Review: The Bridge (TV series)

[Brian G Turner]

When something makes it out from Scandinavia to the English consumer markets, it usually means there's something special about it.

We saw this with Stieg Larsson's Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series of novels, and Troll Hunter was an unusual but very entertaining film.

The Bridge is a TV detective series that follows in this vein - powerful, different, even quirky.

Co-produced in Sweden and Denmark, it opens with a body found on the Oresrund Bridge - laid directly over the line separating the two countries.

The investigation is led in Sweden by Saga Noren, with Martin Rohde for the Danish police.

Every episode offers something different and unexpected. This is not a normal murder investigation - whoever was behind the original killing is looking to rattle society in both Sweden and Denmark in a series of terrible set pieces.

The ultimate aim of it all is truly shocking and disturbing as we learn how our characters are connected to the investigation.

I'm not really a fan of detective thrillers, but The Bridge is different in so many ways: tone, scale, characters, and complexity.

Simply put, it's superb.

It's hard to discuss it without giving away spoilers, but I would highly recommend watching the first episode. If you enjoy it, it's merely an entree for the main meal to follow.

Season 1 is currently available on Netflix, and Season 2 has just started on BBC 4 - though I would strongly advise against watching Season 2 unless you've watched Season 1.

 

[thaddeus6th]

I agree. I'm also not into rozzers on telly, but I'll make an exception for this. Not watched The Killing or suchlike, so I can't compare it to other Scandinavian dramas, but The Bridge is top notch.

 

[Anthony G Williams]

I love this series. Sofia Helin is brilliant as Saga Noren, one of the most unusual detectives you are ever likely to see.

 

[Bugg]

Love this series. I thought season 1 was the best thing I'd seen on tv for ages, and season 2 was equally as good. Totally agree with Anthony about Sofia Helin. It's the two main characters that set it above The Killing, for me - they're not afraid to have a little fun with them. Saga is so funny at times, and the friendship between her and Martin is beautifully played by both actors.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Finally finished Season 2 - thought it looked a little weak at first, but it built up as the first did.

And, my, they know how to do season finales!

 

[Anthony G Williams]

I've recently watched the Anglo-French version - The Tunnel, in which the body is found halfway along the Channel Tunnel's service tunnel. It's a straight copy apart from the characters and the settings - even some of the dialogue is copied.

Taken in isolation, it's not bad. The main difference is that the (French) Saga-equivalent character is much weaker, while the (British) Martin-equivalent is actually rather more comprehensible (he is British, after all!), which makes him in effect the lead character. However, it's one of those programmes which make you wonder why on Earth they bothered.