Nyrkki

I really know nothing about Finnish post war history. I have a vague knowledge of the Soviet invasions in the 1940s but that is about it so this cold war thriller is new territory.

A slow burn series that drew me in bit by bit and with quite a number of unexpected twists.

Who are the real heroes in this? That is perhaps the most difficult question of all.

But atmospheric design and music, quality acting, a script that seamlessly moves between Finnish, Russian, English and Swedish is a fine mix.

Recommended for lovers of cold war spy thrillers. But be warned, it is quite violent and explicit.

If you're not a Finland history literate person and/or a follower of '50s West vs. East (e.g. Mostly U.s. & USSR) cold war goin'ons then take notes early on as to who's who. A lot of characters; a lot of scene jumps; a lot of not knowing allegiances.

I liked this, I agree with the reviewer who said it could be confusing, it might help to watch the two seasons closer together in time than I did, I waited about a year between the two and struggled to keep up somewhat. It is very, very well acted, there is little to complain about there, EXCEPT perhaps for the American CIA (OSS?) agent whose cover is a musician. I found him a little unbelievable. But the story is pretty good, there are double and triple crosses and allegiances switched back and forth, at least apparently.....I'll leave it to you to try to pry the connections apart, might take a wrecking bar to do it, though.... There are some really stunning performances from female actors in this, the roles of Helena, Aune and the "Finn fatale" Tabe are really well done. Remind me not to cross Finnish women!!

It's a great idea. The production is a bit reminiscent of the surrealistic European films of the early '60s; and it becomes increasingly (literally) theatrical with studio shots and lighting. But potentially most confusing is the illogical action. One example: what seems likely to be a 99% certain death somehow becomes a 1% survival. Another, an killing is interrupted by the "timely" arrival of a distraction. The broad plot remains but details have to be simply ignored. The most obvious is how a mysterious person can obtain and sell a huge quantity of arms.

If we ignore this, we have a drama with endless twists, turns, and action.

And maybe, just maybe, they know something not in our history books!

Very good show with complicated layers of storylines. Told like the viewer is reading a great novel. Told slowly and meticulously, without any wasted time/energy, and developed perfectly. Top show for sure. Constant action. Don't look away, or you're sure to miss something.