First thing I have to say is, that The Bridge has the most exceptional theme song.

Hollow Talk by The Choir of Young Believers is a moody, delicate, depressing song. Perfect for a series, which is all of the above.

The Bridge snuck up on me. I had it in the bookcase for a fair while, and for some reason, thought it was over ten years old. I realised, when I finally loaded it into my computer to watch, that in fact, it was only fairly new and being touted as the new The Killing.

Here’s some of the wiki synopsis: What appears to be the body of a female Swedish politician is discovered in the middle of the Øresund Bridge, which connects Copenhagen in Denmark with Malmö in Sweden. The body, cut in half at the waist, has been placed precisely on the border between the countries, thus falling under the jurisdiction of both the Danish and Swedish police agencies. After further examination, it turns out that the body is that of two separate corpses, with one half belonging to a Danish prostitute. Saga Norén, from the Swedish side, and Martin Rohde, from the Danish, lead the investigation to catch the murderer … And so it goes.

Sonia Helin plays the socially awkward, dogged and forthright Swedish detective Saga Noren. Her counterpoint is Kim Bodnia as Martin Rodhe. Rodhe is a family man with an easy manner and a wandering eye. While on the case, the pair develop an uneasy friendship which develops into something deeper as the story takes a very personal turn.

The acting and the suspense are as good as any of the best Scandinavian television series. I found the mood to be even bleaker than The Killing, as the story is played out through the chill of a Swedish/Danish winter. I don’t recall  seeing the sun shine once. Coupled with the outstanding theme music, The Bridge, had me hooked before a word is ever spoken.

Interestingly though, Saga is a little harder to connect with than our beloved Sarah Lund from The Killing. I felt sympathy for Saga, and admired her dedication and police instincts. She truly interested me, but I couldn’t see myself in her shoes. This is an observation rather than a criticism. With Lund, I felt totally connected, with Saga, I was fascinated. The character of Martin Rodhe is portrayed as loving and charming on one hand, and selfish and vain, on the other. Having Saga playing against him, and seeing their fledgling friendship develop, is his saving grace. Otherwise, I might have been inclined to throw my remote control at him.

The Bridge creates a believable dynamic between its lead detectives, who are caught in a suspenseful and twisted tale of revenge. I can see why Clive James thought he might die from despair when series two finished! Hooray for Nordic Noir!

The UK series premiered in 2009 and I heard a lot about it back then.

As often happens with me, I watched a half an episode on TV and got distracted and never got back to it.

Then I bought series one, but that languished on my shelves for a year or so as well. I did watch the first episode and wound up thinking that the show didn’t know what it was quite yet, and therefore neither did I.

Third time lucky. I sat down with real intent this time and gobbled the first three series. In doing so, like thousands before me, I developed an unhealthy crush on the troubled character of John Mitchell. I also enjoyed the bickering, loving, impatient and loyal family dynamic amongst the three main characters, and their deep committment to their friendship. I still think Mitchell’s was the most interesting story arc, though Annie’s storyline had its moments (especially when she finds out the truth behind her own death). However, Mitchell’s struggle to stay clean, his sense of responsibility to his people when Herrick is murdered, despite knowing their evil, and the constant war between his survival instinct and his need to feel connected and loved and still human, made for some compelling scenes.

Aidan Turner did a superb job of switching off the charm and switching on the terrifying blood sucker. As Mandy said to me … so beautiful and so broken. I really thoroughly enjoyed the first three series right up until the final episode.

Turner and Tovey acted their hearts out in the dramatic finale scene, but I felt the choreographing of it (and here I’m looking at the writers and the director) strayed into melodrama. Annie’s final lines to Mitchell, and his to her, came as a kind of a rushed afterthought and the intervention of the “Old One” vampire detracted from the inevitable, and affected the pacing. In the end, the scene played out without quite the emotional weight I was looking for (translated: I sniffled but I didn’t howl!).

Today, before I wrote this, I came across some old photos of Michael Hutchence back when he was a lad about town. It gave me a complete John Mitchell flashback. Mitchell was the complete vampire rockstar, and wasn’t he good at it! I’ve elected not to watch series 4 and 5 for the moment. I’m still too connected to the orginal cast to give it a fair viewing. Neither have I heard anything about the US series but I would welcome some comments on the comparison.

Quite a few people have asked me if I had a soundtrack for PEACEMAKER. So thanks to Spotify, you can now hear it. Be prepared to surprised!

• Big Iron – Marty Robins
• Wild, Wild West – The Escape Club
• Riders on the Storm – The Doors
• Timber – Pitbull/Kesha
• Rawhide – Frankie Laine
• Prairie Fire – Marty Robbins
• Harlan County Line – Dane Alvin
• Bad Things – Jace Everett

• Saving Grace – Everlast

• They Call the Wind Mariah – Paint Your Wagon

• The Gospel of No Name City – Paint Your Wagon

• There’s a Coach Coming In – Paint Your Wagon

• Counting Stars – OneRepublic

• Royals – Lorde

• Sitting on the Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding