Posted on August 24, 2025
Karachi:
In a city buried in the deep of the Austrian Alps, death is not the end: it is the beginning of the secrets unraveling, the revenge that develops and the bodies whisper their truths.
Long after having seen Woman of the Dead (WotD), I could not get the images of the majestic but hard land of the Alps, the corpses that speak, an avant -garde ski center in a very snowy valley, dead people and motorcycling on soft roads through scared mountains and a deep valley would not leave my mind.
I found the fascinating Netflix series for several reasons. Set in Tyrol, Austria, the story of a funeral director in a small town in the ski resort looking for some very hidden secrets of the small city, where her husband is killed right in front of her. Often, the mysteries of a small town are dense with eccentric characters, but here the most peculiar character is the funeral director. Yes, she is a woman, who dresses, naked, short, ornaments, styles equipment to fit the coffins, and presentable for humans and God! More details later.
The backdrop is perfect for the history of an Undertaker: the hard Tyrolean Alps, with its relentless land and its cold, permanent snow, reflect the gloomy and dispassionate work of The Undertaker, launching a chilling atmosphere on the series. Secondly, discovering that The Undertaker was a woman, my mind staggered with a mixture of intrigue and disbelief. The idea that anyone who manages the cold and disconcerting reality of death, especially a woman, seemed mysterious and disturbing. [Especially when she imagines, the corpses are talking to her!] His gloomy profession, a marked contrast with my own sensibilities, felt deeply unnatural, almost challenging the typical roles he had imagined. And thirdly, The character of The Undertaker Brunhilde Blum, known in the city as “Blum”, played by Anna Maria Mühe, who is outstanding in her three -pointed role as a wife who seeks revenge and an elevator that has a great instinct of an ability to unravel. As you advance more deeply in the case, it is in increasingly dangerous situations. Being a funeral home, she knows how to cover murders and who can get rid of the bodies better than her!
Mühe is an award -winning German actress, with a long list of films in his credit. Blum’s role as Undertaker must have intrigued it, since it is known for choosing roles that involve strong and complex characters, for which he has received praise for his performances in films such as “Big Girls Don’s Don’s Cry” and “Love in Thintoss.”
It was this Combination of factors: the plot of attractive revenge, the strong female protagonist, the impressive cinematography and the captivating atmosphere that keeps it attached to the screen. Especially the strange mixture of criminal drama with black humor, kept me during both seasons.
Based on the new Totenfu, by Bernhard Aichner, the series begins with a quiet visual of a sailboat in the open sea. A woman who uses headphones is listening to an old iPod while she is sunbathing in the bow. Ah, instantly it smells problems. It is the peaceful scene that tempts destiny. Two seconds later, people shout for help. The visual blinks several times in the series, at least in the first season, until you begin to link that incident with other developments that occur later.
Wotd could be a direct, direct thriller, if not for the character in Blum layers, his background and the dark edge of the show that gives him an advantage over the long list of Thrillers in the streamer these days, most of them around the missing girls, which is what seems to be the fastest idea of Netflix for the genre of crime.
Imagine the scene in which Brunhilde Blum is doing routine things around her funeral home, in her small mountain city. His assistant, says Shadid (Yousef Sweid) tells him that the family of the person he is working has bought a standard coffin that was too small, does not bother in the least. With the ease and impasivity that a chef adds more salt to a pan on the stove, Blum takes out his bone saw and cuts one foot after another of the body so he can fit in the coffin. Does it make you shudder or are scared totally? This may not be a spoiler, maybe I invented it!
Yousef Sweid, who plays Reza Shadid, brings a convincing presence to the screen. His mysterious eyes and stoic behavior are perfect for the character, which serves as a confidant, combat coach and Blum protector. Reza, a Syrian refugee welcomed by Mark, secretly helps Brünhilde in his search for justice, saving his life and meticulously hiding the murders he commits. However, an error by covering up the murder of Puch, ultimately, leads to an investigation into Blum, putting its shared secret at risk. The choice to make a Syrian refugee
Blum’s husband, Mark Thaler (Maiximilian Kraus), is a local policeman, but his relationship with Mark is wrapped in the tragedy that killed his parents, so there are all kinds of implications in his death. When he returns from a trip, Blum sees it on a yellow phone he has never seen. When she points out the new phone, he just says she bought a new case. When he gets into his Ducati to go to work, he is beaten when he goes to the road, and the Range Rover that hit him moves away after stopping just for a minute, which is enough to create intrigue and curiosity. While Blum wobbles with shock, you are also on the screen wondering what has just passed.
