Surprisingly engaging and entertaining, Top Dog was full of good acting and three-dimensional characters. If you replaced the Serbian mob with an Italian one, it almost had a Scorsese feel to it. Kudos to the entire cast, but particularly Alexej Manvelov and Josefin Asplund for the quality of their performances.
15 Reviews
Definitely keeps one's interest going.
ikanboy21 February 2022
I like the deep plot with all of it's various agendas that merge together. There is a major plot hole and that is the almost total absence of the Police. Two civilians, one a corporate lawyer and the other an ex con. With seemingly separate agendas and from different social classes act as Detectives and find that their moral views merge, and maybe pass each other.
Becomes tedious.
hill-084354 August 2022
The characters lack personality. There's not much to like, the criminals are boring and the lawyers bland and predictable. The dialogue has no individuality and the central criminal is dull. The plot is OK and telling the story from both sides has merit but it was not enough to sustain my interest.
Enjoyable but Highly Flawed
crumpytv22 September 2023
I watched the two series back to back.
Although I did enjoy watching these dramas, there was so much that did not make any sort of sense it that it was very frustrating.
Characters behaving differently to suite whatever scenario they were faced with.
I found the lead female character, played by Josefin Asplund, just not convincing. It wasn't her fault, it was the script which had her doing all sorts of investagative legalise without sharing this with the viewer.
Just walking into top jobs, partuclalrly the last one, was just no plausible.
This was also a very violent drama.
In these current times when there is supposed to be zero tolerence on racism, then it is hardly sympathetic to this ideal to cast gangs of muerderous posychopaths living out little Serbia in Sweden.
Another things in the dramam which was noticeable by absence, was a police force. They hardly made any appearane at all despiter the many urders, brutal attacks, kidnapping, extyortion, fraud etc, etc. I watched the two series back to back.
Although I did enjoy watching these dramas, there was so much that did not make any sort of sense and was very frustrating.
Characters behaving differently to suite whatever scenario they were faced with and illogical decisions being made just to suite the storyline.
Worst of all was the Teddy/Sara relationship in prison .... Really??? I don't think so!!
I found the lead female character, played by Josefin Asplund, just not convincing. It wasn't her fault, it was the script which had her doing all sorts of investigative legalise without sharing this with the viewer.
Just walking into top jobs, particularly the last one, was just not plausible.
This was also a very violent drama.
In these current times when there is supposed to be zero tolerance on racism, then it is hardly sympathetic to this ideal to cast gangs of murderous psychopaths living out little Serbia in Sweden.
Another things in the drama which was noticeable by absence, was a police force. They hardly made any appearance at all despite the many murders, brutal attacks, kidnapping, extortion, fraud etc, etc.
Although I did enjoy watching these dramas, there was so much that did not make any sort of sense it that it was very frustrating.
Characters behaving differently to suite whatever scenario they were faced with.
I found the lead female character, played by Josefin Asplund, just not convincing. It wasn't her fault, it was the script which had her doing all sorts of investagative legalise without sharing this with the viewer.
Just walking into top jobs, partuclalrly the last one, was just no plausible.
This was also a very violent drama.
In these current times when there is supposed to be zero tolerence on racism, then it is hardly sympathetic to this ideal to cast gangs of muerderous posychopaths living out little Serbia in Sweden.
Another things in the dramam which was noticeable by absence, was a police force. They hardly made any appearane at all despiter the many urders, brutal attacks, kidnapping, extyortion, fraud etc, etc. I watched the two series back to back.
Although I did enjoy watching these dramas, there was so much that did not make any sort of sense and was very frustrating.
Characters behaving differently to suite whatever scenario they were faced with and illogical decisions being made just to suite the storyline.
Worst of all was the Teddy/Sara relationship in prison .... Really??? I don't think so!!
I found the lead female character, played by Josefin Asplund, just not convincing. It wasn't her fault, it was the script which had her doing all sorts of investigative legalise without sharing this with the viewer.
Just walking into top jobs, particularly the last one, was just not plausible.
This was also a very violent drama.
In these current times when there is supposed to be zero tolerance on racism, then it is hardly sympathetic to this ideal to cast gangs of murderous psychopaths living out little Serbia in Sweden.
Another things in the drama which was noticeable by absence, was a police force. They hardly made any appearance at all despite the many murders, brutal attacks, kidnapping, extortion, fraud etc, etc.
Really Really Good !!
lundberg-4416522 November 2020
Have read Jens Lapidius books and have enjoyed them and the characters a lot. The Top Dog series really captures the essence and each episode carries the story forward in an impressive way. Hope for more seasons to come!
Bingeworthy!
Inepine4 October 2023
Fascinating storyline: surprising plot twists and lots of despicable characters in a bleak winter city in Sweden.
Captivating actors: truly believable when they start digging in the dirt, uncovering layer after layer, discovering lies and finding truths, but not really knowing how to deal with both. The good are not so good, the bad are not so bad, and the right thing to do, might not be the right thing to do... It's often not so easy to change one's life, even if one really wants to. There are friends, family and colleagues holding you back (sometimes at gunpoint); there are loved ones you can not leave.
I binged both seasons in three days, and now I'm hoping for a third one.
