Rex Resolution 55: Gafaehrlicher Auftrag

This has to be one of my favourite episodes in the Brandtner series. Quite suspenseful. Although every time, I hear someone mention a bomb, it reminds me of Moser going on about 'die Bombe, die bombe...' in an earlier episode.


You might think you're watching the wrong program when it starts with Brandtner in prison. Has he gone back to his murderous ways from 'Amok'? Luckily not. He's just 'doing time' to get close with criminal Zach, who is thought to have loot and a bomb hidden somewhere on the outside.


Zach's not easy to befriend though and, when Zach is bullied by other inmates, Brandtner has to punch a few people's lights out to get him on side. As the pair are transferred to another prison together, Brandtner pulls a gun on their prison guard and the two are set free. Of course, it is all a set up. Brandtner talks Zach into hiding out at a friend's house (Boeck in disguise and wearing different clothes for once!). The idea is to keep tracks on him and find out the location of the bomb and money.


Zach has other ideas though and soon leaves, not knowing that Boeck has planted a transmitter in his bag. Brandtner and Boeck are therefore able to track him. Unfortunately, Zach discovers the transmitter and throws it in a rubbish truck, which leads the team off-track a little. Once they realise, they return to Zach's last known location from where Rex can follow the trail to Zach's hideout. Hoellerer is then able to confirm they've got the right spot from a traced phone call made by Zach when he was staying at Brandtner's.


Zach sees Brandtner arrive outside with Rex and arms a bomb before attempting to exit the building. This leaves Brandtner with just three minutes and a bomb disposal expert on the end of a 'phone to defuse the bomb. Does he succeed? Well, let's just say the episode is not called 'Brandtner's death'.


Zach has also strapped a bomb to his body and uses this as leverage to escape, with Hoeller, finally in an action-man role, as his driver. Wiley Hoellerer has other plans however and, after a sharp turn at speed into a car park, bails out the vehicle leaving Zach to explode as the vehicle smashes into another. Wurstsemmel all round, boys!








Other players include Thierry Van Werveke, above, who sadly died of cancer just last month, as Fritz Zach, Heinz Trixner, as the prison boss, not credited with IMDB for this episode, Peter Strauss, not credited with IMDB for this episode but appearing in Stockinger, and Rochus Millauer, Brandtner's cell mate, not credited for this episode.




A single Recycled Rexer, Michael Rast, uncredited for both appearances, here as the prisoner who bullies Zach and falling to his death in 'Tod im Museum'.