Aksel Borgen is a Norwegian businessman who has been working in Malaysia for the last twenty years; in all that time he hasn't returned home. Then one day he is contacted to ask for help saving an important business in his old home town. He returns to Norway and it soon becomes apparent why he left; he had been charged with the murder of his childhood sweetheart. He was acquitted but not everybody accepted his innocence; most notably the girl's mother who is now determined to prove that Aksel was guilty all along. Over the course of the series we learn more details of what happened twenty years ago that led to him being acquitted but still a suspect in the eyes of many people. We also see Aksel wife and son learn what he has been accused of; something he never told them.
This was an enjoyable series that kept me guessing throughout; Nicolai Cleve Broch's performance as Aksel was ambiguous enough to keep me wondering if perhaps he did do it after all. While those in the town focus on him as the suspect there are other possibilities to keep the viewer guessing. As we near the end at least five people have been accused of the murder by somebody before the killer is exposed in the first season's final minutes. When the killer is finally exposed it neither seems too far-fetched nor too obvious. There is more to the series than the murder; there is also the question of what will happen to the company, Aksel gets close to an old girlfriend and his son gets involved with the niece of the murdered woman. The characters are an interesting bunch although it made little sense that Aksel's son spoke apparently perfect Norwegian when he'd never been there and his parents converse in English. The amazing Norwegian scenery certainly adds to the enjoyment of the series with its stunning combination of mountains and fjords. I'd certainly recommend this to fans of Scandinavian dramas and look forward to seeing where things go in the second season.
These comments are based on watching the first season in Norwegian with English subtitles.
This was an enjoyable series that kept me guessing throughout; Nicolai Cleve Broch's performance as Aksel was ambiguous enough to keep me wondering if perhaps he did do it after all. While those in the town focus on him as the suspect there are other possibilities to keep the viewer guessing. As we near the end at least five people have been accused of the murder by somebody before the killer is exposed in the first season's final minutes. When the killer is finally exposed it neither seems too far-fetched nor too obvious. There is more to the series than the murder; there is also the question of what will happen to the company, Aksel gets close to an old girlfriend and his son gets involved with the niece of the murdered woman. The characters are an interesting bunch although it made little sense that Aksel's son spoke apparently perfect Norwegian when he'd never been there and his parents converse in English. The amazing Norwegian scenery certainly adds to the enjoyment of the series with its stunning combination of mountains and fjords. I'd certainly recommend this to fans of Scandinavian dramas and look forward to seeing where things go in the second season.
These comments are based on watching the first season in Norwegian with English subtitles.