MovieChat Forums > Forbrydelsen (2021) Discussion > Episode 1 in Retrospect--esp. Troels (s...

Episode 1 in Retrospect--esp. Troels (spoilers)

posted 13 years ago by frogger19
1 reply | jump to latest

I enjoyed this series immensely and hope to view all the episodes again sometime soon. I admit that there are some issues with the plotting (loose ends and unanswered questions, etc.), but I'm forgiving of them given how great the performances and characters are. (I tend to be much more of a character person than a plot person.)

A question about plotting, however:

I know that in the first episode Vagn has a bandage on his neck, which many cite as a clue to perceptive viewers (or at least an "ah-hah!" moment for those viewing a second time). From what I can remember, I think a lot of Vagn's behavior must appear significant and/or susipicious when re-viewing the series, knowing where the story will go.

What about the political story, though? For those who have watched the series a second time--or else those who have excellent memories of the first episode--does the depiction of Troels, Morten, and Rie in the first episode stand up to scrutiny? *I* recall the first scene of these three as being a bit light-hearted: Troels is teasing Morten about his new shoes and Rie flirts with Troels when she returns his watch to him....but given the info that comes out later, these three would be coming together on Monday morning after the harrowing experiences they each had the previous weekend with all the attendant unanswered questions and confusion each character must have. Are there subtle clues in their conversation or behavior that hint at that? Perhaps there is some implied tension in their interactions or indications that the light-heartedness is somewhat forced or uncomfortable? Are there any blink-and-you'll-miss-it expressions of panic when the police first approach them regarding the murder?

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[–] zella-k-solomon 8 years ago

So, I know this response is 5 years late, but I recently watched the show for the first time and immediately started a rewatch. I'm about 5 episodes in.

In my opinion, the Vagn as killer part of the show actually holds up really well on a second viewing, even though I wasn't so sure about it when I finished the series the first time. His first two scenes in the first episode alone are just full of all sorts of clues and hints about his character and behavior, and that's been true of each episode. There are still a couple of plot holes with that, but overall, I think it's masterfully done. (Kudos to Nicolaj Kopernikus for making his scenes convincing as both a well-meaning idiot and a manipulative, emotionless psychopath, depending on your viewpoint.)

I think the political story is more hit or miss, even though I still enjoy it and think the actors are excellent. I can understand Rie not being weird toward Troels because my understanding is she doesn't know that anything happened that weekend beyond he didn't want to attend a conference. I figured she probably chalked it up to election fatigue and was more than happy to oblige him, which explains why she is acting normally toward him.

However, I do think the dynamic between Morten and Troels is oddly normal, considering what transpired between them that weekend. I suppose they may have just decided to carry on as nothing happened, but I just didn't really get the vibe that there was an undercurrent of tension or worry there.

That being said, I do think they do a good job of setting Morten up as being loyal to Troels to the point of being an insidious influence and paralleling that effectively with Vagn's relationship to Theis.

"Pirates could happen to anyone."