The Stranger (2020)

I don't want to be forced to act recalcitrant here, but personally I don't understand the enthusiasm surrounding this series. Yes, at first glance, Harlan Coben's stories seem like an ingenious puzzle - which they might be - but if you think about it a little longer, the sum of the parts is actually completely ridiculous. Everyone in his series has an insane secret - this was already the case in The Five and Safe - and all those different storylines 'coincidentally' also work seamlessly together. It makes the whole thing rather unlikely and therefore - for me - completely unbelievable. I have never sat on the toilet at Coben's house, but I dare say with certainty that there is no tile with 'less is more' on the wall. In addition, I think cinematographically, it is also a 'cold' series. Compared to similar series from Scandinavia, The Stranger is more the detective equivalent of EastEnders. It is all quite basic and does not get really interesting or exciting in terms of filming. This latest Netflix Original lacks a bit of soul. To grinta. It's more of a mathematical formula dressed up as a series. A collection of connections without a heart. And we haven't even talked about that ridiculous ending. The great thing about series is of course that everyone has his or her own opinion, but if you give it a 9, The Bridge of The Killing should be worth 12.5.

A really great series! Good story, good actors and the urge to continue watching after each episode.