20 volunteers agree to take part in a seemingly well-paid experiment advertised by the university. It is supposed to be about aggressive behavior in an artificial prison situation. A journalist senses a story behind the ad and smuggles himself in among the test subjects. They are randomly divided into prisoners and guards. What seems like a game at the beginning soon turns into bloody seriousness.

Maike wants to make a career as a journalist, but a man named Richard from the competition keeps stealing her texts. At the same time, she falls in love with her work colleague Joe. But is Joe really the person he claims to be?

Jörn lives with his brother Thomas at his grandparents', his mother died in an accident and his father works abroad. Jörn misses his mother, whom his grandparents are unable to replace despite their loving care. He lives in a world of his own, at home he writes poetry, but at school he and his gang pull the strings. He seeks out risk and flirts with death. He meets Jil on a daring climbing tour and is magically drawn to her resemblance to his deceased mother. With charm and perseverance, he woos Jil, who makes no secret of the fact that she is living with another man. Jörn, who discovers love, withdraws from the group, barely noticing what is happening around him. Meanwhile, the events at school intensify and he comes under suspicion of having been involved in night-time attacks. The situation comes to a dramatic head when he receives a letter from his father on his birthday, enclosing his mother's farewell letter...

Not knowing anything about love, Felix has become used to a 3months relationship cycle after which he is left in grief and misery on a regular basis. It doesn't affect him at length, knowing that he has his flatmates Moritz, Jan and his sister Regina to rely on. When Jan decides to move together with his bride to be and Regina cancels their long planned holiday Felix finds himself alone. Moritz of all people who's in constant trouble with his girlfriend Leandra wants to help Felix to find the right one: uncomplicated, forgiving and independent. The first try already has Felix end up in the arms of Maja. Although Maja is done with men and relationships she's OK with a little affair she doesn't tell Felix that she has a 7 year old boy at home. Against Moritz's strong advice Felix falls in love head over heels. But when he hears about Maja's son Paul he panicks. Only Paul knows his mom and her new boyfriend are made for each other...

Claudia lives happily with her husband Jens and their two children Katja and Max in the small town of Barstedt. Her husband has his own small construction company and Claudia, as a housewife, has no financial worries - until she suddenly runs out of money at the bank and learns that the joint account has been blocked.

After a long stay in the clinic, Natalie Schneider returns home. When her friend Annemarie secretly sleeps at the Schneider's and steals money from Peter, a scandal breaks out. Natalie takes the train to Frankfurt.