Television Review | Credibility is put to the test in a domestic mystery series

Operation Valhalla. Square+.

★★

Idea is good, as it often is.

At some point in his life, the Finnish researcher left Finland for the Soviet Union to continue his work, got married there and had a daughter. The wife has died under unclear circumstances, and the man has been left alone with the daughter.

Now the socialist superpower is falling apart and so is the scientist’s life. He flees to Finland with his daughter and takes information with him.

Let’s move on to modern times. Daughter Alina Railo has already shown signs of exceptional intelligence as a child, and has become a climate scientist. Father is dead.

But Alina doesn’t remember anything about her childhood – and doesn’t seem to know anything about it either, which is a bit surprising. Why has it been hidden from him? As the series progresses, many bigger things surprise.

Operation In Valhalla – an experienced screenwriter is behind the idea of ​​the series Jari Olavi Rantala. The series can be called sci-fi in the sense that its so-called science part is complete bullshit. Let’s look for gaps, or here of course rails, through which you can get to parallel realities. Among them, father Railo / Radilov had reached the grain.

These kinds of imaginings are crazy because a sane viewer should be made to playfully believe in them right from the start. Operation in Valhalla faith decays along with the Soviet Union.

We are ready to believe anything about Soviet science, but when we move to modern Finland, skepticism takes over.

Saaga Salo is young Alina. Picture: Snapper Films / Four

It’s time impossible to join the game despite the fact that Elisa Viihti’s production is in itself valid. The series has been directed and produced Juha Wuolijoki.

Joonas Saartamo is very good in the role of father. He has emotion and mystery, which is exactly what the series aims for. His story can be lived. Also playing young Alina Saga Salo is an excellent and suitably Tarkovsky-like prodigy.

Flashbacks still work in Finnish landscapes too. Mother and daughter Fairy tale Silvo and Vilma Kinnunen play the same character, Saara, at different ages.

The British actor brings an international look Alistair Brammer and Danish Iben Dornerbut their presence rather breaks the whole.

Dorner’s cold-blooded scientist-businesswoman has a suspiciously crooked smile from the start, and Brammer enters the picture at a science conference, watching Alina speak on stage from the audience. A classic example of how to water down an intelligent and competent female character with one look.

With Sara Soulié is a difficult, almost impossible task in the role of Alina, who is plagued by many inconsistencies. Starting with all the dark matter and black holes the scientist throws around in his lines.

Alina’s relationship with her husband (Hannes Suominen) is weird when not explained. It’s not polyamorous, even if they say so.