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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 22, 2018 10:46:01 GMT
We've finally started getting the fourth/final season of Bron/Broen (aka The Bridge) here. **spoilers below for the first episode of Season 4** I started watching this show out of order. I managed to catch the second last episode of Season 1 on TV and by the end of the episode I was hooked. I think I then bought Season 1 (which was already out on DVD) and caught up on all the episodes I’d missed before the Season 1 final was shown on TV. Ever since then I’ve watched each season on TV. I quite enjoy the show, but Sofia Helin as Saga Norén is the main reason I watch. She just plays this interesting, complicated, sometimes amusing and occasionally frustrating character to perfection. She’s definitely one of my top TV cop characters ever. So it’s perhaps because of this^ that I didn’t enjoy the Season 4 premiere quite as much as I would’ve liked to, as Saga was not getting to do any cop business due to being in prison. I definitely don’t like Henrik’s new male partner (in fact, I don’t like any of the other characters – and it took me a while to warm up to Henrik last season, as Martin had been partnered with Saga for the two prior seasons). I really felt for poor Saga and her situation and what she was dealing with/going through. It was no fun seeing her like this. I did think the person who tried to befriend her was coming on a little strong, but towards the end of the episode I started to feel slightly sorry for her (though I did find it a little suspicious how she said she’d “miss” Saga when she left, since Saga hadn’t really been overly friendly towards her) …of course, then she went and stabbed Saga in the back of the neck - which kind of killed any sympathy I had for her. And speaking of ‘killed’...I was seriously concerned for Saga. Of course, after checking the IMDB summaries of episodes for the season and seeing that she is in fact alive next episode, it seems rather silly to have worried that the show decided to kill of its female lead in the first episode of the season. However, given that Season 1 ended in an unexpected way, as did Season 2...I wouldn’t have put it past the show to do something totally unexpected like offing its star at the beginning of the final season. Anyway, I’m just relieved that Saga still lives – whether she stays that way by the end of the season remains to be seen. I give the episode 7/10 – I liked seeing Saga again, and I don’t mind Henrik, but when they weren’t onscreen, I wasn’t overly interested. Hopefully things will pick up in the next few episodes.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Mar 8, 2018 22:46:31 GMT
Just watched episode 2 of Season 4 last night. Firstly, it was just such a relief to see Saga in hospital and alive/waking up instead of dead – as the previous episode’s ending would’ve had us believe. As previously mentioned, I immediately had to make sure she was going to recover after that ending last week and checked the episode summaries on IMDB for Season 4. I wasn’t sure about Henrik in the beginning of Season 3 (as I’d enjoyed Saga and Martin’s relationship so much in the first two seasons), but by the end of Season 3 I officially liked his character - especially when he saved Saga from killing herself. I liked that he insisted Saga be allowed to work the case because he knew it would help her with how she’s been feeling. Probably the best moment of the episode was Saga getting back into her leather pants, throwing on her green coat and uncovering her matching olive green 1977 Porsche 911 S that she drives – I’m ridiculously fond of that car. It was so great to see the look of almost happiness on her face as she was driving; heading back to what she does best – her work/job. And it wasn’t long before she was acting like the old Saga, wishing to have her own desk (and not to share/shift around between desks) because it’s more efficient, introducing herself (as she usually does) with “Saga Norén, Malmö CID.”, taking down the photos pasted up about the case/rearranging them and taking charge. Of course that jerk, Jonas, doesn’t like her. His type is very familiar – and I hated the way he talked about Saga and treated her when she went to work at her desk. But, to her credit, she just picked up her carry basket of stuff and moved to another desk. I hope she takes him down before the end of the series. I’m enjoying the Saga/Henrik relationship. It’s definitely a different sort of relationship to the one she had with Martin. For starters, Saga and Henrik are sleeping together (seeing her engage in conversation whilst in bed with him was interesting). I like that she wants to help him find out what happened to his wife and daughters. She was her usual blunt self with the woman she questioned about his wife, and then was equally blunt when relaying what the woman had said to Henrik in the car (the same goes for her expressing no wish to stay at his place because he lives there). I don’t think she ever means to say things that make others uncomfortable (like how Henrik was clearly feeling when hearing how his wife had felt about him). She’s not mean-spirited; she just has no filter and is honest/gets straight to the point. As she herself said... I’m still not really interested in any of the other characters. The twin brother being a hospital clown and dying in a Jacuzzi just made me think “Well, that’s what you get for being a clown.” and I really didn’t like the two girls who were ripping off people (by one of them pretending to collapse and the other robbing the people trying to help). I have no sympathy for those types. This episode was probably a bit better than last week’s, due to Saga getting more back into her ‘groove’ again. However, she then had that breakdown whilst driving at the end and I just felt really sorry for her. It was really sad to see her this way. I give the episode 7.5/10
