Bordertown

Bordertown features Ville Virtanen as Det. Kari Sorjonen in an engaging performance along with his underlings Niko and Lena (in a compelling role as well). Original and unpredictable plots keep the show riveting from one episode to the next. What doesn't work so well is Kari and Lena's annoying teenage daughters who create one problem after another with their stubborn idiocy. Kari's wife Paulina's subplots are not that interesting (though they eventually pay off), while both her and her daughter Janina inexplicably gripe constantly about Kari's dedication to his work (i.e. saving lives). You begin to dread every time he comes home because you know they're going to give him a load of attitude. As with the other great Finnish Noir series, Deadwind (aka Karppi), you wish the detectives were single and childless. Maybe there's a common perception in Finland that teenage daughters are unbearably full of crap, but it's esp. distracting in Bordertown which is otherwise excellent.

Taking his leave from hectic Helsinki to find more peace of mind and time for his family, Finnish detective Sorjonen finds himself and his loved ones more and more intertwined with the intrigues of Lappeenranta, a small town near the border with Russia.

The show is subdivided into several 'cases' covering three or four episodes each, giving you a quick and steady build-up of suspense that keeps you at the edge of your seat and hungry for answers. The characters develop naturally, and their interactions are natural and witty. Cinematography-wise, the film makers went out their way to contrast the beauty of the Finnish landscape with the dull greyness of a small industrial town.

Sorjonen/Bordertown's reserved characters may be a typical and accurate representation of the overall Finnish disposition, but it's the rough edges, quirky little details and the snarky responses from the somewhat stubborn Sorjonen that give this show a very authentic feel. Sorjonen having to move an inevitable pile of paper clutter from Taina's passenger seat before he can sit down, for instance, is a very natural thing to happen, and would surely be polished out in Hollywood shows. Another refreshing example is Lena, a stocky blonde in her late 40s. As the actual unscrupulous ex-FSB Russian muscle of the show, she won't shy away from a few unconventional methods to get answers. At the same time, she is having a hard time being a mother to troubled Katia.

If you're looking for points of critique, it would be that some of the characters are surprisingly quick in recovering from rather traumatic experiences, and there's a few loose ends that remain unanswered. Also, there's quite a worrying number of really twisted people in the small town of Lappeenranta.

If you are looking for rapid action and wild shoot-outs, this isn't the show for you. If you're into natural acting and subtle, dark humour, then this is highly recommended.

Another review noted that Netflix has dubbed season two. Change the language back to finnish with english subtitles. Much better. Very good show.

Firstly, I don't write reviews unless I've watched the whole show or series. I watch a lot of foreign content and loved this series. Whilst I agree with one reviewer who criticised the show for wrapping up episodes a little too quickly, thus making the conclusion a tad hard to understand, this really affected only 1 or 2 episodes. Overall, the stories are well thought out, the acting is good and the scenery superb.

I liked the way the characters were developed and found myself invested in their personalities and lives. It's not just a cop show - you experience both the professional and private relationships of Kari, his family members and his work alliances. And whilst the stories do stand alone, it's best to watch the series in sequence to fully appreciate and understand the interrelationships that develop.

I believe a lot of thought went into the casting of the series. Ville Virtanen as the lead character Kari Sorjonen is superb - as well as being a nice bit of eye candy for we ladies. Matleena Kuusniemi, who plays Kari's wife Paulina, is just delightful and I cannot imagine anyone better for that role. Olivia Ainali, who plays their daughter Janina, looks like she could be their offspring and plays her role as a young adolescent, coping with all the complexities of that age group and peer pressures, very convincingly.

I'm hoping for a second series. Nine out of ten from me.

I started watching season two and was IMMEDIATELY disappointed in your horribly dubbed English audio. Luckily I came to the reviews. You can go to your options to change the audio to the Finnish (original) language! Keep the subtitles in whatever language you need. Do yourself a favor and don't watch the series the "Netflix" way. It loses the quality. You need the original actor's voices. Something gets lost without their tone. This is such a great show. Now I haven't watched the second season yet, but I loved the first