THE VALHALLA MURDERS - sat 9pm bbc4

[Blondeshavemorefun]

I love foreign dramas. Been a few recently

Icelandic drama

An ex drug dealer is found murdered in the okd harbour area of Reykjavik

Detective Katrin investigates

Sorry not sure why victims suddenly got a French 'e' in it, except that I was probably thinking about Spiral!

Does anyone know what's going to be filling the 9pm slot next week please?

So... Arnar was Magnus' foster child? That right? Only wanted to foster boys, so presumably procuring them but not actually directly involved in the abuse?

What was the point of branding Kata with the symbol?

Too many loose ends and general silliness: the injured/killed BIL, Magnus's involvement (or not), Kata being drugged then rescuing Arnar from freezing waters, Kata "on leave" and running round the country singlehandedly and unarmed facing suspects etc.

Oh.. and what was the story behind the boy's suicide?

All in all a weird hybrid between Line of Duty (Sands View and bent coppers), and Hinterland, and set in the dark. Even the music was a bit Line of Duty (back on your screens in the early part of 2021, folks)

@NewModelArmyMayhem18

Sorry not sure why victims suddenly got a French 'e' in it, except that I was probably thinking about Spiral!

A very easy thing to do.

Let's just say the prosecuter in Spiral is rather more attractive - in every way - than the sleaze in Valhalla!

That's so true @IcedPurple. I couldn't work out why Laure was having a thing with him in season 1 of Spiral but by season 2 she is being caustic about his love life (what did I miss?).

Hope the Juge is back. Also have a weird and inappropriate - - lusting-- liking for Gilou, so hope he's back too.

IcedPurple:
... Did he kill his BIL or just injure him?

No, I think the BIL was still alive as I saw him moving his hand/arm and foot a bit as Arnar left the scene.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18

That's so true *@IcedPurple*. I couldn't work out why Laure was having a thing with him in season 1 of Spiral but by season 2 she is being caustic about his love life (what did I miss?).

I can only vaguely remember (maybe an excuse to rewatch?) but I think le beau Pierre just wasn't that into her. Laure was madly in lust with him from the very first scene - like just about every female viewer! - but for him she was more of a rebound sort of thing as he was still in love with his ex wife.

Laure's life may be messy but she gets with some very hot men. Respect.

Back to gloomy Iceland...

It was a bit silly but still the best 3 episodes and they really upped the pace. I couldn’t work out how the dwarf-like chief prosecutor managed to physically overcome Kata, Magnus or Arnur. All three of them looked more physically capable than them! I also don’t know what the point of the branding of Kata was. Didn’t Petur say he did it to the boys so that they wouldn’t forget him? Did he get away?

Also what happened with Kata’s son and the rape at the party? Was it proved that he had nothing to do with it?

And the young boy at the end that had supposedly killed himself who also had the scar. So are we meant to think that his Dad had offered him to Petur for abuse? And then is that the same for Ragnar and his Dad? Did he turn a blind eye when they were camping? When would Petur have had the opportunity to brand him given that Ragnar hardly even seemed to recall the abuse?

They were so many different names to remember that I really struggled to keep on top of who was who!

I think the end just showed how badly written this was. As has been said, one minute drugged and then the next pulling up an unconscious fully gorwn man from icy water. And I cant even be bothered to try and work out who fitted in where.

I think the burn was that evening, should have looked redded. We saw him heating up the knive.

Next saturday BBC 4 is rubbish. Not even old crime series.

But inthe meantime there is a Spiral fans thread, and I am equally confused as had no memory of Pierre and Laure. Not sure I will make it through all 7 before 2 Jan. Am finding it quite crude (series 1/2) does it get more sophisticated or was it because we knew so much about the characters.

Time to ask questions on fan thread? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/telly_addicts/4099550-spiral-fans

I think the end just showed how badly written this was. As has been said, one minute drugged and then the next pulling up an unconscious fully gorwn man from icy water. And I cant even be bothered to try and work out who fitted in where.

Agree that it was poorly written. A classic case of, because it's got subtitles and is set in a permanently dark Nordic country, people think it's much more clever than it really is. If it were in English and set in Manchester, BBC4 wouldn't bother with it.

The stories about Arnar's weird family and Kata's son seemed a bit pointless and went nowhere. They'd have been better not trying to create some kind of 'back story' for the cops and instead adding more interest to what managed to be a simultaneously boring and confusing plot.

