Ep 1. The Last Seance

The Last Seance is the first episode of the crime-drama TV series Vienna Blood. The story is set in Vienna, Austria in 1906, where the city is bustling with cultural growth and scientific advancements. The series is based on the novels by Frank Tallis, featuring the Austrian physician Max Liebermann as he teams up with Vienna detective Oskar Rheinhardt to solve some of the city's most perplexing cases.

In The Last Seance, we see the opening scene in which Madame Kapp, a renowned psychic medium, is conducting a séance for a group of aristocrats in their grand salon. The séance comes to an abrupt end when one of the participants, Lady Amelia Lydgate, suddenly dies in front of everyone. Despite there being no apparent cause of death, the participants are shaken up and Madame Kapp is accused of foul play.

Shortly after the incident, Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt is called in by the Lydgate family to investigate the matter. Being a somewhat old-fashioned detective, he is initially sceptical about the idea of using the services of a psychologist, but once he sees Professor Max Liebermann in action, he changes his mind. Rheinhardt begins to realise that Liebermann's analytical and scientific approach to the case may provide a different perspective on the mystery.

Though Rheinhardt's instincts often lead him to focus on the details, Liebermann insists on being thorough. After questioning Madame Kapp and the other attendees, Liebermann finds out that Lydgate was in therapy for an eating disorder, which is evident from her emaciated body. The young professor hypothesizes that the victim may have had a weak heart, and the stress from the seance may have caused it to fail.

Rheinhardt and Liebermann's investigation into Lydgate's death, however, becomes even more complicated as they uncover secrets from the Lydgate family. Several family members have dark secrets, and they all seem to have a motive to kill Lady Amelia. The detective duo must try to decipher who has the most to gain from her death and means to carry out the murder.

Overall, The Last Seance offers a captivating glimpse into the early 20th century Vienna and the world of forensic psychology. The episode sets up the show's premise of a crime-solving partnership between a sceptical detective and a brilliant young psychiatrist. It also highlights the series's formula of presenting a case that seems to have a supernatural origin but is later resolved by rational explanations. If you're looking for a crime series that offers an intriguing mix of historical realism and psychological insights, Vienna Blood is definitely worth checking out.