Den röda vargen

It's really an excellent series with great flow and pacing. Tense and gritty. Only Malin Crépin is simply too distracting. It's enough having to read the subtitles, without being distracted by this ridiculously beautiful woman. I think casting should consider that males although evolved with some ability to control themselves, might be viewers and maybe unable to control biology. She is an excellent actress but detracts from the sheer quality of the show, with her looks. The story lines are superb and the scenery is brilliant. It has great atmosphere as well. I like the fact that even such a stunning woman, can have marital problems. Her problems balancing work and children resonates as well.

I really enjoyed this series. Luckily, I didn't check out the ratings on IMDb, or I might never have tried it. Well-written, well-acted, and well-directed. I have seen the first six episodes (which seem to be listed separately here). Some are better than others, but all were worth watching.

Malin Crepin is a treat to watch, as Annika. The continuing story of her marriage and motherhood make Annika a much fuller character than "reporter." Like the best of series, there is both an episode resolution and continuing character development.

If you like Scandinavian TV series like "The Protectors," you'll probably like "Annika Bengtzon."

Check it out if you like well-done mysteries. I hope there are more of these shows to come.

It's unfortunate this great series was only six episodes, it was such a pleasure to watch. This crime drama is all Malin Crepin.. bit.ly/14ierxC... and she is sensational. She could easily come to the US and be a huge success.. cameras just adore her. There are few women having such natural beauty, where makeup adds so little to their allure. As for the show, it's more like six movies strung together with her characters job and immediate on-screen family linking them all. The remainder of the cast is good... but by script design, and her beauty and talent, no one stands out anywhere near as much as she does. There are not many thirty-something actresses that could be dressed down into loose t-shirts, dungaree shorts, black & white sneakers, and look as desirable. One unrealistic part of the plot, you'd have to be completely out of your mind to even consider divorcing her.

This Swedish television series captures the work and personal life of Annika Bengtzon, a tenacious journalist who relentlessly strives to unveil the truth and identities of criminals. She is also a doting, young mother and her conviction to her work often conflicts with her lion-hearted longing to be a good mother and supportive spouse/lover. The quick-paced show is artfully done (both visually and auditorily) and gives the viewer a sense that time is of the essence and moreover, it gives Annika's life a sense of edginess, fragility and most importantly, freedom, as she plunges headlong into tracking down criminals without thinking twice about the consequences. Annika is beautiful by American standards and average by Swedish standards. But she is not portrayed in any glossy fashion - she wears dark eyeliner, sloppy t-shirts and has pronounced bags under her eyes. The show does an excellent job at portraying a passionate, hard-working woman's struggles and it does an average job in creating compelling mysteries. The mysteries are somewhat formulaic, which is why we love them. However, a smart audience will eventually want to see more grit and complexity in its criminals. - Looking forward to Season 2.

The Red Wolf (2012) aka Den röda vargen

Plot: A journalist is murdered in the frozen white landscape of a northern Swedish town. Annika Bengtzon, a reporter at a Stockholm-based tabloid, was planning to interview him about a long-ago attack against an isolated air base nearby, and now she suspects that his death is linked to that attack. Against the explicit orders of her boss, she begins to investigate the event, which is soon followed by a series of shocking murders. Annika knows the murders are connected. At the same time, she begins to suspect that her husband is hiding something, and nothing can counteract the loneliness that has crept into her life. Behind everything lurks the figure of the Red Wolf, a cold-blooded killer with the soul of a lover. In the end, she must discover the truth not only about the murders but also about the lies that are destroying her own family.