Before continuing, let’s pause to live a little in the dark, cold and silent world of matches, a profession that is not specifically seen in our part of the world. This is where Blum’s character transports us. Also known funeral directors or mortice, these professionals handle the practical and emotional aspects of funeral arrangements. They help families plan and organize commemorative services, ensure that the deceased are treated with dignity and provide support for a difficult time.
As seen in films and series that represent Western culture, entrepreneurs help families choose a place, coordinate with clergy or celebrants, and organize the transport of the deceased and attendees, similar to the work of the Ent planners. The difference is an environment of silent tones, soft lighting and a certain stillness.
In its preparation room, the clinical and dispassionate work of embalming, dressing and preparation of the body to see takes place. With scientific precision and methodical care, an Undertaker focuses on restoring dignity to the deceased and preparing them for visualization. This may include embalming, dressing and preparing the body to see or cremation, which may not be done for each dead person, since the embalming generally is only done if the visualization or visits with the body are involved before burial or cremation. For example, The bodies of presidents and celebrities are usually embalmed for public visualities, and behind flowers, crowns and crowds or queues of people at funerals and commemorative services, a business businessman has diligently fulfill the burning duties around the dead.
To become an Undertaker businessman, also known as director or funeral, one generally needs to complete formal education in mortuary science, followed by a state learning and license. This path implies studying the technical and commercial aspects of the funeral service industry, gaining practical experience and meeting the specific state requirements.
Are there women entrepreneurs? Yes, for example, the 528 Businessmen of Austria, often work for family businesses. They have a broad spectrum of knowledge, from social practices and local symbols to individual design options, to accompany the afflicted in the best possible way during their mourning time. These include, for example, cover the coffin with a white cloth, establish incense and coal, and do not sound bells in Buddhist funerals. The knowledge of entrepreneurs also covers the preparation of the possibilities for the final place of rest of the deceased person. Sharing and accompanying a person’s last trip has an important social and community meaning for afflicted and matches play an important role in this. His support also extends to continually deal with death as part of human life.
Knowledge about the culture of funeral and cemetery is transmitted from one person to the next. There are several additional components that contribute to the safeguarding and the expansion of knowledge, including training opportunities such as the Unideros Academy, additional training, frequent meetings of regular customers and exchange between federal provinces and meetings of specialized groups, and museums. They also have an association and their own specialized newspaper.
While the funeral industry has been traditionally dominated, the proportion of women working in the field is increasing. In Austria, about 36 percent of employees in the funeral sector are women, according to a report by Kronen Zeitung, the largest newspaper in Austria.
Returning to the series, Full Marks to the Writer for the unique premise of the series, which presents a woman as a business businessman. It is a truly convincing and original idea. It is not surprising, the two seasons were paid by the public. After three years, the second season of the series, originally in the German language, returned with more secrets to expose and mysteries to discover. If you thought it could not be better than the first season, you are wrong, because the second season gave a race to the first for your money.
Blum, the central character takes the story forward. Two years have passed since the events of the first season where she lost to her husband. If you thought that Blum had resolved all the mysteries and presented all the ugly secrets of the small city, and now you would live a peaceful life with his daughter, Nela (Emilia Fiemke), you were wrong again. Having even more enemies, in the police and in the local scene now, this time you have to address Nela’s kidnapping.
While season 1 was directed by Barbara Albert and Stefan Ruzowitzky, the second season was directed by Daniel Prochaska and written by Marcel Kawental and Timo Lombeck, building on the strengths of the first, and adding new layers of complexity and darkness. However, there are parts in which you feel that season 1 was stricter and more focused, but season 2 became broader in its narrative exploring trafficking in people and tobacco films. It is also being described as darker and more threatening. But that said, both seasons offer exciting stories, powerful performances and an intense mystery, redeeming the few minor defects.
Both seasons are shit, the cinematography of the alpine region simply spectacular. Surely points to a third season produced. Do you dare to return to the cold, sandy and bleak world of Blum again?
