The Thaw

As Episode 1 of "The Thaw (2022 release from Poland; 6 episodes of about 45-50 min each) opens, we are introduced to Detective Zawieja. Much to her dismay, she is just informed that the recent death of her husband, a police officer, is ruled an apparent suicide. In a parallel story, a woman is found dead in a river. Turns out to be the woman is the daughter of the District Prosecutor. And she was 9 months pregnant. Detective Zawieja takes the lead in the investigation... At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this is a crime mini-series out of Poland, and other than recognizing Polish actress Kataryna Wajda in the lead role of Detective Zawieja, I can't say that I am familiar with anyone else on the production team or the cast. Based on the opening 2 episodes that I've seen to date, this is OK although still a bit tentative so far. Of course also plot-heavy so I'm not going to say anything about that. The production is sleek but I found the acting of some of the cast (not Ms. Wajda) slightly stilted at times. But here is the bottom line: we are in search of a killer and this whodunit has caught enough of my attention that I will check out the remaining episodes when they become available.

The initial 2 episodes of "The Thaw" were released this past weekend on HBO Max, where they are now available on demand. New episodes will be released on Fridays. If you are interested in a crime series that is definitely not your regular Hollywood fare, I'd readily suggest you check this out.

UPDATE 4/22/22 I've now seen all episodes. I've upgraded my rating to 7 stars. Things really get more interesting as the episodes roll along. All is revealed in the final episode. Check it out.

The story is concise and goes straight to the point. Which is both good and bad, good because it doesn't feel stretched and you don't get to be bored, bad I will cover below.

The shots are nice, most of the time you can feel immersed thanks to the camera work, it doesn't feel static.

The setting is good, it creates a gritty mood and that works great with the story that's being told.

My main problems with this show are:

The ending, which I don't think was thoroughly explained, even though I had watched this show in two sittings, so I don't feel like I forgot or missed much.

There were no fillers and sometimes it felt a bit rushed. We didn't get to know anyone on a personal level, apart from a few flashbacks for the main character.

And while we're at it - the all-knowing main character. It felt like every call she made, even by coincidence, was correct and pushed the story forward. There was not a lot of mystery solving, it felt like she was supposed to find clues and answers and she did that easily, without much thought.

Overall I believe it's worth giving it a shot. Are there any better, short shows? Sure, but I don't think you will have a bad time with the Thaw.

I am at episode 3 now and am still interested in the plot of this series.

My biggest compliment is that this has been dubbed into English so I do not have to read it. It seems like Poland and Norway do not have any problem dubbing their series or films.

I like the series and films coming out of Europe a lot, but I do not like to read the dialogue while I am trying to watch the action on the screen.

There should be a way for viewers can opt to have all films and movies dubbed just by clicking in icon. I am sure the technology exists somewhere.

Anyway, I do like this series and the mystery within the story line. I do also agree that it was not necessary to add a daughter to the main character.

But just hang in there and keep watching even if it gets a bit slow sometimes.

The Thaw is well-written and acted, esp. Kataryna Wajda as Det. Zawieja. The cinematography featuring a dreary Polish port city is suitably creepy. My main criticism is the "bad mother" motif. The single mom detective who can't look after her child is the most tired trope in Euro-Noir. It slows everything down and adds nothing except canned bathos. There's always a dead husband who the woman is grieving and the kid is a mess because of it. Then there's the mother or grandpa guilt-tripping the bad mom. Really annoying and unnecessary. Grieving and torment are fine for noir leads but the whiney kid has to go.

This HBO production is the first Polish, and for me the first Polish crime series I have ever seen. From what I saw, there must be more to come. The series is very good. The environment and characters may be reminiscent of similar Scandinavian series, but still have a different expression, which makes it stand out. The action unfolds in a Polish city, with a female protagonist (investigator) struggling with her own troubles and problems. Her fierce struggle to find the truth rubs off on us who watch, and I think that every single one of the 6 episodes was both engaging and not least very exciting. The script is good, the plot seems involving and everyone involved is believable. Will there be a new series? Hope so.