Stella Blómkvist

I thought this show was terrific. I enjoyed every episode and I wish it would continue. I admired the production and I laughed a lot.

Heida Reed got a part in the new procedural FBI International which I watched and I'd never seen her before so checked this out. Very watchable series and the obligatory plot twists are never too obvious. The Icelandic scenery was novel, and I half expected Stella to be kidnapped and taken to an active volcano or something for interrogation, but that never happened. Well worth a watch.

Didn't know what to make of this one at first, has a stylish look about it (think last year's 'Atomic Blonde' with its neon lights and bright colours?) and contains the wonderful Heida Reed (Elizabeth in Poldark!) in the lead. 3 sub-plots within one, 'Stella Blomkvist' doesn't really click for me until late on when there's a whole web of Scandi-crime-noir intrigue. It felt like the makers were new to the medium, so trying out lots of things, not everything working. Fair play to them though, by the end I was a lot more involved, in some measure thanks to the quality of the acting. Reed is fun as the renegade cop (though she could use a a few more rough edges), Kristín Þóra Haraldsdótti good as her long-suffering geeky sidekick Gunna and Sara Dögg Ásgeirsdóttir great as the sexy scheming government minister Dagbjört, ably assisted by lots of others (an ensemble of Chinese actors caught up in the plot, too). 'Stella Blómkvist' takes chances just like its chief protagonist, and the plot hinges on China's use of both soft and hard power in its foreign relations, so very 'topical' these days. It's worth continuing ...

This is a 6-part television series (the duration of each episode is around 45 minutes), directed by a young, talented Icelandic director, Óskar Thór Axelsson (''I Remember You'', ''Trapped'', ''Black's Game'') and having Heida Reed, in the role of the protagonist, Stella Blomkvist. Stella is a big-shot lawyer in today's Reykjavik which seems to have the same problems as every major European capital does. Each story is completed in two episodes, so -in total- there are three separate stories linked by a common plot thread which involves corrupt politicians, tabloid scandals and the forbidden videos hidden in the ''blue bag'' which everybody wants to possess, but only Stella knows its whereabouts.

Stella's character is a tough as nails, dynamic counselor who is always chasing the big cases, both for the prestige and the money. She doesn't mind bending the rules when that is what's demanded but she is far from immoral, as she seems to have a rather strict set a principles and a clear as well as unambiguous sense of right and wrong. As a result, Stella is a sympathetic character who manages to win the audience from the first episode, but this show is lacking strong secondary characters who would help the stories to seem more plausible and be more engaging. The ''bad'' characters are nearly caricatures, or at best, they are one-dimensional and exist for the sole purpose of moving the plot forward. The pacing of the show is fast and effective and the editing is worthy of a special mention. The stories themselves, though being entertaining, are a far cry from the high standards of the best Nordic Noir television productions.

Overall, I cannot say that it is a show that I wouldn't recommend, but there are a lot of flaws in this Icelandic production. If you expect the quality and brilliance of other Icelandic series such as ''Trapped'' you will definitely be disappointed. If you are looking for a crime show that is easy to watch and equally easy to forget, then you should take a chance and watch this.

If this series is representative of modern day Iceland, it certainly does not portray it in a very "likeable" light! A lawyer who sleeps around with any and everyone, incompetent police, corrupt leaders and a superpower trying to buy the country, are all not pleasant to see but is what seems to be happening in that country. While the series is entertaining at times because of its modernity, it does have the potential to become formulaic and tiresome. Best enjoyed until that happens, but be prepared to watch a series that does not seem to have boundaries on sexuality or sexual situations!