DNA (I) (2019– ) User Reviews

Well crafted story with a surprising and emotional ending

[BaronVonKolisch · 8/10 · 7 April 2021]

Written by the same team as penned 'The Killing', the story is cleverly constructed, and delivers a nice twist at the end, leaving a good lasting impression.

The acting however, is decidedly patchy. Anders Berthelson (in the lead role) shines in the last few scenes., but prior to that, does little more than vacillate between a vacant, bored expression and one of mild anguish.

Odd too, that the writers allow his young female partner to take all the punches. Strong women may be in-vogue, but this degrades the lead role considerably.

By way of contrast, Zofia Wichlacz sparkles as the troubled young mother who has her baby snatched by the nuns that are supposed to be protecting her. Why this gifted young actress hasn't been snapped up by Hollywood is something of a mystery. - 8.1/10.

Big moral dilemma

[ianlang-25505 · 8/10 · 15 November 2020]

I'm giving this 8/10 in spite of the very complex plot, improbable coincidences and Neel keep bouncing back (bless).

I'm giving it 8/10 because of the sensitive way it handled the moral dilemma at the core of the story which I haven't seen treated elsewhere. It was heart breaking. It kept me watching until the very last frame. Look after that egg!

Solid Danish crime drama

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 16 November 2020]

This series is centred on Danish police officer Rolf Larsen and investigation which uncovers baby smuggling in Europe. In a prologue we see Rolf investigating the disappearance of a baby; a lead takes him to Poland. Unable to get a babysitter, he takes his own child with him and she disappears during the ferry crossing... officially she fell overboard in a tragic accident. Five years later he is working in a rural area but is called back in following a similar case. He soon uncovers a problem in the supposedly error proof DNA data base and dares to believe his daughter might still be alive. While investigating the possible baby smuggling with French police officer Claire Bobin he runs a parallel, unofficial, investigation into his daughter's disappearance. The case will see them investigating in Denmark, France and Poland. Intertwined with this we see what is happening to Julita, a young, pregnant Polish woman, who has sought help at a convent.

I enjoyed this mystery/thriller despite some obvious flaws. The prologue sets things up nicely giving our protagonist extra motivation to solve the case. This also provides an early problem as we are forced to believe that Rolf would leave his baby daughter in a pram on the deck of a ferry during a storm! If one can get past this early problem the story is solid; I liked how the story of Rolf's investigation is intertwined with Julita's story. The conclusion features some twists; some the viewer is likely to see coming while others are more surprising. Without going into detail I will say I liked the ending even though I doubt it would have played out like that in reality. The cast does a solid job although I can't comment on the delivery as others have as I don't speak the characters' native languages; their English is certainly better than I can speak other languages!

With its multiple nationalities much of it is in English despite there being no English characters; the rest is subtitled Danish, French or Polish.

An intriguing story about a horrible reality

[quiora · 10/10 · 18 March 2020]

I just finished the series and was deeply moved by the end. As a mother of a five-year-old I found the story incredibly painful and gripping. The storytelling was interesting and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It also raises an issue in society that should not be forgotten.

Confused.

[persephone-37494 · 10/10 · 21 November 2020]

I have just paused ep1.I do not understand how Rolf,who I assume has common sense,would take his kid onto a ferry when he could easily have asked Jarl's wife to look after the baby. I know it's prob part of the continuing story/plot but it really makes no sense to me.Just saying.

Enjoyable

[gallagherkellie · 6/10 · 29 June 2020]

It was an entertaining watch and I don't regret watching the whole thing. But there were some aspects that were a bit silly. It's not too hard to look past them, but for a Danish crime show it's definitely not one of the best. I also have some gripes with the ending but won't leave any spoilers.

A gripping yarn of complex issues

[pattie7459 · 9/10 · 31 July 2020]

I binge watched this over 2 nights - as soon as one episode finished I couldn't wait for the subsequent one . A twisted tale of intrigues - and sensitive good performances despite other reviews to the contrary .

Good enough for me

[kattmorsan · 6/10 · 16 March 2020]

Found it rather addictive actually. Easily forgotten, but pretty good entertainment for a couple of hours.

