Sommerdahl Murders

The plots are slight and the scripts are light, but the good natured camaraderie among the cops saves the day. You won't find the disfunction and bad vibes of UK or US shows of this type and that's a big plus. On the plus side, you also don't find the prudery of UK/US shows; people here hop into each others' beds with regularity and ease and that is refreshing. This is a feel-good snack where you don't have to think too much.

Don't look for any deep meaning or character revelations in this series. But do expect an entertaining time waster that is more comfort food than nutrition. The scenery is beautiful, though.

/about Season 1/

This locality-based Series (in and around Elsinore) is no flop, but not more than mediocre, no Scandi Noir, with several predictable cases (if I did not guess the wrongdoer, I could guess the run of scenes and problem-solving approaches) and unrealistic living atmosphere of the policemen in Denmark (mid-level officers all having private houses with a sea-view, really?). The cast is also just above average, no memorable performances (Babikian, Drasbæk, Mygind are not A-grade actors in Denmark).

As for level, it is more close to e.g. Anna Pihl or Morden i Sandhamn than to Bron/Broen or Innan vi dör, for instance. And last but not least - Danish weather is seldom so pleasant as in this Series :)

PS Season 2 has somewhat meatier cases, but the personal relations, this triangle, is still not smooth and sometimes annoying. And again - no rainy days around Elsinore at all! :)

The mystery and investigation portions are entertaining. However, the soapy marriage squabbles drag the whole thing down.

The Sommerdahl Murders is not like any typical Scandinavian TV series. It is more a romantic drama with some murders in the episodes. It's quite predictable, yet I still enjoy watching it. I recommend it if you want an easy to watch series with beautiful Scandinavian scenery.

As other reviewers have said, this is a decent show. The mysteries are good, the acting is good, and I always find myself enjoying the episodes. The exception here is the soapy ménage that persists between Dan, Fleming, and Marianne, the latter of whom is the least interesting/most annoying character in this series. By the beginning of season three, I was hoping beyond hope that the writers would do the viewers a favor, and either kill her off, or send her somewhere to "find herself" (because she seems like one of those people who would need to do that), and then just leave her there. Everything seems angst-filled with her, and it gets to be seriously tedious after a while. Largely she adds nothing to the show. Fortunately there are other delightful characters to partially make up for her existence, Svend in particular, a wonderful character who bakes. I'm looking forward to more, but not with Marianne. She needs to go.