Forbrydelsen (2007–2012) User Reviews

Very absorbing

[pawebster · 7/10 · 20 February 2011]

There aren't many programmes where I feel I mustn't leave the room for a moment for fear of missing something - but this is one of them. As I write, the serial is around the middle of its run on BBC4 (so there are no ad breaks), with two episodes back-to-back each week. I can't remember the last time I saw a twenty-part serial. I didn't think anyone still made them. If they can be this good, there should definitely be more of them.

I don't yet know where the story is going. So far suspicion is falling on one person after another and there is a lot of (not always completely believable) politicking at City Hall. It doesn't sound much, but the direction and acting put this into a very superior category.

Sarah Lund, the main investigator is an obsessive, but a very believable one. I don't know how her more impulsive colleague Jan Meyer avoids strangling her out of frustration with the way she treats him. Her family and boyfriend likewise. Perhaps these are plot developments still to come!

One unusual feature is the focus on the reactions of the family of the murdered girl. The actress playing her mother deserves every award going.

Update 27 March: it ended last night on BBC4. Whew! Saturday nights won't be the same. I stand by what I wrote above, but, if you see it, be prepared to be a bit frustrated with a lot of unanswered questions at the end, and you may be wondering at one or two coincidences. Still, my enjoyment of the serial did not really come from its being a whodunit. The characters and the atmosphere were what really made it.

amazing

[Andy Bolstridge · 9/10 · 26 March 2011]

I've just finished watching all the episodes and I've not been so engrossed in a series since 24 (the original series) was on TV many years ago. In many respects it does remind me of 24.. 20 episodes spread over 20 days, many twists and turns, the main characters stumble from one wrong turn to another until the final denouement.

But that isn't its main appeal, I'd even go so far to say that it detracted slightly from the series as a whole. The absolute best part of this is just the sublime acting. The whole thing is about characters wrapped up in a mild cliffhanger plot, its how they react to each other and developments that really makes the difference from what we usually get on TV.

The filming is very good, and little touches abound in it - my favourite is still how Sarah Lund can breeze along with her eyes shut, yet Jan Meyer cannot follow behind her without stepping in something. That's a double act that Hollywood will never be able to match.

There are faults with it though. Unless the Danish police are really well funded I found forensics turning up at a snap of Sarah's fingers in the middle of the night to be somewhat unrealistic (they must have good overtime payments in Denmark), similarly a DNA sample would be tested and the results back in less than an hour, and its nearly always dark too - maybe they all sleep during the day. Either way, these are things you just live with as its a TV show and reality has to be strained.

In short - watch it, even with subtitles, you won't miss the developing characters and their reactions to their changing lives.

Overwhelmed by incredible sub-plots

[Slimxharpo · 7/10 · 18 October 2011]

Echoing what an earlier reviewer said about this, while it is in many ways wonderful television, ultimately I came away quite disappointed. The sheer length, requiring numerous plot twists of increasing ridiculousness and decreasing relevance, blunted the efforts of a fantastic cast and production team.

The standard of acting and direction were top drawer. The atmosphere, the characters, the relationships between them and their interactions were brilliantly drawn and executed. There were tons of compelling scenes. And the ending was satisfying and made sense.

Unlike, it has to be said, huge wodges of the intervening plot. It twists, it turns, it doubles back, it double bluffs, and most of it is just an enormous shaggy dog story. As time passes, you realise that a lot of the plot has a real bolted-on, ad-hoc feel, to the extent that you suspect they're making it up as they go along. The Holck interlude in particular, including Nanna working in the pick up joint was completely unbelievable and had that feel to it, yet it was the hinge that linked the murder and political sub-plots together.

I started to get that "Lost" feeling around episode 8, and by the time Lund was banged up for shooting Meyer, I started throwing things at the television. That whole section was utterly incredible. There's something particularly enraging when fully-formed, totally believable and brilliantly acted characters in a realistic milieu get saddled with duff plot which makes no sense. It undermines the painstakingly built-up realism which is the ultimate strength of this drama.

Too often, particularly towards the end, I was uncomfortably reminded, not of the Wire, Six Feet Under, Mad Men or the Sopranos - which it aspired to and sometimes matched - but sophomoric, high gloss, high concept crap like 24, CSI or Murder One.

Among the many loose ends and inexplicable actions which the reams of plot threw up, here's a selection (spoilers)

Why was Holck going to kidnap Lund? And why did he kill Olav? Why did the paedophile hold the old lady hostage? Why didn't Morten do a proper clean-up job? How come Troels got a taxi to the cottage, but the black car was seen outside? Why did Meyer not just name Vagn instead of talk about his sweatshirt? From what completely different universe did the suicide bid wander in from - it didn't make sense in terms of what had already happened and what happened subsequently and was beyond out of character. What and who exactly was Buchard protecting? Who was watching Sara and for God's sake, why? Was it really just to add to the atmosphere of paranoia? And how many sleaze-balls and nut jobs can one girl run across in a few months, in order to fill out the cast of potential suspects?

I hate to say all this because for the first 7 or so episodes, I managed to suspend my disbelief, and before the whole thing was overwhelmed by its own plot, it was fantastic.

EXTRAORDINARY - TV writing at its most superior

[suzie-miller3 · 10/10 · 28 February 2011]

This is the most incredible series - i am on ep 13 awaiting the rest, but the script is sensational. So clever and completely absorbing. The direction and acting is also sublime, as is the art direction. I don't believe you will get better TV than this series. I have watched so many box kits of Sopranos, Dexter, In Treatment, Mad Men etc.. yet this series tops them all. I am overwhelmed by the quality and as someone who works in theatre and film i can highly recommend this to anyone who just wants to see how it is done best!

The way the series covers both the police investigation and the victim's family's turmoil is unique in crime dramas, the nature of grief and its effects on families, the emerging information in its many guises, ie things the family discover that were kept secret, and the slow and intelligent police case, coupled with subtle insights into all of the relationships. A show that never falls into cliché or stereotypes, and is shot with such beautiful lighting and moodiness that it is visually arresting. You are completely taken on a journey, cannot live in the real world while this world unfolds, and i dare you to watch one ep and not watch another - i think that would be virtually impossible.

Immensely absorbing and brilliant series about the aftermath of a crime

[robert-temple-1 · 19 September 2011]