Thanks for filling me in on Laure/Pierre back story. Agree that I am in awe of her choice of lovers throughout the series. I love how gamine she looks with the short hair in series two. Not yet feeling the love for Josephine or Roban though.

Someone said today that they've left an opening for a second series of The Valhalla Murders. I am not so sure but defo not all the loose ends were tied up and I don't believe the young boy killed himself.

I wonder if the story about Kta's son was to show that however principled someone thinks they are, when it gets personal they break the rules.

Just out of curiousity, had there been much mention of the State Prosecutor before the last two. I have no memory, but suspect that that is because I dozes through a lot of it!

@stumbledin yes you saw him earlier on in the series when they were discussing the assessment that occurred on Valhalla 30 years before and subsequent report that had been written and how the boys had reported the abuse but that it never made it in to the report. There was a meeting with the police and Kata was rude to the State Prosecutor and said that it was a cover up. She got in trouble for it but later on the state prosecutor admitted to Kata that it was a failing on his part and felt remorse for the situation.

Rollergirl11 - What a good memory you have - makes me realise how much I must miss when watching tv - sigh!

So Kata knew the State Prosecutor was not the fine upstanding citizen he should have been and STILL went to his home without backup and whilst techinically "on leave"? And drank his booze?

What was she thinking?

I think there is always a certain amount of 'out of character' dramatic licence used in such dramas. It would probably be more difficult to plot develop if everyone acted as you'd expect. But yes, a bit ridiculous that Kata would accept a drink from someone she clearly had reason not to trust.

@ageingdisgracefully

So Kata knew the State Prosecutor was not the fine upstanding citizen he should have been and STILL went to his home without backup and whilst techinically "on leave"? And drank his booze?

What was she thinking?

No she didn't, she had no idea he was involved, she went there to get him to ask him for help with the investigation. She actually did the right thing.

Arnar was the one who discovered he was involved and by the time he tried to contact Kata, she was already in the house.

I quite enjoyed the final episodes, plenty of twists and turns and suspension. I called it right with Magnus and Petur.

But the Icelandic police is very slow, how long did it take them to get to the harbour......

Predictable but enjoyable series.

@ageingdisgracefully

So Kata knew the State Prosecutor was not the fine upstanding citizen he should have been and STILL went to his home without backup and whilst techinically "on leave"? And drank his booze?

What was she thinking?

Did she know though? I thought she was trying to get him to open a case on Magnus.

@DuncinToffee

I quite enjoyed the final episodes, plenty of twists and turns and suspension. I called it right with Magnus and Petur.

But the Icelandic police is very slow, how long did it take them to get to the harbour......

Predictable but enjoyable series.

Yeah, Reykjavik is a city about the size of Portsmouth, yet it took the police an age to get to an emergency! I guess we needed the dramatic moment of sirens wailing just after our doped up heroine came to the rescue!

I too wonder if they've left it open for another series? Not sure I'd bother if they did. It was OK but nowt special. Like I say, if it were in English nobody would be praising it.

It’s such an over-used trope that the beleaguered policeman/woman goes to the person they think they can trust and blurts out their findings with huge relief in finally making it to a reliable ally....only for said ally to be revealed as the baddie. I wish they’d start working on a new twist now

@Halsall

It’s such an over-used trope that the beleaguered policeman/woman goes to the person they think they can trust and blurts out their findings with huge relief in finally making it to a reliable ally....only for said ally to be revealed as the baddie. I wish they’d start working on a new twist now

The whole thing was full of cop drama cliches. At least we didn't see an affair between the two lead detectives, though given Arnar's sexual orientation that would have been unlikely.

Hang on, I’ve just thought of something! So who was it doing the killings of all the staff at Valhalla?! Are we supposed to think it was Tommy’s Dad?! I thought he killed the last guy as he saw on the news that he’d killed Tommy but they didn’t think he was responsible for all the murders did they?

Yes Tommi's dad killed the first three, Omar, Brynja and Thor. He also tried to kill Steinthor when the press made out he was Tommi's killer. Steinthor had given him the info and photos

Petur the State Prosecutor killed Gummi as he was threatening to expose Vahalla

Just finished it. I liked it. But then I'm running out of anything watch this year, so maybe my standards have significantly lowered. It obviously wasn't the Bridge, but it filled a few hours once a week.