Tag: Season 1

“Varg Veum” – TV series review

Trond Espen Seim stars as the title character in the Norwegian detective series “Varg Veum,” streaming on Topic. Courtesy of MHz Choice.

“Varg Veum” is the eponymous title of this Norwegian crime series. The star (Trond Espen Seim) is a former social worker turned private detective due to frustration with the failings of public service agencies. More accurately, he was fired for beating up a drug dealer who was pushing product to kids he was trying to protect. In classic genre style, Varg is a scruffy fellow with a marginal income trying to do some meaningful good for people and the community between times he has to tail cheating spouses to keep his business afloat. The Norwegian series aired from 2007 – 2012 and must have been popular in its homeland, since Seim returned as the same character in about a dozen movie incarnations filmed during and for several years after its run. Topic is releasing its six-episode first season for streaming here.

This is one to enjoy without having to binge, since each episode is a new case. It’s advisable to see them in order, since progressive relationships between Varg and the cops – mainly detective Hamre (Bjorn Floberg) – and another acquired colleague also follow tradition as trust and respect among them grow, albeit rather slowly. That and a few other sources provide bits of comic relief in the mostly serious proceedings. Though less violent than our typical domestic fare, Varg does tend to recklessly put himself in danger more than one with his limited fighting skills should attempt. Unconsciousness is no stranger to Varg, though it’s somewhat offset by the occasional upswing in his romantic life.

The stories are diverse and generally well-written, maintaining suspense and tension in most episodes. Industrial pollution, financial and political corruption, robberies, murders and infidelities are all fodder for these scripts. One admirable aspect of the series is the moral complexity of its tales. Good guys and bad guys aren’t just cookie-cutter types. Exploration of characters’ characters makes these play out with a richer texture than many, with a number of highly intense dramatic moments. If you also find Episode 5 to be relatively weak, fear not. Episode 6 was the strongest.

Varg Veum winds up being a character most fans of crime fiction should find a satisfactory repository of empathy. If so, there are six more episodes in Season 2, and all those movies floating around somewhere.

“Varg Veum: Season One,” in Norwegian with English subtitles begins on Topic on Nov. 9, 2023, with two episodes streaming on Topic on that date and with two more released each week thereafter.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

“Queens: Season 1” – TV Series Review

The cast of the Israeli TV series “Queens,” Season 1, on MHz Choice

The extent to which you may enjoy the Israeli TV series “Queens: Season 1″ depends on expectations from its Mafia-esque premise. All the men in one of the country’s crime families are killed at the beginning, except for one overlooked child, who may or may not have seen the shooter(s). The wives and daughters find themselves on the brink of losing all the wealth and power their husbands oversaw when rival families swoop in claiming debts to be honored and businesses to snatch from them. The women decide to defend their turf and family honor by trying to do what their men had done in running their illegal businesses.

For American audiences, the first analog that comes to mind is “The Sopranos,” with infighting among competing families and ambitious underlings. The closer comparison might be with “Queen of the South,” which some strong, determined women struggle to become drug cartel bosses against a variety of male obstacles. To get into this one, forget about those. The tone is significantly tamer.

First of all, “Queens” is considerably less violent and sexy than either of those domestic counterparts. There’s plenty of menace and moments of brutality but well short of the others’ body counts or displays of carnage. The other is that these women are truly feckless at succeeding their husbands, sons and brothers, resulting in their taking far more punishment than they dish out. For about half of the 11 hour-long episodes, they’re getting pummeled and losing territory, without getting their act together. There’s suspense in learning who was behind the mass execution of their men, and whether that surviving child will be another target or the key to ID-ing the perp(s). Suspects abound. Fortunately, the women’s lot shows more signs of hope emerging in the second half of the season.

Among the protagonists we meet a diverse group of characters contributing fine performances, and a handful of particularly dastardly villains to create the requisite tensions. The matriarchal widow, Dori (Rita – the Israeli actress goes by that one name, like Cher), is rather strident and overbearing in her desperation to assert control and normalize their situation. Her daughter, Lizi (Dana Igvy), seems like the only one tough and focused enough to get them back to an acceptable position among their underworld colleagues and rivals. Others also have interesting story arcs, including a few surprises that maintain viewers’ interest.

So once you gear down for less adrenaline boosting than our series mentioned above, you wind up with an action and character drama that works pretty well. The bad news is that Season 1 ends on several cliffhanger plot points of unanswered questions and unresolved issues. The good news is that Season 2 already has aired in Israel, and will be released for streaming here within the next few months.

“Queens: Season 1,” mostly in Hebrew with English subtitles, streams on MHz Choice starting on Sept. 19.

RATING: 1.5 out of 4 stars

Israeli TV series “Queens” on MHz Choice

“First Responders” Season One – TV Series Review

A scene from season one of the Swedish rescue/medical drama series “First Responders.” Courtesy of MHz Choice

The first season of the subtitled Swedish TV series “First Responders” introduces us to a surprisingly diverse group of doctors, EMTs, firemen and police in a small, idyllic town, with a full array of professional and personal challenges to face. The setting is lovely, as we meet them during their summer off-season, in a village that apparently thrives on winter sports tourism. So this should be a less-pressured time for the crew. Not exactly the way it works out. Bad for them. Good for viewers.

Each episode presents a few crises calling for some combination of dramatic rescues, medical intervention and/or crime solving. Everyone in the ensemble cast gets his/her turns in the spotlight. Since they are mostly young and attractive (could it be any other way?), there is a fair share of romantic activity, as well, with some story lines unfolding throughout the season. Besides the main theme of their duties, a separate plot thread involves luring a big investor for economic growth that may, or may not, be good for the community.

Compared to our domestic network counterparts, like “911” and “911: Lone Star,” these events play out with relatively little splash. Background music highlighting major scenes is largely absent from “First Responders,” which keeps the focus more on the visuals, and lets viewers feel the urgency of their efforts without that audio prompt. Other than a couple of shockingly gruesome displays of medical yuckiness in Episode 3, the romantic encounters and assorted injuries are shown without much graphic detail. Or levity.

Viewer’s enjoyment of these 10 hour-long episodes will depend on the extent to which they bond with the characters. Everyone is presented in relatable human scale. No super-jocks or mega-villains, and nobody cast strictly for eye candy. The season ends with a few open questions, but without any cliffhangers that leave viewers in the lurch if Season Two never materializes. Overall, the series seemed engaging, though not riveting.

“First Responders: Season One,” mostly in Swedish with English subtitles, is streaming on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, May 31.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

“First Responders” cast on MHz Choice