Au nom du père

The Danes know how to tell a story and how to bring their characters to life. I slogged through the first 4 or 5 episodes but about then everything started falling into place and I was totally immersed in Danish National Church and life for the next five hours. I even caught myself thinking I understood what the characters were saying without reading the closed captions. Weird. I haven't decided whether or not to watch season two so I'll take some time out and watch a murder mystery. But, Season one was a total smash in my books. Thank you Netflix. I am continually amazed how much I have learned, watching foreign series, especially Danish, Mexican and French. I am a man of the world when I turn on Netflix.

Actors, screenplay, production...all is perfect. De series captivates me from the first Episodes.

I am normally quite fussy about what I watch and I didn't have high hopes of this one, since there have so many Scandi noir knocks offs just done by the numbers. But this is different. A fine cast, great script even in translation and high production values impressed me. Melodramatic yes, but in a way that draws you in and creates empathy for even the least likable characters. Anyone who has been involved in any kind of organisation will recognise the dynamics at play here. This is not a simplistic heart tugger but plays out the human condition with real heart and nuance. I was so pleased to note that another series exists but don't know when channel 4 will get it...

I am not often deeply moved by screen drama, the only time up to now was by Bergman films. Now another Scandinavian screen drama has done it, this time TV by Adam Price. He touches on so many intellectual, emotional and spiritual triggers in this series with a story arc that soars. This is, without doubt totally unique screen drama without precedence. After watching 19 of the 20 episodes, I know it must end, but I am invested with every character. Its as if in seeing the last episode I am invited to their funerals, where I must mourn their passing from my life. Yup, its been that engaging. I feel changed by it, invigorated and exhausted, it was indeed deeply moving.

In the allegedly new yet oddly 1980-ish landscape of the old Dickensian format of the Series that is offered by the new era of streaming media; In an age where we are offered nothing new really than the old ballads of cartoon creatures battling for power - This exceptional story stands out a beacon, carried by a miraculous script and an otherworldly performance by lead actor Lars Mikkelsen. This series offers something new, something totally unheard of in its genre: Its arena is not the traditional opera stage with its designed caricatures preforming allegorical roles of intrigues serving to produce the drama. On the contrary, this is the drama of the opposing forces that resides within each individual character; the true stage of the battle of good against evil suitable for a religious topic like Herrens veje, but more importantly this should represent the challenge given us in any depiction of true human Endeavour: To represent the human drama as a drama within. Fear, shame, guilt, jealousy, love, these are not persons - They are aspects of each individual persons life.