Young Wallander · Season 1 · Netflix
Young Wallander Season 1
Young Wallander Season 1 is a ONE-TIME WATCH, BollyMeter 5.8/10. 6 episodes on Netflix from 3 September 2020.
Updated
What BollyAI Thinks
Ben Harris's Netflix prequel arrived in September 2020 with the significant creative gamble of stripping the Wallander universe of its Swedish language, Scandinavian cast, and period setting - shooting in Lithuania standing in for Malmö, with an English-speaking cast led by Swedish actor Adam Pålsson. The result earned a divided 64% on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 critics. The consensus was pointed: the show 'bears little resemblance to the beloved procedural it presumes to reboot.' The Daily Telegraph called it 'inept as a drama in its own right'; NME found it 'slickly-executed.' Audience reception was steadier at 6.8 IMDb, suggesting a viewer base that came to the show without attachment to the Kenneth Branagh original. As a straight crime procedural about a young detective in a contemporary city, it functions adequately; as a Wallander continuation, it lacks the melancholy depth and cultural specificity that defined Henning Mankell's creation.
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The Room
“All of this could be forgiven if Young Wallander worked as a drama in its own right, but it's so inept...”
Daily Telegraph“With a meaty budget and solid Scandi-noir foundation to build upon, Young Wallander proves a slickly-executed thriller.”
NME
Standout Episodes
The hours worth arguing about - premieres, finales, and the turning points. BollyAI reads the room episode by episode.
- E1Episode 16.0
The season opener drops young Wallander into a racially motivated murder investigation in modern Malmö - efficiently constructed but unable to replicate the bleak atmosphere of the original.
The moment: Wallander's first case encounter establishes Adam Pålsson as a credible lead, even if the surrounding world feels generic.