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Post by HirundoRustica on Mar 9, 2018 15:42:42 GMT
Nice pics/gifs, Chalice_Of_Evil . I haven't watched S4 yet, but I enjoyed the first three seasons of The Bridge. Saga is quite an intriguing character.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Mar 16, 2018 9:39:50 GMT
Saga is quite an intriguing character. That^ she is. I watched episode 3 of Season 4 last night. Saga's psychiatrist visit was a great opening scene for her character in the episode. ^Pretty much summed things up. Since I'm not fond of the two thieving girls, I was wishing Henrik wasn't so kindhearted, as I felt they were taking advantage of his kindness (and I hated that one of them just blurted out, "Are they dead?" in reference to his children (disrespectful much?) - who I had, at first, thought these two girls may have possibly turned out to be when they were first introduced...but then I thought that would be far too convenient - them just happening to cross paths with their father - and later dismissed that notion. However, I was glad to see the idea of it brought up (though, as Henrik himself said, he'd recognise his own children, just as they'd recognise their father). Saga had the right idea regarding the two thieves staying at Henrik's: "What's wrong with the jail?". Although, them being there did lead to the amusing moment when Saga just nonchalantly informing them (in answer to the girls' question of whether she and Henrik were 'together'), "No. I'm living here temporarily and we have sex sometimes." - the reactions said it all, really. Another great reaction scene was the one where Saga informed Henrik she was pregnant. His reactions, especially when she says, "I've only had sex with myself and you for the last two years." when he questions whether he's the father, are priceless. Henrik: "We used protection." Saga: "Copper coils are 99% safe, but not 100." Henrik's reactions to the things Saga says/does are different to what Martin's reactions used to be. He used to just laugh at Saga 'being Saga', whereas Henrik oftentimes just has this wide-eyed look of disbelief at half the stuff that comes out of Saga's mouth. I'm glad they didn't try to replicate the Saga/Martin relationship, and have allowed Saga and Henrik to form a different sort of one. Saga, as always, tells it like it is. I am interested to see where they go with this. I do feel a bit sorry for Henrik at times, but I admire Saga knowing what she wants and going with that. I'm still not overly interested in most of the other stuff going on at the moment. What I'm enjoying the most is Saga and Henrik's interaction. I'd probably give the episode 7.5/10 again.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2018 7:21:39 GMT
I haven't watched this show before Chalice but it looks interesting and I will check it out since we have similar tastes with a number of TV shows. Does this air on TV here or have you been watching it on DVD from the start?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2018 23:07:45 GMT
I have only watched the first series of the French\British version the Tunnel.
Which i thought was not too bad.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Mar 23, 2018 6:40:20 GMT
I haven't watched this show before Chalice but it looks interesting and I will check it out since we have similar tastes with a number of TV shows. Does this air on TV here or have you been watching it on DVD from the start? Yes, Bron/Broen aka The Bridge has aired on TV here in Australia on SBS. As previously mentioned, I missed most of the first season when it aired on TV here. I managed to catch the second last episode of Season 1 and that interested me enough that I went out and got Season 1 on DVD (which had already been released for some reason). Anyway, I watched all the episodes of Season 1 that I'd missed before the season final aired on TV. I think I may have watched the season final on DVD and then watched it again once it was on TV. It's the first 'version' of the show. There's been two others - the American version (with Diane Kruger and Demián Bichir) and the British-French version, called The Tunnel (with Clémence Poésey and Stephen Dillane). I've watched the latter, but not the former. Probably the main reason I never watched the American version was because it wasn't on TV here. If it had been, I would've at least checked out the first episode. However, watching three versions of roughly the same show might've been a bit much. I'm not sure how different the American version was from the original Swedish/Danish version, but The Tunnel was quite a bit different in certain aspects. I have only watched the first series of the French\British version the Tunnel.
