Wallander, Series 3

I generally like this program, but Before the Frost I found offensive, bigoted and Christianophobic. It was insult in the way evangelical Christians were once again demeaned.

i'm missing most of the original cast from previous seasons. i know Tom Hiddleston is too big a star now to be involved with this series anymore, but i'm really missing many of the previous cast. the new replacements seem vacant.

I love both the Swedish and the English series. Saw the former first, it's amazing. Regarding the English series, really enjoyed Kenneth's portrayal of Kurt, however if there is a downside, the entire supporting cast is a miss for me. They are the most dreary bunch of actors and characters I think I've ever seen in a series. While the Swedish version (or any other series of anything) had a great cast from one season to the next, I found the English supporting cast to be uninspired, and a big drain on any scene that Kurt had with his fellows among the polis.

I like the slow, methodical pace.

Branagh and the cinematography make this series first class.

Nothing to complain about in the series. Just watched "The Dogs of Riga," and there's considerable black bandering occurring in the first half of the movie when there's fast motion on the screen. You can easily see it during the scene where Wallander meets the fisherman at the docks. I don't know whether this is a deinterlacing issue or converting to NTSC from a PAL source, but regardless, it's annoying that I'm paying $7 for a product that no one bothered to look at once it was converted.

It is not easy to adapt Kurt Wallander's dark and broody internal world to the screen, but this series - 1, 2 and 3 - have done it amazingly well. Henning Mankell's characters and story lines are brought to life with the same intensity, grit and melancholy as in the books thanks to tight scripts and phenomenal acting by Kenneth Branagh and a host of wonderful supporting actors. The Swedish landscape and artistic cinematography provide a perfect backdrop for the various story lines. No fancy CSI equipment, special effects or 'ta da!' moments. Just the keep-your-head-low-and-plow-ahead sleuthing of a dedicated police inspector and his team of detectives. Wonderful - albeit depressing - television!

Kenneth B. is so good in this series that it is hard to believe it is television. I love this series.