Deadwind

When I started watching this I thought it wasn't going to be much good, but by the second episode I was loving it. There were so many threads but I nevere felt like it was wandering. Some reviewers said they figured it out early, but I must be a bit dim :} It kept me guessing right to the end. Not the best every, but enjoyable and well worth watching. Also, I love seeing the scenery and the landscape. I'm Australian and I'm always like ... why are they out in the middle of the night, but of course its probably late afternoon in wintery Finland!

Nice look into modern day Finland using a murder mystery plot. Gender equality, brainy eco entrepreneurs, sports, sex, drugs, religion, winter, Germans, families. All mixed into a 12 episodes plot. OK maybe some eye rolls, I mean c'mon a 20 year old E31 V12 BMW coupe used as a winter daily driver? Finns curse a a lot in creative ways, bull baska is a new one. And the panoramic wide shots of waterfronts and sunsets are an artistic touch.

This is a damn good show. The photography and scenery are a star in their own right. Very engaging story. Good acting. Good characters.

Piihla Viitala is mesmerizing.

As others have eloquently pointed out, Season 3 was a bit of a disappointment. They threw in so many plot twists that directly involved the characters personal lives that it stretched the limits of credulity. This took away from the main plot of the psycho murderer. By the end of the show, I had a hard time remembering why the bad guy decided to murder all these folks in the first place.

Still, it beats most of the stuff out there on Netflix so I'm still giving it an 7. I know, it doesn't make sense but I like this show even when they goof it up a bit. Looking forward to Season 4 and the next cool car that Nurmi will be driving!

Many reviewers are unfavorably comparing this show to The Bridge (SE). Except for its being a Scandinavian thriller with a strong female lead, I don't see it. The Bridge's protagonists and villains are broken, while this show's characters are simply odd. Also, The Bridge is severe and intense, while Deadwind is puzzling and rambling. Still, I liked this Finnish procedural. The show's central mystery kept me guessing. Its story goes down many detours, but the detours are intriguing. The show's leads could easily be underwear models, but they nevertheless bring their characters to life. The Helsinki of Deadwind is stark, but also beautiful. In short, Deadwind is not exceptional like The Bridge, but it is certainly better than average. If you like the Scan Noir subgenre- not just the one or two shows that transcend it- then you'll probably also enjoy Deadwind.