The Team
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The Team is an eight episode television police drama produced jointly by Denmark, Germany and Belgium. It is in English, Danish, German, Dutch and French, with English sub-titles.
It is about a case given to a Europol team. It is headed by Danish Homicide detective, Harald Bjorn (played by Lars Mikkelsen) with German Police Superintendent Jackie Muller (played by Jasmin Great), and Belgian Chief Inspector Alicia Verbeeck (played by Veerle Baetens) as the other team members. The very large cast includes some particularly memorable characters. The international nature of the team means that they speak English as the common language and consequently provide us with regular respite from sub-title reading.
The show had much that I found attractive. For one, suspense and violence are in large measure effectively conveyed by suggestion, rather than through over-the-top blood and gore. I found the characters varied and interesting, and convincingly portrayed by the cast. Perhaps most importantly, the series confronts a number of public and private issues in an original and insightful manner. These include: human trafficking, modern day slavery, domestic violence, prostitution, addiction, and being required to work with a former lover.
I suspect that European politics determined that there would be no further series, even though the first series had rated very well. Criticisms made by some critics regarding the acting and character development did not resonate with me. No one who has seen Lars Mikkelsen act would expect anything but his largely inscrutable face and slow pace movement – which is exactly why so many of us enjoy watching his roles.
While the case is solved within the eight episodes, some viewers were reported to be unhappy that one or two personal issues remained unresolved. I must admit that I did not find the unresolved issues to be overly frustrating, and suspect that this may have been a deliberate tease with series 2 in mind.
Finally, I must mention the exciting and picturesque settings of Copenhagen, Antwerp, Berlin and the alpine and other countryside in Denmark, Germany, Belgium and Austria.
If you’re in the mood for a European police drama that is less depressing and quicker paced than ‘Nordic-noir’, ‘The Team’ may be the TV show for you.
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