Some two years ago I watched the excellent original Danish version and having some time to kill (no pun intended) decided to settle down on netflix and watch the American adaption....could it be as good or even better? In short no but it is still an excellent series and one that you must be prepared to engage with and spend some time with over a long period to really feel the benefits, the enjoyment and possibly play amateur detective as you along with Detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder analyse the evidence and decide who killed lovely Rosie Larsen.
The story differs from the original ie the killer is not the same and thus this makes the final outcome different. I was able to identify the killer quite will hidden but always obvious (to say more would give the plot away) however there was a great twist in the final episode which was astounding and showed that the killer did not work alone.....his accomplice will sadden and amaze you! Sarah Linden will not amaze you however she may as a detective have proved more than capable but as a mother she is a total failure. She appears to work 24 hours per day, live out of motels, eat only ready made fast food, and more importantly leave her poor son Jack all alone to deal with his own teenage angst...is it any wonder that her proposed marriage never happens and that Jack finally returns to live with his father in Chicago.
The American series does suffer from the fact that it is unnecessarily long and would have benefited from some good editing; there is one complete chapter devoted to the search for Jack who disappears (not that I blame you Jack with a mother like Sarah Linden) and we spend a wasted 45 minutes in an attempt to locate him.....he finally return to the motel and we the viewer can return to the search for Rosie's killer, and the final outcome is still well worth the wait.There is some wonderful heartfelt acting from Rosie's parents Mitch and Stan Larsen and as the story concludes there is a particular scene that will brings tears of sadness to the most hardened viewers.....So some great acting, memorable moments, and a good attempt at an English version of the Danish series....but if you want the best the original Danish series is unbeatable!
The story differs from the original ie the killer is not the same and thus this makes the final outcome different. I was able to identify the killer quite will hidden but always obvious (to say more would give the plot away) however there was a great twist in the final episode which was astounding and showed that the killer did not work alone.....his accomplice will sadden and amaze you! Sarah Linden will not amaze you however she may as a detective have proved more than capable but as a mother she is a total failure. She appears to work 24 hours per day, live out of motels, eat only ready made fast food, and more importantly leave her poor son Jack all alone to deal with his own teenage angst...is it any wonder that her proposed marriage never happens and that Jack finally returns to live with his father in Chicago.
The American series does suffer from the fact that it is unnecessarily long and would have benefited from some good editing; there is one complete chapter devoted to the search for Jack who disappears (not that I blame you Jack with a mother like Sarah Linden) and we spend a wasted 45 minutes in an attempt to locate him.....he finally return to the motel and we the viewer can return to the search for Rosie's killer, and the final outcome is still well worth the wait.There is some wonderful heartfelt acting from Rosie's parents Mitch and Stan Larsen and as the story concludes there is a particular scene that will brings tears of sadness to the most hardened viewers.....So some great acting, memorable moments, and a good attempt at an English version of the Danish series....but if you want the best the original Danish series is unbeatable!
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