Day Two Hundred and Twenty-eight - Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter: A Place in the Sun, "Aww, Annika's finally getting some~"

After spending the last few episodes of Crime Reporter feuding with her now ex-husband over his affair and their subsequent divorce/custody issues, Annika is on the hunt for the murderers of a Swedish family living in Spain... as well as finding some physical companionship on the side.

And I say that it's about time!

Revolving around a conspiracy that has left an ex-hockey player and his family dead, A Place in the Sun travels from Sweden to Spain to Gibraltar and Morocco, as Annika unearths clues and finds ties to drug lords, horse ranches, and hitwomen. Centering mostly in Costa Del Sol, Spain, Annika is on assignment with a glamorous interpreter/guide and a hapless photographer, the former too worried about her shoes and the latter more concerned with finding artistic shots instead of getting sensational portraits for their tabloid, Kvällspressen.

Speaking of Kvällspressen, it seems their pitpull of a news editor is retiring and, instead of leaving field work and taking the job herself, Annika's annoying rival Patrik gets the job and begins making thinks awkward and altogether difficult for our favorite crusader.

Still, Annika manages to cover quite a few stories during her working vacation in Costa Del Sol, reporting on the initial deaths, then a drug bust and subsequent connections to possible kidnappings, more murders, and the lampshaded villain who is introduced at the beginning of the episode but doesn't show up again till the climax (so you just KNOW he's involved somehow, probably as the ringleader).

A bit cliche, tis true, but still... one of the stronger episodes.

It's nice to see Annika getting a little action, especially since the last time was with her creep of an ex several episodes back. He's in Costa Del Sol, too, and manages to help her a bit, but not without trying to lay on the charm and cheat on his current partner with his old one. What a douche, no matter the clarifying exposition he presents Annika over a "working dinner."

On the sexy-times note, I should mention that, yes, as Annika is getting some nookie again we are once more treated to some tasteful toplessness from series star Malin Crépin. Thank god for Europeans and their lack of squeamishness when it comes to nudity. It's not objectification, just intimacy... and there should be nothing wrong with showing that in film, but try telling that to the FCC and network censors.

Anyways, back to the main plot... the climax action scene was a little forced and awkward, but I did really like how the men turned out to be utterly useless and it was up to the women to fend off the small squad of armed invaders to save the day. I'm not sure that I quite understand the legalities of the "missing" girl's decision in the denouement, but it's strangely satisfying that, even in this modern age of digital surveillance, someone with the will to disappear and live a happy life actually can.

You know, with a little help from her ex-criminal god-mother.

Being the last episode of the series, I'm a bit sad to see Annika go with little to no fanfare. It's certainly not the series finale that I've grown accustomed to, but does cap off a few characters and signals a life transition for the office of Kvällspressen that could possibly be taken for an ending. 

Not that I want the character to die or retire or anything... it's just that there's not all that much sense of finality or closure to the series. At least, not one similar to those that I'm familiar with thanks to American procedurals and their often concrete or cliffhangery finales.

Still, I'll miss you, Annika... and hope to see you (and Malin Crépin) again in the near future.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Twenty - Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter: Lifetime, "Drugs, Corruption, Domination, Murder... Good Stuff."

I've been on a tear, lately... feeling the need to bring my time with Annika to a close, not because I'm happy to see the episode count dwindle (only one left after this), but because, with the dozens of shows I've started and skipped around in during the Couchbound Project, I need some real, tangible completion.

Lifetime is a pretty darn good penultimate moment... both for said completionism and the series as a whole.

The quality of Annika Bengtzon has fluctuated a bit over the series. Some episodes were middling-to-good and others were just "meh." Lifetime, feels like the cream of the crop, so far, in terms of production value, pacing and editing, and tense, logical, and concise writing.

It has a compelling murder/kidnapping case with a very sympathetic guest star in the form of policewoman Nina Hoffman (Ellen Mattsson) who struggles to do the right thing despite the Blue Wall of Silence. Additionally, there's a return to interesting family drama as Annika and her ex fight over custody of the children between beats of the mystery... with some tense crossover between the two.

I think what was most fascinating about the episode was the great investigative work that Annika and her colleagues produce, a trait that Lifetime shares with The Red Wolf and had pretty much been missing from the series since the pilot. Watching all the pieces begin to fall together concerning the murdered corrupt cop, a precinct chief, and their previous schemes were all great filler moments and were oddly much more enjoyable than the actual climax where Annika attempts to rescue the kidnapped child.

It's weird in that regard. I much preferred to watch the staff of Kvällspressen organize and work than the "human interest" interludes with the victim/suspect and the search drama... and, while I enjoyed the custody/stalking subplot that Annika and her children go through, it wasn't as compelling as the rundowns on the clearboard in her office.

That being said, when Annika is accosted late in the episode, I definitely felt the tension. Even as I knew that there was one more to go, I couldn't help but seize up in fear that Liza Marklund had thrown in a twist and the final episode was going to be a postmortem on her own star character.

