Summary
Episode 5 shows how an addict can suddenly be isolated from everyone — loneliness, dependency and losing character has become the centre point of the story.
This recap of Amazon’s We Children from Bahnhof Zoo season 1, episode 5, “4000 a month”, contains spoilers.
With each episode passing, the situation gets worse and worse for these characters — it’s a shit storm that swirls more aggressively, and the lead character Christiane, loses every sense of herself. Now that Christiane has returned to Berlin, we get a sense of how far she’s gone.
Episode 5 opens with a flashback; Robert buys a new car, but he hasn’t considered their baby that’s due to arrive. He gets frustrated, saying the car will guarantee success. When they get in, the car will not start. Karin gets mad at him, leaves the car, and Robert runs her over. The doctor checks out her bruised bump at the hospital, and fortunately, the baby is okay. It is no wonder she didn’t want another baby with him.
Making up
The main couple in this series, Benno and Christiane, find themselves in a deadly cycle.
In the present, Benno finds Christiane after finishing selling his body at Frank’s. They share heroin in the park. The couple kisses each other passionately, their previous issues suddenly forgotten as they have sex in the park. But the addiction is starting to severely impact Christiane, who cannot keep it together in class. She isn’t having enough heroin, and she finds herself going cold turkey very quickly.
Whipping for drugs
She heads to Axel’s work and asks for money, but his boss kicks her out. She eventually finds Michi and asks for help. He grabs her by the throat and tells her to get lost. A man with a suit tells her that he knows Benno and can provide extra drugs for her. They head to an apartment, and he tells her she needs to provide sexual services first before giving drugs. The man gives her a whip and asks her to hit him.
We Children from Bahnhof Zoo season 1, episode 5 sees the cycle of drug abuse taking a toll — the character compromises herself.
Needing a hit all the time
Benno finds Christiane with this man, and he’s furious. He doesn’t like how she is selling herself for drugs. At SOUND, Matze and Benno end up fighting over Christiane. She finds it cute and snogs Benno passionately. The next morning, Christiane cannot find heroin, and she’s furious. Benno tells her he had it all and that he’ll get more later. Christiane is upset and leaves. When she leaves the bedroom, Axel gives her some of his stuff. Her dependency is making her lose sight — she’s linking relationship commitment to the need for the drug.
Needing to stay on top of her addiction, Christiane tries prostitution. Benno tries to stop her, but she drives off with a man. She gives the man a handjob. Later on, Christiane tells Benno they’d have way more dope if they both hustled. However, it’s clear by how Benno is acting that he doesn’t like this new dynamic.
4,000 a month
Needing to stay on top of her addiction, Christiane tries prostitution. Benno tries to stop her, but she drives off with a man. She gives the man a handjob. Later on, Christiane tells Benno they’d have way more dope if they both hustled. However, it’s clear by how Benno is acting that he doesn’t like this new dynamic.
While taking an exam, Christiane works out how much she has to take a month to keep up with her addiction. When the teacher asks what she’s adding up, she storms out.
Robert returns, and he tells Christiane that he sold a Porsche for a new woman from Thailand. She gets angry with the new woman in his life, so Robert slaps her. Meanwhile, at school, Karin is confused when the teachers warn about Christiane’s behaviour.
The ending
Christiane meets Axel, and he explains they are left with nothing — the papers state that Matze overdosed on heroin and died. Karin tries to speak to Christiane about it, but she locks herself in her room. She takes heroin as her mother tries to get in. When her mother enters, Christiane has overdosed, so they have to ring an ambulance immediately.
We Children from Bahnhof Zoo season 1, episode 5 shows how an addict can suddenly be isolated from everyone — loneliness, dependency and losing character has become the centre point of the story.
Additional points
- Christiane heads to Günther’s place. She tells Stella that she can’t rely on Benno anymore.
- While at SOUND, Matze tries kissing Christiane.
- Günther is furious when he learns Stella has been earning money on the streets and attacks her. Babsi injects Günther and both women flee.
