Frikjent (2015–2016) User Reviews

Gripping yet inconsistent

[Ake_Andersson · 6/10 · 19 May 2017]

Good things: The cinematography of the series is impressive. The actors give a solid performance. The music helps the atmosphere of the series to stay consistently gripping. Every second contains an excellent amount of uncomfortable tension that prevents the otherwise overdramatized script from falling into the soap opera category.

At the same time, the script is still plagued by some serious illogicalities. It is simply questionable whether an international high tech company could have been managed successfully by a woman whose behavior is seriously neurotic at worst and someone whose background is such a huge question mark could work as a big shot in an investment company and stay married with the same woman for 17 years.

Moreover, it is nothing short of unconvincing that the small town in which the events of this series take place could be so remarkably void of people who would just listen to reason and act sensibly under most circumstances.

Summary: While I still enjoy to watch the series, I can't help being nagged by the feeling that something just doesn't make sense in the script.

As much soap opera as mystery, neither one great

[altereggo123 · 6/10 · 1 April 2020]

I approached this series with low expectations, so I didn't completely hate it. But I wouldn't recommend it unless you are really running out of things to watch. The scenery is beautiful, but the writing leaves something to be desired. The mystery is not just whodunnit but who will stay together, who will break up, who will hook up, etc.

There's a great deal of inconsistent behavior.. Characters seek the truth then suddenly don't want to know. They're in and out of love for no apparent reason, or they seek reconciliation, then revenge, then whatever. They reveal secret upon secret upon secret, until it's clear that the entire town should be in psychotherapy. Season 1 just barely held together, and Season 2 was a real setback for plausibility in law and crime shows.

Maybe worth a shot for some, but I didn't feel it improved as it went on.

Haunting and intriguing story of a never forgotten killing

[OJT · 8/10 · 5 May 2015]

Aquitted, or Frikjent, witch is the original title, has a very intriguing plot, which is inspired on an idea which occurred after the disappearance, and later found killed, young girl, Birgitte Tengs. A young lover was sentenced, but later acquitted for the killing, but even if there was an acquittal, the suspected young man was still sentenced to pay for damages. Upon this base, the main writers Anna-Bache Wiig and Siv Rajendram Eliassen.

We meet a modern businessman in Aksel Borgen, which for years have had considerable success, and is well established with a wife and son in Indonesia. Even back home some know about his success, though there's been a long 20 years since he left his little home town on the western coast of Norway. When the most important local firm at his birth place is in serious trouble, Aksel Borgen is asked back to save the all-important firm and his hometown in Norway. But there's a major catch. 20 years ago, he left his home town after being acquitted for murdering his high school sweetheart. People back home hasn't forgotten anything about the case.

The series rely very much on the acting in a series which is full of close dialog. This is a mystery crime drama with a touch of classy soap. It's well made, and beautifully produced. It also show the multi talented Nicolai Cleve Broch in a role which is perfect for his specter of method acting. We get time to care about the persons, which is crucial in such a series. We get to know a lot of interesting persons in a wast gallery in two countries on each side of the world. We see all kinds of conflicts evolve, and being dragged up from far beyond once more. Deep emotions, hard feelings, which is followed by a haunting music score, heavy on sentimentality as well as sadness.

The scenery is beautiful, and will add an extra exotic feel to the film of a really small town, which has old and modern buildings mixed as a part of the scenery as well as the premises for the plot unfolding. The film shows modern and traditional rural Norway, with architecture and modern technology is mixed with everyday life and the rural old traditional feel and traditions. On this back-draft, the modern multi national business is entering with modern tailor made suits and a beautiful designed Audi A7 limousine, which is used as a contrast to the nature, very effectively.

The main score, "To assign properties" is beautifully performed by the upcoming Norwegian band Highasakite, and fold every episode's opening and closing in a simply perfect way. Perfectly suited.

The slick feel is also made by the lovely footage. The whole series is excellent photographed all through. The story seems like it's got new angles all the time, and very likely there will be a second season, since this series has been a great success in native country Norway, with up to 45 % market share when aired. The series is sold to a lot of countries, and will have a world wide TV-distribution. Quite deservedly so. You'll probably have easy to see inspiration from other Scandinavian film inspirations, like Bergman, Hamer and Bier. Very Scandinavian. Very Norwegian.

The series is already sold to 15 countries, and more to come. The series is chosen for the Geneva International Film Festival og Seoul International Drama Awards, where it's nominated for three awards, amongst them best script.

