Category Archives: Jealousy

2010, Abduction, Acceptable for teenagers, Boating, Cold Cases, Corruption, Detective, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Ethical struggles, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Flirting, Forensics, Interest in cats, Jealousy, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, MHz Choice, Military, Murder, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Romance, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Swedish Detective

The Sandhamn Murders (2010)

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From IMDB:

Viveca Sten’s popular novels come to life in “The Sandhamn Murders”, a perfect mix of Nordic crime and the beautiful surroundings of the outer Stockholm archipelago.

Addendum: There are now 8 seasons on MHz Choice. Whereas the first 5 seasons were not too harsh,  the remaining 3 seasons could be tense and wrenching to watch.   Nora’s marriage choices are surprisingly bad while her true love interests change from season to season.

From MHz Choice you can stream this Swedish mystery and romance series. Each of the 5 available seasons consists of 3 episodes, each lasting approximately 45 minutes. There was a season 6 produced in 2018.

Recall that MHz Choice offers only foreign language programs with English subtitles.

Of all the many characters, only the two main characters appear consistently in all the episodes. Thomas the detective is played by Jakob Cedergren whom we mentioned in the review for “Those Who Kill”.  Nora is played by Alexandra Rapaport.  Thomas and Nora are strongly attracted to each other.  Thomas starts out as a divorced and grieving father. Nora starts out in an unhappy and picture-perfect marriage.  Throughout the series the theme is “will they get together or not?” which adds to the soap-opera-as-mystery-series.

Stories are good. Acting is just fine. Scenery is appealing because the filming takes place always in the summer holiday islands.

Here is a human series without a lot of gore. Not a serial killer in sight. Suitable for teens.

 

2018, Abuse of Women, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, British History, Coarse manners, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crude Talk, Dancing, Drama, Fashion, Grungy, Horses, Jealousy, Lesbian Theme, Masturbation, Nudity, Outrageous Behavior, Personal Betrayal, Rape, Remarkable Costumes, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Sexual Harassment, Strange Ending, Vulgar

The Favourite (2018)

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From IMDB:

In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.

Based on historical facts,  this two hour film set in England in the early 18th century presents a battle between Lady Sarah and Abigail for the affections of Queen Anne.

Olivia Coleman, who played D.S. Ellie Miller in Broadchurch, portrays the sickly Queen Anne as a somewhat repellant and incompetent Queen.  Rachel Weisz plays Lady Sarah Churchill who was the Duchess of Malborough. Lady Sarah is portrayed as Queen Anne’s lesbian lover and the real power behind the throne. At one point her impoverished cousin Abigail appears on the scene looking for employment. Through clever personal competition and intrigue Abigail, played by Emma Stone,  rises to eventually replace Sarah. Since this is history I am not spoiling the plot here. In fact the entire point of the story is how Abigail tricks her way to the top.

WARNING: Although I started by disliking the film and then found it disgustingly fascinating, Kathy did not enjoy watching.  If there is any historical accuracy in the film then the English nobility were debauched and imperious lechers.  Brace yourself for nudity, sexual assaults on servants, and continuous use of the C  _ _ T word.

In its favor, the photography, the costumes, and the palace rooms are feasts for the eyes. Never mind the vomit.

 

2003, Acorn TV, British, British school girls, Dysfunctional Lives, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Jealousy, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Narcissistic Personality, Nothing special, School Teacher, Sex with underage girls, Sister-sister relations, Stepchild, Suspense, Teenagers

Lloyd and Hill (2003)

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From  Acorn TV:

Inspired the beloved characters created by Jill McGown, former lovers and detectives, Chief Inspector Danny Lloyd (Philip Glenister, The Level, Outcast) and Inspector Judy Hill (Michelle Collins, Coronation Street) investigate the death of a 15-year-old schoolgirl found strangled and deserted in a public park.

DCI Lloyd and newly arrived DI Hill (who were lovers years before) investigate the murder of a schoolgirl. The girl was possibly having a sexual relationship with one of her teachers, one of whom is receiving anonymous love letters which puts his marriage at risk. This adds the man’s wife to the list of possible suspects.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 98 minutes of this full-length, one episode film.

Both quotes above from Acorn TV tell you enough about the plot which was clever enough that I twice guessed wrong about the identity of the killer.  Because of the way the two former detectives and lovers parted at the end, I suspect more episodes were planned.

Nothing special, but acceptable.

 

2015, Abortion, Acceptable Trash, Adultery, B-movie, British, Crude Talk, Divorce, Drama, Explicit sex, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Jealousy, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Medical Theme, Melodrama, Middle school students, Mostly About Sex, Mother-son relations, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Revenge, School Teacher, Self-Deception, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Suicide, Teenagers

Doctor Foster (2015)

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From IMDB:

A woman suspects her husband of having an affair. After following several lines of inquiry far more unravels including a streak of violence below the surface

From Netflix you can stream two seasons of this BBC soap opera. Each season consists of 5 episodes. At this point (July 2018) it is uncertain as to whether there will be a third season, even though the ending of season two cries for a continuation of the story.

