175. Web-Series Reviews – 30
This time, I bring you the top 3 (according to me, in no particular order) female detective series out there!
Forbrydelsen – I had already seen and wrote the review of
the American remake of this series (Blog no 151 – Web-series Review 19. The Killing).
The Danish original is much better than the American one. I skipped the
1st series as the American one is simply copied from the Danish one. The 2nd and 3rd seasons
are different in both.
The series is set in Copenhagen and revolves around Detective Inspector Sarah Lund (Sofie Gråbøl). Each series follows a murder case day-by-day. Each fifty-minute episode covers twenty-four hours of the investigation. The series is noted for its plot twists, season-long storylines, dark tone and for giving equal emphasis to the stories of the murdered victim's family and the effect in political circles alongside the police investigation. It has also been singled out for the photography of its Danish setting, and for the acting ability of its cast.
A definite must-watch!! 1st series of 20 episodes and the other 2 series of 10 episodes each.
Bron/Broen (The Bridge) – Another Danish detective series. See the original Danish version and not the American version😊! One of the reviews from IMBD below: -
A dead body is found in the middle of the Oresund Bridge, the bridge connecting Copenhagen in Denmark with Malmo in Sweden. Due to the location the Copenhagen and Malmo police need to collaborate to find the murderer. This brings together Saga Noren and Martin Rohde and the two could not be more dissimilar.
Fantastic crime drama series. Incredibly clever and complex plots that keep you guessing to the last moment. Heaps of twists but not for twists' sakes: it all makes sense and ensures you can never take anything for granted. No spoon-feeding of information: you need to be thinking all the time and working things out for yourself - just like crime dramas, and dramas in general, should be.
The sink-or-swim nature of the information goes so far as to introduce sub-plots and characters which for many episodes seem to have nothing to do with the main plot. They just seem like a light distraction, a way to rest your brain after concentrating on the case. However, these always have a major bearing on the case - the writers are just setting up the backstory for when the sub-plots flow into the main plot. Very clever and engaging in the way it's done, plus another way for the writers to give you a headache as you wonder what how these characters or sub-plots fit into the story.
Its’ not all about solving the crimes though. There's a great deal of human and relationship drama. Saga Noren's character is quite weird - overly rational, socially maladjusted, very cerebral and calculating, very direct - while Martin Rohde is much more diplomatic, feelings-driven and impulsive. The chalk-and-cheese nature of the pair makes for some wonderful interplay between them. It also leads to many laugh-out-loud moments: some of Noren's utterances are incredibly funny as are the way the two play off each other.
The only slight blip in the series came in Season 3 when a major character was replaced. Initially the series didn't feel the same as the relationship dynamic changed. However, in the long run it works out fine and leads to some incredibly emotional scenes and sub-plots towards the end of Season 4.
Superb and a must-watch!! First 3 seasons have 10 episodes and the last season has 8. Runtime of each episode being about an hour.
Marcella – Set in contemporary London with a British Metropolitan Police Officer at its heart, Marcella is Scandinavian noir on the streets of Britain. Told with Rosenfeldt's unflinchingly clear Nordic style, full of hooks and action, The series will lead the audience through a narrative maze until the final moments of the drama. Marcella will also delve into the psychology of a single female detective working solo on a serial murder case with many potential suspects and victims. Returning to the Met's Murder Squad after a 12-year career break, Marcella Backland is a detective in her late 30's who gave up her fast-tracked role to marry and devote her life to starting a family. With the abrupt end to her marriage to the love of her life Jason and isolated from her son and daughter at boarding school, Marcella returns to work whilst attempting to make sense of what's happened in her life.
Synopsis of Series 1 - Marcella Backland (Anna Friel), a former London Metropolitan Police Service detective, decides to return to work after her husband of 15 years, Jason (Nicholas Pinnock), abruptly announces he is leaving her. Marcella resumes her investigation into the three unsolved Grove Park murders from 2005, when it appears the serial killer responsible has returned.
Synopsis of Series 2 - Marcella investigates a serial killer of children, encountering a paedophile, an arrogant millionaire, a 1970s rock star, and strange symbols relating to witchcraft. Her estranged husband Jason has become engaged to his rehab nurse even though their divorce is not yet finalised, putting their children in the middle of a custody battle that quickly becomes ugly. Marcella's blackouts continue, and she seeks counselling to help her remember what happened during them.
Synopsis of Series 3 - Marcella has assumed a new identity as Keira Devlin and is working undercover in Northern Ireland where she becomes involved with a wealthy crime family. More is learned of Marcella's mental health issues.
Excellent series!! 3 seasons totaling 24 episodes of about 45 minutes duration each. Many viewers have not taken the 3rd season as the next season and have tuned themselves into believing that the series had ended after season 2😊!!
Got hold of one more excellent female detective/police series (Danish, again) 😊. Just finished it over the past 2 days. Will review it later!
Cheers till next time!
Today’s Observation
Money is like a New Year’s resolution – easier made than kept! 😊
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