Worth the watch, never mind the subtitles. Translates well anyway

[elisaeverett-spring · 9/10 · 4 January 2016]

I absolutely loved watching this, I got so into it I binged watched it on Stan on a work night until 3am had 2 hours sleep and do not regret a second. The only reason this did not get a 10 was because the woman who played Karine's mother drove me crazy, I have no idea if it was the acting or if it was just the constant crazy, either way she annoyed me to no end. Nothing like a bit of Eye Sweetener for a leading man either. The scenery was spectacular made me want to pick up sticks and move there..... then I realised what the temperature would be all year round and put my sticks back in their bag. Just Brilliant, watch it don't diss because of the subtitles, it translates seriously well most of the time anyway.

Another versatile intertwining of past and present

[BeneCumb · 8/10 · 17 May 2016]

In recent years, next to Denmark and Sweden, Norway has produced a number of good crime drama series where events occur in a small and/or distant community, with is vices and virtues. In spite of being one of the richest countries in the world, the human basics are the same, plus thinly populated areas and common solitude make investigations more difficult.

All this we can see in Frikjent as well, with tensions up due to a tragic event taken place decades ago. Sometimes it feels that the depiction is too widespread and the role of some characters and episodes is insignificant (e.g. the company-related ones), but the general atmosphere is well depicted and most important performances are pleasant, particularly Nicolai Cleve Broch as Aksel and Lena Endre (a Swede) as Eva whose mutual communication forms the most intensive verbal scenes in the series. The mentioned persons are definitely worth watching in other films/series as well, which I have managed to achieve.

And what is definitely nicer than in Sweden or Denmark, is nature. Also here, beautiful Norwegian landscape and environment is a kind of supporting actor for creating mood and completeness.

Getting tedious

[mculhane-93162 · 20 January 2021]

How many times are they going to bring this guy in for the murder? It's tiresome. It's as if they ran out of ideas.

Really disappointed - unrealistic

[albert-balvers · 6/10 · 3 January 2021]

After reading the announcement of the series on German TV I was intrigued by the theme: A businessman returning to the small village in Norway, where he grew up and, after being a prime suspect in a murder at the age of 18, was acquitted of the crime. He left the town, made a successful career in the Far East, only to return after 20 years or so to save the main employer in the town from going bankrupt. Such a topic offers plenty of opportunities to make an intriguing TV-series. However, already after watching the first episode I was really disappointed. The actors walk, behave, and are dressed like clichés. The investors are of course all smartly dressed good looking young men, who prefer to travel by helicopter, but many of the details have nothing to do with the reality of this world. Their behaviour is irrational, and they take risks that investors would never take, even if they were driven by sentiments. After watching for a while, this gets so annoying, that the basically great theme of the series disappears into the background. There are really much better Scandinavian crime series to watch (like The Bridge), don't waste your precious time on this one.

friction in frikjent

[nyobatusa · 9/10 · 10 July 2017]

despite negative reviews the story is gripping and unexpected turn of events in the very end is delivered only to the patient viewer. it kept my attention and i rated very high for the original surprising ending and interesting plot, not to mention gorgeous lead character and scenery.

Where is this drama heading?

[christinajonker · 7/10 · 29 March 2019]

Just watched serie 2 and start to notice it is getting rather stupidly boring. How many detours can you build in for it not to loose its momentum? Bizarre is the word in which it is heading and completely unbelievable, it must take some weird mind sets to continue making up more complex storyline while even the characters acting I beginning to look dull. Give me John Le Carre's writing any time.

Inspired by a true story

[cristelstarr · 9/10 · 17 November 2017]

*** May contain some spoiler notices***

I became hooked on this series from the first episode. I didn't realise until the 2nd series of it being based on the case of Birgitte Tengs. Whilst I found it to be hauntingly good TV, it added sombre and angst for me the viewer, wanting the perpetrator to be found.

The 'who dunnit' type plot had me caught up and praying it wasn't the gorgeous Nicolai Cleve Brocht, who played the part so convincingly, I was on his side from the start, though there were times, I felt because of his anger, there was a strong likelihood it was him, but ... Others jumped into the likelihood, even his own family!

There was stunning panoramic scenery throughout, so much so, that I now want to move from England to Norway!

