spokanegolfer There are several things that jump out at me. Wallander is a simple, basic, police inspector, with morals! The show makes his department seem unorganized and random. Directives aren't properly given out & he doesn't share the load. Instead, he takes over and handles most functions himself. He has a wonderful relationship with his daughter. Most people like Wallander, or have respect for him. The sad part is that he is a workaholic. His marriage falls apart, and then his health takes a turn. He doesn't regularly sleep, eat, etc, and time catches up with him. Somehow, serendipity steps in and he is able to solve every case. However, the hardship of the job catches up with him and he takes an extended absence. I am very surprised that it is scripted to favor Muslims and the refugees in Sweden. People have spent their life growing up and living in Sweden. It just doesn't add up, however! The refugees haven't been in the country as long as is shown in the series. Also, Wallander's daughter starts dating a Syrian Muslim, and apparently he doesn't practice his religion. With all of the crime associated with Muslims, I would rather that the show portray a more realistic view instead of the one in this show. Very sad to see Sweden as the rape capital of Europe!

PartialMovieViewer Outstanding! And that is the worst I can say about this Swedish gem. Granted, I originally hitched my Wallander-Viewing-Wagon to the BBC's excellent version. Mr. Kenneth Branagh did an absolutely outstanding job gluing me to the television screen. Well, I wasn't really glued…that would have hurt every time I tried to move away from the TV…but you know what I mean. Anyways, my fellow workmates pointed me in the direction of the British-Swedish version of 'Kurt' and it took one viewing and I was hooked. Well OMG and all that stuff – overnight, I became a, true, blue, 'Wallander' addict. I needed to see more and more…so it took very little time to completely devour all of the BBC versions. Reluctantly, I tried watching this other thing called 'Wallander', starring this fellow by the name of, Krister Henriksson. What a fantastic program. Even though the cast speaks Swedish, the superior acting, directing and the overall production, render the subtitles to mere insignificance. The Swedish version is, by far, the best, a true masterpiece I recommend this show to one and all. Seldom do I get attached to a character as I did with Kurt Wallander. Talk about ups and downs…the man's personal saga is an emotional roller-coaster worthy of the stoutest of riders. Unlike the typical US TV – there is nothing supernatural about the main character's abilities; he does not have ESP; nor is he the smartest person in the world; nor is he invisible on demand; nor is he the fastest; strongest or able to render flying sharks from the sky – this guy is just amazingly wise and a very skilled detective who is painfully normal. No splashy-flashy CGI or silly over-the-top apotheosis at the PC alter – just a package of pure brilliance. Please, Hollywierd, do NOT attempt 'Wallander', you do not have the talent to succeed...leave perfection alone

dehog-1 I had seen all the British Wallander shows and loved them so I checked out the Swedish one even if I had never seen any Swedish shows. ....I really like it so I am a big fan of both and do not try and compare them. On a side note....I love to listen for words that an American can understand when the Swedish actors talk. :)I care for both lead actors and they both make you feel what they are feeling. I liked Linda in the Swedish story but she made me sad most of the time. ...I like the story lines and really get excited to see how they will solve the crime. All the side actors do well. I wonder if there are any other Swedish shows I would like?

robert-connor Both the first series of Swedish TV's Wallander and the second collection of British TV's interpretation have recently been aired on British TV, and whilst they share a number of elements and qualities (locations, excellent filmatography, thoughtful and impressive 'takes' on the central figure of Kurt Wallander), it's the differences that seem to separate a good television drama from an outstanding one.Obviously the two productions differ in a number of basic ways and it's worth highlighting these as a given. For the most part Swedish Wallander uses Mankel's stories as inspiration, creating unique plots per episode, whilst British Wallander uses the source material and thus far has for the most part faithfully adapted 6 of Mankel's books (interestly the choice has been to adapt out of sequence, although the original stories were also published out of sequence, in Britian at least). An exception is the depiction of Kurt's father and his struggle with dementia, which logically has to progress through the overall TV series.A second key difference is the interpretation of Kurt Wallander's relationship with his daughter. Swedish TV puts Linda into the police force from the outset, and uses this device to explore their legendary troubled relationship with the added frisson of professional, hierarchical tensions. Also into the mix is the relationship between Linda and her colleague Stefan Lindman. British Wallander maintains the original Linda/Kurt story arc, with Linda not yet having enrolled for police duty.A third difference is the inclusion/exclusion of the Ann-Britt Höglund character. It seems the Swedish version quickly came to view this character as unnecessary within the looser story structure, as she is dispensed with well before Series One concludes. For British TV Höglund remains integral, just as she is in the books.However, setting aside these givens, there are a number of factors which set the two interpretations apart in terms of quality, success and viewer experience. British Wallander is quite pacey, moving the story along briskly from scene to scene. Whilst this mostly works, it does occasionally occur at the expense of scene and/or character development - the camera (and therefore the viewer) is forced to follow Kurt, leaving other characters as cyphers. This is most notable during scenes with colleagues at police HQ. Swedish Wallander adopts a slower style, allowing characters and stories to develop and unfold with greater subtlety. This approach leads to a second and quite fundamental difference, and it is this element that underlines the superiority of the Swedish Wallander. The combination of writing, direction and editing for a slower pace allows the Swedish actors to effectively 'do less' and achieve more. Accordingly, Henricksson, Bergman, Sällström, Rapace et al are repeatedly given the time and direction to use economy and skill to enable the viewer to understand what they are thinking, feeling etc. The final episode of Series One was a particular example of this, with all concerned but particularly Sällström and Henricksson underplaying beautifully to create scenes of desperate sadness, bewilderment and loss whilst actually 'doing' very little. In comparison, a combination of misjudged casting and actors being let down by script and scene construction in the British version means for the most part the viewer receives less reward. Branagh, Warner and most notably McCabe as Nyberg are the exceptions, the former not least because Wallander remains the prime focus through the British drama, and is therefore given more time, scene-by-scene, and Warner because he is quite simply an experienced and clever film actor. Yet it is McCabe who shines, underplaying beautifully, especially during scenes in Episode 4 - The Faceless Killers.Views on casting are always contentious. Suffice to say, the Swedish series has somehow managed to secure a host of clever actors who know a thing or two about camera work, and particularly scenes in close-up. From the moments of occasional humour gratefully received from Mörck's Ebba and Gunnarsson's Svartman (an incidental and unsung masterpiece of a performance) to the brilliance of Henricksson and Sällström, it's the Swedish production which holds the treats and subtleties and warrants repeat viewings.Let's hope the BBC transmits Series 2 as soon as possible, and let's also hope the absence of Rapace and Sällström doesn't diminish what has been an excellent television production.