L'ora d'oro

Ridiculous plot. If the main character did early in the series what most normal people would have done under similar circumstances this series would have been cut in half. Not to mention that if the Dutch police is as incompetent as is shown in this series then I pray for the Dutch people. They are in deep trouble. I suggest that the NYPD send some people to Amsterdam to give the police some pointers.

You might be surprised to find out that according to this series the Dutch police in one of the most liberal countries in the world also tortures innocent people and uses children as human shields.

Otherwise it is a great series ( Not ).

As Episode 1 of "The Golden Hour" (2022 release from the Netherlands; 6 episodes ranging from 47 to 50 min each) opens, we are in "Amsterdam", where we get to know Mardik, a detective who grew up in Afghanistan but now a longtime resident in the Netherlands and married to a Dutch lady. In a parallel story line, we are introduced to Faysal, a childhood friend of Mardik, who now has become a hardline extremist and terrorist... At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: almost from the get-go, this mini-series is tense, and it stays tense. Beware: there are several terrorist attacks that are brought with a shocking level of realism, and this is most definitely not for the feint of heart. That aside, the mini-series reminded me of the Jason Bourne franchise, with its relentless pace and handheld camera work. Bottom line: I quite enjoyed it (I grew up in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, so it was fun to follow along in the original Dutch version).

"Het Gouden Uur" premiered in Fall of 2022 on Dutch TV. I had never heard of it, but Netflix recently recommended it to me based on my viewing habits. Glad I took up Netflix on it. If you are in the mood for a hard-hitting, fact-paced terrorists' action mini-series, I'd readily suggest you check it out and draw your own conclusion.

I have been watching a lot of Dutch shows lately and I prefer them over your average Netflix show. So whenever a new Dutch show is released, this girl is happy!

But, with The Golden hour, Dutch television just went up an extra notch. Boy, was it good. In every aspect: acting (you just forget you're watching and you get sucked into the story immediately), storyline and writing, camerawork and cinematography, but also sets and extra's. I don't know if people who helped bring this show to life are reading this... but I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed watching it. In spite of the very difficult topic.

It had me on the edge of my seat throughout the episodes and I can't wait for season 2 to be released.

Quick note: I'm your average Jane, so I have minimal knowledge of police and detective work. This review is just based on my personal experience as a viewer.

I'll get over the anomaly that was very difficult to take in at first. I just don't get why Mardik decided to go it alone. Wouldn't his tips and investigations have been enhanced with the resources of the police force behind him? And it would have kept the internal affairs/Dutch CIA off his back.

That apart, the fast-paced plot and its developments left not a moment to wonder about any other inconsistencies. In addition there were some moments of human interest stories, one of which was particularly touching.

A second season is definitely on its way as is obvious from the final few scenes. I'll be watching it.

The first 4 episodes are of a high level in terms of tension, acting, screenplay, writing and so on. T leaves you gasping for breath and you sit on the edge of your seat I would give it a 9. Then it becomes less believable, the playing is exaggerated and the lyrics often make no sense anymore. They also want to rush way too much in the last episode, which is a shame. The 1st 4 episodes deserved a much better sequel. Hopefully the makers will be able to reach that level again in a next season. Due to the last 2 episodes I end up with a lower rating unfortunately. I definitely recommend the series so watch everyone.