Livstid

Gimmicky time-splicing story (present-day and 30 years hence) never comes together. The 1-episdoe, 45-minute mysteries are thin; the over-arching story involving the future of our protagonist just becomes irritating, Ultimately, I was glad to be done this show (left hanging, predictably) and would not care to see a second series.

I just need to figure out the link between the current and the future. There's said to be a hint in each episode. Devold is the obvious connection, but I wonder how and why. Hope for a second season!

I am a fan of Nordic crime series. They are entertaining and even with low budget they are usually well played and well composed. But this one is terrible, uninteresting, and all actors are almost painful to watch. It seems obvious that they do not seem convinced by the amateurish dialogues. If you add that there is a background story happening 10 years later, badly connected to the rest of the episodes, it becomes pretty unwatchable. Without another season, and I doubt there will be one, it will remain a dead project making no sense whatsoever.

Loved FOR LIFE even just watching with the subtitles. Tone Beate Mostraum is outstanding in the lead, Victoria Woll Chief Investigator, with Ingar Gimle shining as her character's official, personal, and para-familial backup. Hallvard Homan takes the role of her paramour and makes what could have been a cliché role truly sympathetic and interesting. The unique and brillant element of FOR LIFE is the interweaving of the that narratives run throughout the series. These show the viewer primarily what appear to be present-day events, crimes, and mysteries addressed by Woll's expert crew and presented for the viewer with cinema-worthy camera shots, blazing action, and scripts clearly meant for intelligent audiences. The additional narrative has Woll a convict in a somewhat futuristic prison, framed, we learn, by her former boss for a murder he committed. Woll is determined to bring him down and, hopefully, persuade the authorites that he framed her. Personally, I hope there won't be a season two. I will indeed watch it if it comes about. However, for me, the show is over, complete, fini. It truly is perfect the way it is.

As this eight part Norwegian drama opens we are introduced to protagonist Victoria Woll, She is in prison being escorted to meet a man. Alone in a locked room he takes a kukri from under the table and lunges at her. The action then cuts back eighteen years and Victoria is a police officer leading a unit that specialises in high profile cases. The man from the opening is shown to be police chief Jan Devold; a man keen to see the unit fail. Each episode features a 'case of the week' as well as being top & tailed with scenes in prison showing Victoria's determination to prove that it is Devold who deserves to be there, not her.

I thought this was an enjoyable series. The individual cases are interesting as is the question of how Victoria might prover her innocence. The characters are solid with the actors doing a good job bringing them to life. The ending does feel more like an end-of-season rather than end-of-series which is a pity as it leaves one wanting more and leaves important questions unanswered. Overall I'd say it is worth a watch if you enjoy Scandi-crime dramas.

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