Tjockare än vatten (2014–2020) User Reviews

Thicker than Water

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 8 May 2016]

In the opening episode a mother invites her children Lasse and Jonna to return to her guest house, which she runs with her son Oskar, on the Aland Islands. She then has a private word with each of her children before taking a boat out into the Baltic and shooting herself! If this wasn't enough of a shock her family learn that if they are to inherit the guest house they will have to run it together over the summer season. None of them are pleased with this; Lasse has a restaurant to run in Stockholm, Jonna is an actress who is up for a good role and Oskar feels that he has earned the right to the property thanks to the work he has done there over the years.

Not surprisingly they ultimately decide to stay and over the course of the summer tensions rise and secrets are revealed. These aren't minor secrets; they are the sort that could shatter the family permanently or even lead to some of them going to jail.

This Swedish melodrama was a lot of fun; the characters were somewhat exaggerated and most of them were fairly flawed to say the least… that wasn't a problem though as the story was interesting. The pace wasn't rushed but equally it didn't drag. Some plot threads stretch through the ten episodes of the series while others are resolved within the episode; this works effectively as guests come and go. By the end of the first season several plot threads have been wrapped up but others remain leaving viewers waiting for a second season. The cast does a good job although not speaking Swedish I can comment on whether local accents were accurate. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of Nordic television who are looking for something a little different.

These comments are based on watching the series in Swedish with English subtitles.

Compelling story in a beautiful setting

[Two_Journeys · 7/10 · 4 February 2022]

Story about a dysfunctional family with an abundance of skeletons in the closet. A low key drama, where many topics aren't addressed verbally, in that sense typical for this part of the planet. Characters are believable, and the scenery is beautiful. There is some limited nudity which reflects the continental lifestyle. I liked it, as I recognized the atmosphere from my vacations in northern Sweden.

Dysfunctional Family Melodrama, Swedish Style

[qui_j · 7/10 · 26 March 2019]

I would not call this Nordic Noir but more of a Nordic Soap Opera. It moves slowly and as has been mentioned, bits could well be cut out as the scenes add nothing to the story. There are lots of long gazes, periods of silence, flashbacks galore but the plot is really quite predictable. The story is built on a foundation of lies and deceit, practiced by all the characters. It goes beyond showing them as flawed but pushes the viewer to actively dislike them as they all seem to lie and cheat. As with Swedish shows, there is lots of nudity and sex, some of which really does not add much to the plot. It's worth the watch but because it's so slow moving, you wont miss much if you watch it on an intermittent basis.

The second season is a bit disappointing in that the story takes on more fantasy with little thought given to the huge holes in the plot. Events just seem to occur in an impossible manner that just lacks total credibility. If you do watch it, just go with the flow as the plot will not stand up to much analysis and thought.

Compulsive with (mostly) excellent acting

[sandhan-52072 · 9/10 · 15 May 2017]

I love Nordic Noir and this is one of the best of the recent slew... while many plots are a wee bit too predictable, this one, (while hardly keeping you 100% in the dark until the final denouement) certainly has plenty of twists and turns ~ Enough to keep me hooked anyway!

Acting and casting above average (although the mournful Liv was a bit of a sap IMHO).

Well worth the watch!

Believable characters!

[brandtfaye · 10/10 · 23 September 2020]

I found this series to be very moving. Easy to get into each of the characters. Each of them being pulled in different directions, kept the plot interesting for me. The scenery is fantastic! Loved the views.

Looking forward to the next season.

excellent, all 3 seasons.

[pigsmiceandmen · 10/10 · 6 July 2020]

So it's plain the negative reviews on here are from people who just want 300 series of The Bridge. This is not that. It's got a much calmer pace, no heads hanging on sticks or kooky cops. The casting is perfect for the roles, and some of the scenery is spectacular. Lasse and Oskar have a great dynamic and there daughters really come into there own. From what I know after season 2 there was to be no more, but I think the audience demanded it. Season 3 is very different and some brave decisions where made in the writing, always good. Please make a fourth, please.

Almost perfect

[davi-shaw · 9/10 · 16 May 2016]

Sure there are gaping holes in the plot, some of which may be down to the translation into English or our lack of understanding of Swedish culture. Similar in both subject matter and pace to the wonderful Legacy by Maya Ilsøe.

Those who have a poor attention span won't like it, but if you love real drama with great acting - dive right in.

The acting and character of Oskar is the weakest part of the show but he grew on me as time went by. Joanna and Lasse are fantastic, 1 part hedonistic to 1 part family.

The finale sets things up well for season 2.

Badly written story line

[gvdaard · 3/10 · 25 January 2020]

When viewing the series, the viewer is left almost constantly with the feeling that the script is rattling on all sides. The main characters are put down unbelievably.

Canada is waiting......

[gkddzyv · 10/10 · 16 March 2021]

The Canucks are waiting for season 3!!!! The cast is phenomenal. It is literary, gorgeous and doesn't depend on flash, stunts, or formulaic BS. So refreshing. I could watch another 5 seasons but that would pummel the cast. So we'll settle for one more? Two more seasons? Come on PBS! Come on Prime! Netflix?! Absolut! Skal! (Can't spell in Swedish,. Sorry, but I tried eh?!) heart heart heart canadian flag. PS. to quote a John Cleese line - "don't head straight for the cli-orous" - We're so used to click bait, microwave fast film, our attention span has depleted to an amoebic level. This takes its time- in character and plot development. Those moments of silence, those beautiful suspended beats are the gold. This is movie literature, not a Hallmark poptart.

Calm, beautifully paced family drama ....

[Design88 · 8/10 · 26 March 2022]

I completely agree with the posituve, eloquently descriptive reviews here. The pacing is so refreshing and the acting so natural. I really enjoyed "getting to know" each character and their dynamic as a dysfunctional yet deeply loving and loyal family. They were all victims of their past and flashbacks were integrated perfectly into the present to illuminate how close they were as children or to reveal a particular event or situation they had witnessed or been privy to. I watched all 10 episodes of season one in an evening and was charmed by the atmosphere, the warmth and complexity of the characters and the settings. The episodes flowed together like one long character driven movie. What a refreshing change from the loud, fast paced, violent and indecent series so prevalent on our screens these days or the plastic, formulaic predictability and cookie-cutter acting of a Hallmark or Lifetime movie.

I was actually surprised and delighted by the rarity of sex scenes, especially for a Nordic production, but I chuckled to myself that if they absolutely needed to check the distributor's gratuitous nudity box, they did so with nude men (specifically from the back) rather than the typical shots of women. But even those were rare. It did make sense for Lasse to emerge nude from his swim but I'm not sure there was any reason to linger on a nude full back view shot of Oskar looking out of the window one morning but I was just delighted it wasn't Liv. Otherwise, the very few lovemaking scenes were exactly that and they carried the plot forward whilst unobtrusively keeping the actors' integrity wrapped in sheets or clothing.

It's true some reveals and plot twists were predictable but it really didn't matter to me if I guessed where they were headed way before they did. I just enjoyed watching it all roll out and their actions and reactions once they figured it out.

I loved the ending of season one which perfectly set us up for further enjoyable adventures with this family.

Sudsy...

[chazview · 5/10 · 1 May 2016]

Rustic prime-time soap with family secrets that won't stay buried. An interesting watch just to see a Nordic take on the genre.

Some parts can be very slow moving — this series could easily been whittled down to 8 episodes. There are a lot of scenes without dialog that could be edited out — characters glancing up with worried looks, or forest pathway and beach walks with those same expressions of concern.

It's watchable, but the plot could use some tightening up. Not as memorable as many other Nordic series.

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