Physical touch

Leo: Acts of service

"Außerdem kann ich besser schlafen, wenn ich weiß, dass dir nichts passiert."

- Leo, Die Kälte der Erde

#Umzugshelfer

Esther: Quality time

Pia: Food / Gifts

Words of affirmation

...None of them are great at talking, sorry folks (still suffering from "Deiner Welt vielleicht.")

[anukkuna]

Day 10: Favorite bond in Spatort

I'll give the cliché answer and go with 'Leo and Adam'. After all, it's a major part of what got me into watching Spatort in the first place.

Also: Emphasis on Adam's side of the bond, 'cause I personally feel like I get him more and I like the whole conflict that evolves around returning to his home town and his childhood best friend.

So, things I'd like to mention: Adam obviously googled Leo from afar. He deliberately applied for the position in Saarbrücken. So, most likely, he regularly searched for "Leo Hölzer" online. Did he even become a police detective because of Leo?

"Als ich das Tauschgesuch deines Kollegen gesehen hab', hab' ich sofort zugesagt."

- Adam, Das fleißige Lieschen

But some things strain their bond and continue to do so for quite a while.

At first, on the roof in Ep. 01 (after the arrested Weißer) Adam tells Leo to just forget what happened, but over the course of the episode it becomes clear that it's not as simple as that (an important motif of this episode is that you cannot completely bury your past, no matter how hard you try).

Then Roland wakes up and Adam tries to protect Leo by not telling him, but that backfires as well. He needs to work together with him.

Adam truly seems terrified when he realises Roland remembers that it was no ordinary accident in the garage 15 year ago and that Adam and Leo tried to kill him back then.

We see them rekindle in HdS though. Leo decides to trust Adam and they get him out of prison at the end.

For a moment, we get a happy and hopeful ending, seeing how relieved they both are after the King is dead.

But this kind of peace only ever lasts so long... Next we get the end of KdE and the whole money-situation. Adam, once again, doesn't tell Leo - this time about the money. Ffs Adam... he is such an idiot. He also doesn't tell him about the attempted robbery and threat by Moritz Leimer and only reluctantly come clean about that.

Leo: "Warum meldest du das nicht? Oder erzählst es zumindest mir?"

- Leo, Die Kälte der Erde

It's not good, admittedly, but from Adam's perspective, I feel like this is all because he wants to keep Leo out of trouble. He sees how hard the past has been on Leo and how hard he finds it to forget... so his solution is to work around him. Try to keep him out of the heat. Protect Leo because Leo always put other people first and forgets to protect himself in doing so.

Don't get me wrong. Adam is a dumdum. More than that - what he does ist bad and dishonest and, regardless of one's intentions, it can easily be read as distrusting, careless and hurtful by the people who get left out as Leo does. But I'd still defend that intentions rightfully change how one should evaluate an action. Intentions aren't just add-ons - they provide necessary explanations to actions and I don't think one should fully evaluate an action, by only looking at it's consequences.

Also, I am sure that, regardless of all his secrecy and struggles, Adam would never abandon Leo again.

[anukkuna]

Day 12: Snacking on the job

Just real quick bcs I had little time today - have a snippet from my Crack Video #4 folder!

[anukkuna]

Day 25: Unspoken

There are quite a few things I associate with Unspoken and Spatort.

One of the most obvious is Leo and Adam’s inability to express what they mean to each other and what they want from one another. (I have my very own personal Roman Empire when it comes to that... I've missed that boat, the ship has sailed away, she has a girlfriend now, but damn, it hunts me to this day.)

So much between them remains unsaid. It feels like there’s a well of things to explore and write about - so many gaps in their story that beg to be filled.

Has Leo ever asked Adam what he did during all those years away, traveling the world? It takes courage to ask a question when you might not be able to bear the answer - that Adam lived and roamed the world freely while Leo stayed behind, hurting and missing him. Did Adam ever tell himself? I doubt it. Adam seems focused on the present and what lies ahead. But can it really be so easy for Leo to set all of that aside? Is it even possible for either of them to just move forward without addressing the past?

