Episode list

Little Jakob is shocked and out for vengeance after his three big brothers pretend he's just adopted. Ralf Binder cancels his wedding plans in Tabarius's church when he hears the name of sexton Willi Kockelkorn, from Hamburg like him. His fiancee clarifies that's his ever-absent biological father. Andreas hopes to smooth everything by asking Willi to babysit his four sons while he and Katharina (center of jealous scenes whether she, Sabini or her underling Urte gets the honor) attend a fancy church celebration in Cologne, but the rascals quickly turn his old-style firmness into boundless knavery. Ralf reluctantly gives Willi at chance to explain how his mother kept them apart. Jakob abuses the police for revenge on firstborn Lukas.

Thomas finally gathers the courage as sleepover host to show his gay interest in buddy Julius, only to be scorned and made the class laughing stock. Shattered, he neglects his graduation and tries in vain to help Katharine prevent her father's antiques shop being foreclosed. Marc refuses to officiate a gay 'marriage' for Sven Büter and Carsten van Eifeler as neither is a regular parishioner and evangelical church policy forbids it. Andreas braves the authorities by offering a non-sacramental service, but the couple can't agree on that 'fake'.

*Preacher Andreas lectures unimpressed second son Thom over using is allowance to play bank, but finds the 'userer' philanthropic. Katharina finds homeless Petra Schütte at her shop and blatantly demands Andreas takes her into the rectory guest room, which he only does when his eldest sons insist. What Jacob mistakes for a miraculously weeping crucifix is alas a leaky church roof. Andreas tempts to appeal to Petra' rich sister to help out with both expensive problems, finding the key in confronting the tragic death of the sisters' 'shared' love.

Jacob decides his classmate's sick guinea-pig needs divine assistance, so they sneak it into the Lutheran service. When it escapes there, the vestry fears the preacher is planning 'papist' animal blessings. Andreas locks horns with Johannes, who is determined to help adopted classmate Susanna find pit about her biological mother, although the parish is legally bound to secrecy, but the rascals break into his birth registers archive. Lucas suffers more romantic deception.

From the first day in his new parish, preacher Andreas Tabarius is late, as devoted father of four doting, motherless sons. Andreas also faces an unusual challenge: local brat Paula (10) demands 'church asylum', claiming she can't stay at home, without details. While the brothers are practically left to themselves, which the youngest take hardest, Andreas stands up to the bossy, prejudiced vestry chairwoman, finds out Paula is really worried about her family and finds a way out. He also advertises for a parish secretary, and seriously considers a most unconventional, blunt non-believer, who may however help out at home and seems to get on with the boys.

Lukas and his new lover, hairdresser Lea Mommsen, consider moving out together as she can afford an apartment, but father considers that desertion as they agreed Lukas would help raise his kid brothers. Tom worries as Jo waves warnings against bad company at school, which indeed inspires even theft from his big brother. Katharina survived the car crash but clashes even worse with pastor Andreas and culprit driver Anna Breckwoldt is crushed by guilt.

The Tabarius family is surprised when firstborn Lukas presents his adult girl friend 'Meike' at the breakfast table. For Andreas it becomes a conscience problem when he finds she's really Jana, wife of Peter Sender, whose request he already accepted to formalize their impending divorce in church, against objections given the sacrament's divine nature, risking hierarchical sanctions. Furthermore, the break-up grounds seem dubious and another secret may change things. Jakob is devotion-inspired by a Muslim classmate.

Preacher Andreas Tabariusfears that second son Thomas's impish secrecy covers up an unsafe sex life, especially when his school mate girl friend Sophie Bahlers asks help with her pregnancy. It turns out the father is third classmate Dalan Celik, whose immigrant parents Sophie's lawyer parents look down upon enough to demand an abortion. Meanwhile the sons plot to get Andreas off their backs by overcoming his reluctance to date again with Thomas's teacher or the parish secretary.

Preacher Tabarias test his Savior's parish's charity further by hiring as part-time 'vicar' ex-con Stefan Vieweger, an armed robbery ex-con who converted and studied theology in jail. Even Andreas can't help implicitly suspecting him when the mass collection goes missing. Only secretary Katharina has an alternative suspect, worse to the unbelieving father: kid son Jacob, who misses his late mother and seeks suspiciously lavish candy comfort for his brother's bickering. Firstborn Likas accepts to defer moving out as med student to help control his brothers' unruly streak, but looses his patience with the cockily rowing slobs.