Whilst I agree there were one or two inconsistencies, (and how the police officer kept his job, is beyond me) I was hooked on this series from episode 1 on and binged on it until the end of season 2. I am now gutted it's over, but I found it to be brilliant! Loved it!

Brilliant acting, scenery to die for, did he/did she continually guessing.. Fabulous! Will be looking for more film/TV from some of the actors/actresses!

Wooden and SLOW

[Warin_West-El · 6/10 · 5 April 2023]

As I often do when I start to feel I'm watching a terrible series, I came here to IMDb to read some reviews.

I've only finished the third episode and the story is just not developing. Eva Hansteen believes Erik Nilsen is a murderer. Fine. NOW WHAT?

Either Nilsen needs to begin proving he's innocent. Or Eva needs to plot to kill him. SOMETHING needs to happen. The story is just sitting there like a bowl of wax fruit.

As someone mentioned Erik's mother is the Norwegian version of a hillbilly. Which is strongly out of character with Erik himself. Do we really care that Erik's mother lives in a house where rain pours in through the roof? Or that she's too mentally insane to allow Erik to patch the roof?

There's no one in this series that's likeable.

UPDATE: I went back and watched the entire first season. I couldn't get through it without fast-forwarding numerous times. Except for four SLOW scenes, the final episode was better than I expected. Amazingly enough, there is a plausible resolution.

But there are two aspects to this series that really bring it down. 1) The major characters are ALL amoral. Ex: The would-be hero is CONSTANTLY cheating on his wife. 2) Practically all of the minor characters are cowards. Unlike Bron/Broen, there is NO character that represents the moral centre.

There are a couple of implausible twists. But the story drags primarily because the characters consistently wait and do in the next episode what anyone with a brain would have done an episode earlier.

I upgraded this from a 3 to a 6 because of the satisfactory finale of season one. But it's a REAL strain to get there!

Scandinavian drama when it is best

[heidithisgaard · 9/10 · 3 March 2019]

Loved the story. Loved the characters. Beautiful people, beautiful scenery. Had you guessing from start to end. Some loose ends in the story line but nothing that ruins the plot.

Excellent but New Zealand version let down by distributors.

[shirleyangela · 7/10 · 6 December 2015]

This series looks absolutely excellent to me and it appears to be full of superb acting (not to mention spectacular scenery and a compelling, complex and largely well-rounded storyline). I did feel the last episode wasn't as completing as I would have liked BUT my huge disappointment is the feeling that the distributors have badly let down and disrespected the entire production team with very poor subtitles and distribution errors like selling into an advertisement free platform but providing cropped episodes (e.g. you see the 'shown previously' at the beginning of the next episode only to find it includes scenes you've not been shown).

Why would anyone take a fantastic series that could be immensely popular and lay the basis for sales of further series and completely ruin it with poor subtitles and lack of attention to detail in provision of episode lengths/types?

Great scenery - and that's it.

[msgpat · 1/10 · 7 November 2020]

I was very patient up to series 1, episode 8, then I started zipping through the trite sub-plots until the end of series 1. This is the most drawn out, padded series I've ever seen. Learn from my mistake and don't watch it.

The Scenery!!

[bequialife · 13 May 2019]

Just based on the scenery alone I can tolerate this 45 minute show (don't know why they advertise it as an hour as it isn't an hour). Anyway, I am only at episode 6, and I really think Tonje did it as it is obvious she is still in love with Aksel. Eva is an awful actress.

Aksel may have been acquitted but is his truly innocent?

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 3 April 2017]

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.

Good, but drag on toward season 2.

[kepler-40426 · 8/10 · 4 May 2020]

Season one was really good. Held my interest throughout 10 episodes. Gorgeous sceneries. It make you wanna pack your bags and go visit there. Season 2 is kind of dragging on and on. Looks like they just improvise as they go along. How many times are they planning on getting the guy in trouble really? Seems like the whole town are liars. I felt like they should all be invited to "Game of Thrones" Red Wedding.

Compelled to write this because of this actress....

[pynn307 · 6/10 · 25 June 2021]

This series started off intriguing...but ended up just tripping itself up with too many plot holes. For me the acting is OK, but my word the main characters wife is such a dreadful actress it's laughable. This gives me confidence I could act and Iv never acted in my life but stick a wig on me and lipstick and I would have done a better job gosh it just have been embarrassing on set working and witnessing that. I was hoping she was somehow going to get killed to get her off the series lol.

