The Bridge has caused a stir in TV land (in the way The Killing did) and series 2 sees this Scandinavian series go from strength to strength. Saga and Martin are on the trail of some nasty eco-terrorists, and the plot is sufficiently twisted and misleading to keep the viewer unsure whodunnit it all until the very end (or in fact, ’til there’s only one contender left!)

Sexual misconduct proves to be a motivating force behind many of the characters’ actions, but so does idealism, greed, and loneliness. While the main story is well-paced and suspenseful, it’s the in-between moments, as Saga grapples with having a live-in partner, and Martin tries to come to terms with the abominable consequences of season one and get his life back together, that really hold the emotional weight. Trying to preserve their friendship under the enormous pressures of the case and their dysfunctional personal lives is compelling viewing in itself. Saga’s Aspergers is still never openly discussed, and people around her either make allowances for her, or don’t. Martin seems to have put his womanising behind him, but the collateral damage is profound.

The unrelenting winter landscape and hauntingly prophetic theme music are the perfect backdrop to this brilliantly acted and scripted series. The weather is an involuntary character, but one who has an undeniable impact on everything about The Bridge. I could feel the bleakness seeping into my bones from the other side of screen.

It seems that Martin does not return to centre stage in series 3 (if at all). It will be sad, strange, and interesting not to have him there. I wonder who the writers will use as the bridge between Saga, the rest of her world, and us?

OMG goodness, what delightful anticipation… as you know, my love affair with good TV is ongoing. So much so that I’m excited to share with you my all time favourite theme songs. There are a couple of oldies included, but a lot of the really good stuff is relatively new. See if you agree with me…

12. This Life by Curtis Stigers and The Forest Rangers for Sons of Anarchy theme

Kind of anarchic and bluesy at the same time.

11. Gangstagrass Ft. Tone Z. for Justified

This grew on me slowly. Love the idea of gangsta Ralen.

10. Hawaii Five O theme

Still rush to the TV whenever I hear the opening sequence.

(more)

A long time ago, we used to be friends, but I haven’t heard from you lately at all – come on now, sugah, bring it on, bring it on. Just remember me when … ~The Dandy Warhols

My friends have been raving about this series for years, and I finally paid attention to them. I won’t give the whole story summary here; most of you who will read this, will already know what the series is about. Instead, I’ll talk about why I fell so instantly in love. Girl detective–well that part is a no brainer! But, as well, Veronica is just so damn super smart. How wonderful to find a TV series celebrating that a young girl is the smartest person in the room! Veronica is everything I love in female hero.

Watching Veronica think her way through her problems is an immensely empowering experience, and not one that normally ever happens in TV fiction. Kristen Bell was absolutely born for the role of Veronica and she’s been quoted as saying as much. Her supporting cast were perfect, none more so than Enrico Colantoni who plays her father, Keith Mars. (It’s been almost impossible to watch him any role since.) Jason Dohring is equally perfect as the smouldering and dysfunctional Logan Echolls, who never fails to drag Veronica into his dramas. And then there’re Weevil and Wallace and Mac–all wonderful characters who could’ve so easily been stereotypes, but weren’t. (Cream on the cake was having Charisma Carpenter in the cast–one of my favourite Hollywood people.)

I wish I’d come to this series earlier so I could have contributed to the Kick-starter campaign that raised around 6 million dollars to produce a movie (sadly it looks like they’ve only made a percentage of that back). And what a great movie it was…a delightfully satisfying full circle for Veronica, who comes to terms with who she really is, and what that means. Also, I found that the discussion about addiction was a very powerful way to end the story.

Oh, and as theme music goes… this is my all time number 1! (Which makes me think of another topic for a blog post.)

The Dandy Warhols – We Used to be Friends

The Series

The Pilot for Series 4

The Movie