349. Web-series Reviews – 167

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The Mire – 3 seasons from 2018 to 2024.  The 1980s in Poland - the very center of a bleak landscape between martial law and the Round Table. In a small, forgotten city somewhere in the south-west of Poland, there is a brutal double murder: a young prostitute and a local communist activist. At the same time, teenagers also commit suicide. Witold Wanycz (Andrzej Seweryn), an experienced, slightly bitter journalist, is to write about the murder in the local newspaper. At the same time, a young editor is employed in the same editorial office: Piotr Zarzycki (Dawid Ogrodnik) - son of a high-ranking party activist. He begins his own journalistic investigation. The more involved in the case, the deeper sinks into the title royst - the swamp, from which it is difficult to get out.

A review from IMDB...

The first season of this Polish series opens in the mid-1980s with the discovery of two bodies in the forest near a minor city. One is a local senior communist official, the other a prostitute. The militia quickly make an arrest and the suspect confesses however veteran reporter Witold Wanycz has his doubts. His investigation, with the help of young editor Piotr Zarzycki, uncovers truths than others wish to keep hidden... putting them on a collision course with some very dangerous characters.

Twelve years pass before the second season starts; this means there have been major changes in Poland; most obviously the communist regime has fallen and it is now a democratic country. As the series starts the body of a boy has been discovered following a flood caused by a breeched levee. The flood has also exposed a cemetery where victims of a massacre that took place shortly after the war; few people want the truth about that incident to be revealed. Senior police officers accept that it was just a tragic accident; newly transferred Sgt Anna Jass looks at the case more closely and starts to wonder about how convenient the flood was for a new upmarket housing development. The story is picked up by Piotr, who is now editor in chief. Intertwined with this investigation we see flashbacks of what happened in the aftermath of the war and Witold's connection to it.

I really enjoyed this series. The first season nicely captured the feel of life under an oppressive regime where towing the party line mattered more than the truth. The central mystery is intriguing and doesn't always go in ways one might expect. The second season, which I enjoyed just as much, shows how many things may have changed but attitudes take longer to moderate. There are plenty of genuinely tense moments with real danger for many characters. One might think the series would be pretty grim but there are enough lighter moments to mitigate this. The cast does a really fine job; most obviously Andrzej Seweryn, Dawid Ogrodnik and Magdalena Rózczka as Witold, Piotr and Anna respectively. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of subtitled drama.

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

My one regret is that with over two and a half years between season two and three, I could have used a bit of a recap. While I was fuzzy on only a couple of plot points, one of these was essential. The series is so strong that, in hindsight, I should have rewatched season one and two again before starting three. Still, this is not absolutely necessary for captivating viewing. Select flashbacks remind viewers of some characters' backgrounds.

The stories in both eras of season three work well. I had to chuckle to recall some of the fear-mongering over potential issues with computers and power grids as the year turned to 2000. The stories in The Mire are grim. The sexism and abuse of all eras is not sugarcoated. Some girls are abducted. Some women are prostituted. Some women are courageous, daring, honest, and complex. The humor meted out in rare nuggets is appreciated. Viewers new to The Mire may well find themselves binging all three seasons. Others will find the long wait for season three is well worth it.

My Take – Worth a watch!

 

Homicide: New York – Came out in 2024. Detectives and prosecutors revisit their most challenging homicide cases.

A review from IMDb...

Detectives and family members detail the events, scars and tragedies of several murders, crimes that took place across various parts of New York.

This is a very well made, well produced and well presented series. Some well known crimes, one or two perhaps not as famous, I was definitely aware of both thr Deli and Pilmar cases, each episode though, has something to offer.

Don't expect any wild theories, outlandish theories, or heaven forbid, some of the obscure goings on of something like Files of the unexplained, this is very grounded, nothing is sensationalised or over dramatised.

A fascinating insight into how much The Police invest in their cases, also interesting to see the crossovers.

I hope another series follows.

My take – Worth a watch!

 

Beartown – Came out in 2020.  Hockey is the last beacon of hope in Beartown and being responsible for it is a heavy burden. The day of the semi-final match is also the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil.

A review from IMDB...

The series very powerfully captures how toxic masculinity can permeate through a small town and destroy lives, but is an absolute travesty to the characters that populated the pages of Backman's original novel.

Characters like Anna, Amat and Benji get so little development I do wonder why they were included at all. The life-long frienship and deep caring between Anna and Maja, one of the most heartwarming parts of the novel, is turned into the two characters just meeting on the first episode of the tv-series, and Anna turns into a complete accessory of Maja, loosing her storyline from the book and any sense of being an independent character. The racism that Amat has felt his entire life is reduced to just a few lines here and there and is addressed just superficially.

As for the adult cast, I have no clue why they decided to turn Peter, who was soft-spoken, loved hockey but loved his family even more, to a hyper-masculine, always yelling, travesty of the original character. I also didn't understand why they decided to make him coach of the B-Team, instead of General Manager of all the teams, as this greatly reduced the roles of Sune and David. The changes to David were the most insulting to me, since he went from a good coach who understoood his team, had trained them since they were little, and loved them as if they were his own children, to an incompetent young-man who was always whining and minging and jealous of Peter.

In essence, while this may be a great series (and it is), it really reduces Bjornstad to its main storyline of Maja and Kevin, without adressing all the other topics (racism, homophobia, conformity, etc) that were such an integral part of the novel. I do think its a great standalone series, that completely captures the essence and raw emotion of the Maja storyline, has beautiful cinematography, and an amazing cast, but, I do think it'll be a bit disapointing for fans of the book.

My take – Worth a watch. Although the ending is somewhat not that great!

Cheers till next time😊!