I like the format of this quite a bit. Tandem episodes that resolve a particular case, but a narrative through line runs through all of them with a mystery component with the lead. She's been in an accident of which she's the lone survivor, her husband dead. And this has given her some selective, short term memory loss that is being resolved as she goes back to work.
I think it actually works quite well. The writing is better than expected overall, with a couple rough patches. Probably because they go through a lot of murders. It's like watching a BBC crime show, but much tighter. Sometimes it's more contrived but it's also not meandering in the least. It's a trade off.
Performance wise, all 'round competent. I _think_ the lead is cast as at LEAST odd, but I think also neurodivergent-perhaps trying to evoke the popular detective from Bron/Broen. It's never explicit though, so it's hard to say. But she is a bit standoffish and takes a bit getting used to, but when you do I actually like her quite a bit. And everyone else is just as fine. No truly excellent people, though.
The through line really brings together the plot in a satisfying way. It has a plot arc and character arc in-built, plus it's way more interesting than it initially seems. Relationships are fairly complex and dynamic. Characters are well realized. Gorgeous NZ scenes and shot compositions. Definetly deserving of a solid rating, in my mind. And I have watched an unhealthy amount of procedurals, Scandinavian noir, and peripheral shows from all around the world, for what it's worth.
