It appears that many viewers were expecting a re-hash of the great 1981 film, DAS BOOT. This series pays homage to the plot of that film, but it goes in a different direction when it comes to the U-boat storyline. And that turns out to be a good thing. Writers decided to combine the submarine story with a Resistance narrative, on land, in La Rochelle where the U-boat base was located. While not perfect, the alternating and intertwining plots in Season One work quite well. Not only is the submarine action extremely well-handled, but period-feel is very strong as well. A major flaw is in the Resistance story where an American woman is placed as leaser of a Resistance cell. Research shows that there was in fact an American woman who was deeply involved in Resistance work (Virginia D'Albert-Lake, born in Ohio), but her story is quite different from that of Ms Monroe in this series. That character in itself is not a fatal problem for series, nor is the briefly depicted romance between Monroe and Simone Strasser. That plotline does seem forced and unconvincing, but it's easy to ignore it amid all the excellent drama that surrounds it. The series shows the often shockingly brutal treatment of French citizens by German occupation forces, and this is drawn from fact. The brave people of the Resistance were truly risking their lives and this series doesn't shy away from showing just how horrific the consequences could be, while never sensationalizing them.
On board the U-boat things are also very convincing: the claustrophobic atmosphere, volcanic tensions between crew members and officers. It's a gripping tale, more than worthy of comparison to the famous film. In this, as in the Resistance narrative, the acting is top-of-the-line.
With Season Two a more serious flaw comes in. Here, there are three plotlines. The added one, about a young Navy officer who is seen as unfit to lead the U-boat mission, is replaced by a mutinous revolt and he ends up in, off all places, New York City. The story set there is rarely convincing and seems much too manufactured, probably to increase viewer interest, something not required since the original two narratives were more than enough. Those two storylines are now well-developed and extremely intense at times. No Spoilers. This is a very good, imperfect series, worthy of anyone's time.
