Commandant Bäckström

If you don't like this you may be lacking a sense of humour ... Kjell Bergqvist is not only charismatic he's also pretty funny at times. I'm up to episode four and I'm thoroughly enjoying it but not taking it too seriously ... and I think that is the key!

There's a tongue-in-cheek irreverence to this - I love how employees freely talk back to their bosses - yet it still manages to tell an interesting tale. The script is brisk and avoids much of the soap opera backstory that kills so many productions. Kjell Bergqvist is perfect as the irascible but brilliant lead. The supporting cast doesn't disappoint. To top if off, the cinematography and palette are pleasing to the eye. It's all presented with low-key direction that lets the actors and action breathe, punctuated with some above-average CGI effects to mix it up.

I don't get where the low ratings are coming from. This a unique, excellent crime mini-series made in Scandinavia, with some location shots in Thailand. Backstrom is a bit of a scoundrel, not unlike Sherlock Holmes, but he is a terrific investigator. A device the Director uses frequently: Backstrom re-constructs a scene in his head & we watch it replay with him (a little like the true crime series, HOMICIDE HUNTER, JOE KENDA). He has great instincts, but he cuts corners and ticks off a Chief Prosecutor, an ambitious blond lady who, in turn, is determined to bring Backstrom crashing down to earth.

Driving the mini-series are 2 crimes: an armed heist of an armoured vehicle in Sweden, and a murdered Oriental woman whose skull is found on a small island. The DNA in the skull matches that of an Oriental female who died in a Tsunami 5000 miles away! What could the solution be? While Backstrom walks over, through or around his superiors, determined to find the answers, his enemies at home plot his demise-but it won't be easy: Backstrom has powerful friends everywhere.

9/10 after 5 episodes.. looks like another binge for me...

Surprised at some of the low ratings here. This is a very different, very enjoyable series. True to life? Well I hope not, but very entertaining. And I liked the acting. Not hammy and 'deep' in the usual American way, but natural - except for the lead, who always plays his character as an arrogant but brilliant a#$hole, which is the way he should be played.

Is this a Swedish noir police procedural? It has none of the elements. 1. It is Not dark and brooding. 2. The protagonist' malleable and lugubrious face is more akin to an Italian or french detective. 3. The camera work is so well lighted, I didn't have to adjust my TV settings to view the scenes. 4. There is actual laughter and jokes with Backstrom and his fellow officers. 5. The crime scene is just a found skull. There are no horrific chopped up bloody bodies, victims tied up in basements, kids abused, or serial plus copycat serial killers. 6. Except for Backstrom recreating an evening in the victim's life, he doesn't seem to drink anymore than most European detectives. 7. There are no long sweeping camera on a drone of the beautiful Swedish landscape. 8. Backstrom is not a lone wolf, but Has a pint size partner in Sweden, and a funky funny officer when working in Thailand, and 9. There some hints for next season, but Backstrom doesn't seem to have a horrific childhood.

I would almost put this murder mystery in the comedy/murder mystery category a la Midsomer Murders or Death in Paradise, etc.

This show has the the most adorable sidekick. Backstrom works the case with the neighbor's kid. The kid steals every scene he is in and is smart and believable not obnoxious.

This show should be renamed Lackstrom or Rackstrom as it has no connection with the US version of Backstrom. There are always those annoying comparisons with the written version or other cinematic versions. The American Backstron, filmed in Portland, is a unique classic, unfortunately, cancelled by corporate idiots. The only similarities between the two Backstroms is that the shows are described as "an arrogant detective.". So? Starting with the first greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes and ending with Batman, they are all arrogant. So just Watch and enjoy both Backstroms.