Previously on GZSZ…Jasmin finally convinces Anni to go to her father’s birthday party. They drive all night to get there, only for him to tell Anni that she’s not welcome and that she’s not normal.

And just because I LOVE the new opening theme and for dramatic effect. PLAY LOUD. And sing along with your bad German like I do.

Ep 5560

We open at the restaurant where Anni’s father, Rainer, has just told Anni that he doesn’t have a daughter. He continues his rant by asking her why she didn’t just stay in Berlin because that’s where people like her belong apparently. He tells her its HIS birthday and that maybe Anni’s mother invited her but she never asked him if he’d be OK with it. Anni pauses for a second before she walks back to Jasmin in a storm. Jasmin, already sensing Anni’s reaction of flight, stands up as Anni grabs all their belongings. Anni tells Jasmin that they are going. Jasmin looks a bit in shock here. I don’t think she ever expected Anni’s father to behave like this, even though Anni had warned her beforehand. I do love how as they leave, Anni is holding Jasmin’s hand.

Anni’s mother runs out after them, leaving the guests in the restaurant wondering WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON IN UNTERMERZBACH?!!! Anni fumbles around in her bag looking for the car keys as they approach their car. You can tell that Anni is clearly shaken up. Jasmin goes to grab her as Anni’s mother reaches them. She starts apologising but Anni cuts her off, thanking her for reminding her what an asshole her father is. Anni starts to get more and more worked up as she yells at her mother “Why didn’t you tell me that he didn’t want me here at all? I thought it was his idea!”. Her mother tells her that he DOES want her here (yeah just on the inside and not on the outside huh?) and that he was happy to see her. Anni laughs and tells her mother that she could tell. Meanwhile, all poor Jasmin can do is just stand there watching it all unfold. Anni’s mother tries to tell Anni how much Rainer has missed her and how much he talks about her but Anni tells her that its maybe only her wish and that he only cares about what the others in the village say about him.

Anni’s mother admits that maybe the timing was wrong right now. Anni snaps back telling her that the moment was exactly right. That all Rainer had to do was keep his mouth shut for once and then everyone would have seen him being cool with it all. Anni’s mother tells Anni that its not his fault, that it was HER mistake because he wasn’t prepared for the situation. At this point, Anni snaps and completely loses it. She tells her mother to stop, to go back inside to “her people” and to leave her alone. Anni’s mother turns and leaves as Anni crumbles into the arms of Jasmin. Jasmin tries comforting a visibly shaken Anni and it’s a heartbreaking performance from Linda.

You can just see the pure raw emotion emanating out from the screen here. Linda is brilliant and Janina is perfect. We have never seen Anni be this emotional ever and neither has Jasmin. She does an excellent job just holding Anni here and comforting her.

Next we cut to the inside of the car where Anni is speeding away back to Berlin. Heavy metal music is playing and Jasmin is worried and asks Anni to pull over. Anni tells her she can manage. And after a beat, Jasmin admits to Anni that she was right. That Anni’s father is a complete moron, that she never should have talked her into coming and that she didn’t know people like that still existed. She tells Anni that other parents would be proud to have a daughter like her and that she’ll be glad to be back in Berlin again. You can see the wheels turning in Anni’s head. She turns to Jasmin and says “What am I doing here? What kind of coward am I? I’m just running away!”. WOW Anni! That’s huge! To finally be able to see the situation clearly like that and to admit to herself that she is running away. That’s certainly a step forward in her character’s progression.

Heavy metal soundtrack still raging as Anni’s car screeches to a halt back at the restaurant and she jumps out. Just as she walks up to her parents the music suddenly stops. Brilliant editing. She hands him a framed photo of herself as a little girl on her bike and tells him that this was going to be her present for him. Well technically it IS his present, as you gave it to him now Anni *wink*.

