Cuando el polvo se asienta

Described by Ricky Gervais as a small screen masterpiece, and it is hard to disagree.

A genius piece of writing and some terrific performances, particularly from Jacob Lohmann and Karen-Lyse Mynster.

Admittedly, the slow, subtle build-up might lose a few viewers. I wondered if anything was actually happening in the early episodes, yet the seeds of several inconspicuous mini-plots had already been sown without my noticing.

The way in which the various stories interweave and play out may be the most impressive aspect. Some of the very best of Danish drama. - 8.8/10.

I was honestly in two minds as to whether I'd carry on after watching episode one. I'm glad I did. The first episode is rather slow and it's difficult to discern what's going on and why, as well as who is who. However, that's a function of the solidity of the roll-out of the story. It's a foundation to what comes after and even though it's a bit plodding, it was essential to have done it this way. Episode two and after were far livelier and moved more quickly as we had a sense of the characters and what they were doing, what their ideas and motivations were.

It's really important to say that this is not a police procedural series. We see aspects of the investigation but only fleetingly and generally through the Justice Minister's eyes. The programme is an account of the lives of people who are victims of a terrorist outrage or of their friends and/or relatives affected by the incident. When we find out who the perpetrators are, it's almost incidental to the human drama that has been and is being played out.

That's not to say that there were no over-the-top coincidences and events in the programme. I don't want to be specific, to avoid spoilers, but I don't believe that any Justice Minister in a Western democracy would have acted the way she did or even have been allowed to do so by her civil servants. I also find it hard to believe that the video was handed to the police so late in the series as well as the subsequent relationship that developed after the "right" thing was done. Danish cops also seem to have no idea or database of stolen vans or cars which I don't believe.

Nonetheless, I binge watched. I was rivetted. I'd seen all of it in two days. I was sorry that it had ended. Ten episodes was right though.

Just one warning, on the version I watched, the subtitles switched to Danish for the last five minutes of episode three. As I speak Swedish (mediocrely), I was able to decipher what was going on from the text which is easier than understanding spoken Danish for me.

I'd love to know what happened in the future to the people portrayed but I accept that this is a one season series. There would not be enough dramatic tension for a second season. Fortunately, we have our imaginations.

As an avid viewer of European drama I thought this was a clever story. I thought the way that everyone's story intersected was a great concept. The standard of acting was also very high.

One of the most powerful and beautiful TV dramas I've seen! Every character is brilliantly played. The story is told with depth without an ounce too much or little.

Drag out the tissues and enjoy this masterful work.

I like the fact that the characters were developed before and after the catalyst event. For those who say "it's too slow", I'd like to ask "What were you looking for? Car chases and crime solved in 1 episode?" This is NOT that sort of show. Less crime show than character-driven drama. I really enjoyed it.