Cold Courage

I lived in Finland for a while, so it got 6 stars instead of 5 just because of the scenes in Finland and the bursts of language in Finnish and Swedish.

The part of London that is the backdrop to the series is one of a poorer area that is partially becoming gentrified, although this is not the theme of the political campaign portrayed which attempts to show a sub-Farage figure whipping up racial tension to try to win a by-election. A shadowy group of justice warriors tries to stop him, along the way performing other good deeds whose resolution coincidentally ties into the main plot, as we see.

It's not a believable scenario by any means and nor are some of the plot devices or the actions and motivations of some of the main characters.

The producers clearly hoped for a second series being commissioned as there are at least four major cliffhangers in the final episode.

It's a series that you can just watch without much concentration. Will I bother with the second series? Unlikely if a vaccine against Corona has been found and we can go out again.

I found this to be a very difficult watch, i didn't like any of the cast at all and there were just so many plot holes and questions. I couldn't stand Lia at all, one of the most annoying characters in a tv show in a very long time.

Yes, another show in which the villain is a Trump-like right wing politician. This one, played by the usually excellent John Simm, seeks to "Make Britain Great Again." He is, unfortunately, not a very well-written character. He varies from smart to stupid from scene to scene, as do most of the other characters, especially the two crime-fighting heroines.

Lia is especially lacking in credibility. The politician's blindness to what she is up to is almost comical. At least a few times in every episode, characters act in ways that completely defy logic. The cliches don't help, e.g. a rich bad guy who wears a shiny suit and sports a man-bun, a poor Muslim family sorely mistreated.

There was suspense, but part of that came from wondering when the series would improve. I did watch to the end but gave up expecting coherence by episode 3.

Cold Courage could have been a nice thriller if the writers & producers bothered to keep the story and plots clean and tie the various sub-plots in an arranged and neat way. They didn't do that and as a result we have messy plots and sub-plots all over, contributing only to a sense of dizziness episode after episode.

• (+-) Good acting overall by the cast, especially the British one; though Sofia Pekkari was unremarkable in her role. She was dry, lifeless and feeling old.
• (+) Good filming and cinematography on its own level.
• (+-) Mumbo jumbo plots and sub-plots fighting for the first prize.
• (-) Messy and jumbled English speaking by the Foreigners, especially Pihla Viitala. She spoke well, but in a quiet mumbled way. Maybe the English characters should have learned to speak Finnish and Swedish.
• (-) Too few episodes. Accounting the story, 10-12 episodes in the first season would have been much better.

They counted on a second season to tie the loose ends and bring fresh twists to the story, which unfortunately may never happen. Their biggest mistake was poor planning and counting too much on a green light for a next season.

Kind of a british drama where they have tried to give a scandi-noir feel to it. For the most part, it works. Quite enjoyed it and hope they do a season 2. If you enjoy one of the lead actresses, Phila Viitala, you should also check out Karppi/Deadwind.