Frikjent

In recent years, next to Denmark and Sweden, Norway has produced a number of good crime drama series where events occur in a small and/or distant community, with is vices and virtues. In spite of being one of the richest countries in the world, the human basics are the same, plus thinly populated areas and common solitude make investigations more difficult.

All this we can see in Frikjent as well, with tensions up due to a tragic event taken place decades ago. Sometimes it feels that the depiction is too widespread and the role of some characters and episodes is insignificant (e.g. the company-related ones), but the general atmosphere is well depicted and most important performances are pleasant, particularly Nicolai Cleve Broch as Aksel and Lena Endre (a Swede) as Eva whose mutual communication forms the most intensive verbal scenes in the series. The mentioned persons are definitely worth watching in other films/series as well, which I have managed to achieve.

And what is definitely nicer than in Sweden or Denmark, is nature. Also here, beautiful Norwegian landscape and environment is a kind of supporting actor for creating mood and completeness.

Good things: The cinematography of the series is impressive. The actors give a solid performance. The music helps the atmosphere of the series to stay consistently gripping. Every second contains an excellent amount of uncomfortable tension that prevents the otherwise overdramatized script from falling into the soap opera category.

At the same time, the script is still plagued by some serious illogicalities. It is simply questionable whether an international high tech company could have been managed successfully by a woman whose behavior is seriously neurotic at worst and someone whose background is such a huge question mark could work as a big shot in an investment company and stay married with the same woman for 17 years.

Moreover, it is nothing short of unconvincing that the small town in which the events of this series take place could be so remarkably void of people who would just listen to reason and act sensibly under most circumstances.

Summary: While I still enjoy to watch the series, I can't help being nagged by the feeling that something just doesn't make sense in the script.

Just watched serie 2 and start to notice it is getting rather stupidly boring. How many detours can you build in for it not to loose its momentum? Bizarre is the word in which it is heading and completely unbelievable, it must take some weird mind sets to continue making up more complex storyline while even the characters acting I beginning to look dull. Give me John Le Carre's writing any time.

I absolutely loved watching this, I got so into it I binged watched it on Stan on a work night until 3am had 2 hours sleep and do not regret a second. The only reason this did not get a 10 was because the woman who played Karine's mother drove me crazy, I have no idea if it was the acting or if it was just the constant crazy, either way she annoyed me to no end. Nothing like a bit of Eye Sweetener for a leading man either. The scenery was spectacular made me want to pick up sticks and move there..... then I realised what the temperature would be all year round and put my sticks back in their bag. Just Brilliant, watch it don't diss because of the subtitles, it translates seriously well most of the time anyway.

I approached this series with low expectations, so I didn't completely hate it. But I wouldn't recommend it unless you are really running out of things to watch. The scenery is beautiful, but the writing leaves something to be desired. The mystery is not just whodunnit but who will stay together, who will break up, who will hook up, etc.

There's a great deal of inconsistent behavior.. Characters seek the truth then suddenly don't want to know. They're in and out of love for no apparent reason, or they seek reconciliation, then revenge, then whatever. They reveal secret upon secret upon secret, until it's clear that the entire town should be in psychotherapy. Season 1 just barely held together, and Season 2 was a real setback for plausibility in law and crime shows.

Maybe worth a shot for some, but I didn't feel it improved as it went on.