Das Grab im Wald

This six part mystery is centred on Pawel Kopinski, a Warsaw based prosecutor who is forced to revisit a tragic event from his past. A man's body is found and items found with him point to a link to Pawel; at first Pawel doesn't recognise him but then realises he is a friend he last saw at summer camp in 1994. Through a series of flashbacks we learn that one night four teens disappeared from the camp in the woods, including Pawel's sister. Two bodies were found and the others assumed dead till one died as an adult; Pawel must consider the possibility that his sister is still alive. While he is trying to uncover the truth he is also dealing with a rape case where the father of the accused, a prominent journalist, is applying pressure to have the case dropped.

I haven't read the book so I can't say how this compares; I did enjoy it though. The mystery quickly got me hooked and the way the stories played out in two different time lines worked well. The woodland setting of the 1994 storyline was suitably atmospheric; brightly lit by day as the teens enjoy their camp but suitably sinister once darkness falls. Plenty is packed into the six episodes as suspects emerge in each case and blame is pointed at the camp's owner. The cast is impressive, most notably Grzegorz Damiecki as Pawel and Agnieszka Grochowska as Laura Goldsztajn, the owner's daughter in the scenes set in the present and Hubert Milkowski and Wiktoria Filus as the same characters in 1994. The rest of the cast is pretty good too. The various questions are resolved in the final episode; some details the viewer is likely to have figured out while others provide a nice surprise.

These comments are based on watching the series in Polish with English subtitles.

I don't normally write here. In fact, I don't even master English writing. Therefore, I apologize for any serious mistake. But I felt the need to warn you of what is to come by watching this show. If you like mystery, you may even like the series to some extent. It's the type that holds you in front of the TV, that makes you want to go through episode by episode without stopping for a glass of water. The problem is the holes in the script and the lack of explanations for the events, especially in the final half, when some facts are throw on screen without any basis just to justify later situations. The characters' inexplicable attitudes are frequent and their respective developments are more like patchwork quilts. All of this leads to an ending that leaves more questions than answers. Europe has been producing interesting shows lately. But this is not one of them, although it is far from a horrible show. It is watchable. For those looking for a dose of mystery, it is a good choice. However, those looking for script quality, plausible development and a good pace next to the mystery, stay away.

Some outstanding performances, script can sometimes feel a little slow and muddled but a very intriguing premise that is well executed.

The Woods - B (Good)

Coming from Poland, I believe show did a good show making it viewable for anyone around the world. The cast as young and older versions match, so their performances makes you care for ark of their characters. With six episodes, I found the show very bingeable. Young Pawel (Hubert Milkowski) and Laura (Wiktoria Filus) performances standout as grieving young lovers with guilt.

I did feel, as there were four stories going at the same time; Past camp murder and disappearance of kids, Past story about his mother, Present rape prosecution case and then Present Police investigation into him in reference to new death made it bit complicated as story's focus keep shifting to all these four elements and the current rape prosecution case ends on very lacklustre result.

If the story focused primary was on past camp mystery and current murder case it would have intensified the series as they should have been the prime focus due to their connection. Overall, the show is a good attempt and doesn't disappoint.

This was a gripping series...until the last episode or two. The plot holes are so large that, frankly, the resolution doesn't make any sense. For example, one character ends up somewhere where they logically could not be.

The pacing also had issues. Way too many long scenes of people staring off into space or kids posing for the camera only to have some important plot detail rushed through as quick as possible.

I hope the book is better because I really can't recommend the show.