I also like the chances the drama takes that would never fly on American television. I mean, honestly, would you ever expect to see a child wet herself in fear on a prime time procedural unless it was done off-screen and mentioned only in passing by some angry detective trying to dehumanize a suspect?

It is probably safe to say that Lifetime is my favorite episode so far.

It doesn't shy away from its messages and hangups, even if they can be a bit cliche (I mean, c'mon... "corrupt chief isolates dogooder cop chick?"). Still, I hope with a passion that the final episode, A Place In The Sun, is just as good or better.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Two Hundred and Fifteen - Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter: The Red Wolf, "Murder begets murder begets sales."

It's been a while since I was in the mood for Annika.

I can't really say it's because I wasn't interested in continuing the series (only two more left after this), it's just that sometimes even I have to want to read subtitles. Coming from a self-confessed subs fan when it comes to anime, I kind of find that revelation hilarious.

Anyways, since we last visited Sweden's most dogged crime reporter, not much has changed. Sure, she's married now to her longtime companion (and father to her children), but we knew that last episode. No, the only difference between the time of Studio Sex and now is yet another murder.

Seems someone has offed a journalist that Annika knew in passing in a town called Lulea in Uppsala. What might have been a case of petty revenge or genuine accident turns into much more when Annika finds a witness... who is subsequently murdered, himself.

Apparently, this all revolves around a left-wing terrorist cell from back in the seventies and its hitman leader who has been abroad the past few decades. It seems like he's rounding up his old cell compatriots, who have all gone on to lead normal lives, and offing them or anyone getting close to them (like the reporter and the teenaged witness). There's a twist to that assumption, of course, but it would be spoilery of me to reveal.

The mystery, itself, unfolds rather simply. There really are no connections until the bodies start piling up, but it's nice to see Annika do all the legwork and operate both on logic and instinct. I especially like the gimmick of the Red Wolf postcard. It's a nice visual that seems to be the only redeeming dramatic feature of the episode's whodunit.

Unfortunately, on the "Annika's personal life" side of things, this episode is more than a bit annoying. We've seen her relationship with her husband go through some tough times, but they've always pulled out in the end... and the better for it. This time, though, an affair is inserted to drive them apart. It's amazing what demanding work schedules and children can do to spoil a marriage.

I just really find it disingenuous that, even if there's a little friction, he hops into bed with the first bimbo to show any interest... especially after Annika helped him review some case for his job where he basically ripped off and repeated exactly what she told him of her analysis. 

It all feels fake and forced, but that doesn't stop me from getting furious with him for cheating... an act that Annika finds out about all too soon. I mean, honestly, if you're going to have an affair, try not to snog your mistress in the open air in the very same area of town where your wife and children could be walking down the street.

Dumbass, moron, villain.

I think that, overall, Annika Bengtzon isn't the greatest of crime dramas. It force feeds you clues as well as drama and never has any real sense of menace when it comes to its murders and murderers. That said, it's still more intelligent and interesting than the grand majority of procedurals (like Numb3rs and BONES, which rely on gimmicks and formulae).

It's worth it, I think... but don't go beating a path to it in your queue.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day One Hundred and Twenty-seven - Annika Bengtzon:Crime Reporter: Studio Sex, "Saddest... Strip Club... Ever"

I have a secret to confess.

I've been staying away from Annika Bengtzon and her mysteries simply because so many of my hits  here on Couchbound come from people searching for her. In a weird sort of anti-pandering, I've been physically and emotionally repulsed from continuing the series due to the fact that I didn't want to come off as greedy.

Hang on, I fell in some strawberry jam!

That said, I was in the mood and said mood was finally strong enough to overcome my extreme hesitance.

Based on the Liza Marklund novels, the third Annika Bengtzon:Crime Reporter movie is titled Studio Sex and revolves around the murder of a stripper and the subsequent political scandal that results when folks find out that ruling party big wigs might have been entertaining foreign dignitaries there.

The murder strikes particularly close to home for Annika as she identifies with both the victim and said victim's best friend... so much so, in fact, that she invites that friend into her home (against the advice of her colleagues) to protect her from whom she rightly believes abused her. 

Your hair is caught in my watch! Seriously!

The abuse angle provided quite a bit of character depth for Annika that we haven't been privy to in the previous two episodes, and it does so in a nice, balanced way that saves the true meat of the story for the final moments before her ultimate confrontation with the killer. 

Speaking of the killer, it was nice to see Annika in the thick of things again like in Nobel's Last Will. Last episode was rather 'meh' when it came to the ultimate reveal and arrest. This time, the tension was back and I actually felt some threat for her well-being. Not as much as with Nobel, but better. If they can manage to keep both variety and tension, as the series progresses, I'll be pleased. If it's more like Prime Time, then I'll pass.

When it comes to the risqué factor, I'm a bit conflicted. 

Trying on a dead girl's clothes... that's got to be curse-worthy.