This amazing Danish series is even more absorbing than MAD MEN (2007, see my review), and may be the most compelling drama series ever made for television. It keeps you on the edge of your seat for 20 hours. (My review is of the complete Series One only, as Series Two is not yet released on DVD and Series Three is being shot as I write.) It is a pity that the title of the series has been mistranslated as THE KILLING, for that gives a false impression of some seedy cop caper, full of violence and murder, sirens and car chases. The Danish title FORBRYDELSEN means 'The Crime'. The crime of this 20-hour marathon takes place before the series begins, and is the mysterious murder of a 19 year-old girl named Nanna Birk Larsen. We never see her except in photos and one video clip. The series is about the incredibly complex and breathtakingly dramatic aftermath, much of which concerns political intrigue and corruption in Copenhagen's town hall. The crime is seen to be much more than just a killing, which is another reason why the English title is wholly inadequate. (It is typical of the inferior nonentities who now run the BBC that they want to sensationalize everything and inject sex and murder into everything they can because they think it will be 'popular'; there are many instances of this. The BBC has no business trying to be 'popular' and aim for high ratings because it is funded by a tax on every TV set in Britain and audience size is not needed for advertisers, as there are none.) The acting and direction for this series are so brilliant there are simply no words strong enough to praise the persons involved. First of all, one must praise the writer Soren Sveistrup and his three co-writers for coming up with the most complex murder mystery plot imaginable, and with fascinating and convincing character studies. Even the smallest parts are of interest, and no attention to detail is overlooked. Five different directors made this series, the chief being Kristoffer Nyholm, and it ties together seamlessly as if all made by the same person. That indicates highly superior producing by the team of three producers. The series also has haunting and highly effective music, composed by Frans Bak. These are all highly talented people, and they are matched by the first class acting of everyone in the series. The acting is rather different from what we are used to outside Scandinavia. The Danes are obviously specialists in silent communication by means of significant looks, both focused and unfocused. The specialists in this art of communicating by non-communication are Bjarne Henriksen and Ann Eleonora Jorgensen, who play the married couple Theis and Pernille Birk Larsen. Henriksen rarely speaks at all, but his silences are enormously communicative, and as for Jorgensen, she conveys much by a manic staring into space as her personality disintegrates and she slowly goes to pieces in the aftermath of her daughter's murder. Her waves of hysteria are like tsunamis of silence. All of this is extremely powerful stuff. The strangest of all the silent characters in the film is the police chief Brix, played with eerie composure, tinged with mute menace, by Morten Suurballe. It is impossible to overemphasize the power of these silent figures in the story, who tower over the action like censorious megaliths. Many Scandinavians have a code of formal politeness like a veneer over their personal conflicts. This is seen in heightened fashion between the urbane scoundrel Poul Bremer, the Mayor of Copenhagen, played with extreme cunning and finesse by Bent Majding, and the young politician who opposes him, Troels Hartmann, played in a breathtaking bravura performance of determined rectitude by Lars Mikkelsen. These two repeatedly insult each other throughout the entire 20 hours in the politest way imaginable, despite the fact that the insults are so vicious and extreme that in any 'normal' culture, the men would be hitting each other with their fists and shouting vitriolic abuse. Scandinavian self-control really has to be seen and heard to be believed. Another amazing performance in the series is delivered by Nicolaj Kopernikus (Yes! Nicholas Copernicus! Can you believe that?) as Vagn. But the series is dominated by the female lead, Sofie Grabol, playing the detective Sarah Lund. Her mastery of significant looks extends to showing in her face and eyes the very formation of thoughts! When she notices something or thinks of something, it is as if a chorus has begun to sing the Magnificat, but we hear nothing because it is all inside her head. She is magnificently supported by Soren Malling as Jan Meyer, her fellow-detective. Their constant bickerings and disagreements overlay a profound sympathy and mutual respect. Grabol reminds me very strongly indeed of Caroline Proust, who plays the female lead detective in the French series ENGRENAGES, known in English as SPIRAL (2005, see my review of the first two series). The choice of the right actress to play the lead female detective can make or break a detective series, and both the Danes and the French got it right. (Various examples of getting it catastrophically wrong can be seen in several British series.) Every actor and actress in this series seems to be perfectly cast and to deliver a perfect performance. It is really an astonishing achievement, and one did not realize that such a mass of perfection existed in Denmark. How do they do it? They really are a strangely introverted and mannered breed. Watching this series is an education in just how different peoples of different countries can be from one another, invisible as that may be on the surface. One should not neglect Marie Askehave as Rie, Michael Moritzen as Morten Weber, Laura Drasbaek as Charlotte, and Jesper Lohmann as Jens Holck, all of whom are excellent. A true masterpiece!

State of Play meets Wallender

[l-leask · 10/10 · 3 March 2011]

This is series is a little like 24, in that each episode is a day, not one hour.

Its pace is slow and like Wallander its based on characters and relationships.

The plot is complex and detailed.

If you liked the BBC series State of Play, you will love this!

All the actors are very convincing and its so realistic.

Theis Birk Larsen and his wife are convincing and at times make it seem like a documentary.

Its worthwhile watching and once pass episode 3 you will be hooked.

Well done BBC for showing it!

Two Words

[alpha_omega_alpha · 10/10 · 23 March 2011]

Excellent, Excellent ! Without a doubt a series that captures the true feelings of ordinary people caught up in tragic circumstances.I was amazed to see it on mainstream TV in the UK, a rare pleasure for someone who lived in Denmark for an extended period of time.

The plot and the manner in which it is given to the viewer gives a great insight to life in that country and the way they deal with such events. The characters are vivid and not glamourised, the way they interact is genuine and the flow of the series is very believable.

I have recommended this series to all of my friends, and have heard nothing but praise for it, even though they had never thought to watch a subtitled series before in their lives.

Again : Two Words explain everything about this wonderful series : Excellent, excellent!

