Koskinen

Stunted dialog and scripting. The acting is "soap-boxish" to the point of being amateurish and laughable if it wasn't so painful to watch. The staging reminds me of a high school stage production. The plots themselves have some merit and depth but they are developed and dramatized in such a shallow and mechanical way that they lose much of their potential impact. I have really tried to give this series a chance by watching three and a half of them, but I have reached the point at which I can no longer justify the waste of time when there are many much more worthwhile alternatives available, many of which are Walter Presents.

The English name for this series is "Lakeside Murders" because the setting for the programme is in the city of Tampere which sits between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. The city is rather beautiful with distinctive food and a vibrant youth and cultural scene but if these murders are to be believed, there is a dark underbelly to the surface glamour.

That's reflected in some way in the goodies of the programmes. They are all so ordinary or even homely. These aren't the glamorous detectives that some police procedurals use. The murders aren't ordinary however and are rather esoteric. There's always a refreshing twist or angle to the investigations too.

I don't want to leave spoilers but the first series ends on a shocking cliffhanger. I haven't seen the second yet but imagine there are some pretty serious repurcussions stemming from it affecting the team and the city itself.

I'm going to have to get round to watching it soon.

This series from Finland is complete with a poorly written script and some really bad acting. The fact that it streams on Walter Presents is enough to tell you this will be the case as that's a platform that searches out mostly failed European series and rebroadcasts them on other channels! The actors deliver their lines in a monotone, which could either be related as to how Finnish is spoken, or just an amateurish level of acting. The stories are convoluted, made worse by bad editing. This makes for little continuity in every episode. Scenes seem to be placed randomly and events happen in an illogical manner and often without context to understand their placement in the sequence of events. It's really a low quality, poorly planned series!

No special effects. No charming handsome male actors or sexy female actors. No car chases. No romantic drama among co-workers. No nudity. Little to no sexual content. Therefore, most Americans would be bored watching an interesting Finnish crime series and the reviews prove my point. Season 1 on PBS kept me interested and entertained every episode watching the team solve crimes. The characters are believable and the acting is good. It is always interesting to watch foreign series and the way people live, their homes, their interests, clothing, traditions, and personalities. Koskinen didn't disappoint. I'm looking forward to Season 2.

/refers to Season 1/

Lakeside Murders, the international title of Finland's Koskinen, offers forgoing flashy effects and romantic subplots in favour of slow-burn realism and psychological depth. Set in the lakeside city of Tampere, the series follows Inspector Sakari Koskinen and his small, often unpolished team in the Violent Crimes Unit as they navigate bizarre murders, local legends, and the lingering trauma of past cases.

At its best, Lakeside Murders immerses viewers in the understated charm of Finnish life, from sombre apartments to stoic police interactions. It stands apart from more sensational Western counterparts by relying on subtlety and character-driven storytelling. Eero Aho's portrayal of Koskinen is a highlight-calm, introspective, and compelling. The cases themselves are unpredictable, with a surreal edge, such as a severed head found on the steps of City Hall or unsettling drownings with eerie undertones.

However, the Series is not without its flaws; there is uneven pacing, questionable editing, and occasionally stilted acting, particularly among the supporting cast. The narrative can feel fragmented, with crime-solving often occurring through happenstance rather than detective work. Still, the show's atmosphere and cultural specificity give it an authentic flavour that appeals to fans of international crime dramas.

While Lakeside Murders may not satisfy viewers expecting fast action or polished procedural work, it succeeds as a moody, thoughtful exploration of crime and consequence in modern Finland. It is quite likely that I'll watch the next seasons as well.