Dirigenten

For the most part, a taut and evenly paced thriller that works on many levels.

Yet it suffers from one big flaw - the central premise is a money making scam that isn't quite believable, or else it's not nearly well enough explained.

Adam Palsson may not be everyone's choice of lead actor either. He has been blessed with one handsome and enigmatic expression ... eyes and eyebrows straight out of the Roger Moore School of Acting. But should it be a look that suits every mood and occasion?

Add to these misgivings the feeling that the ending dragged on a bit, and you are left with something that fails to reach its full potential, but is still entertaining. - 7.6/10

A very good and well acted series! I highly recommend a watch you won't get disappointed! And by far the best thing that TV4 has been involved in so far!

This Swedish series is set in Moscow at the turn of the Twenty First Century. Swede Tom Blixen works as an investment banker for an international company. When his friend's wife, Olga Ukolova, tells him they are having financial problems he agrees to look through their investments and see if there are any of any value. Most of their shares are worthless but there is a possibility; Tom thinks some apparently worthless oil shares might have some value. He tries to acquire the other shares he can find hoping to arrange a merger with another oil company... soon shareholders are starting to be murdered. As the story continues we are taken deeper into a world of dangerous oligarchs, corrupt politicians and learn more about why Tom came to Russia in the first place.

I really enjoyed this tense thriller. It might not be the first to explore the murky world of Russian business; 'McMafia' explored similar territory as did the film 'Gorky Park', which was set in the Soviet era; but it still had plenty of original ideas. Once the action started, in the first episode, there was constant tension which managed to increase as the story approached its conclusion. The cast did a fine job; most notably Adam Pålsson, who played Tom; Karolina Gruszka, who played Olga; and Georg Nikoloff, who played Prosecutor Dmitri Skurov. As the conclusion approaches there are some twists and nice misdirection. Overall I'd recommend this series to fans of the genre.

Very effective thriller with excellent character distribution, even the minor roles have a unique presence that adds complexity and intensity to the plot, which remains focused and gripping throughout.

The main weakness is the lack of a clear reason for all the killings, as the motive remains something of a political abstraction. And the secret antagonist is guessed far too soon. None the less it is is full of effective twists and turns and human elements that keeps the interest all the way.

The presentation and building up of the plot and characters is indeed promising. Sadly it fades out into solutions that both are too obvious as they also try to keep up a complexity where the aspects revealed become exaggerated. Still, the play is kept in a mellow mood in an effort to maintain realism, and many characters are credible, though the plot developes away from credibility, and rather far into a slow emotional drama. This way much of the thriller feeling is lost. Several actors do a brilliant job, some of the extras not, and it's always gratifying to experience a well-balanced soundtrack.