Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

Konterr Brilliant and touching

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Tweekums Leif Lien is Chief Technical Officer for Norway's Civil Defence in the Oslo area; this puts him in charge of the network of tunnels and old bomb shelters under the city. In one of these shelters he is preparing for the end of civilisation; something he is sure will happen soon. Ravn Eikanger is a doctor who has been told that he can't use an untested new procedure to treat his terminally ill wife. Leif allows Ravn to use the clinic he has built in his shelter in exchange for also treating other 'customers' who don't want to go to official hospitals. The third person in the shelter is Leif's friend Teo Naustvik who is wanted by police and criminals alike after a botched robbery left him with a bag full of cash and his criminal colleagues locked in a bank vault. Over the course of the series Ravn attempts to find a cure for his comatose wife while the rest of the world thinks she is dead… and his daughter grows to suspect that he murdered her. A police officer closes in on Teo, with tragic consequences and Leif is frustrated that nobody is taking his warnings that civilisation is in danger seriously.Enjoyment of this series, as with many others, does rely on just accepting what we are told even if it is medically or scientifically unlikely/impossible. If you can it is rather fun. The story is intriguing as the genre was uncertain; at times it was a crime drama, a medical drama, a comment on the ethics of medical research and the money to be made in the field and even elements of a post-apocalyptic thriller. The characters are interesting, particularly the rather paranoid Leif and the likable but incompetent criminal Teo. The largely subterranean setting gives the series a good atmosphere. The cast does a fine job; most notably Pål Sverre Hagen, Sven Nordin and Mikkel Bratt Silset as Leif, Ravn and Teo respectively. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to people looking for something a little different.These comments are based on watching the series in Norwegian with English subtitles.

pawebster This is a great series. OK, the medical stuff isn't in the least bit realistic and the developments happen much too quickly - but, hey, it's a thriller. It rattles along and it's thrilling. Best of all, though, is the fact that there are such good characters and such good acting. A standout is Pal Sverre Hagen, who is excellent as the very unusual Leif. The comic relief from the disaster-prone Teo, also very well acted, really made me laugh.

zekeblack I echo the comment of previous reviewer that the field is in desperate need of some different plot premises. We made it, I hope, past the unlikable dysfunctional, usually addicted to drugs, alcohol,or an equally destructive behaviour who is gruff beyond rude, head-strong beyond reason. Now we have the formula: scenes alternating between violence and sexual, often both together, without much plot device. With required violence, often extended, on women.I look forward to something new, even if I have to suspend disbelief occasionally. i hope it discards those over-used tropes.

Ladiloque Boh Do you remember how much time we spent watching Walter White cleaning his meth-lab equipment to perfection?Or how long does it take for the average sci-fi blockbuster to introduce you to the concept of time-travelling?If you do, you will probably understand what I mean by hasty.In recent years what most American series lack in original and clever script, Scandinavian-northern productions seem to have plenty. They may miss the hits due to bad marketing, low international appeal, small letdowns or whatever prevents their values to strive (hits which - by the way - often get in the hands of various remakes). Still, this is the sign of cultures that nurture intelligence VERSUS beauty contests, popularity ratings and political correctness. But this is an entirely different topic.The story in Valkyrien is so open and complex that it could last 10 seasons (but it does it all in 8, 45 minutes episodes). A lot of topics rarely seen otherwise are dealt with: the power of bureaucracy, ethics and bio-ethics, sustainability, ecology, unavoidability of society, conspiracy theories. Given the number of productions around it's awesome finding something so fresh and interesting.Yet some lows can be spotted in the superficiality which we are provided here and there for action's or drama's sake (forget scientific or even procedurals' accuracy) and in some "too unlikely" scenes. And here is imho the major weakness of the show: to make people care you need them to believe in what they see. And to achieve this, spending a proper amount of time and details to allow the disbelief to be suspended is critical. I'm not suggesting that indulging in artificial lengthening (like in soaps, or even successful series like Lost) is the right solution. I'm stating that by abusing the simplistic pace of action movies, your audience forgets about depth. Which shouldn't be your objective if you focus your plot on complex, nerdy, not-popular and potentially-boring topics.Anyway: if you enjoy originality and well written cross genre stuff give it a try. But it would need a longer polished remake for the ideas to properly shine.