The Bridge

I haven't seen the Killing yet, but I will. I certainly will if it is as good as this Scandinavian crime drama. The story is very compelling, gripping and brilliantly executed. The acting is first rate, especially that of the two leads Kim Bodnia who plays Martin Rohde and the utterly brilliant Sofia Helin who plays the clever but quirky Saga Noren. I have to say she makes the show for me, alright she is blonde, beautiful and Swedish, but her performance is exceptional and you can't help but love her character. Saga works very well with Martin in trying to solve the crimes and the satellite characters and stories work equally as well. I also have to mention the direction, camera work and general production of this series as it is as good as anything I have seen. I shall be very sad when it finishes.

First of all. It's sad to say, but "Smockan" and "seattle_kid" seems to have COMPLETELY missed the fact that the female police-officer Saga Norén in the series, played by Swedish actress Sofia Helin, is a portrait of a person with Autistic spectrum of Asperger type. And they unfortunately confuse it with bad acting in their reviews. Well, well...

To me that mistake never became a problem. Then again, I am myself a person with a Autistic spectrum of High-functioning type (HFA). A "near cousin" to Asperger. And I was simply stunned. Sofia Helins interpretation of a police-officer with Autistic spectrum of Asperger type was just excellent. Maybe not perfect, but excellent. And it is without a doubt one of the best performances I've ever seen, made by an non-autistic actress/actor. (Watch out, Dustin Hoffman *wink*)

The chemistry between the actress/actor Sofia Helin and Kim Bodnia are excellent as well. I'm actually not going to say anything about the plot itself. It would be wasteful. Just be aware that the female police-officer in the series actually is a person with Autistic spectrum of Asperger type (for less confusion), see the show, and be amazed. I was.

Me, I'm now impatiently waiting for "Bron/Broen 2", which is planned to be aired 2013.

This series is about the co-operation between a danish and a Swedish cop in solving a string of murders in the Copenhagen/Malmo area. I would advice readers not to listen to people who didn't even bother watching at least half the series before writing a review. Truth is, the show is a bit of a slow starter. At the end of episode one, I was left with the impression of a fairly mediocre show with an annoying female lead character that is poorly acted. However, one soon realizes that her restrained and unemotional manner is part of her character. Underneath this, Sofia Helin adds subtle nuances and complexity to her character that shows that she is a good actress. The plot also picks up and gets gradually more exciting and entertaining. Contrary to what others suggested, Kim Bodnia (who plays the danish cop) was actually very enthusiastic about this project and had nothing but praise for his female co-star. Needless to say, he is also very good in his role here.

So my opinion is that this is a well made series with a complex and entertaining plot, interesting characters and good cinematography. On the negative side, some of the actors playing minor roles are sometimes less than stellar, the plot is far-fetched in places and the sound quality leaves some things to be desired in a few scenes. But with that said, Bron is a very good and well made series. Just make sure to give it a chance beyond the first couple of episodes or so before you decide what to think. Especially the main female character is somewhat unusual and requires some time to get a grasp of. But give it (and her) a chance and you won't regret it.

@ Robert-Temple "To say that it is impossible to feel even the slightest twinge of sympathy for Helin's character," As some one with Aspergers myself, I fully appreciate how far you are from being able to understand why you should be able to feel sympathy for Helin's character.

Helin's portrayal is fantastic, and thanks to programme like this Aspergers and Autistic Spectrum disorders are finally sinking into the public's consciousness to the extent that, one day, we might be able to live in a world that can find more than the slightest twinge of sympathy for the way that we behave.

I had no idea her character was an aspie - I had no idea about anything to do with the show before I watched it, but I picked up she was an aspie in the first scene she was in. She is great. And, despite what another reviewer has said, she is hot. Irrelevant, but fact.

I guess reviewer Smockan didn't notice that Sofia Helins odd character had Aspergers Disorder which results in a very asocial behaviour. She don't know how to socialize or communicate in a normal fashion. She knows nothing about being diplomatic or "holding back". She's just barging in like a bulldozer.

I've seen the first 9 episodes and was amazed by the exciting storyline, the twists and Kim Bodnias acting. Sofia Helins performance isn't top notch but the character is so amusing and hilarious so you cant do nothing but love her. as long as you don't have to meet her in real life. =)

Those of you out there who just watched one episode and thought "this is crap. Cant stand watching this piece of *beeep*. Let's watch Wrestling instead" just don't know what you missed. This is a great crime series and it shows that Sweden and Denmark should co op more often when it comes to made for TV-drama.