Blå ögon

This is your typical low budget Swedish Noir series that is now being churned out by SVT to met the growing need for this genre. Unfortunately, it uses the same recycled actors and actresses from what must be a very small pool. The cast is heavily stereotyped as they must have a database to draw from to cast the same actors in the same types of roles over and over. Sooner or later, viewers can see through this charade and it distracts from the series. It's almost like amateur theater productions at community level by the same actors.

Common to the genre now is the opportunity that the very strange form of government in Sweden gives film makers. Many parties seem to make up the government and the dynamics between them all is fertile ground for story telling. Add to that the unchecked migration that has occurred to that region and the challenge to adapt to multiculturalism, and one has a never ending supply of the same type of stories.

The holes in the plot are huge, events occurring without logic. This makes the viewer wonder if the writers use a story board for continuity or just make up something new every day at work, without regard for what's happened before. The stunts are poorly done and they could also use some advanced techniques in the make up department where foundation is slathered on to the point where the actors look almost ghost like.

Again, common to many of the low budget Swedish series, everything is rushed into place during the last episode. I guess they never know if they'll receive funding for a second series so they try to wrap up things but leave the ending a bit ambiguous in case the funding does come through. Guess it did not in this case! More productions like this and the genre will go into decline. Watch it without analyzing it, just go with the flow and pretend not to see the holes in the plot!

Imagine this: A writer comes into his boss' office - he has been told to come up with pitch for a new Swedish series, since Lord knows they're booming at the moment. The two exchange pleasantries and the boss asks what he has come up with. "Well", the writer fumbles with his papers, "I have three different ideas. How do these sound?"

• The story of intrigue and betrayal at the highest levels of the Swedish government as a disgraced staffer returns to her job to help the Minister of Justice get to the bottom of a conspiracy involving big business.
• The story of the co-founder of a nationalist party accused of racism, and how during election season his humanity slowly starts to alienate him from the cold and calculating demeanor of his spindoctors and co-workers, as he feels the party is turning into something else and becoming a heartless machinery.
• The story of the two children of a controversial right-wing politician, who, after their mother is killed by (presumably) extreme leftists, become involved with a far-right neo-nazi terror group, and how it impacts their relationship to each other.

The boss beams - "they sound great! Let's do this!". "Uhh... which one?", the writer replies meekly. "Well, why not all of them?" "I... think maybe we should stick to..." "Nonsense! I have decided! Now go out there and make me a series with all of those elements!" The writer sighed and left the room, knowing full well the impossibility of the task before him.

Blå Ögon has **so many good ideas** and it comes **so close** to realising their potential, but in the end it seemingly cannot keep up with the multitude of things going on, and the subplots never intertwine in any way whatsoever, thus leaving you with a sense that these three plots either were meant to be in entirely separate series, or that the final, brilliant plot twist that tied it all together got accidentally deleted during post-production. And it's a damn shame, because the potential is right there in front of you - you'll keep watching through the entire series eagerly waiting for the big reveal that will answer the questions that keep piling up. Why did that person die? Why is she helping him? Who was behind the attack? Why did he do that? etc. etc. and just as the plot is ramping up to the explosive finale... it ends. You're left sitting confused for a bit and then deeply disappointed in the inability of the writers to tie these otherwise excellently directed and acted scenarios together into a coherent plot. Another part where the writing struggles is with the characters. The actors do a masterful job and make them feel like real persons, but since the writing can't figure out how to do proper pacing, everybody ends up being immensely unlikeable - essentially, everyone in the entire series end up looking like either a bigot, a coward, an asshole, a turncoat or an idiot.

I'm accustomed to disappointment when it comes to TV series, but this one hit extra hard as it had all the right ingredients - brilliant ideas, brilliant acting, brilliant directing - and still managed to accomplish absolutely nothing from them. I'd say don't watch this - not because it's bad, but because the sheer amount of wasted potential will sadden you to no end.

This could have been really classy but you need to tie up numerous plot lines. Hoping for a second series but not really going to happen after four years. At least then Olin could get a change of trousers and we could rid of the red bra that never seemed to make the washing machine!

I can imagine it is difficult to create a political series approaching wide audience, but yet versatile and not simplistic narration. The Danish Borgen or the UK and US House of Cards are fine respective examples, but I can easily say that Blå ögon is on their heels... Well, the pace is sometimes uneven, some characters are static and the authors have taken sides (letting understood that rightism is worse than leftism), but some witty turns, intertwining events/characters and solid performances (particularly female ones) make the 10 episodes of an hour each pass with interest and understanding. Perhaps the events in the last episode came with a certain rush and let many things open (and a hint for a next season), but no news of it so far - I would be definitely interested to follow.

Being a fan of Scandinavian series, I try not to pay attention that there are same actors and actresses performing in most series (the more famous tend to spend more time on screen, so if the script lets you guess whether their characters vanish or die, so the chances are they do not:) ), but what the heck... Even mediocre Scandinavian series tend to me more interesting and realistic that good US ones.

Tragi-drama that sees an abused young mother and her doting younger brother pushed into a world of terrorism, working for neo-nazis and terminating the lives of hostages.

Their feeble life choices arise from the dreadful killing of their politician mother and the fake sympathy of a handsome, charismatic young fascist who exerts a powerful influence.

Never lacking in suspense, the story even conjures an occasional surprise as matters unfold. The character flaws and motives of some of the cast do however stretch the bounds of credibility. 7.3/10