Ok, don't take the plot too seriously but overall it is better than anything the UK is turning out these days.
If you like Scandi drama, then you should like this.
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crumpytv3 January 2020
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criscal18 February 2021The casting is quite ok for the series, so that is a plus. The story for the first season is doing way more twists than the one for the second season, which seems to crumble under the burden of the message concerning the civil war in Syria. What is a bit sad about the production is that despite the international setup of the team, they never use the local language with subtitles. There are no communication issues between any members of the international team, nor are there any cultural differences leading to problems. Now the second season is a mess, since that season wants to unwrap all the issues related with the civil war in Syria - including the IS (in the series called caliphate union), cultural heritage, torture and the funding of terrorism. What was the worst is that more than once the members of the team go off by their own and endanger their lives. Also when they are going to arrest people, they never seem to be able to secure the back of a building as well, which makes the premise of an international team of top police people a ridiculous premise.
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Tweekums7 April 2017This European crime drama opens with three very similar murders in three different countries; one in Belgium, one in Denmark and one in Germany. Each of the murder victims had a severed finger and was shot through the eye hardly a coincidence. When the similarities are noted the leaders of each country's investigations come together to pool their evidence and track down those responsible. These three investigators are Harold Bjørn, from Denmark, Jackie Müller from Germany and Alicia Verbeek from Belgium.
As the investigation progresses they find links to human trafficking and prostitution as well as a degree of corruption. Things soon point to a Lithuanian billionaire; he may not have killed these girls but he is up to his neck in some very unpleasant crimes and will do just about anything to stay ahead of the law. There are quite a few more deaths before the crime is solved and our protagonists find themselves in real danger at times.
I rather enjoyed this multilingual drama it helped that the version shown here in the UK hadn't been dubbed; so each of the characters spoke their own language with English subtitles when talking to people from their country and in English when talking to other people; something I find keeps it more real as all the words we hear are spoken by the actors. The story may have been a bit far-fetched but that didn't bother me as it kept me gripped. There were some fairly grizzly moments as well as some shocks most notably when a protagonist was shot and apparently seriously wounded. On the down side there was perhaps a little bit too much personal drama for the protagonists. I thought the cast did a solid job; especially those in the major roles. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of Euro-drama. -
aprilmike-519913 July 2020Very watchable European cop drama. Lars is just Lars very solid and dependable. I really like the Mary Bach Hansen but not so the Jackie one! Does Lars jump into the sack with Jackie or stay with his wife and newborn, have to watch and see! I shall take a break before trying the second series but from what I have read it basically is different!
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mike_yo16 April 2015OK, it isn't Borgen, The Killing or The Bridge, nor even as good as Salamander. I had pretty high expectations and it just about met them despite considerable adversity: 1. the program had Danish subtitles which is of no use to me 2. the main languages employed are Danish, Flemish and German - none of which I understand. There is a bit of French but I only get a bit of that. Some Lithuanian 3. when the Team (detectives from Denmark, Belgium and Germany) and also the bad guys speak to each they often have to use English - Hurrah! 4. my wife was able to interpret most of the German dialogue with a lot of rewinding. Under such circumstances we nearly gave up on this but we persevered and am glad we did so. If you think you can cope with that then give it a go. It has a reasonably good plot with one or two unnecessary red-herrings. It is pretty good in my opinion!
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DrRon20203 September 2020I thoroughly enjoyed Season 1, good script, acting and filming. Season 2 has good acting and filming too, but the script is, sorry to say, a complete joke. Whoever wrote it had no clue about police procedures and even less about SWAT teams. The lack of competence and erratic decisions displayed by the forces in Season 2 is laughable. Imagine scores of people are killed in a country with low crime rate, who would you assign for the investigation? Denmark sends the local version of Tomb Raider's Lara Croft, Germany a womanizer with tattoos who has no clue about policework, Belgium gives the lead to a young nerd. No wonder there is a growing number of casualties... The further I got in this season, the more nonsensical it became. Let me give 3 examples (sorry for the spoilers) : There is a scene where criminals are in a warehouse and a heavily armed 20-strong SWAT team is going for them. They break into the front door, take a few people only to find out the main suspect simply walks out the back door, that nobody apparently thought of covering. He is then chased by 2 ill-equipped detectives while the SWAT team seems to have vanished... Other than that everyone (police, criminals and illegal immigrants alike) travel unrestricted through Europe at warp speed but when the detectives need to go to a building a few blocks away it takes them forever. And the main suspect has telepathic vision given that he knows all the hidden entry and exit points of buildings he never visited. Hilarious, sorry. Which is a shame, the theme is very contemporary, this could have been a strong story. So a 7 for the overall series, Season 1 is a must see. Very good choice to have people speak their own language instead of everyone speaking English.