Character-driven crime

[paul2001sw-1 · 10/10 · 27 March 2011]

Often once can criticise mainstream film an television for falling into the standard conventions of genre. Danish drama 'The Killing', for example, is only pseudo-naturalistic: it's highly manipulative, and, if you take all of its plot twists together, as risible as any other story where one death magically leads to a chain of others to keep the story alive. But it's also the best thing I've seen on TV for years. Over twenty episodes, those plot twists actually come pretty slowly; the drama treats its audience like adults; there's some highly absorbing interplay between a police investigation and political circles (as in the later series of 'The Wire'); and above all else, there are some of the best characters I've ever seen in a TV drama. The lead parts, Lund (Sofie Grabol) and Hartmann (Lare Mikkelsen), are especially good (and in a strange way, not altogether unlike each other): neither is a conventional hero (or villain), neither is even particularly personally likable, but you still will them on. But the lesser characters are no less absorbing; and even the guilty man is still plainly human, although as episode twenty throws up a new and surprising twist, one can't be altogether certain what he is guilty of. Few other programs have left me so entranced; if the second series keeps this up, it will be a true great.

[10++] Probably the best-ever-produced thriller drama TV series in the world

[cjonesas · 10/10 · 14 March 2020]

After finishing watching The Killing (US version) several years ago, of which my review is available, I happened to notice from some of the reviews that it was based on the original Danish series Forbrydelsen and how much the original version was way better and honestly recommended.

I had my doubts, thinking how could a series (even in its original version) be better than The Killing (US) and outshine it, until I happened to watch the first season of Forbrydelsen in its span of 20 episodes (each over 55 minutes long to my true pleasure) and already half-way through understood why it is so much better and why it can be compared to a blindingly brilliant gem.

• The script, storylines, plot and sub-plots_ are awesomely developed, unfolded, without rush, meticulously and with brilliance.
• The atmosphere is very well set, in each episode, depicting the thrilling events and various feelings that every protagonist is going through.
• The series has depth and complexity in the most superb form. Again, without any rush while slowly unfolding, at the same time, digging deeper and deeper. The ~one-hour-long episodes were such a joy that I cannot describe it. That's how it should be done, without doubt and hesitation.
• The cast. Oh the cast! Never have I seen such a stellar cast, altogether in a series. Everybody shines and I mean it. The parents do a wonderful job with gripping and realistic emotions, both passive and active, that get hold of your throat. Troels Hartmann (the mayor candidate) is a stellar actor with such a strong presence and charisma that few ever surpassed it in series and movies. And last but not least,Sofie Gråbøl (Sarah Lund), the main detective protagonist in the case, does such a job that words come short of describing it; her acting, emotions, stubbornness (oh my goodness), wittiness completed with such a belief in her intuitions, create so much magic that viewers cannot help but be riveted to the screen and keep following her quest for the truth. In some scenes, she brought tears into my eyes and made me gasp in awe by her superb and timely actions, her unparalleled stubborn strength and her shiny green eyes discovering part of the truth. At times, she reminded me of Jack Bauer and believe me, that's not a light thing to say! Kudos, Kudos to her and to the producers for casting her.
• The soundtrack and music were so good, gripping and timely that this section alone deserves tons of awards. The upbeat music accompanying emotionally intense scenes depicting various protagonists' actions and feelings at the end of each episode is the most suspenseful and fitting one that I have ever listened to in any motion picture / series.

A brilliancy to fully appreciate and understand, only by watching it and getting immersed and drowned in its deep, multi-layered and suspenseful storyline. Highly-recommended to all lovers of the genre.

It will change your views on thrillers forever.

Best of the 3 seasons: a combination of highly charged politics and a murder thriller

[tomboers · 10/10 · 8 December 2012]

This is the third and final season of Forbrydelsen (The Killing). It combines all the best elements of the Nordics thriller tradition: a very good written storyline, superb acting and very good art direction and filming. The main character - Sara Lund - has some way to get back to her rather unorthodox way of policing but gets in her stride after several episodes. The story is an intriguing triangle of murder, politics and business and reveals several corrupting involvements that we so-called sophisticated Europeans (I'm Dutch) think mainly exist in the USA etc.

Highly commendable, both entertaining and something that makes you think about the world at the same time.

Showing it's age?

