rolandddd

I think this is the episode the series elevates itself from being pretty good to being great! Firstly, the mystery is very well-written and there is a sense of lurking danger throughout. The writers let the viewers in on who the villain is halfway, which is a clever trick used many times in this series, raising the tensions even more.

Secondly, we are now at the point where the characters are all pretty much set in their ways and the audience has got to know them for a while. Now they all have interesting storylines about both the work and their private lives the writers are cleverly giving each of the characters challenges of their own. The good writing and acting combined with Mads Mikkelsens star power makes this episode the strongest yet!

I think you can see the beginnings of a good show here already in the pilot. The main characters are pretty easy to pick out early on since they have very different looks and personalities, and it is interesting getting to know them, their strenghts and weaknesses, and to get a sense of who they are.

Admittedly, the acting is a little bit shaky at times I think and the characters have not yet been delevoped very well and their interactions feel a bit clunky and not too natural at times. But I think the story is good and entertaining and I did enjoy it. Sure, it is nothing too special but as a series premiere I think it delivers solid entertainment, and the star quality of Mads Mikkelsen is pretty obvious from the beginning.

This is... not that good to be honest. The script is uneven and pretty flat, and if you've seen enough films in your day you will be able to predict a lot of what is going to happen.

Some events are pretty interesting, especially when the story ventures into the absurd, like the coupling of horses scenes or the infamous scene in the last episode, but other than that this feels pretty procedural.

The only thing that really hooked me was the prison storyline, that felt genuine and interesting all the way, and I always enjoy seeing Anthony Heald as well.

Jeff Daniels carries this show on his shoulders and he does his best, dominating the scenes he is in with his enormous presence and charisma. But it is clear for all to see that he is severely limited in his performance when the script is not up to it.