Ártico

Well, officially it is Finnish-German production, but most of performers come from Finland and most events take place there as well (more precisely, in Lapland near the Artic Circle), so you get, above all, a picture how life in those harsh conditions go on and what potential dangers and risks can appear.

If/when some virus is included, then it is always "food for thought", but in the modern fast developing technology - you never know; what was unimaginable a decade ago, can be a reality now, etc. All in all, as "pure crime stuff" was included, I had nothing against this inclusion (usually I am not into non-human death inducers).

As for the cast, all main performers were unknown to me, but there was a strong and nice team-work, no character "shining" above or at the expense of others. It is more to my liking than the use of same actors-actresses in similar series, causing confusion or reducing the thrill if they tend to play similar roles as well.

Based on the ending scenes, I am looking forward to the potential Season 2.

PS I have to admit that I liked Seasons 2 and 3 even more - perhaps due to more versatility and other degradation factors than virus. The inclusion of more international performers has also broadened approach and geography. And, well, it was okay to watch snow and blizzard if there is over +20 degrees Centigrade outside... :)

PPS Season 4 is a somewhat odd and protracted mixture of mental issues, science and religious fanaticism... I can´t say that those topics speak to me too much. Thus, a kind of decline from Seasons 2 and 3.

The scenario in itself is not extraordinary but you quicly get close to the characters. The actors are quiet good but i want to give a special award to Venla : Amazing Kid !!!

I watched the first season, and I think the second one has not released as of yet.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. The start of the show was strong and the scenery is beautiful. Everything about it screams production value as well, there are no complaints in that regard (camera work, directing, props etc.) for me.

Well, there's one thing. The "action" sequences and especially the whole of episode 9 is just brutally hard to watch. I don't know what it is, but everything about episode 9 and action stuff in general just seems... off. Can't really say what ruins the experience as I'm not an expert in that, but something is just off.

The premise is okay-ish. I mean the plot is definitely one of the weakest points of this show, but the character developments are generally good enough to distract you from the lackluster main plot. Sometimes the threads in the plot just make no sense and sometimes they are unintentionally hilarious and awkward (like the whole arc of the one-eyed dude, jesus).

What saves the show and gives me confidence to put a 7/10 on the board is the fact that the camera work, directing, acting, sound design and all that good stuff that immerses you in the experience is really great, honestly. The acting especially really surpassed my expectations, though I have to mention again that the lackluster plot just drags that down with it for some part.

All in all it's not a bad season. Good enough for me to wait for season 2, but not good enough to make me rush to get my hands on it. I'll definitely check the next season out if it happens to be on any platform I subscribe to, but I won't go out of my way to watch it.

This series started out strong, but then it got tangled up in it's own convoluted and unbelievable plotting. The actors and actresses are great, and especially the child actress Venla does a great job. The sense of family really comes across. The filmography is incredible and the beauty of winter in Lapland comes across wonderfully. These are the reasons I'm giving this a 6 instead of a 5/10.

But if you could give an outstanding award for plot holes and ridiculousness, it would go to this series, I'm sad to say. I lost interest after the halfway-point and barely watched the last two episodes.

What is most irksome is how the lead characters are excused all their flaws--the German man cheats on his wife and the whole storyline is about her being a "psycho crazy woman". To give the depiction of her mental breakdown some balance, perhaps his cheating could've been in some way even mentioned, but it's literally never addressed and he's depicted as the victim to her inexcusable mental breakdown while he is heroically trying to save lives. Nina's character has a similar problem, her actions as a police officer in the last episodes are not believable and for her to be barely reprimanded for them is irksome.

Overall, not a very good watch.

I have to say that some of the plot lines are somewhat fantastical but I enjoyed them for all that. The acting was good and once more I am just so impressed at the proficiency of so many European actors in English. And a special mention, as so many others have done, for the young woman who played Venla so incredibly well.

The second season is freshest in my mind as I just saw it last week and I was left with an impression that the series was grappling with ethical and moral dilemmas as well as being a cop drama. The writers took the position that any form of vigilantism is completely wrong even if it were a considered, researched one. And extrapolating from the events in season two, that the death penalty is wrong if only for the fact that the executed person might be innocent.

Tension built as new revelations about the characters grew and explained their motivations. We also saw the very real difference between Finland, the supposedly least corrupt country in the world, and Russia where the authorities collude in lawlessness and corruption.

We also had human interest themes - the aforementioned Venla, infidelity and betrayal, the grisly fate of gays in Russia, relationships with parents.

I hope I'm not making this sound terribly worthy and boring as it isn't. Both seasons were fast paced and gripping. I hope there will be a third.