Tabula Rasa

Got all the right ingrediënts for a good thriller/suspense series. The acting is very good, indeed top-notch. The story had its flaws but come on, have you watched Strangers Things really closely? Main atraction in this Belgian series is the mood.. very creepy and .. unsettling. Try and give it 3 episodes: you're hooked.

Started out 'okay', but by episode 4 had some awesome twists and turns that made the show better than expected. Excellent characters... Loved Vronsky. Had me hooked, the sort of show that by the second to last episode you start to panic about what to watch next.

Only problem?..the high speed finishing off in episode nine...real shame.

A thriller with the sort of plot twist that means its not the sort of show you could watch through twice , still..one of the more worthy offerings on Netflix.

I loved it, I have gone almost exclusively to the international movies and series on Netflix, they are such a breath of fresh air after the trash of Hollywood. There are several moments in Tabula Rasa where you will stop breathing, it's that good. If you find it "slow" or "boring" as somebody is saying, you might have that "instant gratification" problem, too much American film long on non-stop action and short on meaning. (I am American but no lover of the film industry - either glorifying sex and violence or both together or preaching politics, I am done with them.) These foreign projects have opened new horizons for me, too - how many more times do I need to see NYC and LA, anyway. Keep it coming, I'm hooked.

Several episodes seem to lack luster at the beginning. I began with an expectation of supernatural involvement, and was constantly irritated at the slow development.

But, the relationships between husband and wife, the mysteries, and the emotional turmoil kept me in it. I am not easily surprised, yet this did exactly that. The end is well worth the wait. You can argue that it's unbelievable, but I don't think that comes into it. It's explanatory and dramatic. You will be hard-paced to find any single season drama that resolves so well.

The key to any resolution is that it meets some criteria: 1) It is not fantastical. It could happen without violating physical laws. 2) It has a certain bitter-sweetness. Not a requirement, but definitely helps. 3) It resolves the crisis of the main character. 4) It lets us love the character, after having had her character impuned upon throughout. It redeems her believably.

Give it a try. Relax.

To be fair, movies which incorporate (seemingly endless) time jumps could sometimes not only be hard to follow but structurally deficient as well. Thankfully, "Tabula Rasa" ("Blind Slate") had all their ducks in a row. Obviously, a ton of plotting went into making this mystery series, As Nordic Noir goes (if it truly fits into that category), "Tabula Rasa" sits head and shoulders above similar titles, fitting right up there with other excellent series like"Bordertown," "Depart Q", etc. Cinematography was to die for as was the general acting. Some reviewers complained about pacing issues. I didn't mind the long drags, though. That seems to be part and parcel of Nordic Noir anyway, you know, allowing the viewer enough time to absorb the lush scenery, as it were.