Blackwater

Top reviews. A crime series you just have to watch, I read. Could this live up to expectations?

After watching it, my answer is both yes and no.

No, in the sense that the series is not very exciting after a brutal double murder. A strange investigation starts and we quickly understand that this will take time to be solved. It is a slow crime story. You have to be patient here.

Not bad, but cumbersome and time-consuming.

What I have to admit I liked the most were the incredible characters and environments that are portrayed in this series by some of Sweden's very best actors. The series is about two different eras, and manages to juggle between them well. It is particularly in the era that is about the 70s that I find exciting and interesting. A sect that wants to turn its back on society, small-time criminal villagers, a mysterious Finnish woman appears and more. This is incredibly well described and an insight into a recent past.

In sum, I would therefore recommend the series. But don't expect a crime thriller with lots of action, but a comprehensive story that is carefully uncovered.

Rolf Lassgård and Pernilla August bring passion and authenticity to two of many characters in a remote northern Swedish community, haunted by a murder almost 20 years prior. The story takes us on a journey from the 70's to the 90's without any artificial sensations in favour for a realistic tale of individual ordeals to come to terms with the actions of the past to understand the struggles of the present. Pernilla August is supported by her equally talented daughters. Rolf Lassgård demonstrates again that he delights the viewers with his portrail of an every day character who brings about clarity and truth to a tale where intolerence and injustice cripples people and society.

As someone who grew up in the 70's ( although not in Sweden ) I like the the sense of the 70's in those parts of the series that play in the 70's. Also the story line ( although slow ) I like. However... the switches between 1973 and 1991 I don't understand when it comes to choice of characters. Characters that are about 30 years old in 1973 are played in 1991 by actors in their end sixties/ seventies. 30+18 is still only 48 to me, so the choice of characters playing the 1991 versions of Annie, the doctor etc are way off, although played well. On the other hand Mia seems to fit in the timeline.

In short... I like the story line by I am not convinced and confused by the timeline.

The series proceeds at a methodical pace akin to travel in the remote area of Sweden that it's set in. It was confusing at first with the jumps from 1973 to 1991 but once one got to grips with who the characters were and how they changed with age, the episodes were easy enough to follow.

I don't care about the anachronisms of certain cars being manufactured after the events or products shown not existing till later in the century. To me, the atmosphere and surroundings evoked by the different years were convincing.

There were two unexplained deaths - murders - in the two years covered by the series. The perp of the earlier incident was clearly not the main suspect but it took me till episode five to be sure of who it really was. Unfortunately, the 1991 murder was signalled far less delicately in the script and it was pretty obvious who'd done it.

I loved the touches such as the party ferries between Finland and Sweden. I've been on them in the 80s and 90s as well as the ones between Finland and Estonia. The remote vastness of the north with its untarmacked roads evoked strong memories of when I lived in Finland - our cottage only had a dirt road to it even though we were in the south. So many of the buildings and landscapes of where I lived were similar to areas in the series.

In short, even without the memories, I'd have loved this and recommend it.

This is one of the best Scandinavian series I have seen in a long time. But don't come expecting a standard Nordic crime series. This is more a crime story in the sense that Hamlet is a crime story. It's about man and nature, time's arrow and existential questions - and the acting is superb. They manage to make something work that usually never works: to have a younger and an older version of most of the characters, since it takes place in 1973 and 1991. Highly recommended if you like Twin Peaks and Top of the Lake - but I would also point to brilliant period recreations like Fanny and Alexander or Dazed and Confused.