The writers got lazy, and just ended the season abruptly. Very disappointed. But the acting and the storyline up until the last episode was really good. I still think I would watch it even with the disappointing ending because the storyline and the characters are really well done. I'm just disappointed with the ending.
299 Reviews
Integrity to consistency missing
cdmllm3 September 2020
The fans of the previous two Wallander series that tuned in to Young Wallander are bound to be disappointed that the new series timeframe is not consistent with that of its predecessors. Adam Palsson is a good actor and does well carrying the lead in this presentation. In keeping with the first two series the timeframe would've had to be the 70's.......for those too young to know, cell phones were a good 20-30 years away. Young Wallander uses a smart phone, looks like an iPhone. They easily could've called this series something other than Wallander which would have in no way impacted the premise of the show. So why call it a Wallander where comparisons would obviously be made....except for reasons of drawing a ready made audience. I am watching this series independent of the lead character growing into the older version of Kurt Wallander.
Not the same Wallander but worth a watch
pfabrams33 September 2020
I was hoping that this series would be set in the past like Endeavor/Morse but sadly, this is not going to tell us the moody, brooding backstory of Kurt Wallander. It is a little too modern for my taste, but we watched it anyway.
The action seems to move along at a decent pace and tells the story well. Kurt makes some judgment errors yet seems to be a competent (though learning his way) as a new detective. The series isn't a typical gloomy Scandi Noir nor a fast-paced UK cop show, but this one stands on its own.
(This is a British production, NOT American. The British series was set in Sweden and performed by British actors, as is this one. The Swedish series was set in Sweden and has Swedish dialogue.) Swedes are NOT Swiss.
The action seems to move along at a decent pace and tells the story well. Kurt makes some judgment errors yet seems to be a competent (though learning his way) as a new detective. The series isn't a typical gloomy Scandi Noir nor a fast-paced UK cop show, but this one stands on its own.
(This is a British production, NOT American. The British series was set in Sweden and performed by British actors, as is this one. The Swedish series was set in Sweden and has Swedish dialogue.) Swedes are NOT Swiss.
An odd beast
pjdickinson-278224 September 2020
This is made by Yellow Bird UK and other than the lead actor who is Swedish the cast is British. It's also set in the present which means it serves as neither a prequel to the British or Swedish series. It's also not filmed in Sweden like the other series but in Lithuania. It's not a bad show but it just doesn't feel like Wallander.
Gritty, edgy detective show!
Supermanfan-133 September 2020
I never read the books so I didn't really know what to expect from Young Wallander but I ended up liking it quite a bit. It's a gritty, edgy police detective show that will keep you entertained throughout the series!
It's OK
emeliesweden3 September 2020
Being a Swede, I'm not overly excited with an English speaking Wallander, however it's still a decent series to spend your time with on a rainy day. But I would have enjoyed it better if it was in Swedish cause it's a Swedish character. Also for everybody who doesn't know, Sweden and Swiss are two different countries;) Not many non European people seems to know this.
Why in English so many Brits in the cast?
chriswhite-266223 September 2020
It's an impressive series.
Sleepin_Dragon4 September 2020
A young Wallander begins his career in criminal detection.
I found it a little slow to begin with, but once it gets going, it's a very good series, the stories are very good, it's well produced, and very, very well acted, Adam Pålssonis really great in the title role.
I must address one issue, Young Wallander, the title, makes me think of an origin story, it implies Wallander in his youth, be it The Swedish or English adaptation, instead it's set in present day, with very much present day themes. Is he Wallander in name only? After this first series I'll be honest, that's how I see it, maybe if a further run is made my opinion may well change. The name Wallander will of course attract viewers. How cool would it have been if it were set in the 90's.
It is definitely worth watching, I really would recommend it, if you like me are worried that your favourite Detective shows are ended, or are coming to an end, such as Endeavour and Vera, this offers new life, and a fresh look at one of the best, Wallander.
It's an English made series, set in Sweden, filmed in Lithuania, I can imagine our friends in Sweden are a little surprised.
Thoroughly enjoyed it, 8/10.
