How is no one talking about the character/actor Nils Hammer/Mads Ousdal?! Definitely the best thing happening in this series. I'm not sure what I like more, the character or the actor... Why have you been hiding this guy, Norway?!
As for the series, oof this is a hard one to judge. I am a huge fan of Nordic Noir. I've seen nearly every one that's been made. This is not the best one but it does have enough that makes it worth watching.
Many of the characters are rather 2 dimensional and while most of the acting is very good and natural, some is bland and wooden. I hate to single anyone out but by far the least enjoyable are the lead's kids, especially the daughter, its a bad role and the acting makes it even more intolerable. But to be fair to the actress, it would be hard not to make her annoying. That did get a little better in the second half though. In the first half, it felt like the writer had seen too many cheesy American movies. Between the 2D characters and the lack of unique story, the lull of the momentum made it hard to hang in there in the beginning. Within a few episodes, I was glad I did, mostly because I became invested in some of the characters. But there were still many moments that took me out of it because I thought, really they're doing that?! Every known trope, every done to death plot device, the kind of things like the old girl running from a killer, trips and twists her ankle kind of things that I thought got left behind long ago. The scene in the barn at the climax of the first half was a perfect example of this. It's almost like someone intentionally trying to write the most stereotypical scene here. Unfortunately, the entire way thru the story, I was frequently calling the next actions and plot points that were coming and wasn't very surprised by the story. The second half did get a lot better as far as that goes.
The only thing I really couldn't understand through it all was why everyone was so down on poor Wisting. Do they have completely different fathers in Norway? Compared to 90% of the fathers I've known, this guy is a frickin Saint. But his kids kept acting like they were so fed up with him and he would just stare at them, perplexed, and I would say, me too, buddy, me too... I have no clue what their problem is. I'm waiting for a season 2 backstory where they explain that he was rolling around naked with hookers and blow while their mom was dying or something because otherwise I don't get it. Guy is mourning and working his butt off to solve these terrible murders and save lives... you're always gone, Dad... like he's at the strip club or something, keeps showing up for dinner... you never spend any time with us... dude stares.... im thinking, wtf is going on here?! Also... THEY ARE ADULTS! Not to mention how the daughter keeps acting like his job as a Chief Investigator is to feed her career as a journalist. Then he saves the day, turns out the seemingly minimal amount of time he's spending away was for a very frickin good reason and benefited everyone including the family... still just pissed at him like he was playing GTA all day instead of coming to their birthday party or something... idk. Then in the second half, everyone turns on him, nicest guy there is, dude can not catch a break. *sigh* I digress.
It was still thoroughly enjoyable. The production value was great, it was still entertaining even if it wasn't very challenging. Most of the acting was very good and I love being exposed to nearly an entire cast that was new to me. Especially, as I said, the actor who plays former narcotics detective Nils Hammer, every scene he was in was on another level and scenes with him and Wisting playing off of each other were the best. Carrie Anne Moss brought her usual cool, solid performance. (BTW, although she has appeared in Hollywood films, she is a Canadian actress. Some people took issue with her being there like they needed a Hollywood name or something but I don't think that's what happened here.)
The writing could be better- plot and characters, production is great, direction is pretty good, acting is mostly very good and believable with some not so much and some exceptionally good. Overall not the best but worth watching if you're a fan of the genre, a couple of the actors will make it worthwhile. I'll watch season 2 for sure. I hope they'll get into Hammer's character more, I'd be interested to see who he was before he moved to that station, they eluded to quite a history there.
As for the series, oof this is a hard one to judge. I am a huge fan of Nordic Noir. I've seen nearly every one that's been made. This is not the best one but it does have enough that makes it worth watching.
Many of the characters are rather 2 dimensional and while most of the acting is very good and natural, some is bland and wooden. I hate to single anyone out but by far the least enjoyable are the lead's kids, especially the daughter, its a bad role and the acting makes it even more intolerable. But to be fair to the actress, it would be hard not to make her annoying. That did get a little better in the second half though. In the first half, it felt like the writer had seen too many cheesy American movies. Between the 2D characters and the lack of unique story, the lull of the momentum made it hard to hang in there in the beginning. Within a few episodes, I was glad I did, mostly because I became invested in some of the characters. But there were still many moments that took me out of it because I thought, really they're doing that?! Every known trope, every done to death plot device, the kind of things like the old girl running from a killer, trips and twists her ankle kind of things that I thought got left behind long ago. The scene in the barn at the climax of the first half was a perfect example of this. It's almost like someone intentionally trying to write the most stereotypical scene here. Unfortunately, the entire way thru the story, I was frequently calling the next actions and plot points that were coming and wasn't very surprised by the story. The second half did get a lot better as far as that goes.
The only thing I really couldn't understand through it all was why everyone was so down on poor Wisting. Do they have completely different fathers in Norway? Compared to 90% of the fathers I've known, this guy is a frickin Saint. But his kids kept acting like they were so fed up with him and he would just stare at them, perplexed, and I would say, me too, buddy, me too... I have no clue what their problem is. I'm waiting for a season 2 backstory where they explain that he was rolling around naked with hookers and blow while their mom was dying or something because otherwise I don't get it. Guy is mourning and working his butt off to solve these terrible murders and save lives... you're always gone, Dad... like he's at the strip club or something, keeps showing up for dinner... you never spend any time with us... dude stares.... im thinking, wtf is going on here?! Also... THEY ARE ADULTS! Not to mention how the daughter keeps acting like his job as a Chief Investigator is to feed her career as a journalist. Then he saves the day, turns out the seemingly minimal amount of time he's spending away was for a very frickin good reason and benefited everyone including the family... still just pissed at him like he was playing GTA all day instead of coming to their birthday party or something... idk. Then in the second half, everyone turns on him, nicest guy there is, dude can not catch a break. *sigh* I digress.
It was still thoroughly enjoyable. The production value was great, it was still entertaining even if it wasn't very challenging. Most of the acting was very good and I love being exposed to nearly an entire cast that was new to me. Especially, as I said, the actor who plays former narcotics detective Nils Hammer, every scene he was in was on another level and scenes with him and Wisting playing off of each other were the best. Carrie Anne Moss brought her usual cool, solid performance. (BTW, although she has appeared in Hollywood films, she is a Canadian actress. Some people took issue with her being there like they needed a Hollywood name or something but I don't think that's what happened here.)
The writing could be better- plot and characters, production is great, direction is pretty good, acting is mostly very good and believable with some not so much and some exceptionally good. Overall not the best but worth watching if you're a fan of the genre, a couple of the actors will make it worthwhile. I'll watch season 2 for sure. I hope they'll get into Hammer's character more, I'd be interested to see who he was before he moved to that station, they eluded to quite a history there.