Which i thought was not too bad.I didn't mind it either. I've watched the two seasons of it and will watch the third if/when it's ever on here. So, I watched episode 4 of Bron/Broen Season 4 last night... We FINALLY got a backstory of Saga's car^, which was certainly welcome and long overdue. It's as much a part of Saga's character as her leather trousers and flowing coat. I thought it felt sort of like a 'callback' to the Season 1 final **spoilers** (where Saga was forced to lie to Martin about his son being alive so he wouldn't kill the one who murdered him) in this episode when Saga was lying to Taariq about him getting to stay. Of course, her lying skills still have a few kinks (though she did an admirable job), and so he naturally saw through her lying and then offed himself. As much as it might've been counterproductive to what they were trying to do (ie. keep Taariq alive), one does have to admire Saga's blunt honesty. Once she gave up trying to lie and just gave it to Taariq straight - yes, it led to his death, but I think at that point he knew he was screwed and would have done it anyway even if she hadn't started spouting the hard truth at him. I really do not like that Jonas guy. He's been a jerk to Saga from the start, but linking Martin's incarceration and Hanne losing a leg with making 'small talk' with Saga was just very crappy of him. At least Saga cut through his BS and applied logic to what he'd said - that he couldn't link Martin's and Hanne preference for small talk with their situations (just as she'd done earlier when she said, "You can't connect unfaithfulness with happiness statistics."). I felt sorry for Saga during her visit with her psychiatrist, when she was asked how she felt about being cut out of pictures of her departed sister and that it "Didn't feel good." - Sofia Helin does so well with all the little subtle expressions Saga displays. I knew those two thieving girls were no good from the start and hated them taking advantage of Henrik's kindness, but the fact that they trashed his place and stolen everything of value (including necklaces - which were especially important to him) made me angrier than Henrik got. I really want those two not to make it through the season. They're just the worst. Of course, Saga was her usual self in that type of situation ("I'm hungry."/"Are you going to cook?") and it led to them having a bit of a fight - which I never like to see. I felt bad for the guy who was tricked into killing his own daughter by injecting her with what he thought was the antidote, only to discover that she hadn't been poisoned and was doing fine...until he'd injected her with something that ended up killing her. On the one hand, it was really foolish of him to inject his daughter with an unknown substance that he hadn't even verified was an antidote...but on the other hand, it was really rough to watch a father unknowingly kill his child when he thought he was saving her. I wish she could've lived and the two thieving girls could've taken her place. It was nice to see Hans again, albeit briefly, in the wedding video. I miss him, as he seemed the only one besides Martin/Henrik who treated Saga the way she deserved to be - with respect and understanding. They were so good together (and I much preferred him to her new boss she got in Season 3). I felt really bad for Henrik and the state of mind he was in to go buy pills and be tempted to take them. I'm glad Saga showed up when she did and he hadn't the chance to take them. Their exchange about the pregnancy was good. Saga: "I've thought it over about the child." Henrik: "Okay." Saga: "I don't want to have it. But you do. So I think I'll give birth, and then I'll give it to you." Henrik: "You'll give it to me?" Saga: "I'll sign away all rights and duties. You'll have custody. I'll have nothing else to do with it. What do you think?" Henrik: "What about you? Where are you in all this?" Saga: "Nowhere. The child becomes yours, not mine. And we can have sex sometimes. Mull it over." Henrik: "I will." Saga: "Good." I was also glad that Henrik asked her to stay, and just when you thought perhaps she wouldn't get how desperately he needed her to stay...she did in fact stick around - which was a relief. Finally the case got interesting at the end when Saga started to put together the deaths that have happened so far (that all three are methods of execution for the death penalty) and mentioned what's left: shooting, hanging, gas, and beheading. Something to 'look forward to', I guess. It seems things might start picking up now. I haven't 'hated' or even 'disliked' the episode so far this season, it's just that only the Saga and Saga/Henrik moments have been of any interest to me. Hopefully now the rest will become interesting too. 7.5/10
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Post by hi224 on Mar 23, 2018 6:42:40 GMT
A solid show.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Mar 23, 2018 7:00:13 GMT
It is indeed. Stumbled upon this and thought it was pretty neat...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2018 7:25:28 GMT
I haven't watched this show before Chalice but it looks interesting and I will check it out since we have similar tastes with a number of TV shows. Does this air on TV here or have you been watching it on DVD from the start? Yes, Bron/Broen aka The Bridge has aired on TV here in Australia on SBS. As previously mentioned, I missed most of the first season when it aired on TV here. I managed to catch the second last episode of Season 1 and that interested me enough that I went out and got Season 1 on DVD (which had already been released for some reason). Anyway, I watched all the episodes of Season 1 that I'd missed before the season final aired on TV. I think I may have watched the season final on DVD and then watched it again once it was on TV. It's the first 'version' of the show. There's been two others - the American version (with Diane Kruger and Demián Bichir) and the British-French version, called The Tunnel (with Clémence Poésey and Stephen Dillane). I've watched the latter, but not the former. Probably the main reason I never watched the American version was because it wasn't on TV here. If it had been, I would've at least checked out the first episode. However, watching three versions of roughly the same show might've been a bit much. I'm not sure how different the American version was from the original Swedish/Danish version, but The Tunnel was quite a bit different in certain aspects. Thanks for letting me know about that. I don't watch many TV shows on SBS so that is probably why I didn't come across it before and I didn't know it had an American version but I have heard of Diane Kruger. There seem to be a number of American TV shows we aren't getting here anymore and I am not sure why but I heard Channel 7 bought the rights to both 'Colony' and 'Designated Survivor' and are refusing to air them. I think they buy them so no other channel can air them and get ratings for them which is wrong and we have had quite a few shows our free to air channels have done this with and they didn't air the shows until after they were cancelled like 'Marvel's Agent Carter.' I gave up watching 'Marvel's Agents of SHIELD' and 'Once Upon A Time' 'cause they kept missing us around with the shows and now I wait until they are out on DVD to watch them. Anyways, I am going a little off topic here (sorry) but channels like 7 and 9 are very annoying with their shows and we used to get a lot of American shows a decade ago and they were fast tracked but now we are missing out on heaps of them 'cause they rather air shows like 'My Kitchen Rules' and repeats of classic shows and movies they have showed dozens of times. I will look into 'The Bridge' and one upcoming show I am interested in that I thought you might like is called 'The Crossing' and it has our very own Aussie actress, Georgina Haig in it and I am hoping we get it here.
