241. Web-series Reviews – 87

More web-series reviews…

Crime – Called as Irwine Welsh's Crime. Came out in 2021.  Just 7 episodes. When an Edinburgh schoolgirl is abducted DI Ray Lennox, due to his own traumatic past, identifies strongly with the victim. He believes the murderer is the serial killer Mister Confectioner. But his bosses believe Confectioner is behind bars. Lennox's insistence that they have the wrong man puts him not just in conflict with his bosses, but also onto the radar of Confectioner himself. So the detective is drawn into a cat and mouse game with the killer.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Some of the low scoring reviewers obviously have never seen or read Irvine Welsh's work! This is vintage Welsh not the next tv detective that's why his name is in the title.

Yes there are broken obnoxious vile men, reference Filth & trainspotting, alongside brilliantly strong women. The cast is excellent Dougray Scott has never been better.

There are also some beautifully drawn characters like Ray's Dad along with the side story of Trudi. If you just want a whodunnit watch midsommer murders this ain't generic tv detective it's pure unadulterated genius!

And for those moaning about the Scottish accent...it's set in Edinburgh what exactly did you expect !?!

My Take – Worth a watch.

 

Shetland – Already reviewed earlier.  Season 6 got released in 2021.  Got green signal for 2 more seasons!

One of the reviews from IMDB for the 6^th season…

Not fair to end Season 6 like that and make us wait a whole year to find out what happens!!!

LOVE this show. Douglas Henshall is brilliant as are all the rest of the regular cast. Love the little smile on Tosh's face when she read the results of the test.. 

Please don't make me wait a whole year! And how's about making more than six episodes in each season? It seems it just gets started and then, it's over.

My Take – A definite watch!

 

Deadwind – Also known as Karppi which is the name of the main detective.  3 seasons have come so far with the 3rd having come in 2021.  When Sofia Karppi, a detective in her 30's who is trying to get over her husband's death, discovers the body of a young woman on a construction site, she triggers a chain of events that threatens to destroy her life again. Deadwind is a highly thrilling series from Finland mixing crime investigation and personal drama.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

This series is centred on Sofia Karppi, a detective working in Helsinki. She lives with her school-aged son and her step-daughter. Her husband was killed in a hit and run accident in Hamburg. Partnered with Sakari Nurmi, her first case involves the investigation of the murder of a woman whose body is discovered at the site of a somewhat controversial new development. Their investigation will uncover several suspects; some personal some involved in the development. The second season sees the two detectives investigating the deaths of people who were aboard a ship as a secret meeting took place; the meeting concerned a new tunnel planned to link Helsinki with Estonia. Sofia also has to deal with problems involving her children.

I enjoyed this Finnish series with its season long stories. Each case provides plenty of suspects and motives to keep the viewer guessing. While there isn't a lot of action there are quite a few tense scenes where key characters are in danger. The characters are interesting, even if Sofia might be a candidate for Finland's most neglectful mother! The cast is impressive, particularly Pihla Viitala and Lauri Tilkanen as Karppi and Nurmi. The series makes good use of impressive locations without ever feeling like it is sponsored by the tourist board. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of the genre.

These comments are based on watching the series in Finnish with English subtitles.

My Take – Well worth a watch!

  

Grenseland – Also known as Borderliner.  Norwegian series came out in 2017.  To protect his family, police detective Nikolai covers up a murder case. But when his co-investigator Anniken suspects foul play, he is trapped in a dangerous game on duty, blurring the line between right and wrong.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Well, Norway is one of the least corrupted country in the world, and such an intertwined conspiracy spreading for a long time, even across borders? But apart from that, the course of events is gripping, there are some nice twists (true, I as an "experienced" crime series watcher began to surmise some of them), and the background mood and doubts among main characters are captured well. The leading performances are realistic, without pointless vanity and toughness we often see in US series, but the pace is somewhat uneven, particularly in the last episode where it seems that either the screenwriters or producers made rustle and wanted to round up the events prematurely. There are also no hints that Season 2 would appear....

All in all, strong 7 points from me. Not so catchy and smooth as e.g. Øyevitne or Halvbroren, but still good stuff.

One more revie from IMDB...

I really hope there will be a season 2

If they stick to that ending and not shoot a second season I will get massively angry.

Nordic crime dramas are always complex, dark, sophisticated and they drag you into their slow-pacing and excruciating world, where you think there will be no salvation (hint: normally, there's no salvation...)

BUT, Borderliner really can't end with season one. There too many questions to answer, too many characters to explore.

Overall, I was hooked by the way the plot was unfolded throughout the episodes, the impeccable acting from the entire cast and the magical Norwegian scenery.

It would have been an 8 or even 9, if the ending did not leave me wondering if there was an episode 9 and Netflix has missed it.

On a side note, it was the first series I've seen where a gay character is the protagonist, and is NOT defined by his sexuality. Good job!

My Take – Worth a watch

Cheers till next time😊!!