[nsg666 · 6/10 · 9 June 2021]

I've just finished season 1 in 2021 and stuck with it because of the high IMDB rating. If I'd seen it when it was first shown on UK tv I might have agreed with the rating but having watched lots of other Scandi and European series I found this quite frustrating. It was too long for a start and Sarah was really unlikeable being so self centred; she might have got there in the end but caused devastation along the way and her behaviour should have resulted in her sacking.

Thankfully I've never suffered the loss of a child but I can't believe any parents would behave as these were within days of their loss.

Why did anything only happen in the dark - especially searches?

As is the norm for a 'who dunnit', everyone behaved shiftily and was reluctant to tell the truth to the police but in this there were instances when the truth finally came out that you were left wondering "why the hell didn't they just tell the truth six episodes ago as no-one cares about your 'little secret'"

I don't know about you but if I knew who'd committed a major crime I'd be 'Bloody hell it was John Smith' to everyone I met but in this drama people start to stammer out their life story and just before they get to the point their head explodes!

Given that other reviews suggest this series is the best of the bunch I'll give the others a miss.

Makes Me Wish I Were Danish :-)

[chazview · 10/10 · 28 December 2015]

Highly addictive TV!

The US version doesn't compare to the original -- definitely wouldn't cause me to miss an entire night's sleep like the Danish version (hint: don't start watching in the evening if you have all the episodes available). Love the way they morphed the ending of each episode to serve as a next-episode-preview-without-spoilers effect, always that same music with the characters having different revelations. I must've rewound a minute or so at least twice at the end of each episode just to admire the technique.

I'm a fan of Danish detective series in general, doesn't really matter who-dunnit, I enjoy the ride :-) I like how their actors look and act as someone in their scenarios might -- less emphasis on wardrobe, hair & makeup with a huge effort in writing and acting. This one, Broen | Bron, and Äkta Människor have been my favorites so far, all of which have English-speaking remakes that pale in comparison.

With enough pressure you can get a diamond

[G_R_Davies · 7/10 · 10 August 2010]

I'm not a fan of series. I seldomly download stuff and don't want to watch on fixed times (did anyone say commitment issues? ;) ), so i prefer to watch movies instead. And if i would watch a series, i never imagined that i would watch a detective series out of free will. Chills go down my spine if i think about my mothers addiction of these kind of series, like Columbo, Agatha Christies franchises, Bergerac and the like. But friends lent this one to me with the message that it's very thrilling to watch. My mother's stuff is most of the time, 1 ending story per episode. But this is a roller coaster ride for 20 episodes, at least the first 12 ~ 14 episodes they feed new clues so an other person of the fixed cast becomes the main suspect. Later on it's still thrilling but it's more of a wrap up, but by that time your hooked and want to watch the rest.

Of course the murder it's thrilling on itself, but my main appreciation can be summarized with one word: pressure. I don't want to give away anything, but you'll understand if you watch the series and as Superman have shown with enough pressure you can get a diamond, Forbrydelsen is a nice one at that.

The Crime is that police in Copenhagen make it so easy to get away with murder

[consultinggroupusa · 5/10 · 16 March 2017]

I have read that the correct meaning of the Danish word "Forbrydelsen" is "The Crime" not "The Killing". Well, I believe that the reason the makers of the movie chose to call it "The Killing" is because they knew that the real crime was the way this series drags on and on with one police blunder after another.

I watch a lot of crime dramas, primarily of the European variety, and it pains me to accept the fact that I am one of the few persons reviewing on IMDb that doesn't think this is a great series.

My wife and I have watched Series 1, Episodes 1-10 and we both now understand why Buchard, Sarah Lund's boss, is so king on having her lead the investigation into the death of Nanna Birk Larsen. Sarah Lund can't find her way out of a room full of doors let alone solve what turns out to be a major police case and political scandal.

They, Sarah Lund and Jan Meyer, accuse or go after the wrong people due to their constantly drawing conclusions on either the wrong evidence, incomplete evidence or missing clues and evidence that they later, oops, find out from other peoples help outside of the police force.

