Here's what I wrote in my review of the second episode of The Regime - "Herbert's body appears to have grown from behind Elena. Their skins seem glued to each other. He looks like a parasite, gradually extending his influence over the chancellor." Well, in Episode 3, this parasite appears in complete control of its host. Just observe how casually Herbert utters the chancellor's name as if he's talking to a low-level soldier. If Elena looks like a puppet, the corporal looks like a puppet master. You can almost see him pulling the strings and making this woman dance on his fingers. Herbert exerts so much influence on Elena that she agrees to spend a few nights without her husband. Herbert has reduced Elena to a scared little mouse.
A few minutes into this third episode is all it took for me to fully hate Herbert. Like all the other characters, I found myself irked by his presence. He really got on my nerves. As a result, I started feeling sorry for Elena. The rigid, tightly controlled framing and camera movement feel quite suffocating here. You relax a bit when Elena has another one of those daughter--(dead)father conversations. They are quietly hilarious, though this time, they also show us a vulnerable Elena. She questions if she really likes Herbert's decisions or has simply surrendered herself to the corporal and, like everyone else, is too scared to refuse his command.
Surprisingly, the chat this time is not one-sided. The dead dad talks to Elena and brings back her tyrant form through "motivational words" like ugly bitch, vapid, and comic figure. All this expectedly turns out to be a dream sequence, but when Elena wakes up, her eyes shine with confidence. I liked how she took back control from Herbert. Nevertheless, she soon hits us with the realization that this character is cruel. Elena not only orders to take illegal occupation of lands but also takes Oskar away from Agnes.
As far as Herbert is concerned, Elena cuts him down to size and even calls him an ox. Their relationship quickly changes, though unlike Episode 1, the shift in dynamics this time doesn't feel jarring at all. Herbert screams he is not an ox but punches a character like an animal.
Overall, this third episode is slightly better than the previous two episodes. Yet, it doesn't feel very special. There is some sort of monotony infecting this show. I don't know if it's intentional, but it surely prevents the show from being more enjoyable.
Final Score - [6/10]