www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Video-ABC-Releases-the-Pilot-Episode-of-Its-Upcoming-New-Drama-THE-CROSSING-20180319
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Mar 30, 2018 6:30:29 GMT
Thanks for letting me know about that. I don't watch many TV shows on SBS so that is probably why I didn't come across it before
I am not sure why but I heard Channel 7 bought the rights to both 'Colony' and 'Designated Survivor' and are refusing to air them. I think they buy them so no other channel can air them and get ratings for them which is wrong and we have had quite a few shows our free to air channels have done this with and they didn't air the shows until after they were cancelled like 'Marvel's Agent Carter.' I gave up watching 'Marvel's Agents of SHIELD' and 'Once Upon A Time' 'cause they kept missing us around with the shows and now I wait until they are out on DVD to watch them.
I will look into 'The Bridge' and one upcoming show I am interested in that I thought you might like is called 'The Crossing' and it has our very own Aussie actress, Georgina Haig in it and I am hoping we get it here. No problem. I hope you do indeed check out the show, as it's really quite good and Saga is a great character played by a wonderful actress named Sofia Helin. I never used to watch much SBS either, but over the last few years they've been getting shows that I've been interested in an none of the other stations have had any interest in airing - which is probably for the best, as SBS has fewer ads (I'll go do something in an ad break or watch a bit of something I've recorded only to return and find I've missed some of the show I was watching because the ad breaks on SBS are only a couple/few minutes long, whereas the other stations have ad breaks that seem to last for five minutes). Yes, the 'main' stations (Channel 7, 9 & 10), plus their 'Digital stations', seem to get the rights to certain shows and even promote that they'll be on 'soon'...but then never air them. It's really rotten that they do that just so no one else can have them, and then we wait forever for them to be released on DVD/Blu-ray - Channel 9 and it's Digital stations did this a lot. You'd wait forever for a season of a show to be on, then eventually it would have been so long that the DVDs were going to come out soon, then suddenly the lousy station would start airing the season which would consequently bush back the release of the DVDs. Of course, other times DVDs of a season of a show have been released here before the season's aired on TV because the station's just been so slack - which looks to be the case with Gotham Season 3. I see it'll be out here soon, and as far as I know Channel 9 or its Digital stations never got around to airing it. Here's hoping they don't suddenly decide to just as it's about to be released on DVD/Blu-ray and then cause the release date to be pushed back. Thanks for the link to that show. It looks interesting (though I was disappointed that I didn't spot Georgina Haig anywhere in it). Anyway, onto episode 5 of Bron/Broen Season 4 (which I watched last night)... The episode started with showing why you should never walk backwards in thew woods (or anywhere, really) while holding a loaded gun. It then cut to Saga and Henrik's amusing conversation regarding sharks. Henrik: "Is it true that sharks die if they stop swimming?" Saga: "Most of them sink because they don't have swim bladders." Henrik: "So they die if they stop swimming.?" Saga: "If they stop breathing, then they stop swimming." Henrik: "And then they die?" Saga: "If they don't start swimming again." Who knew Saga was full of fun facts about sharks? And then a bit later on, they had another amusing conversation in the car regarding what Saga was eating. Henrik: "What's that?" Saga: "Prunes. Want some?" Henrik: "No, thanks. Is it something you're having because you're pregnant?" Saga: "No, I'm constipated." Henrik: "Oh, okay." Saga: "My breasts are bigger, too. Have you noticed? They are. The nipples, too." Henrik: "No, I hadn't noticed." Then their conversation turned a bit more serious when Henrik mentioned how he'd thought about what Saga said regarding her not wanting to have anything to do with the child she was pregnant with and that she'd give it to Henrik, but still being able to see each other. This conversation will prove important towards the end of the episode. Saga's visits to her psychiatrist continue to be entertaining, but also 'sad' in a way, as Saga was told to write a list of people who 'affected'/influenced her and helped make her who she is. I liked that she just casually mentioned her being pregnant and her co-worker being the father. Her psychiatrist coped pretty well with this sudden reveal. I liked Henrik's somewhat amused expression at Saga just matter-of-factly telling the two people at the crime scene that they were done with them - it reminded me a little of Martin and how he'd be amused at some of the stuff Saga would say (though he'd let out a big laugh, whereas Henrik just gave a slight smirk). I HATED the part of the episode which not only talked about the gassing of a poor horse, but also showed it. It was horrible and I did not like it one bit. I wish they'd left it as just being talked about and not shown (though that would've been bad enough). Though I guess the footage proved important in the investigation. Still, that whole part brought down the episode for me quite a bit, as I hate animal death in shows. Speaking of things I hate - as if I didn't hate the two thief girls enough already, the fact that they had the nerve to ask for Henrik and then gave him a very pathetic excuse for an apology (in regards to stealing his stuff and selling off those necklaces which clearly meant so much to him) showed just how horrible they were. Of course, although Henrik was not happy with them, he was still far too forgiving of them when they asked if he'd be back and he answered with "Maybe." - of course later on we discover that they lied about seeing who they said they saw and only did it so they could move back in with Henrik. As he pointed out, they risked the men in the lineup, who weren't at all guilty, being locked up in prison. Those girls are heartless, selfish, lying wastes of space and I'm glad Henrik yelled at them once he discovered the depths of how low they'd sink. They deserved much worse. And 'much worse' was what Saga got when she revealed to Henrik that she had gotten rid of the 'embryo'/child. It was a bit of a shock to hear her reveal that, and I can only imagine how shocking it must've been for Henrik. The fact that she did it because she wouldn't be able to be around Henrik in there was a child. However, as I saw pointed out elsewhere, it was unrealistic to think of someone like Saga carrying a child and giving birth (considering she couldn't even stand working at a different desk at work). She didn't want the child and she would've been giving up all control she had if she kept it - that just isn't Saga. Also, there was the added part where she revealed that she had deeper feelings for Henrik and explained (in a very 'technical' way) that she thought she was in love with him. The was likely such a hard thing for someone like Saga to do, she was very vulnerable there - and Henrik lost it at her. I'm sure there were probably a large percentage of viewers who understood his anger and hated Saga after the reveal, siding with him and all too happy to see him not only yell at her and say he couldn't stand to look at her, but also telling her he thinks she's not capable of love. While I certainly couldn't understand him being mad at her getting rid of the child after he'd said earlier that he would take it (since she offered last episode), it really was horrible to see him be so merciless with his verbal attacks on her. I'm sure it's probably a very divisive scene, with people falling on either side, but the one thing I'm sure most would agree on is that it was a very well-acted scene by both Sofia Helin and Thure Lindhardt. It was devastating to see these two characters (who had grown closer over last season and this one) have their 'friendship/partnership' basically destroyed by this one thing (I've always said that kids in shows/movies ruin things - and apparently this is true before they've even been born). I'm not sure how they'll recover from this, but I'm hoping they do. While the horse-gassing knocked the episode down a bit for me, that scene between Saga and Henrik near the end was so well done that it bumped the episode back up. 8/10 An interview with Sofia Helin and Thure Lindhardt regarding the final season:
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Apr 7, 2018 8:22:54 GMT
So, I recorded episode 6 of Season 4 on TV as usual Thursday night, but it was on later than usual because the channel decided to have a movie before it. I'd recorded the movie, watched the recording last night, then forgot that the episode was on after it and deleted my recording, only to realise too late that I hadn't yet watched it. That ticked me off a bit. So I had to find it online. I haven't watched an episode of a show online in a long time. I much prefer the TV. This had to be the longest 'teaser' (the part of the episode that comes before the opening credits) yet, I think. It was the backstory of Tommy the criminal informant and what happened to him, how Henrik was involved and why someone's killing people this season. For a while I wondered if the flashback was going to take up the majority of the episode, but it ended up running for about 1/3 of the video I was watching. It wasn't fun seeing Henrik still angry at Saga (no matter how understandable his reason for it might've been). I think it's a testament to Sofia Helin's acting/portrayal of Saga, the fact that I can still sympathise with her/feel sorry for her even after she aborted the child against Henrik's wishes. She had her reasons, and in typical Saga fashion, she might not have gone about it the correct way, but I could at least see the 'logic' for why she did it from her point of view. Henrik wasn't just kind of a jerk to Saga. When he pulled Kevin/Brian out of his wheelchair to force him to walk (which he couldn't), it seemed like Henrik was taking out his anger towards Saga on not just her, but others as well. Saga and Jonas were an interesting dynamic. I still don't like him, but he wasn't as horrible to her as I'd expected. He still wasn't *nice*, of course, but I'd expected much worse. I guess that's progress. But he's still shady. I'd seen this photo of Saga holding some random child when searching for pictures previously, and it was this episode where I finally got to see the scene play out. Her reaction to being forced to hold the child (I hate when people do that, btw. Stop forcing your spawn onto others!) and asking, "How old is it?" was amusing. And good on Saga for being observant enough to note the kid's blue eyes and the fact that both the supposed parents didn't have them, thereby proving there had been some cheating going on - which she pretty much came right out and said (as Saga always tends to do). I hated that Nicole woman calling Saga an 'ugly bitch'. I know Saga would never do so, but I wished she had decked her for that (but then Saga would be in trouble, of course). It was sad to see Henrik losing