Overview
- The 1 January primetime episode “Das Traumschiff: Madikwe” featured passengers discussing plans to end their lives, a marked break from the show’s traditionally light holiday fare.
- National outlets and viewers on social platforms denounced the handling as tasteless or dangerous and questioned the choice for a celebratory timeslot.
- Mental-health guidance highlighted the Werther effect, noting that prominent and emotional depictions of suicide are linked to increased imitation.
- Reviews faulted the episode for lacking portrayals of support or treatment options and for relying on a brief end-card hotline notice without an advance trigger warning.
- A subplot involving romantic contact between teenage step-siblings prompted additional complaints, and no substantive follow-up response from ZDF was reported.