Twin

The problem with crime related drama these days is that as soon as one becomes hooked into a fascinating crime one discovers you must also subscribe to the intense personal dramas of the detectives. Really you are getting two dramas in one. Then there are shows like Missing (2014) and Twin, where the crime is really only the catalyst to the personal drama. To me, this is more believable than current all out catch-a-killer dramas. Twin is easily one of the best new shows of crime inspired personal drama tv shows. The story is full of edge and tense situations, with the two leads proving their competence. This is a brilliantly cast drama. The children are also interesting, a rebellious teen and an adopted toddler. Imagine a poor bachelor thrown into that! This show is a whole new level of keeping secrets. Indeed, if I have a criticism is that there are too many secrets. Set in idyllic fjords, with interesting indie songs here and there, and quite a few action sequences, not least to mention a dedicated surfing culture in what must be the coldest surf spot on the planet, Twin has everything you need for an all night binge.

Erik and Adam are identical twins living in the north of Norway; they have become somewhat estranged as Adam, who works and is married with two children, sees Erik, who lives in a beat-up camper van and spends his time surfing, as a bit of a wastrel. One day Erik crashes his camper into the fjord and seeks financial help from Adam... this leads to a fight which ends when Adam's wife, Ingrid, hits him with a plank. They think he is dead so take the body away on a boat; it is lost in a storm... when it is found the police think it must be Erik. Now Erik and Ingrid try to pretend that he is Adam. Will he be able to convince people that knew him well that he is really his brother?

It must be said this series does require one to suspend ones disbelief somewhat; Erik and Adam may both be played by the excellent Kristofer Hivju but it is hard to believe that nobody would suspect they are talking to the other twin; even his daughter and close friends. That said if you can get past that the series is a lot of fun. There are moments of dark comedy and good dramatic tension. The cast does a fine job and the spectacular scenery certainly adds to the enjoyment of the show.

These comments are based on watching the series in Norwegian with English subtitles.

The idea of a story where a man impersonates his identical twin sounds intriguing; unfortunately, 'Twin' doesn't quite manage to pull it off. It relies, as many dramas seem to do, on characters acting irrationally after being involved in events where they fear they might be liable to criminal prosecution. There's just no real meat to the story; we see a fraud of convenience, designed to be conducted only in the short term, and in the full knowledge of the one character who might otherwise be most affected by it. There's a back story - the difficult prior relationship of the two brothers - but we never really get to the bottom of that either. There are some good ideas, notably the view the protagonist gets of his own real life from an outside perspective; but overall the setup is just too contrived. The north Norwegian scenery at least provides a stunning backdrop to the tale.

The idea that one twin might take the place of the other, almost without anyone noticing, is one of the oldest tropes in storytelling. It's in almost every ancient culture and, like the rivalry of the Biblical Cain and Abel, it's been filmed many times in many settings but with very mixed results.

Seldom has a more gutsy, subtle, nuanced and creative version been produced for screen than this. Add terrific, moving performances, extraordinary, breathtaking landscapes, excellent direction, photography and directorial pacing, and you have perhaps the very best example of so-called Nordic Noir since The Killing set the bar so high that few have come even close in the past decade or so.

Twin is a show that should not be missed. Ignore the 2-star reviews elsewhere here (particularly when the writers have completely missed important and clearly signalled details like the fact that the youngest child is adopted and not, as suggested, evidence of the mother 'playing away from home'!) Seriously? To review a show (especially one as creative as this), one ought at least to do it the honour of paying attention all the way through ;).

Tastes vary, and a relatively slow moving, in-depth exploration of relationships (rather than a plot that heaps killings upon killings) might not be to everyone's taste. But if you're in the market of a surprisingly grown-up piece of entertainment, drawn out of an almost threadbare premise, here's a no-brainier for you.

This is a first-rate piece of TV that makes so much else look like the muck it really is. Congrats to all involved. It seems unlikely there'll be a second season for quite a while yet. I'll have to console myself by watching season one again in a couple of weeks!

An enjoyable and, for me, entertaining Nordic Drama. Really wish people wouldn't give away the ending in their Reviews such a "Mundane Ending" "lousy Conclusion". etc The ending is not given away but the heading is enough to ruin it. John W