his temper with Saga over her pointing out to him how he kept referring to Kevin/Brian by his fake name instead of his real one, and Henrik was just generally short with her/the way he responded to her. He had no patience for Saga like he usually did. Lillian reacted fairly well to the news that Saga had no only been involved with Henrik, but also had gotten pregnant from him and terminated the pregnancy so they could be together (in her mind). She said Saga could've handled things better, but at least she didn't lash out at her/insult her. Still hating the thieving girls who continue to prove themselves to be THE WORST, having discussions about using people and then running off. I don't particularly care about what happens to them, but if they get a happy ending...I think I'll be rather annoyed. I wish they'd quit taking up screentime. Any scene we see Saga with her psychiatrist is a good scene, and this one was no exception. As strange as Saga's logic might seem to everyone else, I could understand her way of thinking that finding Henrik's lost kids would somehow make up for her getting rid of their one and that they could then be together. It was no doubt flawed logic, but I could see how it would make sense to her. I really didn't like seeing Henrik screwing some random chick named Tanja and then throwing it in Saga's face when she repeatedly called him. Obviously he wanted to hurt her like she hurt him, but it just seemed very petty. I'd just come around to really liking Henrik by the end of last season/start of this season...but I'm not a fan of him when he's like this. I'm so happy to see that all signs are pointing to this Astrid girl being one of Henrik's daughters, as it's just such a relief that it would mean there's no chance it's either of the girl thieves - thank goodness. This wasn't what you'd call a very 'fun' episode (not that the show is usually a barrel of laughs exactly, but Saga and Henrik being at odds made for a much less enjoyable episode than normal). 7.5/10 Anyway, here's something to cheer things up a bit - The Saga Norén Show! Seeing^ Sofia switch so easily from herself to Saga is very impressive (not that it's unexpected that she would be, since she's impressive in every single episode of the series), but she certainly didn't half-arse it. She fully went for it, playing Saga 100% like she does in the show, and the guy clearly wasn't prepared for it (or Saga's line of questioning either, apparently - given his awkward reactions to it and then just cutting things off when he got too uncomfortable.). Sofia Helin/Saga Norén: 1. Dude: 0.
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Apr 13, 2018 7:48:21 GMT
At least I managed to catch episode 7 of Season 4 on TV last night and not miss it entirely like I did last week. So, Saga was her typical blunt self when asked whether the woman Henrik found hanging last week (before he got shot) suffered or not: "She was hanged. She didn't break her neck. She was strangled. It can take time." I'm glad they didn't drag out reuniting Henrik with Astrid for too long. Saga put it all together, got the confirmation she needed (after barging in on a intimate moment in order to get a photo of Henrik's daughter aged up) and then she told him. Of course, in the car ride to go rescue her, Saga was her typical self... Henrik: "What about Astrid? Is she okay? Saga: "I've already told you everything I know. Asking more won't help." Thankfully, he was less hostile than last week. Thure Lindhardt did a good job with all the reaction shots this week - firstly, hearing that Saga had found one of his daughters, then hearing the other one was dead, then when he heard gunshots as they attempted to go rescue her, and finally being reunited with her. When everyone was applauding Saga for a job well done, it was somewhat amusing that she just said "Good." and then wanted to move onto being brought up to date on the case/getting a report...but also kind of sad, as she wasn't even able to enjoy everyone giving her praise (it's just how she is). All the reactions to her quickly wanting to move on were funny, though. The best moment was Henrik thanking Saga, Saga asking Henrik if they were okay now, and him being very genuine in his confirmation that they indeed were. I also liked hearing him describe Saga to his daughter as "My friend. My best friend." (that was a good scene between him and Astrid). I thought the guy Lillian had been getting involved with would wind up dead...but it was a surprise that instead she received the head of Hans in a basket of flowers (speaking of, she should've been much more cautious when answering the door and accepting gifts that got delivered - I was waiting for an explosion or something). I was surprised that Jonas showed any sort of concern for Saga by telling her to stay at the station, then to wear a vest when she insisted on leaving. What I couldn't figure out was what he handed her when they were doing their questioning. I liked the scene with Saga and her co-worker, where he said he liked working with her and would hate to lose her, and she said she liked him too (because he's "efficient and competent"). The scenes with Saga and her psychiatrist have all been really good and added something to every episode. This time, their discussion about Saga doing "the right thing" and what *feels* right paid off later when she got the Hans head and returned it to the rest of him in his grave...then she came right out and told Lillian about forging her signature to do so and how it felt right to do it. I couldn't care less about the thieving girls and what's going on with them. So the ending with them really did nothing for me. Everything before that, though, had been pretty good. Only one more episode of the series left - I'm sad about that. I'm also very worried about what will happen in the series final next week. Here's hoping the characters I like survive, but not the ones I don't like. 8/10