I found it a little slow to begin with, but once it gets going, it's a very good series, the stories are very good, it's well produced, and very, very well acted, Adam Pålssonis really great in the title role.
I must address one issue, Young Wallander, the title, makes me think of an origin story, it implies Wallander in his youth, be it The Swedish or English adaptation, instead it's set in present day, with very much present day themes. Is he Wallander in name only? After this first series I'll be honest, that's how I see it, maybe if a further run is made my opinion may well change. The name Wallander will of course attract viewers. How cool would it have been if it were set in the 90's.
It is definitely worth watching, I really would recommend it, if you like me are worried that your favourite Detective shows are ended, or are coming to an end, such as Endeavour and Vera, this offers new life, and a fresh look at one of the best, Wallander.
It's an English made series, set in Sweden, filmed in Lithuania, I can imagine our friends in Sweden are a little surprised.
Thoroughly enjoyed it, 8/10.
British and akward
peltolamika14 September 2020
Not Wallander
TheTexasChainstoreManager14 September 2020
"Young Wallander" has nothing to do with Wallander, so it's pretty obvious that the creators are trying to just use a pretty internationally recognizable name to sell this show. My guess: they probably changed the name because it couldn't stand on it's own legs, so they just slapped "Wallander" on a script that initially was something else and everything points at this. Wallander is nothing like the Wallander we know. The creators explain this as (sic)"He hasn't become that cynical person yet." They're Swedes in "Sweden" (filmed in Lithuania, with mostly British actors) but they speak English to appeal to a wider audience. Wallander is young i recent time, which obviously isn't right. The creators explain this with (sic)"Well, you have to bend your imagination..."
If the show actually was about a young Wallander in the Swedish '70s, actually filmed in Sweden, it would've been a very interesting take on the character. But this?.. They could've called it "Young Batman" and tell us to use our imagination.
Adam Pålsson ...
BeGerman3 September 2020
... who plays the young Wallander are the perfect cast. After seeing the first 4 episode I like his acting and first link to the Wallander from the original novels and Swedish TV show. That the show are based not in the 70s underline the actuality of the story and makes it more interesting.
We know the end of Wallander's life and I like the idea of how it all started.
More like other shows.
barely ok..
andrew_jakobs5 September 2020
This is coming from having seen both the Swedish Wallander (Krister Henriksson) series (which is the best) and the UK Wallander (Kenneth Brannagh) series (which is also very good), and watched only one of the Swedish movies with Rolf Lassgård (as the others are hard to come by).
First, Young Wallander is set in current day, which is the first thing which already is a problem. Going into it expecting a real prequel set at the end of the 60's or early 70's and seeing a brand spanking new volvo already gave me a WTF, then seeing a mobile phone made me really think WTF is this.... Ok, then I just adjusted my expectations, but it surely was not what I expect from a 'Young Wallander'. I think they did it to keep the costs down, as a period piece is much more expensive, and with in mind if it's successful they can still go on for many years and still keeping the costs down.
Second, even though the actor looks great, his voice is really annoying, as he sounds like he has an astma problem or out of breath every single time he opens his mouth. Krister, Kenneth and even Rolf never sounded so hoarse. And the other problem is what's point three...
Third, English. Even though Kenneth Brannagh's version was completely in english, it wasn't really a problem, but in this version it's clear Adam Pålsson is not a native english speaker and it shows, it's the second thing about this actor which makes it not so great to watch him play, he has a very thick accent while the rest of the cast hasn't.. They should have just cast an english actor or done the whole series in original swedish (latter would have been my preference). Now it really annoyes the hell with the actor AND speaking hoarse AND having a bad accent.
I think it might be based on the book in which it has 5 stories about his youth, but if it is, it just wasn't really translated well by the creators of this series.. It is clear Henning Mankell wasn't involved himself in this series like he was in the previous incarnations. For a 6 parter I think it just dragged on too much, this story could have fit much better as a 1 hour and 30 minutes episode like the Henriksson and Brannagh series had done. I'm still gonna watch any new season as I'm just a sucker for detectives, but I still think it's a shame they botched this a bit by the miscast of this actor (pure based on his voice/accent, not his acting itself).
