If you are looking for an edge-of-your-seat action thriller, M-Net’s "Greyzone" is a must-see. It's a testament to the success of foreign-language shows on the pay-TV platform.
In fact, it was two years ago when they started investing in foreign whodunnits. At the time, most of the shows used to air on M-Net Edge.
In fact, I remember watching "Midnight Sun" (Midnattssol), a Swedish-French crime television series, and being blown away by the acting, script and direction.
Right now, Nordic noir is the latest obsession on streaming networks and the small screen. In fact, "The Killing" creator and Netflix have teamed up to make "The Chestnut Man", a six-part series based on the novel by Søren Sveistrup.
Before I go off on a tangent here, let’s get back to "Greyzone".
The first episode of the 10-part series aired on Saturday. To say that I was on tenterhooks the entire time would be an understatement. My only annoyance stems from the fact that I have to wait a week for the next installment.
The series, exploring the Machiavellian world of terrorism, adroitly flits between scenarios running parallel to one another while feeding into the main story arc.
On the one hand, there’s SÄPO Detective Inspector Eva Forsberg (Tova Magnusson), who, in following a tip-off, retrieves one of the stolen Nato bombs concealed in a truck detained at the Port of Gothenburg.
Unfortunately, the apprehension of the criminals involved resulted in collateral damage.
Meanwhile, in Frankfurt, Victoria Rahbek (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen), a Danish engineer with drone company SparrowSat, is chuffed at the reception to their latest product. Although their drones are designed for the agriculture market, there has been keen interest from ZUW, a military contractor.
Unbeknown to Victoria, she is targeted by the same terrorist group who had their bomb confiscated.
The divorced mother of one becomes a pawn in a bigger scheme where her old college mate Iyad Adi Kassar (Ardalan Esmaili) ingratiates himself into her life as a tech journalist wanting to know more about her company’s latest drone.
In the interim, a specialised unit, headed by Eva, is on the hunt for the missing second bomb.
Professional and personal worlds are about to collide as the race against the clock has begun. And the writers have ensured there is ample deception, danger and intrigue in the narrative to keep viewers glued to the screen.
Gripping stuff with a stellar cast.
For viewers upset that "Deception" with Archie Panjabi has ended, Universal TV’s "The Murders" might fill the void as it is backed by a multi-layered female protagonist.
Of course, don’t look at making any sort of comparisons as you will be met with disappointment.
The crime drama stars Jessica Lucas as Kate Jameson, a rookie police detective. Her in, into this male-dominated space is largely due to her late father’s legacy.
While she is book smart, she’s green on the streets and it ends up costing her dearly after she leaves her firearm unattended and it is used in a crime.
Detective Mike Huntley (Lochlyn Munro), her partner comes to her rescue. But she isn’t comfortable with starting her career off with a cover-up.
This conflict becomes a burden that seems to consume her.
"Shades of Blue" fans will enjoy this series, which straddles that fine line between breaking and enforcing the law with nail-biting tension.