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Apr 20, 2018 8:39:38 GMT
Well, we got the Season 4/series final of Bron/Broen (aka The Bridge) here on TV last night...so if you want to remain spoiler-free for the end of the series, probably best not to read below. I must say, the thieving girls (which we start the episode with) have been the worst part of this season. I realise they had bad stuff happen to them, but it's no excuse for the way they've treated decent people like Henrik who've only tried to help them. This final season might've been a bit more enjoyable if not for them (though it has been a rather depressing season regardless). The fact that they were talking about breaking into Henrik's place again showed they really hadn't learned anything. Henrik was too good a person towards them (when he later checked on them/said to keep in touch). They didn't deserve his kindness. Too bad the 'nicer' one of the two was who got tasered. Wish it had been the other one. Things picked up, though, once we got to Saga and her co-workers. They tried having a joke with her, but as usual she really wasn't 'getting' the joke, nor did she have any time for it - which I could understand. At least her "How strange you've become since you started having sex." to them was amusing. I also got a laugh out of Saga and Henrik's conversation on the phone. This^ was something that had been established right from the start of the show - that whenever Saga answered her phone/called someone on her phone, she always announced herself as "Saga Norén, Malmö CID."/"Saga Norén, Malmö Police." in full and she used it throughout this final episode too. It was usually played for laughs, but by the end of the episode/series it had deeper meaning. Saga, despite any 'social awkwardness', proved just how good at her job she was by piecing everything together in these last few episodes. If I hadn't known prior to this episode that she made it out of the series final alive, I probably would've been very worried when she got shot. Thankfully, she'd taken the advice given to her by Jonas (of all people) last episode about wearing a vest. I was so glad to see her be okay and shooting at the one who shot her, and so many times it frustrates me how they don't aim for the car tires - but thankfully Saga DID. Astrid taking Henrik to his other daughter's (Anna) grave turned somewhat creepy when he hugged her and she almost looked like she was half-smiling. They did a good job of making me wonder whether there was a 'dark' side to her or not. Once again, Thure Lindhardt was excellent at portraying Henrik's emotions - not only regarding being reunited with his still-alive daughter last episode, but trying to reconnect with her in the early scenes of this episode, and then his breakdown at the grave of his deceased daughter. After he got back on good terms with Saga last episode, I was back to liking him again, and therefore was able to feel very sorry for him in this episode. While I was glad to see Jonas pay for the whole 'leaks' thing he'd been a part of, it was interesting that he tossed Saga's report for having fired her weapon in a 'densely populated area' - as old Jonas would've tried to use her actions against her, whereas here he was dismissing her having 'technically' done something she probably wasn't supposed to (even though it was warranted/the situation called for such actions) and actually seemed to not want her to go. Whether any of that was genuine, I'm not entirely sure. He did seem to develop a smidgen more depth than he began the show with. Still, I wasn't sad to see him go and Lillian take back her position. Of course, with the killer seemingly caught by mid-episode, I just *knew* there was going to be more to it than that. I kept waiting for something horrible to happen. Naturally, things did go sideways a bit later on...but before that, Saga and Henrik got to have some random casual sex. Good on them! Though that would typically spell doom in season/series finals - one last shag and all that. I felt so sorry for Saga when it came to her wondering about whether she was responsible for what happened to her sister or not - so it was such a relief that she discovered in this episode that it had been her mother who was responsible (though still very sad). I was so glad to see that weight lifted from Saga's shoulders. Thank goodness for all the scenes we got between Saga and her psychiatrist this season - they really allowed us to get to know Saga's psyche more and see different sides to her. I also appreciated the fact that the first person Saga called, after she found out what the deal was with her mother and sister, was Henrik...and that she felt she just had to tell someone (which was progress for her, instead of keeping things bottled up). Sofia Helin was always great as Saga, but just watching the emotions she was going through when she presented the evidence she'd found, then was told what her mother had done, were quite something to behold. She was often very 'understated'/restrained, but when the occasion called for her to show deep emotion, she nailed it. I also liked her psychiatrist asking her what she'd do if she wasn't a police officer and suggesting to her that she go do whatever she wanted to do (after reaching the conclusion that Saga, at least in part, had become a police officer out of guilt for thinking she'd been responsible for