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pensman4 January 2018I was a fan of Crossing Lines, another European import running on Netflix, and when I read an introductory blurb on MHz there seemed to be some similarities so I decided to give it a try. Both my wife and I enjoy it. The team of European cops assembled to find what appears to be a serial killer is quite good. While they are supposed to work together there are some internal rivalries and one of the countries seems to have its own hidden agenda which they expect to stay that way.
The episodes are short, one hour each, and the story moves along at a crisp pace. Harald Bjorn, the titular leader of the team, seems to have a past with another member; and she seems to be having some issues of her own with her husband. The subplots don't take anything away from the main story, and provide us with back stories on team members.
There are eight episodes you need to commit to if you want all the pieces to fall into place. The cast seems to be quite good and work together well. I would recommend it as it is so much better than the usual crap we see on American TV. If having to read subtitles is a turn off then you will probably take a pass; but I was amazed at how much of the dialogue was English. -
For decades, following the fall of Iron Curtain and fast development of technology, felonies and combating them have become more international as well, money laundry and human trafficking included. Thus, on one hand, it is interesting to follow diverse beautiful places and characters of different nationalities performed by respective actors speaking respective languages, but when the series of eight 1-hour episodes deals with one "enemy", then the plot becomes perfunctory and the role of leading characters unbalanced, with some obtaining too much unnecessary attention and the others' characteristics remain unfinished, with several questions unanswered.
The police characters are obviously realistic, but often not too interesting to follow, and even Lars Mikkelsen is unable to show his talent in full. Plus it is odd that Alexandra Rapaport had so insignificant character. And Jasmin Gerat as Jackie Müller and Veerle Baetens as Alicia Verbeeck provided just okay, but not memorable performance, and those depicting Lithuanians were not particularly catchy, somehow underlining the role of Eastern European villains. Plus, of course, Belgium as a symbol of negligence and corruption...
All in all, not a bad creation, but not on the level of e.g. The Eagle: A Crime Odyssey ("Ørnen: En krimi-odyssé). -
celtigra26 December 2019I note a previous reviewer thought Season 2 was a washout, but I beg to disagree. I had watched Season 1 which I enjoyed and I personally thought Season 2 was absolutely nail biting. I agree that it did disturb me a wee bit that the characters must have been using some sort of time travel device by the way they were in Brussels one minute and Hamburg the next, but it is fiction and did we really want to see all their travel arrangements. During the last episode I was on the edge of my seat. I do hope that they intend to make another season especially if the writer is Jesper Bernt who wrote the second season of Down Below.
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keithnovak16 October 2021Two episodes into season #2 I was fast forwarding constantly because I found it dragging horribly ... but was curious about the outcome. Sometimes it's hard to look away from a car crash as they say ...and season #2 was certainly that. Awfully cliched characters and some pretty hard to believe police procedural work.
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xmasdaybaby19661 November 2021A big international crew and a strong earthy feel from the two main characters.
Personally, I tuned in to watch Koen De Bouw whom I had loved in the original Belgian version of Professor T.
Despite being a big noise in his homeland, he has a lesser role here, not appearing until the 22nd minute.
As with the later Red Light series, he plays a Belgian detective investigating prostitutes and trafficking but, so far, this series is far superior.
I am not used to seeing a multitude of languages in a show, having gained a few words of Dutch from the Professor T show and German from many war films.
Unlike British shows, we managed to get through the first episode with no lesbians, gays or too many other minorities filling up more airtime than they would if the real world were reflected.
A great opening to the story.
Hopefully, Koen will be a bit less unkempt in future, ironically telling his boss that she should comb her hair.
Good start. -
BeverlyCy9 July 2018This is one of those dramas, like 'Shetland' and 'Vera' where the location plays like a character. The parts in Austria are gorgeous. The story sort of goes occasionally 'off-piste' like the parts about fatherhood but this killed time nicely.
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s327616930 November 2019I typically gravitate towards European crime thrillers but The Team left me cold.
The key reason is the so called team are in fact dispirit groups in different nations, who mostly only come together remotely. Its disconcerting, undermining the possibility of any real group cohesion and chemistry between the cast.
Worse still, this approach makes the story hard to follow, constantly breaking up the flow, as it hops, in jarring fashion, between peace meal teams in different countries and geographic locations.