Fjords Frikjent

[stevebrooker · 8/10 · 21 April 2018]

What a TV show watched in 24 hours, dont worry about the subtitles you find that you are not reading them when you are.

Beautifully paced with plenty of twists and turns throughout the show, a family bent to protect there past no matter who gets hurt past present or future.

I dont want give anything else away in spoilers then the family.

The scenery and how it was shot, you want to be there to visit, to see the village to the fjords the mountains the roads, and what was smart is how season 2, follows on from season 1 in respect we are now into winter, it allowed us to see the village and surrounds for a 12 month perspective, just beautiful, i need to visit one day, just to admire the beauty.

Lets say the shows was remade in the USA, it would be destroyed no way in the world can this show be done that way, a true Scandinavian feel.

The second season should not been made

[sashairk · 7/10 · 8 January 2021]

I thoroughly enjoyed the first season. Good camerawork, beautiful scenery, excellent acting, good script with sudden twist at the end. And then, as it often happens with sequels somebody obviously decided, "The first season was very well accepted. Let's ride on it's success and make the sequel."

It was clear, at the beginning of the second season that the script was 'forced' at the ending of the previous season. It was much more predictable with big loops in it, although I still was enjoying the beautiful views. The ending was disappointing. I was considering giving 9 or even all 10 to the first season, but now cannot give it more than 7. What a shame...

Forget the nitpicking, this is gripping stuff

[BaronVonKolisch · 9/10 · 11 October 2020]

Thoughtfully written, with a series of well crafted plot twists that defy viewer speculation.

Totally unexpected was the way in which the storytelling gave subtle reminders of vintage 'Dallas'; in particular, the smug, devious and self righteous way that JR Ewing continually shafted the fatally wounded, yet doggedly determined Cliff Barnes. Not to mention the character who looked a lot like Sue-Ellen.

Of course, if Southfork had played host to slow-reveal plots and psychological drama of this quality, then quite frankly, the show would still be running.

A jaw-dropping 'Cliff'hanger moment at the end of Season 2, so fingers crossed for a season 3. - 8.9/10

Intriguing character development

[gem-26050 · 7/10 · 1 February 2022]

Nearly didn't watch this due to the bad acting at the beginning. But once the Malaysian element fades away, it becomes very intriguing.

Slow moving with plot twists and turns. In depth character development, especially with Eva as she loses control, unravels and shows her true narcissistic qualities.

Not for viewers looking for fast paced action and a quick denouement. This is about family dynamics, subtle and overt power struggles and the neurosis and co-dependence within the families. An exploration into manipulation, control and toxic, obsessive bonds.

The absurdly handsome Aksel at first seems unlikeable and egocentric, but we see a gradual unfoldment of his personality revealing a complex and deeply misunderstood character.

And the murder mystery is interesting too with a resolution at the end I did not see coming.

Captivating story with an unexpected dramatic ending

[JohnM63 · 9/10 · 13 October 2022]

Great story well worked out. When Aksel, once accused of committing a murder on a young girl, returns to his hometown after 20 years, a story of secrecy, shame develops. Some of the characters are psychologically complete derailed as a result of the events 20 years ago and the pressure of keeping things secret. The murderer of the young girl as never been found, and once the man returns, it turns out the town still sees him as the murderer even though he was acquitted. Slowly the story moves in the direction of the truth which is being opposed by the main characters in this series. In the last episode the truth finally comes out in a very dramatic turn of events.

The acting in this Scandinavian drama is excellent, as is the photography and the scenario, even when the latter has a plothole here and there. This series is definitely one of the best in Scandinavian drama and crime.

Jumping between suspects & houses

[kafka-90007 · 6/10 · 2 April 2024]

Quite good series in beautiful Norwegian settings. However, as you watch it the jumping between suspects and the constant cars driving up to the different houses get repetitive and annoying.

Aksel doesn't feel so credible, neither as businessman nor father, and the actress Lena Endré (Eva) is over acting as usual.

The contrast between the tranquil fjords of Norway and the Malaysian city skyline is effectful though and would have been interesting to have seen more of. The scenery is one of the best things with the series that could have benefited on being cut down.

Not bad, not very good. Watch it if you're bored and appreciate Norwegian nature.

Soap Opera...

[zfcrespo · 2/10 · 23 September 2018]

Beautiful scenery, and that's about it....

Terribly dull, goes nowhere at all, and takes two seasons to get there...