what happened to her sister) - a conversation which would also have particular relevance by the end of the episode. I think Henrik summed the both of them up best: "We're both really fucked up, huh?" (though I also liked Saga's reply: "I think we've done really well with the psychosocial difficulties we've had." - and she was right too). I enjoyed seeing Saga figure out that the killer they caught wasn't working alone and seeing her interact with her co-workers. She really did piece everything together exceptionally well after doing the hard work. It was also interesting seeing her visit the woman who stabbed her in the back in the first episode of the season. As the episode was heading towards its climax, I started wondering again if there was going to be some big reveal about Astrid...but it turned out to be the wheelchair guy (I guess I shouldn't have felt so bad for him when Henrik forced him out of his chair a couple of episodes ago - since he didn't actually need it anymore and was acting/playing the part of being wheelchair-bound...much like Spike did in the second half of BtVS's second season). Thure Lindhardt again did a fine job of portraying the emotions Henrik was going through as the killer was trying to force him to watch his only living daughter be executed (even going so far as to shoot her in the leg). Henrik saying that he loved his daughter and apologising to her as he thought they were both about to die was really fine work from the actor. The scene built the tension well, and the fact that we saw Saga in her car and calling for backup, being told to stay put, but then going in anyway to save Henrik by shooting the killer in the eye showed that her conversation from an earlier episode about 'doing what is right' had stuck with her. In this case, she didn't wait for backup (which she'd probably consider 'wrong'), but did what felt 'right' - which was go in to save Henrik after she heard the gunshot. It was SUCH a relief when we saw her standing there. I'm glad she got to save the day (which was definitely how it should've been, as I would've been unhappy with anything less). No amount of screentime was probably going to be satisfactory for us fans of the Saga/Henrik pairing/relationship/partnership dynamic...but I think their goodbye scene did as well as it could to give us a satisfactory 'end' to them (with enough left open to interpretation). Henrik expressed great relief/gratitude towards Saga for saving him and his daughter and wanted Saga to meet Astrid, but Saga was her usual self, saying that it would have to be later. I enjoyed their final conversation (as Saga was still Saga, but there was so much emotion behind their last exchange): Saga: "I've decided to go away a while." Henrik: "Where?" Saga: "I don't know." Henrik: "What are you going to do?" Saga: "What I want." Henrik: "What's that?" Saga: "I don't know yet." Henrik: "Do you know what I said to Kevin?" Saga: "You mean to Brian?" Henrik: "Do you know what I said?" Saga: "No, how would I know that?" Henrik: "I said that I needed you more than you needed me." Saga: "I see." Henrik: "But that isn't right, is it?" Saga: "No, it isn't." Henrik: "Let me know when you come back." I wasn't certain about Henrik to begin with, but by the end I think I liked his partnership with Saga just as much as her one with Martin. Maybe more. It was different...but in a *good* way (which is all that you can hope for when half of the show's two leads leave at the end of the second season. If they'd tried to make Henrik too much like Martin, it wouldn't have worked). Their dynamic is the second thing I'll miss most about this show coming to an end. And the thing I'll miss most? Sofia Helin's amazing performance and the character of Saga herself, of course. I think I read somewhere that there'd been a possibility that things might not have ended so well for Saga in the series final...but I'm glad the show-makers decided to give her a break/a chance at some happiness in her life after all she'd been through. The show's final sequence, with Saga stopping on the bridge (because naturally that's where the show had to end - very fitting), was really well-done, I thought. The way that she looked at her badge and contemplated all the things she'd done/been through, what she *could* be/could do next, and what others had said to her was really well-shot too. And after she threw her badge away and got in her car, we heard her answer her phone one last time - though not with "Saga Norén, Malmö CID."/"Saga Norén, Malmö Police.", but this time just simply... ^Perfect. This show was probably my favourite cop show (or damn close to being my favourite). I don't think we'll get another one like it for some time, and I certainly don't think there'll be another character like Saga - portrayed by such an exceptional actress as Sofia Helin - for a good long while. The show might not have been as 'big' as other cop shows, and I don't think it got nearly enough recognition/the recognition it deserved - but it was a hidden gem that I was so glad I discovered (albeit rather late into Season 1 on TV). I will miss this show greatly, but especially Sofia Helin and Saga Norén. 9/10 And since the show gave us an extra long rendition of the show's theme at the end of this final episode, here's the regular length theme for the opening/closing credits of Season 4 - 'Hollow Talk' by Choir of Young Believers:
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Post by MrFurious on Aug 20, 2018 15:26:59 GMT
Great thread Chalice. Just watched the final ep yesterday and very happy the way it all ended. Will really miss Saga
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