Scandi noir/drama recommendations/discussion



Silkyces said:
The Valhalla Murders, tonight.
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Some different scenery & accents, but as usual everyone is divorced, sharing kids(s). No classic car for the hero(ine)!, have they not read the template? Her gimmick seems to be taking her top off & showing her bra & toned stomach.
 
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Vinyl Score said:
Some different scenery & accents, but as usual everyone is divorced, sharing kids(s). No classic car for the hero(ine)!, have they not read the template? Her gimmick seems to be taking her top off & showing her bra & toned stomach.
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I watched it like I watch any crime drama out of Scandinavia but it was clichéd as fuck. The messy divorce and dysfunctional kids are a well used trope, as you say. They also rehashed the child abuse revenge theme which has been heavily used in shows like Wallander, the Bridge, Trapped and Forbrydelsen. We just need the family fallout over an inheritance, an environmental cover-up and a political scandal involving a Conservative politician for the full bingo card.

I suppose it comes with the territory that there has to be a strong, social democratic narrative, but for fuck's sake use a bit of imagination!
 
Recently started Occupation on Netflix - a Norwegian political thriller set in the near future where Russia occupies Norway to secure their oil supplies.
 
Darlo1973 said:
Recently started Occupation on Netflix - a Norwegian political thriller set in the near future where Russia occupies Norway to secure their oil supplies.
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Gonna check this out.

Watched the first 20 minutes of Karppi (Deadwind) last night and struggled to get into it - is it worth persisting?
 
Valhalla Murders has picked up a bit from my previous comment. I like the way that, while it's mainly about Katla, the other cops show initiative in solving the case. Bit of a Red Riding finish to tonight's episodes, it would be cool if they had just left it there.
 
Surely a genre that has been completely squeezed dry after years of some of the best shows ever on TV. The Bridge has always been the benchmark for me.
 
sambantam82 said:
Surely a genre that has been completely squeezed dry after years of some of the best shows ever on TV. The Bridge has always been the benchmark for me.
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The holy trinity: The Bridge, Forbrydelsen and Yellowbird Wallander. Or if you're a proper boomer like me, the Stellar Skarsgard version of Insomnia from 1997.
 
smoker said:
Valhalla Murders has picked up a bit from my previous comment. I like the way that, while it's mainly about Katla, the other cops show initiative in solving the case. Bit of a Red Riding finish to tonight's episodes, it would be cool if they had just left it there.
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I'm finding it difficult to get into. Not sure I'll continue.
 
Son of Stan said:
I'm finding it difficult to get into. Not sure I'll continue.
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It gets better. I've stuck with it as I'm an Icelandophile and spent a holiday in and around Borgarnes but the story is on a worn trope so don't expect anything too original. I like the development of the male detective's character and will be interested to see where they take that there but they are going to need to pull a rabbit out of the hat on the main plotline to avoid it feeling like flogging a dead horse for two episodes.
 
Silkyces said:
How may series of The Bridge is there and can you watch them out of sequence? cheers'
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Well it's possible. But you would have to watch 3 and 4 together and 1 &2 together as, no spoilers, slightly different cast in series 3. That's the only sensible way, if you can't do them consecutively imo.
 
Yeah, don't watch them out of sequence. There's a Saga story arc that spans all four series. (Also Martin series 1-2 and Hendrik series 3-4 story arcs.)
 
I usually love BBC4's offerings on a Saturday night but the Valhalla Murders just seem so over dramatic. I watched the first episode last night then turned off the second and watched MOTD. I don't think I'll bother catching up or watch the final two episodes next week.

The Bridge is definitely the best and I enjoyed the first series of Before we Die - the second was a bit of a let down, but still watchable.

Top of other European offerings is definitely Spiral, all seven series of it. Also, one of my all time favourites was the Spanish I Know Who You Are. If ever there should have been a second series that was it. Alicia one of the best characters ever, after Saga.

Did anybody ever see The Same Sky, the German series about the young East German agent sent into West Berlin in the 60's? I've looked all over for a second series with no luck. Why was another never made? Or has there been and I haven't found it?

Is Deutschland 83 worth watching? I see it's on Sky on demand.
 
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