On the upside the acting is reasonable but I found the characterisations a bit clinical and matter of fact. The story is a good one once you get to grips with it but it takes real effort to follow along.
In summary I wanted to like The Team but the core concept is, in my view, flawed, creating issues I don't feel can really be remedied. 5/10. -
iannikkibanks24 August 2020Enjoyed both season 1 and 2 The subject matters were well researched and the plots very believable. The cast played their roles well with a few side issues to liven things up. I probably preferred season 1 but both worth while. The crimes resonate today as well
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ellymc27 July 2019Season 1 was a lurid hot mess, salacious and cliched, with terrible dialogue and characterisations. Season 2 has a new cast and new narrative. It's a vast improvement. Fans of the Danish series The Eagle, from the same team, will not be disappointed in S2.
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jakkermans27 July 2021Jahnke and the whitehaired rich mother of the murdered hooker Maria: their Characters are childisch and play is over the top.
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(Review based on watching the whole of the second season.)
I saw only the second season, having missed the first because I was watching something else at the time. Still, the first and second seasons tell completely different stories.
It's a pretty good series, made with a lot of care and professionalism. The locations are interesting and evocative and there's some good acting going on. Still, it's a pity that the series consistently tries to be modern, slick and urban ; at times it works, at times it feels lazy and facile.
It's not the most sunny or funny thriller series around - on the contrary - but there's a modest vein of satire. For instance, the Belgian team member is a woman who works for the department of state security and who spends much of her time analyzing wars, bloodbaths and atrocities. She lives together with a male partner, whose life ambition is to promote biologically grown vegetables. As a result the household consists of one partner who talks to informants, crawls through the most dangerous corners of Belgium and guards state secrets, plus one partner who fills the house with prize leeks.
However, the series does have the great big b*lls to tackle the big contemporary subjects, such as the wars in the Middle East and the resulting waves of refugees (and pseudo-refugees) travelling through Europe. The subject of the second season is the theft of a historical object of great beauty and significance ; while watching the season, the viewer learns a lot about the tactics of groups like ISIS, who fund part of their activities by trading in stolen antiquities. And yes, it is a fact that much of this artwork makes its way to the West, where it is gobbled up by collectors.
I'm a Belgian. As you know, both France and Belgium were victims of a series of terror attacks and raids by Islamic extremists. The more one studies these groups, the less palatable they become. For instance, one of the brains behind the attacks was caught, and brought to trial in Belgium. He refused to participate in the trial, declaring staunchly that he rejected Belgian/Western justice and that he was answerable only to God. At the very same time he was being defended by one of the best (and most expensive) lawyers in Belgium, who pleaded liberation on the grounds of a possible procedural error... So much for noble ideological consistency. Unless I'm mistaken this was the same man who survived perpetrating two or three suicide bombings, by walking away while his comrades blew themselves up. Again : this is one of the guys who foam at the mouth about the moral duplicity and emptiness of the West.
Personally I think it's only fair that the various perpetrators and masterminds of these attacks pay something back to Europe, for instance by serving as subject matter in a successful thriller series. ISIS and its sister organisations are obsessed with bringing down European economies ; so let them work on behalf of these economies, by supporting the cultural sector and the entertainment industry. -
mosquitobite15 September 2021Not sure why people are bagging this, I thought season one was quite engaging and enjoyed the filming, the locations, and the relationships. Also some good performances. Yes it was overly convoluted, but far from the lost cause some describe.
Everyone raves about The Killing which I thought was overly long, shamefully awash with red herrings and extraneous content, with a very ordinary highly non credible expose. It was ok but the accolades?
I think a lot of reviewers on here are guilty of copy cat piling on half the time and don't watch things all the way through,and dont listen to plots properly either.
Two is starting well enough, am into ep 4 and cannot understand people's contempt and 1 star scores for this either.
Wtf?
If you arent looking for mind blowing wonderment as apparently some are, and are happy to binge easily not over thinking, just going with the flow, The Team is absolutely fine.
I mean its just a tv show people, not the Meaning of Life. Maybe keep your need for high octane excellence and profundity for that search hey, and mind your words.
People work hard to bring these shows to the screen and on the whole they do a pretty good job and do not deserve words like "pathetic, dont waste your time, utterly ridiculous, do not watch, garbage" etc etc
Disgraceful. -
westsideschl6 September 2019Season 1: Similar to "Bron/The Bridge" in that we have collaboration between several northern European police agencies to solve cross border crimes. Many of the same detective personal issues that seem to be a fixture in detective series, and many of the same crime issues seen as a repeated plot hook across detective movies/series. But, worthy of many stars for the creative twists, subplots, contemporary crimes, international journeys and acting.
