La delgada línea azul

As a former big city paramedic I can say this is spot on or at least very close to it. Of course this is still just a police series, but it's (unfortunately) very realistic. I give it 10 after 3 episodes because it's well made, realistic and it's something new in Scandinavian police series. «Jakta på ein morder» was little bit better but not same style. Its more «true crime» so I wouldn't compare these to.

Tunna blå linjen doesn't concern itself with the practical mechanics of the police profession, but rather turns its focus on the social and psychological aspects of being police. The show respects the viewers' intelligence and portrays people, events and problems as multifaceted and complex. The characters are well casted, well acted and most importantly incredibly well written, and they feel like real living, breathing and thinking people. Editing, casting, cinematography, sound design, music and acting are competently handled, but the writing is where this show really shines. The exposition of backstory and characters' traits are so completely woven into the flow of the narrative that it's invisible. It's a very competently crafted script.

The show is shot on location in Malmö, in the actual streets it portrays.The city isn't a prop or lifeless backdrop, it's the core of the series. It colors everything, from how the characters speak, what they speak about to what they do. This show is about Malmö (albeit a somewhat fictionalized version) as much as it's about the characters that live there.

All in all a show that with empathy and intelligence crafts a compelling story of people in Malmö who happens to work as police. It's just great.

The only reason I don't rate this 10 is because it is excruciating to watch, being so painfully realistic. It doesn't follow the traditional cop shows where one or more cases are followed from start to finish. It instead tells the story of the persons in the uniforms, humanizing them, in their daily life as regular "street" police officers. They don't get to crack the big cases, instead they only see misery and darkness.

Excellent acting in believable characters, in combination with the realistic script, makes this one of the best shows in the genre. But don't expect snappy comments, shootouts or high speed car chases. It's a drama, not an action or thriller.

If nothing else, watch it to get a better understanding of what police officers have to deal with on a daily basis.

Have seen both seasons of this series and am quite impressed. They really show some of the day to day challenges of being a police officer while also making the characters out to be ordinary humans who make mistakes and can be heroic and professional. After getting to know them, you really have empathy for them even when they sometimes are not at their best. While this takes place in Sweden, you will see they deal with the same issues that any city police force has to. They kind of put an emphasis on how social media is influencing their self perception and I wonder if that is the case in police forces and they got a little too into their personal romances in the second half of the first season but I also found the second season to be well balanced between their personal lives and the pressures of their jobs. But, you will have a jaw dropping end of the second season. Recommended if you like police stories.

Exceptional direction, screenplay and acting. Pretty much faultless, emotive and somewhat inspiring