However, instead of writing about one of these questions, I decided to focus on a scene that struck me as particularly interesting the first time I watched it. It’s from Episode 3: Das Herz der Schlange - the moment when Esther questions Leo about how long he’s known Adam and what really happened fifteen years ago.

„Wie lange kennst du Adam schon, hm?!“

- Esther, Das Herz der Schlange

When Esther asks what was going on between Adam and Leo, it reveals something significant: Leo had kept this unspoken the entire time. Since Adam’s return, Leo never mentioned to his colleagues that they knew each other from school - and neither did Adam. Neither Esther nor Pia had any idea.

What I find even more intriguing is considering how Leo’s explanation - what exactly he tells them - must sound from his colleagues’ perspective, and also how it sound to the audience (just as @leo-woods did for the Caro-Scene from Ep. 01).

Here's Leo's answer:

„Ich hatte ein Baumhaus damals. Von da konnte ich mit dem Fernglas bei denen reinsehen. Und an diesem einen Tag da... da hat sein Vater uns im Wald gefunden... er war so wütend... er war immer so wütend. Und diesmal wusste ich einfach, der... der schlägt ihn tot – und Adam wusste es auch. Also bin ich denen hinterher. In die Garage. Adam lag auf dem Boden, er hat sich nicht gewehrt. Und sein Vater hat wie besessen auf ihn eingedroschen.“

- Leo, Das Herz der Schlange

There’s a moment where Esther and Pia exchange glances at the line "da hat sein Vater uns im Wald gefunden" - and honestly, it doesn’t surprise me. You can’t help but wonder: your father found you in the forest... doing what? Was Adam simply hanging out at the treehouse with another kid from school enough to make Roland beat him half to death? You’d assume he must have seen something that upset him deeply, something that enraged him so much that he wanted to punish it out of his son. Because it couldn’t just be, 'boys don’t play with treehouses,' right?

This is what the story sounds like to someone hearing it for the first time. So, it’s very interesting to think about how people would naturally fill the gaps in Leo’s story - what assumptions they’d make.

What also strikes me is that Leo doesn’t tell them about how Adam defended him from bullies as a kid. That could have easily changed how they saw Adam, showing him in a different light. Was Leo too ashamed to mention it? Ashamed of being bullied in school?

I can’t help but feel there’s more to it. The flashback doesn’t explain why Leo was bullied, but from a queer person's perspective, it’s easy to imagine it was because Leo was seen as queer, weird, or ‘a sissy.’ We know he liked reading - and I think some people around here can relate to being picked on for being the queer, weird bookworm.

But maybe it went even deeper. Maybe Leo was bullied because people suspected he had a crush on Adam. Maybe that’s why they beat him up. In my headcanon, the bullies’ attack on Leo had a homophobic background.

But then, Adam came to his rescue.

Maybe, all of this happened on the same day. They’re wearing the same clothes, after all. They already were best friends - but then Adam heard the bullies taunting Leo, ridiculing him for being gay, for having a crush on Adam. Of course, Adam stepped in. Later, Leo led Adam to the treehouse, his safe space where he could show him that he cared, that he knew because he saw what was going on, and that he was there for him, even if he didn’t know how to handle it. Leo was watching over Adam. Showing rather than telling him, that he would never abandon Adam, because he meant so much to him.

It was at the treehouse that they kissed for the first time.

And then, Roland showed up.

Maybe Roland didn’t see the whole picture. But he saw enough to piece it together. And you know he’s the kind of toxic father who’d go like, ‘no son of mine is going to grow up to be a—’

...but all of that is left unsaid. Words unspoken.

Both - so far - by the series itself and by Leo in that scene.

Just listening to what Leo says in the scene, though... it’s hard not to feel that he and Adam were on the verge of something more when they were teenagers. It’s something that feels strongly implied, something - at least I, as the queer kid in school with a crush on my best friend - can’t help but read into his words.

[anukkuna]

Day 30: Hype for das Ende der Nacht