Rex Resolution 78: Tod per Internet

'Fuzzy'

Series 6 seems to move Rex a little further away from family viewing. This was the episode for which SBS received complaints and was investigated for showing in an inappropriate time slot. See here if interested.

Still, after a bit of a Postpause, nothing like a slightly racey Rex episode to get things going again.

Bachmann, webname Rider, is chattting with his cyberpal Tiger. Bachmann is off to meet with a couple, nicknamed TwoforYou and it's not to discuss purchases on eBay. Part of the swinging scene, Bachmann remarks the woman in the couple is super hot and super horny. Tiger is quite envious and is tempted to get it on the act. In the end, he asks Bachmann to simply let him know how it all works out. Some delay is to be expected as Bachmann is about to go overseas on a surfing trip.

The couple are arriving. In the lift, the woman warns her husband to keep calm if Bachmann says something he doesn't like. She's barely dressed, underwear and a leather coat. Hope it's not an Austrian winter. Brrr. The man wants to film their interaction. Bachmann's cool with that. He sends the woman off to the bedroom, reminding her to take off her coat. The action starts soon after...

Across town, poor Tiger is having to satisfy himself with internet porn and pizza.

When the man doesn't immediately join in, Bachmann taunts him about his virility, inciting rage in the man. It's not long before Bachmann is dead, smashed over the head with a lamp and all captured on video.

Move forward three months. A brief interlude as Brandtner and Boeck shop for hand-held vacuum cleaners, a gift for Kunz apprently. Rex prefers to check out the bedding department and is soon spread out on a bed with a very tasteful (not!) heart shaped headboard. When Brandtner absent-mindedly walks off to find Rex, vacuum in hand, he's thought to be a thief. With Boeck and Rex lounging on the bed, the threesome are headed for trouble until they have to admit, somewhat embarrassed, that they are policemen.

A body has been found. When Dr. Graf says the corpse is probably months old, Brandtner wants the find kept out of the press, sensing the murderer might be feeling quite confident that he or she has got away with it and therefore less guarded.

The male swinger is in his office, feeling somewhat down. His activities have been curbed by his partner since the murder and he's anxious to hit the internet scene again. His partner is understandably resistant. He tells her that he needs to watch her with other men. His frustration is palpable and it won't be long before he persuades her to resume their activities.

Brandtner and Boeck are at Bachmann's flat on what seems initially to be a different case. His parents have reported him missing. Bachmann's bags are packed. Rex finds a fragment of glass. More shards are under the bed and a blood spot is on the mattress. Suddenly they seem to have a victim and crime scene. Bingo. When Brandtner gets into Bachmann's laptop, he finds all his sex contacts and the team have a direction to investigate.

Coincidentally, back in the office, the woman is commenting to the man that they should have taken Bachmann's laptop. The man isn't worried. He's back cruising the sex groups, confident they are safe, and notices an ad. from Tiger. 'Tiger spoils couples in Vienna, everything allowed!' It's enough to tempt his wife, contact is made with Tiger and a meeting set up.

At headquarters Kunz is trying to find who Bachmann may have talked to on his computer. Kunz turns out to be a bit of a tech-head and tells the others it may be hard to find out anything useful. It is revealed that it's Kunz's anniversary with the department - hence the present buying earlier. Kunz is very excited by the handheld vacuum! What a sucker (groan)!

More findings from Graf suggest that the corpse found is most likely that of Bachmann. Kunz gets on to the internet posing as an interested participant, nickname Fuzzy. Ha!

The couple go to meet Tiger. They spot him playing billiards but don't go over to him and sit elsewhere. The woman panics and leaves, the man follows. Tiger rushes to the door in time to note their car registration. Tiger tries to make contact with them the next day but is interrupted by a message from 'Fuzzy', who makes out to be a friend of Bachmann and says he is looking for him. Tiger tells him Bachmann is in New Zealand, 'Fuzzy' says not and Tiger, freaked out, hangs up.

Brandtner has the idea of offering themselves as sex partners. Of course, this sets up the episode for some very amusing segments. Boeck stuck between 'the count' and 'countess', Kunz stuck with a very buxom woman (as he normally is!). Brandtner, however, gets himself in more serious trouble, walking unexpectedly into a blackmail set up. Photos are taken of Brandtner in a compromising position. The photographer Heinz says Brandtner can buy them for 5000 Schillings. When Brandtner tries to demand the film, Heinz attacks. Rex, left outside, knows something is wrong though and has already entered the building through a window. Within moments, Heinz is under attack by Rex and Brandtner has him cuffed.

Tiger contacts the couple TwoforYou finally. Tiger tells them he has news. He also challenges them about their 'no-show' last night. When the man claims work commitments, Tiger tells him he saw them. The man says he couldn't know that, he doesn't know what they look like. However, Tiger tells him that Bachmann had described them well. This is a shock to the man and, when Tiger says that he knows everything, the man arranges a further meeting.

8 pm that night, the man is waiting for Tiger at a dark parking spot. It seems like the whole of Vienna is having sex in cars in this particular spot. He gets into Tiger's car. Tiger is wondering where the woman is. The man fobs him off with the excuse that she's making herself attractive. While waiting, Tiger asks how things went with Bachmann. He then tells the man that he hasn't heard from Bachmann since he met with the couple and that he understands Bachmann never left town as planned. He also reveals he knows the man's real name - Kainz - he checked the registration number with a policeman friend. He's trying to blackmail Kainz. If only he could sleep with his wife from time to time.........enough said, Within minutes he cops a screwdriver through the chest. Endstation Tiger!

The wife is now back to being interested in meeting someone. Kainz now has less interest and she's confused. She clicks on Eros. This happens to be Brandtner. Heisser Typ? Aber, ja! She's putting pressure on Kainz to meet Eros.

Tiger's body has been found. Stefan Haller. With all the tiger articles in his flat, the team soon make the contact to Bachmann and to the couple TwoforYou. Eros, this time Kunz online, makes contact, although it's Brandtner that will be sent to meet the couple. They seem to get on well, until Kainz is asked if he has a problem with jealousy. He gets a little irate but recovers quickly and a meeting is set for the next day.

Brandtner is setting up the scene. Rex is hidden outside, with access through a window should trouble emerge. The couple arrive. The wife heads to the bathroom while the husband sets up video. He notices tape of his wife with Bachmann and tries to erase it. Brandtner goes into the bathroom where the wife confesses to being nervous. She tells him her husband gets angry, that she's afraid he will lose it. Kainz hears her spilling their secrets to Brandtner. Brandtner asks about her about Bachmann and tells her he's a policeman. The story is out. The wife doesn't know about Haller though. She's shocked.

Kainz tries to flee but Rex has him cornered in the phone box outside. Eventually, he manages to escape. He doesn't realise Rex has hidden in the car with him. He drives to a nearby bridge and tries to discard the incriminating video. It doesn't fall into the water and Rex retrieves it before Kainz can get it. Back at his apartment, he grabs money and a passport, only to find Rex has him cornered. Brandtner arrives and takes him into custody. With Rex having the incriminating video, the game is over.

Other players include Tobias Hoesl as Kainz, not listed for this episode with IMDB but also appearing in Stockinger, Oscar Ortega Sanchez as Haller, and Jan Sosniok as Bachmann.


Recycled Rexers include Sabine Petzl, here as Frau Kainz, in earlier episodes as Moser's colleague Elisabeth Boehm ('Ein moerderischer Sommer' (1995), 'Duft der Todes' (1995), 'Moerderische Leidenschaft' (1996)) and as Eva Kretschmer in 'Vitamine zum Sterben' (2003).