While it's always good to have a little tasteful nudity to emphasize vulnerability in some scenes and trust in others, it seems like they were hindered here for some reason. Where there could have made less "made for tv" consessions (like in the strip club), they were purposefully using props to their advantage... whereas when it was time for Annika to be alone, it was okay to have her topless?

I dunno... it just felt ham-fisted to be all cheeky hiding it at the club while going for it when she's in bed with her husband.

Maybe it was a union/contract thing?

Anyways, that's a nitpicky point that is really of no consequence. What really disappointed me was the resolution of the political scandal storyline. That had better come back later in the series or next season (if there is one) as not only was the ending unsatisfying, but it was too bloody short to mean anything. Just a quick bit of blackmail and done... not even a wink or nod to the paper.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Sixty-two - Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter: Prime Time, or "I'll take my boredom in high quality HD, please"

The second episode of Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter was a bit of a letdown, really.

Not that the intrepid heroine necessarily needs to be in harms way all the time, but there does need to be some sort of menace or tension to pull me in. Prime Time tries by making the lead suspect in the murder of a famous show host Annika's best friend, but I never really felt it.

Set in a sort of Christie fashion, Prime Time tells the story of a house full of celebs where one of them gets murdered after a party. Really, the drama is minimal. Most of the action in the first hour is Annika trying to get the story as it develops, and doing a pretty good job of it. Her improvisations and bluffs to get the names of all ten witnesses/suspects is actually my favorite thing in the episode. Very enjoyable.

The mystery, itself, not so much.

Annika's friend is shown unsympathetically as a bitchy drunk, of course, to throw up a red herring, and the parade of suspects lacks pretty totally in redeeming factors aside from the aging production tech, Gunnar. To be honest, I kept expecting for him to show back up as a suspect later in the third or fourth act due to his calm demeanor when the body is discovered.

Aside from him, though, my second choice did turn out to be the killer, and that's a bit sad. Not because I got it right or they were my second choice, but because I actually did feel for the person. Most of the episode focused on painting the victim as just that, a victim. While the climax revelation that she wasn't as good as everyone said was a bit silly, it did make me feel for the killer a little. Not much, but a little.

I think my main problem with the episode was that it was just boring. The investigation only served to reveal just how vapid everyone there was, even if Annika's method of drawing out information is charming and entertaining.

In addition to that, the forced family drama (that's twice, now, in two episodes and, while I liked it the first time, this one felt off) concerning Annika missing a Walpurgis celebration with the in-laws, bugs the heck out of me. Her boyfriend's ultimatum when work calls is overly dramatic and the fact that it resolves so easily by the end of the epi bugs me beyond belief.

Now... all that in perspective... this is a very high quality series in terms of production value and the regular player's acting. Everyone in the bullpen is very entertaining and I love all their chemistry. I especially love how much integrity her publisher has... and how much of a creep her editor is. If only the guest players (nee: witnesses/suspects/victims) could be just as engaging. They try, but I never really bought it.

I can certainly recommend the episode based on focusing on the news crew... but the mystery itself, blah. Hopefully, in a few days/weeks when I come back to it, the next crime story will interest me.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Fifty-three - Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter: Nobel's Last Will, or "Too bad Liza and Stieg couldn't have a love child."

I really like the Millennium Trilogy and the American remake of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so when Annika Bengtzon showed up as a recommended pick, I naturally gravitated its way, since it had some of the folks involved in the Trilogy behind the scenes.

To be honest, I expected much... and got almost everything that I wanted.

Sure, it was tamed down for television, but Nobel's Last Will was actually fairly sophisticated, especially when compared to American procedurals.

I really liked the gimmick of the gag order as it's pretty foreign to me for a police inspector to be able to muffle a reporter so effectively without a National Security order... let alone for her to keep to it so well, whereas an American reporter would find a way to leak it immediately.

There's also something awesome about Annika's personal drama, too.

I'm used to seeing family as a minimal presence... something to balance a main character from the stresses of their work, and that is here, but the bully plotline with her son is pretty damn compelling. This is especially true with how she chooses to confront it as, after not getting much support from her boyfriend, she does something so immediately protective and primal that she could get arrested or sued... and I loved every second of it saying "RIGHT ON" with my Id and "Oh, that's gonna bite you in the ass" with my Superego.

The mystery is a little drab, though. The clues that fall into place aren't all that clever. I mean, the way a letter uses one name over another that causes pressure and another murder? Also, the episodes final puzzle being a guessing game based on a random desktop photo? No, no, please try not to stretch my incredulity any further.

Also, the dream sequence was fine until it added an irrational bit. I thought it was reality until the murder victim showed up in faux Japanese-ghost-story fashion. If you're going to do a dream sequence, please be irrational right from the start in some manner. Even if the subject can't see it, the audience needs an obvious clue (like a flame going out or box falling up or something).

Still, it touches on all the right points. Strong female lead who is both a mother and a professional. Excellent camera work and color use. Proper, if predictable tension moments for commercial breaks. It all pretty much worked, even if the misdirect villain was a bit too obvious and the Yellow Eyes too preposterous.

I definitely look forward to watching the rest of the series.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~