Despite their best efforts, Thomas Gottschalk and Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg find it difficult to spread a good mood at the RTL annual review. But who is surprised? The year 2022 just wrote too many dark stories.

What has the world been up to? What touched people? What is hope? And who or what fueled fears and suffering? 2022 was an intense and world-changing year. With Christmas just around the corner, the RTL annual review reviews the most important moments of the past twelve months. In addition to the many prominent guests, the viewers’ gaze is naturally also directed towards the two new moderators. After 25 years, Günther Jauch has handed over the format baton to his colleagues Thomas Gottschalk and Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.

The latter immediately tries to take the helm and opens the evening with a special kind of self-adulation: “Welcome to the political lackey of yesteryear and the silverback of the German television landscape,” the former defense minister shoots out. It should remain one of the few funny moments of the evening, because apart from the lottery millionaire “Chico”, who rushes into the studio in proper style in a Ferrari, a few music-loving African children who dance to the hits of the year and the refreshing summer fairy tale reviews of the the two football ladies Alexandra Popp and Lena Oberdorf, all other topics tend to make the studio audience look embarrassed and depressed.

Inclusion promoter Möhring sets the first exclamation mark

The first emotional exclamation mark is set by actor and inclusion promoter Wotan Wilke Möhring (“Because we are champions!”), who, together with his new colleague Antonia Riet, is campaigning for better social interaction – but sees a lot of room for improvement in this regard: “We’re flying to the moon, but don’t know anything about the people next to us,” laments the actor. The haunting appeal of a down-to-earth actor is the beginning of an emotional primetime roller coaster ride, which not only once vividly and disturbingly shows the viewer what heavy burdens the year 2022 had to bear.

Iranian exile Sanaz Safaie tells of torture, abuse and never-ending humiliation. Under the “Woman! Life! Freedom!” banner, fear and hope duel to the death: “The Iranian government is becoming increasingly afraid because they know that they cannot kill everyone in Iran,” says the protest ambassador shaky voice.

“The media are more important than tanks and missiles”

Of course, the war in Ukraine is also a big topic on the show. A visibly battered Vitali Klitschko thanks all Germans for their previous support via video link. According to the mayor of Kiev, more and more information needs to be provided: “The media are more important than tanks and rockets,” explains Klitschko.

A few months ago, little Amelia sang the Ukrainian version of the world hit “Let It Go” in a bunker in Ukraine. In the presence of Thomas Gottschalk and Co., the eight-year-old picks up the microphone again and three minutes later gets a standing ovation from the studio audience. Olga Okara also knows the feeling of smoldering fear underground. As a single mother, she fled to Germany during the war in her country. It was here that she learned of her parents’ death from cell phone videos. Tears flow. The pain is incomprehensible.

Marius Müller-Westernhagen pulls the rock’n’roll trump card out of his sleeve

In between, the stories of two cancer patients who were able to fight their way back to life after a long time provide a brief touch of joy. Sahra Wagenknecht blames the climate stickers (“You have no right to take society hostage”) and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner calls for cohesion (“If our country is to get better, then everyone has to lend a hand”).

Marius Müller-Westernhagen quickly pulls the rock’n’roll trump card out of his sleeve and sings about barricades, the turning point and “a good ending”. Since the drops but sucked long ago. Basically everyone agrees. The year 2022 was for… It can only get better.

(This article was first published on Monday, December 12, 2022.)