Livvagterne

I can not get past the fact that all the bravado and heroics inherent in this series, amounts to enthusiasm in the service of what I would describe as a dismal cause.

Protecting shifty politicians and indulged Royal drones, does not strike me as a worthwhile use of ones time or career. Still, if you can swallow this pill, this is a well acted series. The stories presented are interesting too, if a little too kind to the elite and political class.

Certainly I preferred The Eagle for its more down to earth, human interest stories but that said my bias is my own and should not deter you from taking a look at The Protectors. Seven out of ten from me.

Government bodyguards, recruited from experienced police officers and working to protect high-level targets against very real threats, in a world where nothing is quite what it seems. It's a great opening concept and a great addition to the police procedural genre. In the wrong hands this could be a disaster, but writers Thorsboe and Brostrom take on extreme but believable situations and then run a mile with them. It always twists along the way. Every time I thought I knew where it was going, the show would do something else. You never know where you're going next. And the people you meet along the way... wow. The core group of characters is played and written to perfection. They take a while to come properly into view, and once in view, they evolve constantly. They're dedicated, but there's no way they're perfect. Everyone's got problems, everyone makes mistakes, and it just makes them even better to watch. Even the minor characters, ones you see for only one episode, are all real people, with foibles, personalities and problems all of their own. The show is a little short on humour, and at times deals with some pretty heavy issues. Lighthearted escapism it is not, and if you want mindless fun then you're better off elsewhere. Some rather convenient shortcuts come in every now and then. It's the only thing keeping me from giving it a 10/10. This is a show well worth trying out, and I'm very surprised that it hasn't been more widely promoted outside of Denmark.

The Protectors and Unit One are my 2 all time favorite Danish crime shows. With The Protectors we only get 20 episodes but the final episode is rich and a revelation. So what do you get with The Protectors? You get a group of candidates trying to get selected into the equivalent of the US Secret Service. The candidates are tough and skilled and vulnerable and include a Muslim woman who is as determined as she is beautiful. We watch the candidates slowly get weeded out as they go through training and the top ones start to get protection assignments. The individual agents have compelling back stories and are lead by their bad-ass commander who keeps them in line. I was bummed when the series ended but very satisfied with the show-it's available on DVD, i keep looking for it to show up on a streaming service like Acorn TV or Britt Box but nothing yet.

I watched all 24 episodes of THE EAGLE, first - which was also excellent. When I finished, I was searching for something else on Netflix, hopefully as good, when I came across THE PROTECTORS. I smiled when I saw it was the same creating team (Peter Thorsboe, Mai Brostrøm)!! The first episode, getting to know all the many characters, was slow going, I admit. But starting with episode 2 I was COMPLETELY and totally HOOKED, spellbound even. I found both these Danish shows such a huge improvement over most U.S. television, which has become increasingly meaningless, mediocre and bloated. Whereas The Protectors has so many authentic characters -- you can't help caring about ALL of them. I hoped for something AS good as The Eagle -- and it was! It might even have been. . . BETTER?! Either way, BOTH are TRULY OUTSTANDING television, with the added bonus of providing a few interesting and wonderful insights into Danish and world culture. Bravo to a flawless cast and hugely talented crew! Unfortunately, I finished ALL 20 episodes over the course of ONE, glorious weekend. I just could NOT STOP watching them . . . and now there are no more. In future, I will watch absolutely anything and everything this same creative team puts together, probably more than once. Tusen Takk!!

A wonderful, underrated series which delivers in every aspect, if you like good acting and directing, well-paced action, interesting characters, inter-cultural issues, gray zones around political correctness and religious tolerance, and Nordic atmosphere in general.

Once you see the first plot line (4 first episodes) you really appreciate it and want to see more of it. The stories and characters linger on in your head after you turn off the screen, which is generally a good rule to ponder how memorable a show is.

The story starts from the recruiting training period of a team of elite special bodyguards and quickly evolves to their actual performance in the field. A few scenes are enough to set in the relationships, conflicts and personal stories. The Team Chief Leon Lensen, particularly, is superbly played by Thomas Gabrielsson, a very credible, nuanced character indeed. You will also see familiar faces from other Danish or Swedish series, such as Borgen or Bron/Broen as well.

In sum, a highly commendable series, which regrettably will not have a third season, as I hear.