The Bridge
B OX S E T
The Øresund Bridge which runs between Copenhagen and Malmö connecting Denmark and Sweden is at the centre of this compelling Scandi noir series.
On a chilly winter’s night the lights mysteriously go out on the bridge and when the power returns the body of a woman is discovered on its exact centre point prompting a joint police investigation between the Danes and the Swedes. It leads to an unlikely partnership between two opposites – cuddly Copenhagen cop Martin Rohde (Kim Bodnia), a bit of a maverick not averse to bending the rules, and reserved Malmö detective Saga Norén (Sofia Helin), driven, focussed, does everything by the book. The victim is identified as a Swedish politician but as Martin and Saga begin to investigate, the autopsy throws up a grisly detail – the body was severed in two and the lower half belongs to another woman, a Danish prostitute.
The killer uses an arrogant young Swedish tabloid journalist as his mouthpiece to make the public aware that he is, through each murder, making a point about social inequality in both countries, pointing up attitudes towards immigration, homelessness and mental health provision. As a result, he is dubbed ‘the Truth Terrorist’. There are a few interesting subplots thrown into the mix to heighten the tension as the narrative unfolds, while the evolving working relationship between Martin and Saga is beautifully played by Bodnia and Helin.