Roba

I've got used to Scandinavian cop and detective series being absorbing, well written, well acted and gorgeous to look at.

Roba isn't any of those things, really. But it IS a good soap opera, sometimes ridiculous but always enjoyable - even when you're thinking "that's just silly"!

Wow, is this ever good. The writing is stupendous. The acting excellent and the directing as well.

The subtitles (which don't ordinarily bother me) make for rough going. A lot of reading and trying to see what's what as well, but I adapted quickly and once the story reached out and grabbed me, I didn't care about the reading.

Some very moving stuff. Some thought-provoking. What's right, what's wrong. What matters.

This is a really good series.

That was Season 1.

During Season 2 unfortunately the writing started to go downhill. A boring sameness.

The Taru Valtonen character, introduced in Season 2 was very (and increasingly) annoying, both as written as well as as acted. Overall with the whole cast lots of limited acting. Same gestures, expressions. Jani and Arto's bald partner being exceptions.

Everything just got slower and draggier and didn't seem to go anywhere.

This review began with a 9 star rating and will now go to a 2. Barely watchable through Season 3.

Too bad.

I am hooked on this show. Subtitles make you pay a lot more attention to acting. Characters are engaging. Show is addictive. Some of the characters make me crazy which is the sign of a great show. Writing has it's bumps but for the most part love this show. Gave it a 9 because I know the 10 will come with season 4. Again, Kiitos!

The rating relates to episodes 1-10 of Season 1 - very good work.

The writing, acting and direction are tight; trite cliches are avoided; and, both the characters and story line are genuinely human and relatable.

Whoever wrote this must not have a very high opinion of the Finnish.