Deadwind

In 2007, Danish crime series, The Killing made its first appearance, and such was its popularity that it was shown in over 120 countries. Nordic Noir became the defacto standard for all crime shows that followed. With its dark realism and characters that were all substance over style, Inspector Sarah Lund became the poster girl for gritty detectives.

Fast forward more than 15 years later and the Scandanavians are still able to churn out the crime thrillers. And that's what brings us to Deadwind.

Created by Rike Jokela, Kirsi Porkka and Jari Olavi Rantala this Finnish crime drama is just as compelling and like so many in the genre, spends the entire first season on one case.

When the body of Anna Bergdahl turns up on the shore, the case is given to homicide detective Sofia Karppi (Pihla Viitala). She has rejoined the Helsinki police department following the death of her husband. Now a single mother of two children and with a new partner, Sakari Nurmi (Lauri Tilkanen), Karppi must balance it all and find a murderer. But it won't be easy.

Anna Bergdahl seemingly had no enemies. She worked as a social affairs consultant, had two kids and her husband, Usko Bergdahl (Jani Volanen) is as shocked by the incident as everybody else. But as the duo dig deeper into her life, and that of the company she worked for, it becomes clear that there are plenty of people with something to hide.

So who killed Bergdahl and can Karppi and Nurmi get to the bottom of her secret life?

Deadwind Official Trailer

Season 2 picks up where season 1 left off. Detective Sofia Karppi still hasn't really gotten her life together. Her stepdaughter Henna (Mimosa Willamo) has left home and can't be found. She also plays a much bigger role in this season as Karppi continues to juggle her personal and professional lives.

Is Deadwind Worth Watching?

As far as the plot goes, Karppi and Nurmi investigate two murders and their possible connection to a construction project. The mayor finds herself in danger and the target of a kidnapper and all the while Karppi must deal with a new boss who doesn't like her or her methods.

Deadwind is a terrific series. The story arc is so impressive that the 12 episodes whizz by as more of the plot unfolds.

Like Bordertown (another Finnish detective series) and Cardinal, the focus is as much on the detectives and their lives as the crime they are trying to solve.

There's plenty of tension between the two leads as they get to grips working with each other. Twists and turns pepper the show and it's almost impossible to figure out the end game.

However, as much as I loved it, I did guess the killer. It wasn't that difficult as each of the main suspects was ruled out one by one. Thankfully that didn't affect the overall enjoyment and with two seasons now on Netflix, it's definitely one to put on your list if you happen to love the likes of The Killing, The Bridge, Black Spot or Bordertown.

Will There Be A Season 3 Of Deadwind?

The quick answer is yes. Deadwind season 3 is on its way. Filming was underway back in December 2020 and it has already aired in Finland.

Based on the fact that Netflix likes to drop all of the episodes at the same time, we had to wait until 2022 to see Deadwind Season 3 on the streaming platform.

The good news is that the third instalment is available to watch from October 29th 2022. So what new mystery is in store for Karppi and Nurmi?

Who Are The Cast Of Deadwind?

There is no question that Karppi and Nurmi are the two leads of Deadwind. Their chemistry pops off the screen, and there's a constant will-they-won't-they undertone running through both season 1 and season 2.

Sofia Karppi is played by Pihla Viitala. The Finnish actress is based in Helsinki and started her acting career back in 2007.

By 2010 she had won the Shooting Stars award – a pan European award that recognises up and coming talent. Incidentally, it has also been won by Ruth Negga and Alicia Vikander.

Sakari Nurmi is played by Lauri Tilkanen. He studied at the Helsinki Theatre Academy and graduated in 2012.

Tommi Korpela plays Alex Hoikkala in the crime drama. Hoikkala owns a company that wants to build a new eco-friendly complex and the season 1 murder victim used to work for him.

In real life, Korpela has won the Jussi Award for Best Actor three times and has been starring in films for nearly 30 years.

How Many Episodes Are In Deadwind?

To date, there are 28 episodes of Deadwind. There are 12 in the first season and eight in both the second and the third.

Filmed in the Finnish language, English subtitles are available on Netflix.