When the Past Becomes the Present ... in Helsinki ("TV Tuesday")
"TV Tuesday"...
The one thing that good storytellers--of any genre--never forget is the importance of the human element at a story's center: why the audience should care about what happens to the characters therein. (If there's a lot of stuff happening, but we feel no connection to those it's all happening to, what's the point?)
Finland's "Koukussa" (or "Hooked", in English)--streaming now on Amazon--is a fine example of how to take a group of characters (including some thoroughly unlikable ones), and make us care.
Oskari Autio is a Helsinki cop at the top of his game in the drug unit, with a one-two punch--a reliable network of informants, plus killer instincts--that's led to an impressive conviction rate over the years.
At home, he plays single father to sensitive, smart, teenage son Niko (with whom he has a good relationship, all things considered), and both of them are fond of Oskari's easy-going, girlfriend, Juulia.
So, yeah, things are a-ok... until a blast from his past--Krista, the former girlfriend who abandoned Oskari (and their infant son, Niko) in the hospital, nearly twenty years ago--shows up out of the blue one day, and rocks their worlds.
It isn't long before Krista (an ex-junkie) finds herself embroiled in Helsinki's drug underworld, again... something which will put not only Oskari's job, but the safety of his family, on the line.
I mentioned earlier how important it is to make us care, even about those less-than-savory characters, and "Hooked" manages to do just that. From Krista--a woman who has thought of herself first, her whole life--to the drug gangs for whom she begins working--including the suave-but-oily leader, Julius, who is so good at maintaining a front that his pregnant wife has no idea where their money actually comes from; and Kode, the violent buffoon Julius finds himself saddled with, by dint of being brothers-in-law... each is portrayed as a complex, layered individual, with motivations we can understand (if not support).
"Hooked" takes place in a very small portion of Helsinki, with few exterior or interior locations. That doesn't really matter, though, because the focus here is quite narrow... boiling down, as it does, to the crossover between what is essentially two families: those living in the Autio household (Oskari, Niko, and Juulia), those under the Ahlberg roof or scope of power (Julius, wife Emmi, and Kode), plus Krista, the person who ties everyone together.
After something of a labored start (the first episode was intriguing enough--but just barely--to convince me to keep watching), I found myself becoming enmeshed in the compact world of "Hooked"... and caring, a good deal, about what would happen to everyone.
If intimate, personal tales set in a framework of cops battling drug gangs sound good to you, then be sure to give "Hooked" a shot. It's a slow burn--like a banked fire, on a cold night--and quite enjoyable.
~GlamKitty
The one thing that good storytellers--of any genre--never forget is the importance of the human element at a story's center: why the audience should care about what happens to the characters therein. (If there's a lot of stuff happening, but we feel no connection to those it's all happening to, what's the point?)
Oskari Autio is a Helsinki cop at the top of his game in the drug unit, with a one-two punch--a reliable network of informants, plus killer instincts--that's led to an impressive conviction rate over the years.
At home, he plays single father to sensitive, smart, teenage son Niko (with whom he has a good relationship, all things considered), and both of them are fond of Oskari's easy-going, girlfriend, Juulia.
So, yeah, things are a-ok... until a blast from his past--Krista, the former girlfriend who abandoned Oskari (and their infant son, Niko) in the hospital, nearly twenty years ago--shows up out of the blue one day, and rocks their worlds.
It isn't long before Krista (an ex-junkie) finds herself embroiled in Helsinki's drug underworld, again... something which will put not only Oskari's job, but the safety of his family, on the line.
I mentioned earlier how important it is to make us care, even about those less-than-savory characters, and "Hooked" manages to do just that. From Krista--a woman who has thought of herself first, her whole life--to the drug gangs for whom she begins working--including the suave-but-oily leader, Julius, who is so good at maintaining a front that his pregnant wife has no idea where their money actually comes from; and Kode, the violent buffoon Julius finds himself saddled with, by dint of being brothers-in-law... each is portrayed as a complex, layered individual, with motivations we can understand (if not support).
"Hooked" takes place in a very small portion of Helsinki, with few exterior or interior locations. That doesn't really matter, though, because the focus here is quite narrow... boiling down, as it does, to the crossover between what is essentially two families: those living in the Autio household (Oskari, Niko, and Juulia), those under the Ahlberg roof or scope of power (Julius, wife Emmi, and Kode), plus Krista, the person who ties everyone together.
After something of a labored start (the first episode was intriguing enough--but just barely--to convince me to keep watching), I found myself becoming enmeshed in the compact world of "Hooked"... and caring, a good deal, about what would happen to everyone.
If intimate, personal tales set in a framework of cops battling drug gangs sound good to you, then be sure to give "Hooked" a shot. It's a slow burn--like a banked fire, on a cold night--and quite enjoyable.
~GlamKitty
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