Set on the border between Ukraine and Poland we meet an elite team of Border Guards who try to stop traffickers from smuggling illegal immigrants across the border and also try to save some lives. Then on a night of celebration a bomb is set off, killing all but one of the team, This is Captain Viktor Rebrow.
He is badly injured but the pain caused from losing his friends and girl friend is harder to bear. With his life in free fall he goes back to work with the single purpose of tracking down those responsible for the murders. He also has a new team and the concomitant tensions that such a situation can bring. Worst of all there is a hotshot DA on his case – he is the sole survivor and so must be in on the whole thing – is her premise.
What unravels in the six episodes is truly entertaining. The acting is all high end and the feel of authenticity is held throughout. Animals feature heavily here – especially wolves – but there are scenes that some will find upsetting, so do be warned. Mixed with the spine of the story are many sub plots and the sort of things that you would expect from a Nordic Noir and it does not suffer in any way by that. This is original in most parts and had me gripped for nigh on every episode, but the ending may let some viewers down – to say why is a bit of a spoiler. That said I still really enjoyed this and hope HBO continue to make great television of this ilk.
