The somber crime drama series from Danish TV, “Trom” Season One,” offers several plusses and minuses in its six-episode package. Let’s start with the good side:
Ulrich Thomsen stars as a veteran journalist Hannis, who’d left his Faroe Island home many years before due to events that wore out his welcome. Thomsen has garnered about 40 awards and nominations worldwide in his distinguished career. He brings a weathered gravitas to this role. He’s probably best-known in the US as Kai, the almost Bondian villain in our excellent “Banshee” series, and is equally effective here as the protagonist.
Hannis has achieved much, but his investigations into improper or illegal practices of the rich and powerful have made him something of a social pariah. He receives a letter from a woman back home who claims to have evidence for a huge story that’s right in his wheelhouse. Unfortunately, she disappears under dubious circumstances just before his arrival. What follows is the framework for a suspenseful and dangerous pursuit of her fate and the story that triggered everything that follows.
Another asset is the character and performance of Olaf Johannessen’s Ragnar. What a great villain he makes! He’s the head of a fawning religious cult, and the richest man in the Faroes, with a hand in every business – especially the fishing and whaling that provide their economic base and the majority of the jobs. Ragnar’s combo of charisma, piety and ruthlessness make him a formidable foe. The main plot driver is illegal fishing and whaling practices, pitting ecology against economics, and profits against a slew of laws. For added intrigue, Sonja (Helena Hedinsdottir), the woman who lured Hannis back, had a reason other than his track record for selecting him.
Fine, so far. But now come the caveats. The Faroes might have a pristine appeal, but they look pretty barren and bleak throughout these proceedings. Better as a backdrop for dark drama than as a boost for tourism. The scripts are complex and suspenseful, but dreadfully slow. Patience is at least required, if not tested. Though the season is shorter than most – playing out in under 300 minutes – it seems longer.
Worst of all is that it ends with some bits of closure, while leaving significant issues unresolved. Regular readers know my distaste for cliffhangers, so be duly warned if you feel the same. A reliable source informs me that a second season was ready to roll, until delayed by an impasse in negotiations between unions and streamers in Denmark. This season aired in 2022, so there should still be time to round up the troops for resuming when that dust settles.
“Trom,” Season One, mostly in Danish and Faroese with English subtitles, is available streaming on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, Dec. 17.
RATING: 2 out of 4 stars