WHOOO!!! This is the moment Anni!!! She tells him that he was once her hero and that driving here she kept thinking about how much she used to love him. But now he calls her abnormal?! Meanwhile, pretty much the entire village is also standing there, listening as Anni yells this at her father. She tells him she is a lesbian and she is not sick. As she backs away a bit, she notices everyone looking at her and yells at them “YES, LESBIAN! Rainer has a lesbian for a daughter. One who loves women and sleeps with women!”. Haha, oh Anni, pretty sure that IS the definition of a lesbian. Jasmin just cutely stands back at the car watching. And as Anni walks back to the car and sees Jasmin’s cute little face she turns back to her parents and the village and says;

You guys! Afafafsfdewyfu how cute is Jasmin’s little wave there? YOU TELL THEM ANNI! She storms off back to the car, leaving the village of Untermerzbach AND her parents, looking like stunned mullets. The Anni storm has just wrecked havoc in this small village..it will never be the same again! I especially love the way she tells Jasmin to “Come”. Pheeeweee…they need to pull over at the nearest motel, because that chemistry right there looks like its going to explode out of my screen!

Back inside the car, it looks like a HUGE weight has been lifted from Anni’s shoulders. She has been waiting to do this for pretty much her entire adult life. I’m so proud of Anni right now and so is Jasmin. They are both laughing and Jasmin tells her that that was quite some entrance and that this news will get around. Anni Brehme. Lesbian. Love how dramatically Jasmin says this.

Jasmin asks Anni if none of the guests knew she was a lesbian before? And Anni tells her no, that Rainer kept it very quite. Jasmin tells Anni that she will now be the talk of the village for the next 100 years. Anni says she should have done this a LONG time ago and Jasmin congratulates her on her coming out and asks her how she feels. Anni tells her that she’s better than her old man LOL! Jasmin screams out how embarrassing it must have been for Rainer when she stormed out of there. Then Anni does the most hilarious impersonation of one of the guests saying;

BWAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA! I heart you so much Anni! They both crack up here and so do I. Friggin hilarious! How can you not laugh along with these two?

She tells Jasmin that she should have done it right away, in front of all those guests inside the restaurant. And Jasmin super cutely tells Anni that she is so HARDCORE. HAH! Anni says that would have been totally awesome and does what I would do in this situation, pulls over and makes out with her girlfriend HARDCORE, asks for a high five! Ohhh yeah!

Back in Berlin, Anni is exhausted and heads straight for the couch. Jasmin tells Anni she only has herself to blame as she wouldn’t let them stop anywhere. But Anni just wanted to get out of the backwoods as quick as possible.

Cue the most cinematic soundtrack score I have ever heard of GZSZ. Wow they are really cranking up the dramatic here. We are back in Untermerztbach, where the Brehmes sit on a park bench silently. Rainer takes out the photo that Anni gave him and looks at it. Anni’s mother tells him that those were the good times. He tells her she was so brave that day and he was so proud of her. She then asks him if she’s a different person now?

Back at the apartment, Anni gets a text message. It’s from her father. Jasmin, who’s in the kitchen, looks over at Anni and asks her what he said. Anni tells her she’s not going to read it now that she’s feeling good again. Jasmin tells her that maybe he’s apologising? Anni laughs and says that he’ll probably buy her a car too. Jasmin grabs the phone from Anni and starts reading the text; “Thank you for the photo. Dad”. I love how Anni could have gotten really upset here at Jasmin for running off with her phone, but she doesn’t. Jasmin tells Anni that maybe her words impressed him and shows the text to Anni. Cute stubborn Anni tells Jasmin that her mother probably wrote it and turns away.

Anni grabs the phone back and tells Jasmin to delete it, that it doesn’t mean anything. But Jasmin won’t have it, and tells Anni to write back, to keep the conversation going. Stubborn Anni tells her she doesn’t have to do anything, puts the phone on the table and turns away. Jasmin gives in for now and goes back to the kitchen but as soon as she isn’t looking, Anni turns back and looks at the phone.

**This recap proudly brought to you by Werner, President of the “Untermerzbach Schützenfest (Marksman Festival)” **