They are in such a rush to judgment that they rule out evidence that would go in favor of a suspect and then proceed to tell the victims mother that their suspect, Rama, did it based solely on circumstantial evidence. This stupidity almost gets Rama killed.

Meanwhile their boss Buchard is too busy trying to kiss up to the politicians and buckling to pressure from the newspapers that he destroys / deletes crucial information form the victims phone and is constantly keeping Hartmann and his staff apprised of what his team is doing even though they hadn't at the time been ruled out as suspects.

This show is aggravating to a significant point for those of us that enjoy the crime drama genre because of all the laws these cops break, actual and ethical, to do their work. Also for the lack of legal effort on charging people for hindering a police investigation (Hartmann, Pernille Birk Larsen, Rama, all the young men and women using or having in their possession Class 1 drugs, to name a few). Maybe in Copenhagen it's not against the law to lie or omit information in a felony investigation that impedes the detectives?

On the positive side; this was the first time I have watched a movie that shows all the happenings of police trying to solve a crime, impact on the victims family, and impact on the suspects families. Bottom line; You want to get away with murder? Do it in Copenhagen.

But 20 episodes? this is THE CRIME.

Sublime.

[PippinInOz · 10/10 · 9 November 2011]

It is rare that I find myself lost for the written word, even rarer that am afraid to write, because can it possible that words will adequately express just how good this is?? Doubt it.

Suzie Miller and The Little Song Bird amongst others here hit the nail firmly on the head. Totally agree with you.

I had read about this production and was looking forwards to seeing it, hoping it would be okay. It was is so much more that that.

No Spoiler because if you have not seen this superb piece of Danish television, walk, run - get a copy.

When the final episode had been viewed I felt an unbelievable sense of pure emotion, not just because of the story (it is no secret that this is about the death of a young woman), not just because I was sad that it was finished, but because I was reminded of what a group of creative, talented human beings can achieve together.

This unfolds beautifully, drawing you in to another World. Everything about it is an example in how to create a three dimensional World in a drama. The acting, from all involved, puts the yearly Oscar Nominations into the joke category that it really is. No weak links here, all deliver award winning performances.

The interlinking worlds of the working class Birk Larsens, the police officers Jan and Sarah Lund, and the political creatures, Troels, Rie and Morten all draw together.

Particularly impressed by Bjarne Henriksen as Theis Birk Larsen, his wife Pernille and their adopted worker Vagn. I think Suzie Miller suggested it was almost like watching a documentary. So true. In fact these scenes which feature the family put me in mind of the best of Ken Loach, working class people as PEOPLE, not stereotypical two dimensional beings.

Kudos to everyone involved - thank you for this!

Sorry to rave so shamelessly, but rarely has a drama series touched me quite so deeply (The first series of Prime Suspect and Cracker spring to mind). It has been emotional.

Intelligent, dark, unrelenting. Can not recommend this highly enough.

Absolutely brilliant!

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 18 June 2011]

I watched this because I love TV series of this genre, and although I was expecting it to be at least very good, I was not expecting something as brilliant as this. I do have a few favourites so far this year(Exile for example), but if I had to choose one TV programme that was my favourite so far this year, it would be this one, The Killing.

One outstanding example is the show's writing. Never does The Killing dissolve into cliché or stereotype territory(not always a bad thing, but it is dependent how the character or such is written and developed), instead it is complex and multi-layered. Not just in the always absorbing plots, but especially in the characters who are refreshingly realistic in that they are so well written and relateable while having their faults too.

The Killing is very well made too. I think the dark lighting further added to the atmosphere, and what an effective atmosphere it was too, and the photography and scenery are some of the best and most striking so far on TV airing this year in my opinion. I liked the pacing, I think it brought out of the complexities of the stories and characters this way, the series is adeptly directed and the acting across the board is one of those instances where nobody is bad.

In conclusion, brilliant. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Amazing!

[sleepyquark · 10/10 · 15 January 2019]

One of my favorite shows! After watching it, it's very hard to find anything of the same level of quality though (except Bron/Broen).

Where the murder of a teenage girl uncovers the worst kind of dirt.

