Conflict

A great show depicting the invasion of Finland in a similar vein to the Crimean conflict. The show follows both civilian leadership, career officers, as well as conscript personnel. Equipment, action, and small-unit tactics (thus far) are shown to be highly authentic and engaging, partially due to the support of the Finnish Defence Forces and the main commercial supplier, Varusteleka.

Regarding the dialogue and acting, most of it is very good, especially those by Peter Franzen, potraying a career officer attempting to reach his family. I've seen some negative feedback about the conscripts, whether related to the amount of drama, intimacy, or their diversity, but given that most conscripts are 18-20 when they enter service, I found this highly realistic. Having soldiers from diverse backgrounds is also EXTREMELY common in certain units, particularly in the Helsinki Capital region. The acting of the civilian leadership (which strongly evokes some of Finland's more recent leaders) is at best just OK - limited by perhaps clunky dialogue choices.

English dialogue in the how was also a bit of a hit or miss, especially with scenes concerning civilian leadership, or attached allied officers - it feels like the writers were somewhat out of their depth here - but it was acceptable.

Overall, an excellent show - I'm pretty jaded with TV these days, and a lot of shows feel either longwinded or underfunded (looking at you, Dune Prophecy), but this was tight and great from the start. Truly a new level of TV for Finland!

Note for folks interested in similar content, check out TaisteluKentta 2020 on the FDF youtube channel, which even sports some of the same faces.

The show is a breath of fresh air for military and political dramas. It skips the Hollywood tropes where people take gunshots and keep fighting like superheroes. Here, the weapons and their effects feel real and grounded, making the stakes hit harder.

The conscripts are exactly how you'd expect them to be-regular young people, not elite commandos with picture-perfect execution. And seeing them represented is refreshing since most shows focus on elite units and their over-the-top personal drama. The politicians, too, are spot-on, acting just as self-serving and calculating as you'd imagine.

The portrayal of the opponent (likely Russia, though it's not confirmed yet) is chillingly realistic. The propaganda, manipulation, and subtle plays to exploit the Finnish society feel all too plausible and add an extra layer of tension.

At times, the dialogue can feel stiff, especially in the situation room, almost like watching an amateur play. But honestly, that might just be what it's actually like-people under pressure saying what they need to without worrying about sounding polished. The military's formal Finnish (kirjakieli) adds to the authenticity, even if it's not the most natural for a viewer.

All in all, Conflict gets a solid 9/10 from me. It's fresh, timely, and incredibly engaging. If you're into realistic military dramas, this is absolutely worth your time!

An interesting premise that is perhaps not that far removed from real life. Mostly english language, it even has some Americans in the otherwise finnish cast.

The first few episodes do a good job of building a sense of confusion on the ground and in senior government circles. The conclusion however is a bit of an anti-climax.

Only has a small cast, the Finnish landscape is gorgeous, photography is good, the acting is pretty limited, I imagine it was made on a small budget and seemed to rely on stock footage for things like warships, aircraft were mostly absent. Overall, it feels more like a documentary than a drama.

This show had a lot of potential but I personally sensed an absence of good writing and directing. The acting was often very monotone and was missing authentic expression. I was having a hard time caring for the characters. The threat wasn't portrayed well enough and I found myself bothered by the lack of realism overall. I would've loved to see big invader troops with attitudes that could've been felt through the screen. I realise that stressful situations can make us react in ways we can't predict, but instead of lots of hesitation and even sluggishness I would've wanted to see stern strong leader figures with determination and fire in their veins (not only talking about the president). We have a huge high-stake situation in our hands and yet I, as a viewer, didn't feel it. I didn't feel the rush, the stress, the fear of the unknown.

Some aspects I liked, mostly the filming, set design and the editing. I understand the funding can be tough to find in a small country, shows like this easily eat away dozens of millions. Finland has some breathtaking scenery and landscape, those drone videos of nature really please the eye. The diversity of actors and languages was refreshing but also felt a bit forced.

My overall enjoyment score as a viewer is 6/10. If we were to compare this only to other Finnish shows, I would go a bit higher.

Seen one episode in but it already feels just like an unbelievable commercial for the Finnish defence forces. Unnecessary sex scene, wannabe edgy president that you can't take seriously after her first scene and so much of unimportant idling makes me think that is there even a story behind all of this.

At least it looks quite good. The military equipment provided by the Finnish defence forces are authentic which gives some realness to this lame and stoic story. Peter Franzén is the standout as the other main lead in the series and gives a good performance as a Finnish military staff member. Hopefully the rest of the series will be better.

Update:

Quite surprised by the later episodes (4 and 5) the tension is really there and all the corny, cringe and boring scenes are gone. It's not a perfect show by any means but much better than the start.