Bullets

I found this a refreshing and riveting divergence from the many so called " Scandi/Nordic Noir " series , many of which, but not all , are very good viewing and some excellent viewing . This one departs from , what has become a boring storyline , of the Detective / Journalist / Lawyer returning to their hometown , for whatever reasons ( usually a funeral ) and becoming enveloped in some long dormant or fresh crime which requires them to prolong their visit . This is a completely different plot based more on Terrorist Crimes as opposed to the usual array of sexual deviant crimes and I couldnt wait to see the next episode . Despite some obvious and unbelievable scenarios and the Finnish Security/Intelligence Services being so under manned that the had to co-opt Rag , Tag and Bobtail from the Drugs Squad , it had the making of an excellent thriller but , trying not to give any spoilers in what is still a very watchable series , in my opinion it got clogged down in sentimentality and over did the " what makes people do this " excuses . Still a good watch but , for me , it became a bit of a let down as the " noir " became pink Rose's

Maybe I was spoiled by watching All The Sins, another Finnish series which was really well done, but this is too plodding, full of plotholes and unresolved tracks. The whole thing could have been done in 90 minutes instead of ten episodes.

Mari Saari is an agent of the Finnish Intelligence Service who lost her partner during an operation where they followed a suspicious character. This character was also being followed by the local police drug squad. Soon afterwards Madina Taburova, a Chechen terrorist who was presumed dead, turns up in Finland and demands asylum. Mari must discover why she has resurfaced and why she picked Finland. This requires going undercover as a social worker at the asylum centre to befriend Madina. She must also work with drug squad officer Tommi Viita and his team because Madina was brought to Finland by people smugglers linked to the drug trade. Things are further complicated by a shadowy character dubbed 'The Ghost' who appears to be involved with Madina in some way.

I rather enjoyed this ten part Finnish series. Early scenes nicely introduce the key characters before the main story gets underway. Once things get properly started there are plenty of tense moments and a degree of mystery. The characters are mostly fairly typical of this sort of show; Mari is a bit of a mystery and like most TV cops seem to Tommi has problems with his marriage. Madina is a nicely ambiguous character; we know she has been involved in terrible things but her back story involves tragedy and she may be being coerced to do what she is doing. The cast is solid; with fine performances from Krista Kosonen, Sibel Kekilli and Tommi Korpela as Mari, Madina and Tommi respectively; Dragomir Mrsic is suitably menacing as 'The Ghost'. The winter setting adds to the series' atmosphere... as well as helping brighten night-time outdoors scenes. The ending wraps up most plot lines but some are left open; these leaves the possibility of a second season but after three years I wouldn't count on it. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of the genre.

These comments are based on watching the series in Finnish with English subtitles. Much of the series is actually in English as it is used when characters, such as Madina, don't know Finnish; it is also used between non Finnish speakers even if in reality they would be speaking a third language.

This series uses complex characters well portrayed by the actors to carefully build suspense and tension. It's not a simplistic cops and baddies narrative. Well worth the journey with them.

Loved the show. It's gripping from the beginning all the way too the end. A must watch