In Danish with English Subtitles Nicknamed, The Eagle, for his unerring intuition, detective Hallgrim Hallgrimsson exudes competence and self-assurance but beneath the facade is a tormented personality. Pulled off a plane as he's going to visit his dying mother in Iceland, Hallgrimsson learns that he's been selected to lead a team of Danish investigators gathered to stem the explosion of European cross-border organized crime. He's been handpicked by the newly appointed head of the special unit, Thea Nellemann, who also brings on board the brilliant lawyer, Marie Wied, a self-sufficient woman who loves her unattached single life… until she meets Hallgrimsson. Also joining the unit are Nazim, a police officer of Palestinian heritage and the Eagle's closest confidant, Villy Frandsen, Denmark's leading authority on white-collar crime, IT whiz Michael Kristensen and Ditte Hansen, ace forensic detective. Together, they take on the infiltration of organized crime into the state institutions, banks and social strata of Europe and Scandinavia. A cunning and ingenious hero, Hallgrim has allowed work to consume his life and prevent his connecting with himself, his darkest memories and his motivations. Ultimately, a personal crisis forces him to launch another, more introspective investigation: that of solving the mystery of his own life.
M**H
Five Star Escape
One off the best crime series I've ever enjoyed. I am so hooked, but very frustrated it's been taken off the PBS channel. The DVDs are next to impossible to find. Season one is a start but I'd love Amazon to offer the whole series. I'll purchase the rest in a heart beat.As for quality, all the actors turn in seamless performances. Everyone appears real and full of the lifeblood that must inhabit any character to be believable. This author has been in the business for years and knows the art form. The handsome lead, Jens Albinus, has a gentle but very charismatic appeal as do several of the other actors. The glimpses of breathtaking Iceland add an exotic flavor that enhances as well as advances each plot along with the unfolding history that threads throughout the series. The crime unit is based in Denmark and requires frequent travel to neighboring areas, which also serves to enrich the viewers overall experience. The theme music deserves a mention here as it is the final stroke of genius for this exceptional series adding an emotional component that is so hypnotic it goes very deep.All in all, The Eagle - A Crime Odyssey is the perfect thoroughly absorbing escape. Kudos to the director(s) for turning in such accomplishments over and over. It will send you scurrying for more Jens Albinus wherever you can find him.
B**R
The Eagle Soars!
I loved this series! It was broadcast through the MHZ channel in the SF Bay Area this year until there was some dispute in July '14 when MHZ stopped broadcasting. I was pretty good about DVR'ing most of the episodes but I missed a couple in series 3 so I am anxious to have series 3 (and series 2 for that matter) become available through Amazon in a USA format (not PAL). I bought the series 1 so my husband and I could watch it together. It's our very favorite mystery detective series right now. I can't wait to get him hooked on Spiral, Montalbano and Nicholas le Floch, more great MHZ series you can purchase through Amazon... a least the initial seasons. The series' haunting music "Forgiven" by Jacob Groth & Misen Groth should also be made available as an MP3 download on Amazon. It is fantastic!
M**R
Engaging Danish police procedural.
A Danish police procedural featuring an engaging cast of characters. The writers do a nice job with the plots and the characters, despite constraining themselves in ways that American writers would not. Good guys and innocents almost never suffer permanent harm, but despite that there are ample thrills. There is some gunplay and things going bang, but somewhat less than in a comparable American production.The dialog seems less purple, and the sparring between police and perpetrators is more mature than comparable American shows.Subtitled in English, even when the characters are speaking English, which makes for an interesting challenge, since I have to keep my eyes on the screen at all times to keep up with the action.The opening is captivating, between the haunting Misen anthem "Forgiveness" and the dramatic atmospheric landscape shots of Iceland (at least, I think it's Iceland).
M**R
The Eagle: A Crime Odyssey [Ørnen: En krimi-odyssé] - Terrific
Fans of Scandinavian crime thrillers will love this one. Jens Albinus shines in the starring role as Hallgrim Ørn Hallgrimsson, and he is most ably supported by Marina Bouras, Steen Stig Lommer, Janus Nabil Bakrawi, Ghita Nørby, Susan A. Olsen and David Owe. The first episodes in the series have the Eagle on the trail of the brutal and cunning assassin Sergej Varsjinskij, formerly of the KGB—memorably portrayed by the brilliant Swedish actor Thomas W. Gabrielsson—and we are hooked right from the start. Treat yourself and check this series out.
D**E
Very boring
I looooooove the Nordic noirs, my favorite being “the killing” and also “the bridge”.This one comes from Denmark, the main character has personal issues, he is leading a team of specialists to fight some Eastern European terrorists but I don’t know if he will succeed, I gave up in the middle of episode 2. So glad I did not order season 2.I gave one star, no star would be better.
P**Y
The writing is excellent, all the topics are feasible and believable
The entire series is superb.The writing is excellent, all the topics are feasible and believable, with much cross border crime being one of the biggest "pestilence" at this time. The characters and actors are tremendous. All scenarios are portrayed realistically and are believable. I could not wait for the entire series to come out. One wishes all TV crime series to be this superb.Highly recommended.
S**R
Entertaining Series
We own all three seasons of this series. Well written, Great watch and entertaining.
F**.
Not that good -- will be donated to the public library for its "used book store"
Team work: all the characters are interesting, but the whole set (Season 1) seems to be mostly a showcase for Danish star Jens Albinus, the "eagle" detective who suffers from premonitory hallucinations (or hallucinatory premonitions -- same thing). Unfortunately, an "engaging set of characters" (as another reviewer put it) is not enough; you also need a good plot. And the plots are not that good, or not well presented. Consider that each episode lasts just under one hour. Now, in one-episode plots, one hour is not quite enough for a detailed exposition, and the ending seems hurried. On the other hand, in two- or three-episode plots, the plot is more like a patchwork in which the pieces are just basted, not properly sewn together.The price, though was right. I am glad I waited, and I am glad I bought only the first season. It will go straight to the public library.
D**N
Quality good
only issue was it only played in Section 1 (USA). I now play it through the computer and on to the TV
H**N
MORE LIKE "THE ROBIN" (without batman).
This series is definitely the black sheep to so many other wonderful "Nordic Noir" series (The Killing, Borgen,etc.). It's just about watchable, but laughably simplistic as far as plots go. "Plot holes" wouldn't even begin to describe the absurd antics performed in every single episode by Michael, the computer whiz, who, with little more than a crappy laptop seems to be able to find the one needle in a million haystacks, and then follow the baddies' every move - even into the bathroom - from the other side of the globe. As far as Hallgrim, the multilingual lead investigator is concerned, well, maybe he's just the job in Iceland, from where the series never tires of telling us he originally hails. - but to my eyes he would have been better cast as a measly teller in one of the egregious Icelandic banks that so spectacularly disappeared down the plughole a few years ago.Maybe its just a case of inertia that kept me watching, because otherwise I can't really explain why I stayed with it to the sentimental, marshmallow end.
S**.
Four Stars
Good. If you need more Scandi-crime, this fits the bill happily.
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