Make no mistake, these 10 episodes comprise nothing better than a sex-and-revenge fueled soap opera. Nonetheless, yours truly binged frantically from episode to episode long after my wife lost interest in “pure tripe.”  But I have never been ashamed to admit that “I Love Trash!”

If you watch much British TV, then many of the actors will be familiar faces.  Most probably you may recognize Suranne Jones, who plays the lead role as Dr. Gemma Foster, as one of the team of women police detectives in “Scott & Bailey” (which I heartily recommend).

If for no other reason than to enjoy watching one of the best revenge dinners I have ever seen, put this potboiler on your list of guilty pleasures.

2007, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Boating, Bullying, Depression, Detective, Divorce, Dysfunctional Lives, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Gay theme, German, Jealousy, Lawyers, Mental Illness, MHz Choice, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Revenge, Swedish Detective, Uncategorized

Inspector and the Sea (2007)

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From MHz Choice:

Based on the international best-selling mystery novels by Mari Jungstedt, the blockbuster German crime series The Inspector and the Sea is set on the idyllic Swedish island of Gotland. Walter Sittler stars as Robert Anders, a laid-back German police inspector who has moved to the island to be with his Swedish wife, Line, and their two children.

From MHz Choice you can stream 2 seasons of this German production that takes place in Sweden.  Each season offers 6 episodes each of which lasts 1.5 hours.

Each episode is self-contained although the family theme continues throughout both seasons. In fact all the stories center around the Anders family and their social group such as friends, relatives, and their children’s school society.  Throughout Robert Anders and his wife Line and their children have their problems, the worst of which is that Robert is so busy with his detective work that he somewhat neglects his family. In my experience this “neglectful detective” theme is present  in the majority of such TV series.

After watching a few episodes, Kathy and I find that the Swedish society, at least as it is portrayed in this series, is somewhat ugly: high school children are as entitled and cruel as their unfaithful parents.

Despite the defects of the portrayed Swedish society, the plots, characters, and acting (for the most part) are excellent and make watching such long episodes well worth the effort.

2003, Acceptable for teenagers, Acorn TV, Based on a Book, British school girls, Detective, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Forensics, Jealousy, Murder, Murder Investigation, Nothing special, Personal Betrayal, School Teacher, Sex With Minors, Sex with underage girls, Sexual Tension, Sister-sister relations, Teenagers

Lloyd and Hill (2003)

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From Acorn TV:

Inspired the beloved characters created by Jill McGown, former lovers and detectives, Chief Inspector Danny Lloyd (Philip Glenister, The Level, Outcast) and Inspector Judy Hill (Michelle Collins, Coronation Street) investigate the death of a 15-year-old schoolgirl found strangled and deserted in a public park.

From Acorn TV (exclusively British empire productions) you can stream this 1.5 hour British film which is not part of a TV series.

Although nothing special, the hour and half spent watching this detective story is not a waste. To tell you the truth, I suspected the real murderer from the beginning. But there is enough drama, including the personal crisis of an obsessive runner and his betrayal by his close friend, to make the story worthwhile.

Beats being depressed by 2018 USA politics.

 

2009, Acceptable for teenagers, Addiction, Amateur lawbreakers, Based on a Book, Blackmail, Comic Moments, Crime, Detective, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Forensics, Jealousy, Marital Infidelity, MHz Choice, Murder, Murder Investigation, Norwegian, Norwegian Crime Story, Nudity, Quirky, Sex Scenes

Good Night Darling (2009)

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From  MHz Choice:

A struggling musician tries his hand at blackmail after inadvertently filming a murder in this dark and quirky three-part miniseries based on the novel by Norwegian author Fredrik Skagen.

MHz Choice streams the three episodes of this Norwegian  TV miniseries. Each episode is one hour. English subtitles.

“Quirky” is the right description for this oddball cat-and-mouse story of murder and blackmail. Terje Lyngmo, the blackmailer, is an amateur at his new craft of blackmail and as such makes mistakes which his more clever target, the murderer, takes advantage of. Until the end it is not at all clear what to expect the conclusion to bring.

If it is possible to have a relaxing and fun story of murder and blackmail, then this easy story fits the bill.

2017, Abduction, Abortion, Abuse of Women, Adultery, Amnesia, Cult Brainwashing, Detective, Dysfunctional Lives, Family Conflict, Forensics, Horses, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Marital Infidelity, MHz Choice, Missing Person, Mother-daughter relations, Murder Investigation, Personality or religious cult, Police Culture, Religious Theme, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Transvestite theme

Missing (2017)

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From IMDB:

Police superintendent Maja Silver goes back to her old hometown in the Swedish Bible belt to see her daughter, when a terrible discovery paralyzes the small community.