First, Young Wallander is set in current day, which is the first thing which already is a problem. Going into it expecting a real prequel set at the end of the 60's or early 70's and seeing a brand spanking new volvo already gave me a WTF, then seeing a mobile phone made me really think WTF is this.... Ok, then I just adjusted my expectations, but it surely was not what I expect from a 'Young Wallander'. I think they did it to keep the costs down, as a period piece is much more expensive, and with in mind if it's successful they can still go on for many years and still keeping the costs down.
Second, even though the actor looks great, his voice is really annoying, as he sounds like he has an astma problem or out of breath every single time he opens his mouth. Krister, Kenneth and even Rolf never sounded so hoarse. And the other problem is what's point three...
Third, English. Even though Kenneth Brannagh's version was completely in english, it wasn't really a problem, but in this version it's clear Adam Pålsson is not a native english speaker and it shows, it's the second thing about this actor which makes it not so great to watch him play, he has a very thick accent while the rest of the cast hasn't.. They should have just cast an english actor or done the whole series in original swedish (latter would have been my preference). Now it really annoyes the hell with the actor AND speaking hoarse AND having a bad accent.
I think it might be based on the book in which it has 5 stories about his youth, but if it is, it just wasn't really translated well by the creators of this series.. It is clear Henning Mankell wasn't involved himself in this series like he was in the previous incarnations. For a 6 parter I think it just dragged on too much, this story could have fit much better as a 1 hour and 30 minutes episode like the Henriksson and Brannagh series had done. I'm still gonna watch any new season as I'm just a sucker for detectives, but I still think it's a shame they botched this a bit by the miscast of this actor (pure based on his voice/accent, not his acting itself).
Bad and lazy writing coupled with glorification of gang related criminality
epost-2060711 September 2020
This was bad, really bad.
Wallander keeps making stupid misstakes just for the sake of creating drama later on and thats lazy writing, something that i had hoped was behind us when it comes to TV-series these days.
The depiction of the Malmoe gang criminality also leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Especially with how things are in real life Malmoe these days.
Theres tons of good shows out there, watch season 4 of Strike instead or Bosch.
Theres tons of good shows out there, watch season 4 of Strike instead or Bosch.
Swedish...in english
kjell-2312 September 2020
This show isn't bad at all.
aliacomm5 February 2022
It's more a 7.5 for me. I find it likeable and interesting, not perfect, but good. Love Bashar ! Great acting. Other reviewers too harsh by far. Definitely worth a watch if you love crime / detective / British / euro / police shows.
Really Not a Young Wallander.
bazscot8 September 2020
Very nice screenplay
analfer3 September 2020
So sad and stupid
jannelavik3 September 2020
Why English? Wallander is Swedish and this is just stupid. Nothing authentic, nothing worth watching. Adam Pålsson is such a great actor. Waste of space. Anybody should be able to read subtitles. Keep the original language and keep the character. Sad.
The whole charm of wallander was him being an awkward Swed
sas20149 September 2020
I loved wallander & hace seen all of his original Swedish series. The whole charm was his awkward yet brilliant character. Swedish culture, Their way of interaction, dark yet beautiful nature. Pål the Danish actor Playing wallander has done great danish roles But this one isn't a convincing character for him. Should have left it scandi cast & original Svensk language
Timeline maybe only flaw
audreyromeo22 September 2020
Young Wallander meets the criteria for a pretty good Crime drama. The British or Swedish version of the seasoned Wallander is a cynical character who holds much sadness but tempered with compassion. Regardless of which version appeals to a viewer that sadness and compassion comeS through in the Young Wallander and by the 2nd episode one can easily see where the cynicism starts to take root.
For those who hate the title and the timeline, this series can stand alone and still be appreciated for directing, acting and narrative- it's a pretty good crime drama.
