With Season 3, The Bridge appears to come to an end, but not until we’ve enjoyed a further ten episodes, all of which are collected here on three Blu-ray discs. Saga Noren (Sofia Helen) is back, but this time she has a new counterpart – Henrik Saboe (Thure Lindhart). Henrik replaces Martin Rhode who appeared in the first two seasons.
Of course it all starts with a murder, as a body is found in Malmö (in Sweden), the victim is identified as Helle Anker from Copenhagen; Saga is paired with a partner in the form of Hanne Thomsen (Olesen). As the complex interwoven plot unfolds, the reluctant Thomsen is side-lined and replaced by the more enigmatic Henrik Saboe. Here the season finds its own rhythm as Henrik understands Saga’s autism and their relationship grows, as the storyline moves forward.
Of course Hans Rosenfeldt’s story needs careful attention, as it is rich in detail, character and diversion. We have vloggers, more murders, war veterans and the central idea of murder as art. In the middle of all this Safa’s relationships with her colleagues change and challenge her, but no more so than the appearance of her mother Marie-Louise (Petrén) and the exploration of the suicide of Saga’s sister Jennifer. The writing doesn’t overlook Henrik either and there are many revelations about his own life. As the murder plot reaches its dénouement on the island of Saltholm (part of Denmar, but reassuringly next to the Øresund Bridge itself), Saga and Henrik face some of their demons and find the strength to move on. Fabulous stuff, and in many ways the best of the three seasons.
If you’ve collected the previous two sets, buying this one is the easiest decision you’ll ever make. If you haven’t, you could do worse than buy them all.
THE BRIDGE SEASON 3 / CERT: 15 / SCREENPLAY: HANS ROSENFELDT / STARRING: SOFIA HELEN, THURE LINDHART, KRISTEN OLSEN, ANN PETRÉN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
