Watched the first episode last night.
Thought it was very well made, but didn’t quite see a hook or freshness or anything new to convince me to continue watching.
If anything, I thought – “oh god they’re going to drag this out over 20 episodes”!

So if I watch another couple, does it develop into something more?

The Danish version, yes – tho if you didn’t like e1 maybe it’s not your bag.

Haven’t seen the US version so can’t comment, other than to say start with the original!

danish version – yes… bloody brilliant – it will keep you guessing for the full 20 episodes!

Danish one – Yes
US one – is testing my patience.

I haven’t seen the US one, but one of my friends who loves the original lost interest in the “remake”. But one of my other friends who doesn’t do subtitles thought the US one ok but found the end confusing. I’ve only seen the Danish and would recommend.

ok – thanks – I’ll give it 2 more episodes before I judge 🙂

(it’s the Danish one – I don’t do US remakes as a rule although I hear they didn’t totally cock up Let the Right One In)

I don’t watch much telly, but I fancy something else to partner Game of Thrones and the upcoming last season of Breaking Bad.

Cheers!

Have you recorded it or is it back on TV?

LapSteel – I’ve been lent the DVD box set of season 1

The US one has at least two ex Battlestar Galactica cast members in it, which scores points in my house. But apart from that it’s a bit rubbish. The constant red herrings wear you down after a while. And she drags her son to the airport at the end of every episode. Gosh, I wonder if she will get on the plane ?? And as for the poxy jerseys. Puhleease.

I like the US one.

This guy is a great character

Haven’t seen the Danish, don’t need to.

Yes yes yes!! The Danish series is brilliant so stick with it.

Am struggling with the second American series, not sure whether there’s a new director or what but it’s not holding my attention in the way that the first series did.

Dez – agreed but I’m struggling to understand what some of the actors are saying, him in particular! Nowt to do with volume before you say anything. 😉

* Mutters about how nobody speaks the Queen’s English any more *

CG don’t even try to watch The Wire without sub-titles then !

The original is absolutely fantastic. Best TV series I have seen in a LONG time.

You may have an idea who the culprit is, but not until the last episode to you actually find out. And then looking back, it’s glaringly obvious who it was!

About to start season 2 this weekend – which I’ve heard is even better than season 1…

Original was pretty good i.m.o. but I thought “the bridge” was better. Much better!

So if I watch another couple, does it develop into something more?

No, I was also disappointed with it (Danish version). Watched 4 or 5 eps, gets even more cliched and implausible IMO.

I watched the first season of the US version and thought it was good, and yeah, the guy above is pretty funny. Sort of lost interest in the second season and stopped watching it though. It’s got to the point that the killer is not going to be the person we think it is at the moment so it’s getting a bit repetitive. And knowing the Yanks, this will get dragged out for another 5 seasons!

The Danish one is meant to be amazing as others have said and certainly the second series was great.

I got the US one for christmas, my sister gave it to me, not realising that there was a US and Danish version, it was a little disappointing. According to my Mum and Dad it sticks to the storyline of the Danish one pretty much till the end which doesn’t make much sense in my opinion. But then I am super critical, it being sort of in the field I work in…TV not killing!

Watched the first series of the US one, didn’t like it, much better stuff out there to waste time on.

I guess I’d just hyped it in my own head and was really looking forward to it. Then it just seemed to be a very ‘straight’ murder cop show (albeit a well acted and slick one). I was expecting more quirk and freshness.

Anyway – I’ll give it another 2 hours 🙂

I’m not really a fan of things that just ‘keep you guessing’ for the sake of it. I don’t like feeling manipulated. It has to be enjoyable at the same time. Hopefully the characters will come to life a little more.

Just in case anyone is having withdrawal symptoms from Scandi dramas, last Saturday another one started but its name escapes me. He’s a profiler.

I am so boring these days. 😳

Hopefully the characters will come to life a little more.

Well they do, and it takes time of course to uncover the backstories (a little, not a great deal – to a degree you’re left to fill it in yourself) and for the interactions to develop. The relationship between Lundt and Meyer was brilliantly played IMO.

And I can’t think of another series where the victim’s family are so prominent, that was new to me.

But I still recall that e1 was a pretty good indicator for the series as a whole, all the key elements were there.

It sounds to me like you’re disappointed because it’s not what you were looking for. Perhaps you should take it for what it is rather than what you wanted it to be.

One thing to bear in mind is the subtitling obliges a simplification of the dialogue, which looses some subtleties (I read somewhere, since I don’t speak Danish).

I don’t think it’s ‘quirky’ though – what it is is ‘foreign’ and that’s an essential part of its character.

I loved it and I’m pretty picky about TV.

I think the subtitles force you to concentrate more, like reading a book.

I enjoyed the US version – watching the second series now – want to watch the danish one in the future.

Slightly off topic – the chap who plays holder will be playing robocop in the remake.

Tend to dislike remakes but as I missed the Danish version I watched and enjoyed the pacing and tone of the US 1st series (very un-American) and the prominence of the victim family set it apart from other cop dramas. Had heard the US version took an abrupt diversion from the original and have given up on the second series, I dont care who did it or who framed whoever etc.

Still working my way thru The Wire box set (half way thru season 3) so I’m a few years behind some series!

I almost wish I still had The Wire to enjoy for the first time again 🙂

I’m not really into watching things more than once, but in a few years time I might give it another go.

After that you can go for Generation Kill and Treme too.

I’ve yet to see The Sopranos, mainly because I can’t convince my wife.

Thought the first few episodes were good but it then turned into more of a challenge to get through it rather than something to appreciate! Interesting, well shot, great story but at the end of the day I wish I’d spent that 26 hours out on the bike, sorting photos, etc.

Thought the first few episodes were good but it then turned into more of a challenge to get through it rather than something to appreciate!

+1 My wife and I found all the political machinations rather wearing, but kept with them thinking they’d be relevant to the final outcome. The wife actually identified the killer correctly by episode 2….I thought the clue she’d picked up on was too obvious…

We’ve made a start on the Killing 2 as we got the boxset and we’re both relieved it’s only 10 episodes long.

BTW don’t think I can’t hack ‘slow-burners’ – we’ve watched all of The Wire!

Really enjoy these Scandi programmes and Spiral was pretty good too…in fact most foreign stuff that avoids the usual American visual and textual cliches is interesting. Inspector Montelbano is the exception to prove the rule…it is crap.

At first I was torn between Borgen and The Bridge but (having someone with Asperger’s in the family)I really began to appreciate the subtle nuances in Saga Noren’s character. The actress did really well though sometimes I think she was just a bit too robotic. Anyway, The Bridge won it for me.

Sebastian Bergman…another dour, deeply flawed Swede with the charisma of a box of washing powder, but there’s only one more so I’ll give it a go.