The series begins in the Lower Rhine region of Germany, where a beautiful singer is found brutally murdered. Her corpse is discovered missing its scent glands—specifically from her hair and pubic area.
The series was shot with a single-camera setup, contributing to its intimate and often claustrophobic atmosphere. The cinematography, handled by , is a standout element. His use of bleak, wintry landscapes for the present-day sequences contrasts sharply with the bright, saturated colors of the flashbacks, effectively delineating the two timelines and enhancing the show's overall mood of dread and decay.
– The line between the past and present blurs. Detective Elena Grimme’s own personal trauma begins to bleed into the case as she tries to understand the psychological profiles of the suspects.
The first season, which includes episodes 01–06, was released globally on Netflix in December 2018. Series Overview Perfume 2018 S01 Complete E01-06 WebRip English...
: A beautiful singer is found murdered. Her body is missing its hair and scent glands.
| | English Title | German Title | Original Air Date (ZDFneo) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Ambergris | Ambra | November 14, 2018 | | 2 | Skatole | Skatol | November 14, 2018 | | 3 | Synthesis | Synthese | November 21, 2018 | | 4 | The Third Substance | Die dritte Substanz | November 21, 2018 | | 5 | The Heart Notes | Die Herznote | November 28, 2018 | | 6 | Captivation | Fesselung | November 28, 2018 |
Secrets from the past resurface as the police interview the mother of a previously missing boy. Captivation The series begins in the Lower Rhine region
Leading the investigation is the sharp but emotionally entangled Detective Nadja Simon (Friederike Becht), alongside her colleague Matthias Köhler. Adding a layer of personal complication, Nadja is having an affair with the married prosecutor, Joachim Grünberg, who is overseeing the case. As the police delve into the singer's past, their attention quickly turns to five of her former classmates from a prestigious boarding school. This group of men and women, bound by their intense adolescent fascination with the novel Perfume , had experimented with the powerful and manipulative nature of human scents.
However, the series is not without its detractors, and the criticism it receives is often tied directly to its greatest strengths:
If you are downloading or streaming the release, keep the following technical details in mind: The cinematography, handled by , is a standout element
Instead of a period piece set in 18th-century France, "Perfume" the TV series , transforming it from a gothic tragedy into a contemporary psychological thriller. Directed by Philipp Kadelbach and produced by Oliver Berben and Sarah Kirkegaard, it weaves a complex narrative of obsession, scent, love, and murder. The first and only season aired on ZDFneo starting November 14, 2018, before being released globally as a Netflix Original on December 21, 2018.
The show features a strong cast of European actors who bring this dark mystery to life.
The 2018 German television series Perfume ( Parfum ) redefines the modern crime thriller by turning the sense of smell into a psychological weapon. Inspired by Patrick Süskind’s iconic 1985 novel and Tom Tykwer's 2006 film adaptation, this six-episode masterpiece shifts the narrative from 18th-century France to a bleak, contemporary Lower Rhine landscape.
When searching for , here’s what you should expect:
A wealthy, eccentric, and cynical perfumer living in Paris who possesses the technical knowledge to create scent-based bioweapons.