[RJBurke1942 · 8/10 · 27 March 2011]

I don't watch a lot of TV, but I'm quite partial to Danish thriller productions which I generally rate more highly than British, and even others well known for quality work - for example, Swedish, German and French.

This multilayered narrative, with three interwoven stories: the investigation of a grisly murder; a tough female police detective in the midst of marital problems; and the shenanigans of a local mayoral election - all merge, in different ways, in the process of discovering the identity of the murderer.

It's a long process, however, covering twenty episodes (which I saw on SBS TV). Viewer's interest is captured from the outset with the circumstances surrounding the murder crime scene which opens up the mystery. From my perspective, though, one of the most interesting aspects of the entire series is the slow, plodding work so well portrayed by the script, actors and director. To some extent, it reminded me of the excellent work the British did do with the series from mid-1960s to mid-1970s, called Softly, Softly, still one of the best TV cop shows ever made.

It's the unrelenting search for the killer by Sarah Lund (Sofie Grabol) - despite internal police politics - that kept this viewer hooked, initially. That alone, in a lesser quality production, is often not sufficient, however. In The Killing, though, that initial hook just dug deeper into my psyche - with an imaginative and believable script that managed to shift suspicion from one character to another, week by week: a local school teacher, a mayoral candidate, a local political lobbyist, a small time criminal, among others - but all the while keeping the viewer guessing. Additional murders occur as the story unfolds, further muddying the waters.

If you are familiar with Danish productions, then you'll know that you won't be disappointed in the production standards, the acting, directing and photography; and the sound track, particularly, is appropriately haunting. My only criticism is that the good detective's marital problems, although a necessary plot device, are just a mite intrusive for my liking. However, without those complications, Sarah would not have stayed on the case. And, just as well...

As all good narratives should, the beginning foreshadows the ending, with sufficient - although oblique and ephemeral - clues along the way to point the viewer in the right direction. So, when watching this series, you really can't afford to miss one frame if you want to play detective - and get it right. While I vacillated between suspects, my choice for "the bad guy" (which I should not reveal, of course) ultimately proved correct. Overall, the story is an engaging, intelligent and all-too-believable mystery that will not disappoint.

And, to that extent, The Killing is equal to my personal favorite in TV whodunits: The Singing Detective (1986) which, although somewhat spoofy, is nevertheless a fascinating personal mystery and the most imaginative use of music in drama I've yet seen.

As a final note, I read recently that The Killing has been redone for American TV. One can only hope that the production is equal to the Danish.

(Update March, 2018: Recently, I re-watched this first series and found an interesting connection. In Episode 12 of The Killing, there appears Lars Simonsen - as Peter Larsen, a briefly potential suspect in the killing, but cleared. In Episode 18, Kim Bodnia - as Bulow, Internal Affairs Investigator - enters the scene, hounding Sarah Lund. Both men appear as major characters in The Bridge, Series 1.)

Go and see it!

[paulvanurkdam · 9/10 · 16 August 2010]

I've seen The Killing I / Forbrydelsen I, and I liked it a lot. Good script, good filming and excellent acting, especially by Sarah Lund, the main character, and by the mother of the murdered girl the story begins with - she really performs brilliantly! There are many characters in the movie, and that was about the only thing I didn't like much - I sometimes had to think hard where I'd seen him or her before...

In the Killing II / Forbrydelsen II that is no problem: there are still a lot of characters, but not as many as in the first movie and as they all logically fit into the story there's no problem there. I think number II is even better than number I: a bit more action, a little more speed, still very fine acting, an even better script and more tension make it a great movie to watch! Basically all you want to do after the first episode is to watch the other 9....

Unsurpassable excellence..

[Greywolf907 · 10/10 · 9 July 2011]

It's hard to find superlatives about this second season of Forbrydelsen which eclipses the first story by some distance, and those of you who were gripped by Sarah Lund in the original Danish drama will welcome her back to Copenhagens homicide unit after spending a couple of years checking passports in Gedser.

Lund is back, along with Lennert Brix and a new partner Ulrich Strange as Forbrydelsen II centres on the ritualistic killing of a lawyer, The Danish army and of course the many corridors of power deep within the Danish Coalition government.