More of a reboot than a prequel
Tweekums15 September 2020
This series is centred on Kurt Wallander, a young police officer in the Swedish city of Malmo. One day he witnesses an horrific crime on the estate where he lives... a young man, with a Swedish flag painted on his face, has been tied up with tape over his mouth; another man removes the tape revealing a grenade which explodes seconds later. This leads to him being moved to the serious crimes unit. The crime leads to tensions rising as many seek to blame the migrant community; following leads will put Kurt in real danger and uncovering a variety of secrets.
This series main surprises have nothing to do with the plot; it is in English not Swedish and more surprisingly it is set in the present so is a reboot for the character rather than a prequel to the stories we've seen before. Once one gets past this the story is solid if not too original. There are some decent twists as the story progresses and some genuinely tense moments... we might know Kurt isn't about to die but there is real danger for other characters. At only six episodes in length the series is quite short; hopefully there will be further seasons, the ending certainly felt like it was setting us up for more. Overall I wouldn't call this a must see series but it is a decent enough addition to the genre; at this point it isn't really linked to the older Wallander except for the character's name.
This series main surprises have nothing to do with the plot; it is in English not Swedish and more surprisingly it is set in the present so is a reboot for the character rather than a prequel to the stories we've seen before. Once one gets past this the story is solid if not too original. There are some decent twists as the story progresses and some genuinely tense moments... we might know Kurt isn't about to die but there is real danger for other characters. At only six episodes in length the series is quite short; hopefully there will be further seasons, the ending certainly felt like it was setting us up for more. Overall I wouldn't call this a must see series but it is a decent enough addition to the genre; at this point it isn't really linked to the older Wallander except for the character's name.
this is many things but one thing it is NOT is young Wallander
jeanblackqueen12 September 2020
This has nothing to do with Wallander. They merely used his name to hook people in. The people who made this had a cop show and couldn't sell it so they paid someone to be able to use the name Wallander.
These people didn't even bother to watch/read the previous Wallanders. Wallander never lived in the projects. This is set in the present day it should be 80s or 70s.
This is a Bait and Switch I stopped watching after 5 minutes on principle. This might be a great cop show that I would have loved BUT this is not Young Wallander. I don't like being played so I won't give them the view.
These people didn't even bother to watch/read the previous Wallanders. Wallander never lived in the projects. This is set in the present day it should be 80s or 70s.
This is a Bait and Switch I stopped watching after 5 minutes on principle. This might be a great cop show that I would have loved BUT this is not Young Wallander. I don't like being played so I won't give them the view.
Language and Accents
rrgerber10 September 2020
Unlike many of the reviewers here, I am not familiar with Wallander franchise, so I can judge this work on its own merits. The plot is reasonable, the acting is good, and it would be watchable with an English (or Irish) actor in the leading role. It is not that Adam Pålsson is horrible; it is just that he is out of place. Because despite their attempts to place this in Sweden, the series is, at its heart, another Brit detective series, and could have (and should have) taken place in a town like Newcastle or Bristol.
And everyone, and I mean everyone, will watch this as a UK series, in a UK context. Hence the presence of Adam Pålsson is jarring. It seems that his only purpose is to remind us that this is supposed to Sweden, which it is not. It's hard to place his accent in the sea of familiar English accents, but it does seem rather posh, even faintly aristocratic. If a policeman would choose to live in a council estate, he would necessarily have working-class roots and a working-class accent, and for this reason (and a few others) the character is simply not believable. I get disturbed just listening to his voice. Ah, you say, "but it's supposed to be Sweden, don't be so hard on the fellow". No, this is not Sweden. It is England, so stop pretending.
And everyone, and I mean everyone, will watch this as a UK series, in a UK context. Hence the presence of Adam Pålsson is jarring. It seems that his only purpose is to remind us that this is supposed to Sweden, which it is not. It's hard to place his accent in the sea of familiar English accents, but it does seem rather posh, even faintly aristocratic. If a policeman would choose to live in a council estate, he would necessarily have working-class roots and a working-class accent, and for this reason (and a few others) the character is simply not believable. I get disturbed just listening to his voice. Ah, you say, "but it's supposed to be Sweden, don't be so hard on the fellow". No, this is not Sweden. It is England, so stop pretending.
See also
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