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geoffreyawhite19 August 2020I don't think I can explain how terrible season 2 is. I understand that actors need work but honestly the police procedures are laughable. So many better shows to watch The Bureau, Bridge, Deadwind, bordertown, agent hamilton
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Vindelander13 January 2021Some reviewers have rubbished season 2 but I found them both very good indeed and would watch again. Great storylines in both and casting and directing were fantastic.
No complaints at all !! -
lonewalker-268-19535416 November 2019I have to agree with other reviewers. The writing and direction is awful. This obvious visually are then stated by one or more of the actors. On discovering a red car at the edge of a wood covered in branches the detectives begin to process the scene a helpful policeman sidles up "It looks like the killer tried to conceal it covering it with branches at the edge of a wood." Is an indication of how patronising this is. It's a good concept but is clumsily handled - giant swastika painted on the lawn "could this be the signature of the killer?" Hmm I wonder? Save yourself the agony there are much better dramas out there.
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Nomadgj21 March 2020Came across this series on Channel 4. The first season was OK. Acting wasn't sparkling but the storyline was gripping. Thought I'd give season 2 a go. Expected to have some loose ends tied up from the last season but only managed half of the first episode. Acting was dire and took an instant dislike to the characters.
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alanl06-662-770207 December 2019What a let down . After watching the excellent Season 1 , I left a glowing review but that was before I watched this turkey . It is SO BAD that , after suffering 4 episodes in the vain hope that it would improve, I skipped to episode 6 and I dont appear to have missed anything worthwhile. I was horrified to see that there are 2 more episodes of this Keystone cops rubbish to come but they dont seem to be available on the UK Channel 4 catch-up App yet . From the exhibitionist blonde cop who only has one change of clothes and prefers to walk around the grey cloudy marshes of Denmark as if she was in Ibiza , through the ineffectual agent who looks like she must have been recruited to Europol at the age of 12 ( in order to have reached the rank where she could recruit the deceased informant who is central to the plot ) to the supposed German contribution to this amateurish group in the diminuitive detective who looks much more like a road sweeper and exhibits zero ability to " detect " his arse from his elbow. The whole thing is a farce ...the bearded uniformed officer in the middle of searching high and low for a multiple murder , takes time out to chastise a lady driver for stopping her car in the middle of the road , then , during the recovery of the suspect vehicle , believed to have been used in the suspected terrorist attack , instead of calling the bomb squad to check the vehicle , breaks open the boot of the car whilst several of his colleagues hang about ....and this at the request of the blonde who supposedly served in some of the worst terror hotspots before returning to Denmark . Police officers conducting formal interviews with terrorist suspects with their firearms in open view of the unrestrained suspect...the list is endless . I only gave it 4 for its comedic value and I hate to admit that YES I probably will watch the final 2 episodes if they become available , if only to see how much worse it can get
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albert-balvers28 October 2018I have not watched season 1, but based on the good reviews I started with season 2. This turned out to be a catastrophe. The story revolves around a number of killings, related to stolen art from Syria. The case is given to three police officers from different countries, that are obviously carefully typecasted: the nerdy one from Belgium, the cool sporty blond girl from Danmark and the tough i-am-married-for-the-third-time type from Hamburg. I wanted to give up after episode 2, but continued to watch because it became so bad it was actually funny. People are being killed by the dozens, but the three completely incompetent police officers are not being relieved of their mission and receive only little support. When two policemen from Hamburg are killed, the chase for the killer is given up easily and e.g. no helicopter is used to track him down. But as compensation for the loss two main characters jump in bed and have sex, which one could see coming for miles. The scenario is extremely poor, the story fails any logic, persons seem to be able to travel between Brussels, Hamburg and Danmark within seconds. The dialogues are crazy and completely unbelievable. I have not watched one interrogation of a suspect (and there are numerous), where an attorney was present. Or another example: when two villains meet in restaurant, one just having arrived per motorcycle, and agree on a sales price of 15 million for a piece of stolen art, the guy that came by bike says: "but I do not have the money with me right now". Yeah, sure, I also carry just a small amount of cash when I travel... Do not expect something like Homeland or other excellent series from the UK or Scandinavia. This looks cheap (despite the filming on location in many cities), acting is poor, the story is a laugh, dialogues are crazy and characters are way too stereotype. What a pity.