Once again, we are taken on a ride through a plot full of twists, turns and intrigue as Lund investigates a serial killer systematically bumping off ex members of an elite army unit.

It's brilliantly acted and scripted and I can offer you no better advice than to watch it!

Excellent.

Fails to deliver in the end

[loipoi99 · 6/10 · 12 May 2014]

I just finished season 1. I wasn't going to leave a review but after reading some of the comments here I had to. I must have WATCHED ANOTHER SHOW or something. Lets start with the good. The acting was very good and the choice of actors for each part. The plot had you wanting for more without being dull. I really enjoyed the political aspect of the show.I am not so much into cop series so the politics was a bright break. The atmosphere throughout the show is brilliant. Especially when dealing with the Brick-Larsen family, death and the teacher, and especially in the first episodes. I think I haven't seen a series capture death/mourning more convincingly. Bravo for that. I didn't mind the pace which was sometimes slowish. Great cliffhanger too for the 2nd season which by the way I almost didn't watch as I rarely watch the ending titles. Now the disappointing part.. The Ending. There was none. Why was Nana drugged, raped, violated and killed?? For no reason really. And that would have been fine if the show was 10 episodes not 20. You have a quick, we-run-out-of-ideas ending, basically dragging the show through pointless irrelevant hoops just to make it longer. Now if that's how season 2 and 3 are going to roll I would rather watch something else.

Brilliant, just brilliant

[deewheatley · 10/10 · 17 December 2011]

Just watched The Killing ll and felt that I just had to say how much I enjoyed it. Really fast moving with lots of political intrigue mixed into the plot. Very believable with excellent choice of actors, music and photography. Since I came across The Killing l by chance on BBC4 I've become and avid fan. I Like the update's at the beginning of each episode to remind you exactly where it left off last time though sometimes I just can' wait to get to the episode itself. I love the plots which are really well interconnected and only ever gave you glimpses of who it might have been. Both series have kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Let's hope the BBC get more of the same (do they exist?) Just excellent 10/10

Red herrings and a lousy finale

[steven-222 · 16 December 2012]

Watching this series was often exhilarating and involving, but around episode 6 I began to tire of so many gratuitous red herrings, which created a too-predictable pace. "Ah, now we suspect HIM...but there's too much time left...so it can't be him!" It think the story would have been stronger if it had been shorter, or else less predictable.

And the ending...what can I say? Deeply, deeply disappointing in just about every way, all the more so because I just didn't buy all the cynicism, especially of the tycoon father, who could hardly just "forget" the man who just put him through total hell. Now he would just shut up and forget about it? Hmmmm, I don't think so. Nor did I really accept the behavior of the Prime Minister, or of our heroine. Too bad!

In every way, inferior to The Bridge, which was of equal length but totally brilliant, rigorously consistent, and painfully logical right up to the final moment.

Too many red herrings

[D-C-S-Turner · 6/10 · 21 July 2021]

I binge watched this but only because once one has started giving up makes it a waste of time. There were too many red herrings, possible suspects, and above all people implausibly withholding information in ways that kept them in the frame. The repeated suspension and then restoration of Lund was silly, as was her implausibly distant relationship with her son. In addition, at no point was it every explained why the killer 'drove' the car into the canal rather that simply push it in.

Who killed The Killing?

[bahzob · 2/10 · 17 July 2012]

Hugely disappointing follow up. It is a whodunit, the question being who killed the originality, plotting and characterisation of the first series? The plot is absurd, a hackneyed conspiracy theory mash-up.

The players are utterly uninteresting, not one comes close to the depth of even the part time participants of the first series (e.g. Rama) let alone the main ones.

Sarah Lund seems to just sleepwalk through the whole show, some events seeming to be stage managed just so she can become a cliché of herself in series 1 (mother's wedding being the worst example).

The reveal at the end beggars belief. It requires superhuman feats of timing/energy/endurance from the killer while also requiring their stupidity to only be matched by their victims and all others involved.

I have to think the favourable reviews and awards given to this show are due to some sort of Emperor's Clothes effect due to it being Danish with "real" looking actors. If the exact same plot, translated word for word into English, been made an American company (complete with cover page actors), it would, rightly, have been ridiculed.