Excellent series about a sad subject

[dan_c_ro · 9/10 · 7 October 2020]

If you like crime series and you love detective movies you will love DNA. It is not the best nordic series but it is very good. The subject is very interesting, child trafficking, the actors are very good, the filming is great and above all it is like a mystery and it gets you right from the beginning till the end. It is also sad and dramatic but it has a lot of action too. Give it a try and you will not be disappointed.

Who is in the coffin?

[kh5759 · 7/10 · 21 April 2021]

Who was in the child's coffin in episode 8? Did Julita find out that her actual baby died so she had a funeral for her and decided to keep the baby she stole? How could she keep the stolen baby after being so heartbroken after her baby was stolen? It made no sense. And how did Skoub (the police forensics guy) find out where Julita was after she stole the baby? I am not sure he even knew her name. That whole scene made no sense to me. And it made no sense to me why the woman who filmed baby Minna and her kidnapper at the gas station sat on the film for 5 years! She knew it was the stolen baby. Instead of just calling the police why didn't she take it to them that night? Why didn't she post it on Minna's mom's Facebook page? Why didn't she give it to the media to air? It would have been a great story and Minna would have been found right away. I hate writers write things that don't make sense just to advance the storyline. Big flaw.

Recommended

[zeppers-34897 · 10/10 · 14 October 2019]

Very exciting crime, can hardly wait for the next episode. Interesting plot and for the most well played. Absolutely worth the time.

Mixed feelings

[DrRon2020 · 7/10 · 6 May 2021]

This was interesting, I would score this series a 4, my wife scores it an 8. So we settled on 7. To explain my score let me spoil just the opening episode.

A girl gets abducted. The detective for the case is home alone with his baby daughter as his wife, a stewardess, is on a flight. The investigation shows a very vague clue that the girl might be in Poland. Nevertheless the detective immediately decides to drive to Poland. But the babysitter does not show up, so he takes his babygirl with him... A colleague volunteers to join. They board the ferry during a storm that, judged by the animation, is like the mother of all hurricanes (mind you this is the ferry from Denmark to Germany in the Baltics...). The detective gets seasick and goes outside to throw up. He takes his baby with him instead of leaving her with his colleague. Get it?? Let me stop here, after this scene I could not seriously watch this any longer.

My wife thought the theme was really good, despite the numerous stereotypes going forward.

So, enjoy watching, but be aware that if you are a catholic, you may be offended.

Exciting and irritating

[miltek · 5/10 · 22 September 2019]

When a baby goes missing without a trace I am hooked anticipating that they will find it. But the script keeps throwing me off. Which policeman would bring their own baby on a 'missing child hunt' to work? Who would leave their baby in a babywagon outside on a ferry in a storm? Which police(wo)man would say: "have you ever seen this woman - your friend said you both didn't know her" and expect to get an honest answer?

So many errors in a decent plot is beyond me. I know we have a lot of good writers in Denmark and the actors to follow it up. But this is very amateure like. I can't say if it's the lines or the directors fault, but the actors have done so much better before, that this is really painfull at times for me to watch.

Difficult subject but very good effort

[veniagian · 9/10 · 25 April 2021]

The difficult part is to start watching that series because the title "DNA" it's not attractive from my point of view. Nevertheless if you start watching from the first episode you can't stop. I respect a lot of Danish, Swedish and British mystery series producers. I think that they're better than Americans.

Keeps you engaged

[RosieD101 · 8/10 · 8 July 2020]

Great writing, good acting. Keeps you guessing. Worth a watch.

Olivia Joof

[harriet-haje · 6/10 · 16 March 2020]

I think Olivia Joof acted really good! The series lacked logic in many aspects but I wanted to finish it.

Good, intriguing crime drama

[Vindelander · 8/10 · 18 November 2020]

Some terrible reviews on here but being a big Scandi fan I thought it was excellent and almost in the same class The Bridge and The Killing. Interesting storyline and lots of twists- the only criticism I have is the hopping between time periods, which had me confused at times.

Good cast and production with varied European locations make this a good watch.