Captivating actors: truly believable when they start digging in the dirt, uncovering layer after layer, discovering lies and finding truths, but not really knowing how to deal with both. The good are not so good, the bad are not so bad, and the right thing to do, might not be the right thing to do... It's often not so easy to change one's life, even if one really wants to. There are friends, family and colleagues holding you back (sometimes at gunpoint); there are loved ones you can not leave.
I binged both seasons in three days, and now I'm hoping for a third one.
Waiting for season 2
fredrikfasting26 November 2022
Top notch Nordic Noir. Starts fast and conventional like 99% of every crime series, but evolves to a surprisingly original drama with intriguing, realistic and layered characters. If you are a bit bored watching the same crime stories with similar protagonists and plots over and over again, this might be spot on for you. These protagonists are driven by different motivations, leading them down some quite crooked paths. Unpredictable twists in every episode. Waiting and hoping for season two (and if the next season doesn't appear we will have to consider some kind of a crowd funding or making one our selves).
A joy to watch
andre-veenhuijsen9 July 2022
Watched the complete season in 3 nights. Loved the actors, the scenes and the mingle of the upperground with the underground. Also the continous internal battle of Teddy of being a good guy or a bad guy. Maybe a season 2?
Twists without reason
paul2001sw-121 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Swedish thriller 'Top Dog' suffers from an awful, generic title (at least in English translation) that tells you little of what the series is about; but it also suffers from not being completely clear what it is about. In the first scene, we see a businessman threatened (and apparently murdered); then we learn that he wasn't in fact murdered but was independently kidnapped. He's rescued long before the series ends, and the focus shifts to corruption in the companies his family ran; finally, it shifts again to a man who at first seems to be involved in the investigation into these events for semi-random reasons, but whose story turns out to be the greater part of the series' point. At times it's hard to follow, but worse than this, the viewer loses interest as the big story in each episode loses importance thereafter as the programme explores only loosely related twists. It felt like drama-by-numbers to me, as if the screenwriters had assembled parts from a fairly standard menu of ingredients: the result is complex, but not particularly coherent, or good.
Really like the Top Dog series and characters. Hoping for another season!
jacreynol29 June 2022
Have not read the books. But this series was interesting with very good acting. Intricate and converging story lines. A second series could very easily pick up where the first series left off. Would like to see continuation of the Swedish story and follow the characters next steps.
... just keep-'em-coming
bjarias15 March 2024
... year upon year, there are many productions of this genre.. this one of the better ones... all facets working well together bring an entertaining series into two seasons so far
... several great characters have been removed, so if going now into a third-season-series, they shall need be replaced by others hopefully as good... getting good reviews from many viewers, rightfully so, as it's not that easy a task as this show makes it appear
... another season up to similar standards not much to ask, but never that easy to achieve... this part of the world knows how to create entertaining-crime-dramas... keep-'em-coming.
... several great characters have been removed, so if going now into a third-season-series, they shall need be replaced by others hopefully as good... getting good reviews from many viewers, rightfully so, as it's not that easy a task as this show makes it appear
... another season up to similar standards not much to ask, but never that easy to achieve... this part of the world knows how to create entertaining-crime-dramas... keep-'em-coming.
One of the best crime dramas
martcrox10 April 2024
Great multiple stories going on at the same time, decent drama, excellent acting. The deaths are on par with GOT; Could be anyone next. Acting produced no stupid inane shallow characters just some irritating ones through a good portrayal and direction. Characters are realistic and believable.
I enjoyed this as much as The Bridge, though the stories aren't as convoluted and involving but there's a depth to more characters here.
Some things people have complained about have to be speeded up for coherence eg do downvoters really think they'll string a job application out to months?
It's been left with enough for a 3rd series but has ended well. Was so glad the 2nd series was made to conclude the problem with mother.
I enjoyed this as much as The Bridge, though the stories aren't as convoluted and involving but there's a depth to more characters here.
Some things people have complained about have to be speeded up for coherence eg do downvoters really think they'll string a job application out to months?
It's been left with enough for a 3rd series but has ended well. Was so glad the 2nd series was made to conclude the problem with mother.
2nd season no good
ellecram_r20 August 2023
Hope no season 3 this 2nd season was totally silly I was tired of the lawyer making stupid and selfish decisions, she was use anything and any one for her own selfish gain then everyone would out do her and makes her look like a loser and she never learns her lesson then Teddy was just as stupid, he doesn't think and see what's going on around him I think they're the 2 major characters but I wish they ended dying or ruined. Teddy sister was upset with him because of her son death but she didn't pay to much attention as to what he was into from the start she didn't care whether he attended school or not.
Terrible!
qui_j22 July 2023
Walter Presents is a streaming service that appears to search out low grade European TV series and then rebroadcasts them in other countries. Top Dog from Sweden is no Nordic Noir! It's just a low budget, poorly acted, badly scripted TV series that makes absolutely no sense. The first episode has characters coming and going, but provides little of no context as to their roles or background that might help viewers understand the story. The scenes are randomly stuck together in the hope that some sort of story will emerge. Events happen to suit the narrative but are completely illogical or just bypass point "B" when going from "A-C". The script must have been written by someone just out of school....it makes no sense!
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