Helena Bergström stars as Maja Silver in this Swedish TV series streamed from MHz Choice.  Only season 1 is available and consists of 4 episodes, each about 45 minutes. Swedish with English subtitles.

Religious fanaticism is the center of this series. Someone is driving young women to commit suicide. Police inspector Maja, on a visit from Stockholm to see her estranged daughter, reluctantly agrees to head the case in the small town after the police chief dies suddenly of a heart attack.

All the usual police detective soap opera pieces are in place: a jealous colleague, a former lover, an estranged daughter, a resentful police force, a transvestite father, a sexual predator, and a few religious perverts and nutcases.  None of these elements detract from a compelling four-part series.  Until the last portion reveals the answer to the puzzle I suspected the wrong person.

Try your luck at guessing who is abducting the women.

2014, Arson, Bloody scenes, Boating, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister Relations, Bullying, Child abuse, Detective, Dysfunctional Lives, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Insurance Fraud, Jealousy, Lawyers, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Melodrama, MHz Choice, Mildly Violent, Murder, Nudity, Physical child abuse, Soap Opera, Suicide, Swedish, Swedish Soap Opera, Various Romances

Thicker Than Water (2014)

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This Swedish series was reviewed after season 1 was released. Since then season 2 was released.

SEASON ONE

From IMDB:

A mother sends postcards to her estranged son and daughter inviting them back to the guest house they grew up in. She gives each of her children one piece of advice and leaves them to ponder the meaning.

From MHz Choice:

DRAMA | SWEDISH | SWEDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES |
A mother’s attempt to reunite her three adult children forces them to confront dark family secrets in this atmospheric drama set on an idyllic Swedish island.

MHz Choice offers only Season 1 with its 10 episodes, each lasting about one hour. For the best listing of the episodes see IMDB.

Here is an involving soap opera about sibling rivalry between two brothers and a sister who agree to run the island hotel for one year.  Brother Oskar and wife Liv have been running the hotel all along. Brother Lasse is a bit of a crook and once or maybe still loves Liv. Sister Jonna is an aspiring actress.

Swedes drink a LOT of alcohol. Such a potboiler!

SEASON TWO

Shakespeare would heartily approve this “Shakespearean Tragedy”.  Season Two begins when Lasse returns to the hotel for Christmas only to discover that Liv has been absent for months and Oskar lives in a depressed drunken state. As a result the hotel is a mess and completely unprepared for the Christmas hotel guests.

Things continue for 10 episodes (lasting about 45 minutes each ) to go steadily downhill with lots of complications which can be summarized by a quote that is mistakenly attributed to Shakespeare:

“Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive. ” – Sir Walter Scott (Marmion, 1808)

Beginning with the cover-up of the murder of the father of the siblings, one deceit leads to another.  Along the way we experience more murder, counterfeit money, betrayed young love, determined police work, love affairs gone wrong, and a final tragic ending in which only Jonna gets a chance for happiness.

In good conscience I could not let you sit through season 2 without first warning you. Despite the warning, as soap operas go, this series of episodes is well done.

 

2001, 2003, 2012, Abduction, Abortion, Abuse of Women, Alcoholism, Bloody scenes, Career Competition, Child custody, Computer geeks, Corruption, Crime thriller, Detective, Divorce, Explicit sex, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Financial malfeasance, Jealousy, Journalist, Lesbian Theme, MHz Choice, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Private Versus Professional Life, Psychopath, Revenge, Serial Killer, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Terrorist Attack, Thriller, TV Series, Unmarried mother, Violent, Vulgar

Annika Bengtzon (2012)

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From MHz Choice:

Based on author Liza Marklund’s best-selling crime novels, Annika Bengtzon is a journalist and working mother of two struggling to raise her family. Fearless in her search for the truth, she won’t take no for an answer from anyone: not from prestigious academicians or drug dealers or from colleagues inside her own profession.

MHz Choice streams this Swedish TV crime series (with English subtitles) in two seasons. Season 1 includes 6 episodes all of which were made in 2012. Season 2 includes only 2 episodes made in 2001 and 2003.  First watch Season 1 in which Annika is played by the beautiful Malin Crépin.  Season 2 contains “Paradise” which is a prequel that tells how a young Annika fights to be a reporter, and “Deadline” which takes 2 hours and features Annika as a second-in-command at the newspaper. All the other 7 episodes last about 1.5 hours. In season 2 Annika is played by Helena Bergström who is extremely different in appearance from Malin Crépin. Visually, for example in the physical appearance of actors, season 1 is more of a crowd pleaser.

As is the case with many crime shows featuring a woman doing the sleuthing, the theme is how the woman must battle male prejudice while trying to balance her obsessive drive to do her job (here to deliver news stories)  with the demands of her family (here husband and two children). Quite a bit of really NOT boring film footage is devoted to jealous bickering in the newsroom.

Only one episode was somewhat boring. In every episode, however, the suspense is palpable, especially because  Annika’s life is usually in danger.

If you like an intense rush, try these two series.