Valkyrien

I echo the comment of previous reviewer that the field is in desperate need of some different plot premises. We made it, I hope, past the unlikable dysfunctional, usually addicted to drugs, alcohol,or an equally destructive behaviour who is gruff beyond rude, head-strong beyond reason. Now we have the formula: scenes alternating between violence and sexual, often both together, without much plot device. With required violence, often extended, on women.

I look forward to something new, even if I have to suspend disbelief occasionally. i hope it discards those over-used tropes.

I added the «comedy» tag to this series. Originally the description read «drama», but it's so much more than that: if you watch this series, you'll (hopefully) notice how funny, smart and unpredictably original its dialogue is. Generally, I'm not a fan of any actor, I rather believe in good casting. Yet I need to mention that Pal Sverre Hagen does (again) a magnificent job. He appeared on my radar while watching «Kraftidioten» (English: «In order of disappearance»), a movie in which he plays a psychopathic drug dealer in an incredibly humoristic fashion. The story of Valkyrien may be a little farfetched, personally I think it's exceptionally original in its writing. It is very off beat, unpredictable, even philosophical. In short: very smart and funny. All actors are very well cast and do a marvelous job. Superb writing and a must see if you're in for something original.

If you are looking for playful and exciting entertainment but don't care about medical or scientific impossibilities, then you can manage to get through this series. I guess the creators of the series thought that if the show is entertaining enough, people wont focus on the medical impossibilities that litter the show e.g operating on people with anesthesia, two doctors who seem to specialize in everything under the sun etc. You also have to put up with the usual moralizing about global events (climate change, pharmaceutical companies, health care)that is fairly common in Danish and Norwegian movies, and to a lesser extent in Swedish series. So, if you can ignore the scientific silliness and just go on a crazy roller coaster ride for the entertainment, this series is for you. If there's a second season, I'll probably watch it but after a while I fear that the sheer impossibility of the plot events may just cause me to lose interest.

On the heels of the Swedes and the Danes, the Norwegians have vigorously stepped into the world of Scandi Noir, usually successfully. The synopsis of Valkyrien was intriguing as well, but as the events progressed I began to realise that it was too much a medical drama (which I tend to avoid) and much less crime-and-noir. The pace appeared to be slow and some characters did not provide additional value to the series (e.g. Teo´s and Leif´s families), but both Teo and Leif (Pål Sverre Hagen is the most versatile type in this series) produce lots of giggling and wtf! moments, breaking otherwise mostly static run of events. Sven Nordin as Ravn Eikanger is good, but nothing special, and the rest did not impress me too much. The moral ideas remained somewhat wishy-washy and the ending was too trivial as well.

So, Valkyrien is more like Det Tredje Øyet or Mammon, rather than Okkupert or Frikjent, for example. No, it is not a bad work, but additional smoothness and less scientific character could have made this series more interesting to me.

This series starts off as a boring and predictable series. Some Doctor doing the "Frankenstein" piece.

But its nothing like that. The story line is a mix of "yeah, so what", and "hey! these are great characters". Leif is a standout - his humoristic attitude, yet involved in a series of events which is totally novel, and set in the fictitious(?) caves under Oslo.

I think all the acting is brilliant - and the script is simply, not predictable.

I was so concerned to start watching this, but I am so glad I did.