MICRO-REVIEW: Marcella

Marcella is an eight-part series portraying the difficult life of an unbalanced and troubled, though highly efficient and dedicated, policewoman. The creator of this series is Hans Rosenfeldt who is behind the production of the legendary Swedish Bridge television series, one of the most acclaimed products of the so-called Nordic Noir genre. The result, in this case, is that even though Marcella is shot in London and casting English-speaking actors, the show is reminiscent of the Scandinavian crime fiction books, movies, and tv series both plotwise and characterwise. The plot is tight and is unfolding fast with the main character struggling to achieve a harmonious balance between family life and her job. Sounds cliched, right? Well, maybe Marcella is not a show that has something new to offer in today's television crime series but the plot is captivating enough to keep you glued to your seat till the revelation of the guilty party. The short duration of each episode makes it impossible to feel bored and the revelation of the culprit, in the end, comes as a surprise. If you are a fan of Nordic Noir fiction, you will certainly enjoy this series, but if not I am not sure if it is worth spending the time viewing it when new tv productions in the genre globally offer better quality and innovation.