Rolf , Golf and egg-cellent end

[xmasdaybaby1966 · 7/10 · 15 November 2020]

I binge-watched this in one 6 hour slot. The first episode was good and the finale was brilliant but some of the episodes in between were a little disappointing. Maybe I missed something, but the timelines weren't exactly clear to the final episode and the continual location and language changes were a bit confusing. I so want to give a higher mark after watching the conclusion but you also have to consider some of the weaker episodes. Esteemed international actress Charlotte Rampling brings gravitas to proceedings. Not the usual Nordic noir cop drama BBC 4 usually show but still a good watch but could have been shown in fewer episodes.

Continuity and realism...

[Cinders103 · 8/10 · 15 November 2020]

Good for Saturday night's but Neel kept getting beaten up and then bounced back with just a plaster.

Rolf L could walk into any Official Forensic Lab and demand a DNA test without any authority at all.

Julita can be locked in a monastery for a time, then escape and rush around in her car - unlocked, petrol?

Rolf et al can travel to any foreign country of choice, with or without companion, by plane and ferry, no authorisation, booking of tickets at the drop of a hat.

(Clare) / Charlotte R is actually 74 yrs. What is the retirement age for French detectives?

Good fun though...

Great middle part, terrible beginning and ending

[ronald-wolsink · 6/10 · 3 May 2021]

If the whole series would be like the middle part, I would easily have rated it 8. But the unbelievably ridiculous beginning and ending ruined it. No one would leave their child outside on a ferry in the rain and stormy weather. And no parent would leave their child with her kidnapper after finding her after a search for years, just because the child is happy in the current situation.

DNA: A great series

[garuda-221-255226 · 9/10 · 16 June 2020]

A very good series; absorbing with a good plot and well acted

Not bad, but somewhat over-sophisticated and with several cliches

[BeneCumb · 7/10 · 12 March 2021]

Denmark-Poland is like Sweden-Latvia or Finland-Estonia where, since 1990ies, contradiction between West and East, static and dynamic, wealth and poverty, etc. have been in contact and sometimes colliding... DNA tells us similar story where "smart criminals" from East using assistance from West have organised a network bringing misery and unknowing to hundreds of families.

The beginning of the Series is intense, but then some unnecessary scenes and characters appear, plus I began to suspect a certain person too soon as a wrongdoer. Anders W. Berthelsen, the main star, is good, but not among the finest Danish contemporary performers, and is often overshadowed by e.g. Nicolas Bro and Charlotte Rampling. On the other hand, international cast and events occurring in several countries is definitely a virtue preventing stagnation and adding diversity (sometimes with over-sophistication though).

The final solution of the issues began to reveal a bit too soon... "Only" 7 points from me as I am able to name more than dozen far more versatile series.

Ludicrous plot

[daviddouglashk · 1/10 · 25 October 2020]

So we are meant to believe that an experienced cop, investigating a child disappearance, would leave his baby alone outside in a storm while he goes to throw up? Really?

Reminiscent Of The Great Nordic Mysteries

[chiumt · 8/10 · 3 January 2021]

A Danish production with an international cast. Great production values. With numerous twists. Initially a bit confusing, with back and forth in time storyline, but everything is made clear towards the end.

Excellent Surprise TV Series, topical themes

[albatosh · 9/10 · 30 September 2023]

Wow, these two TV series were a brilliant surprise for someone who normally doesn't watch sub titled stories.

Set initially in Denmark the story quickly revolves around various European countries and interaction between the different Police forces involved.

Very topical subjects including people trafficking, baby smuggling, illegal organ doner trafficking and various different continental mafia groups working together.

Apart from his personal loss and frustration. Top detective Rolf battles on pressuring the the 'higher ups' to investigate and resolve the various issues.

Some excellent acting from Rolf (Anders W. Berthelsen), his wife Maria (Johanne Louise Schmidt), Julita (Zofia Wichlacz) who loses her baby in the first series, Neel, Rolf's gung ho sidekick ( Olivia Joof Lewerissa) and the amazing Claire, French Police Investigator (Charlotte Rampling).

Gripping at times, I was hooked from the 1st episode.

Stopping me from giving 9 was the fact it wasn't always obvious that during some episodes we were actually going back a bit (i.e. A '3 months ago' would have maybe helped). There is room for a 3rd series, I hope that's on the cards.