Hinterland

Hinderland is brilliant- many American murder shows pale in comparison. But you have to like beautiful moody landscapes that mirror the people in them. Too many American shows are all about sex,shooting and cute chummy buddy scenes and pretty tourist places. If you don't want to think or be engaged you won't like it. But I find the series viscerally moving and thought provoking-so I love it and can't wait for the next one. The layers of personal history the series unravel and peel back, reveal truths about humanity we sometimes like to forget. The series does not trivialize the flaws and broken parts of the characters, rather the story line uncovers where things went wrong in the first place. True to life, it shows you how easy it can be to go off the rails.

Many crime stories show police / detective work as something exciting, the cops are on a quest to solve a puzzle, and with guns, technology, intellect or even superpowers, they manage to find the culprit, point a finger at the guilty, and pat themselves on the back for doing a great job. There's none of that here.

Police work as shown in Hinderland is a mix of frustrating conversations that get you nowhere and hours of research (done by supporting leads) coupled with some lucky breakthroughs. If you are nit-picky about police procedures or a fan of CSI-type of story telling, you might be bored and annoyed by this show.

If you like shows about detectives unraveling the master plans of highly intelligent super-villains you might be a bit disappointed as well - the crime in this show is very down-to-earth and true to statistics (no Hanibal Lecter type of stuff).

Even if initially the series seems slow, and not your usual cup of tea, it's worth to give it a closer look, as it just might make you a better person.

Each episode (the length of a standalone film) tells a different story of 'who's done it', yet the finger never seems to be pointed at a particular person. The show offers a fuller picture and helps you understand the motivations and circumstances that lead to the crimes.

The show is really compassionate, there are no bad guys and good guys, like many of the cop-stories out there would have you believe, everyone is broken and suffering, and oh so human. A true lesson in empathy.

I love how Tom Mathias (the main character) treats the people he arrests - even when tackling them to the ground he still sees them as people, seems to understand their pain and even (gasp!) tries to comfort them.

When the stories come to an end, there is no patting on the back, solving of a case does not feel like a victory of justice, there are no moral lessons to learn, other than "suffering creates more suffering".

It's a slow, beautifully shot show which by offering you an escape from reality throws you knee-deep in it's slimy gutter instead.

I cannot help but love this series.

It is taciturn and bleak - and must have been derived from Scandi-noir. There are some duff episodes, but it continues to redeem itself. Patently, they never film in summer - I cannot imagine that Aberystwyth labours under a perpetual gloom - but like 'The Killing' it always seems brooding and gloomy.

I would like it to be a little more shocking in effect, but suspect it has to be aimed at a mainstream audience so can't tread that path.

It could be more expansive in the intricacies of the plot, and build the relationships of the protagonists - the latter appear to be much the same as episode one regardless of the passage of time.

Whatever, I really, really like it.

Well I have to say that the title of the show did not initially grab me and I was guilty of thinking it may be a bit parochial and low key, as compared to some of the blockbuster series around these days but I am glad to admit that I misjudged that badly. Its really captivating to watch as the stories have a real edge to them and the plots are quite involved, as real life can be. I am a big fan of the new run of Swedish and Danish crime films, and this certainly matches them in terms of character development, intrigue and a haunting background that keeps the viewer glued to the screen. I also like the way the first two episodes involve murders with a murky history, similar to the style employed in the award winning Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. It also had a building story presence reminiscent of the excellent Broadchurch series, so I am now a big convert of what they have achieved with this....excellent drama, so please keep the stories going. Watch and you shouldn't be disappointed

For those asking, yes the series will continue, not least because the Scands want it to after it was sold to Denmark. The actors say it was the hardest thing they have done, filming it back-to-back in Welsh and then English, but was well worth it.

Hinterland not only refers to the setting in the hills and sea coasts around Aberystwyth and Mid-Wales but to the plot lines where all the crimes have a backstory or hinterland of their own. It also refers to each individual character and not just the leads. There is no cardboard cut-out anywhere and all have motives and biases deeply rooted in the unknown, thus far, past which has made them who they are. I know a real-life person just like every character portrayed so far, got them spot on.

If you like shoot-em-up all-action fantasy this is not for you since scenes can be silent and slow, revealing emotion and thought processes but if you have any liking for fringe cultures such as Scandinavian noir then dig in. The tension is often unbearable not least the tension waiting for the next series.