chazview

It's on a strict budget and it's not the best, but stacks up well to new Saturday viewing internationally. Obvious, but slightly above average CGI, and OK storytelling. It's very alien-of-the-week as opposed to having overall story arc, which is unfortunate as they could've done much better marching-on with the plot from the 1st episode.

When episode 4 rolls around, they jump back into the pilot-episode plot -- not sure how long it'll last, but it does continue on into episode 5. They've allocated special effects budget for these episodes, it becomes quite entertaining and engaging.

You could watch a lot worse for a Saturday matinée... ;-)

Nordic crime mystery-thriller stuff one of my favorites when it comes to genres. It's interesting to see another country attempt to copy the formula, especially when it isn't a remake.

While "The Disappearance" isn't a remake, it is definitely a copy. A girl disappears, then the carousel of suspect family members and acquaintances. They each take their turn in custody and interrogation while those waiting their turn to be brought in express suspicion of those currently being questioned. Hints that the primary investigator has something in his past that he'd rather not talk about. Lots of borrowed plot elements.

The carousel-recipe, regardless of country, isn't my favorite. It's almost lazy writing, as it could be anyone — just depends on when the carousel stops. When it does stop, a backstory explaining guilt is abruptly created. I prefer the genre variation where the viewer is shown the perpetrator early on and the story that unfolds is how they are found out.

"Disparue" would be great if it were the first of a kind — but at this point it's been done over and over, and often better, in other countries. "Bron/Broen" and the UK "Broadchurch" are examples of 'better'. That being said, "The Disappearance" is engagingly watchable while waiting for the next addictive Nordic Noir crime thriller to come out.