despite negative reviews the story is gripping and unexpected turn of events in the very end is delivered only to the patient viewer. it kept my attention and i rated very high for the original surprising ending and interesting plot, not to mention gorgeous lead character and scenery.

Aksel Borgen is a Norwegian businessman who has been working in Malaysia for the last twenty years; in all that time he hasn't returned home. Then one day he is contacted to ask for help saving an important business in his old home town. He returns to Norway and it soon becomes apparent why he left; he had been charged with the murder of his childhood sweetheart. He was acquitted but not everybody accepted his innocence; most notably the girl's mother who is now determined to prove that Aksel was guilty all along. Over the course of the series we learn more details of what happened twenty years ago that led to him being acquitted but still a suspect in the eyes of many people. We also see Aksel wife and son learn what he has been accused of; something he never told them.This was an enjoyable series that kept me guessing throughout; Nicolai Cleve Broch's performance as Aksel was ambiguous enough to keep me wondering if perhaps he did do it after all. While those in the town focus on him as the suspect there are other possibilities to keep the viewer guessing. As we near the end at least five people have been accused of the murder by somebody before the killer is exposed in the first season's final minutes. When the killer is finally exposed it neither seems too far-fetched nor too obvious. There is more to the series than the murder; there is also the question of what will happen to the company, Aksel gets close to an old girlfriend and his son gets involved with the niece of the murdered woman. The characters are an interesting bunch although it made little sense that Aksel's son spoke apparently perfect Norwegian when he'd never been there and his parents converse in English. The amazing Norwegian scenery certainly adds to the enjoyment of the series with its stunning combination of mountains and fjords. I'd certainly recommend this to fans of Scandinavian dramas and look forward to seeing where things go in the second season.These comments are based on watching the first season in Norwegian with English subtitles.

This series looks absolutely excellent to me and it appears to be full of superb acting (not to mention spectacular scenery and a compelling, complex and largely well-rounded storyline). I did feel the last episode wasn't as completing as I would have liked BUT my huge disappointment is the feeling that the distributors have badly let down and disrespected the entire production team with very poor subtitles and distribution errors like selling into an advertisement free platform but providing cropped episodes (e.g. you see the 'shown previously' at the beginning of the next episode only to find it includes scenes you've not been shown).Why would anyone take a fantastic series that could be immensely popular and lay the basis for sales of further series and completely ruin it with poor subtitles and lack of attention to detail in provision of episode lengths/types?

Aquitted, or Frikjent, witch is the original title, has a very intriguing plot, which is inspired on an idea which occurred after the disappearance, and later found killed, young girl, Birgitte Tengs. A young lover was sentenced, but later acquitted for the killing, but even if there was an acquittal, the suspected young man was still sentenced to pay for damages. Upon this base, the main writers Anna-Bache Wiig and Siv Rajendram Eliassen.We meet a modern businessman in Aksel Borgen, which for years have had considerable success, and is well established with a wife and son in Indonesia. Even back home some know about his success, though there's been a long 20 years since he left his little home town on the western coast of Norway. When the most important local firm at his birth place is in serious trouble, Aksel Borgen is asked back to save the all-important firm and his hometown in Norway. But there's a major catch. 20 years ago, he left his home town after being acquitted for murdering his high school sweetheart. People back home hasn't forgotten anything about the case.The series rely very much on the acting in a series which is full of close dialog. This is a mystery crime drama with a touch of classy soap. It's well made, and beautifully produced. It also show the multi talented Nicolai Cleve Broch in a role which is perfect for his specter of method acting. We get time to care about the persons, which is crucial in such a series. We get to know a lot of interesting persons in a wast gallery in two countries on each side of the world. We see all kinds of conflicts evolve, and being dragged up from far beyond once more. Deep emotions, hard feelings, which is followed by a haunting music score, heavy on sentimentality as well as sadness.The scenery is beautiful, and will add an extra exotic feel to the film of a really small town, which has old and modern buildings mixed as a part of the scenery as well as the premises for the plot unfolding. The film shows modern and traditional rural Norway, with architecture and modern technology is mixed with everyday life and the rural old traditional feel and traditions. On this back-draft, the modern multi national business is entering with modern tailor made suits and a beautiful designed Audi A7 limousine, which is used as a contrast to the nature, very effectively.The main score, "To assign properties" is beautifully performed by the upcoming Norwegian band Highasakite, and fold every episode's opening and closing in a simply perfect way. Perfectly suited. The slick feel is also made by the lovely footage. The whole series is excellent photographed all through. The story seems like it's got new angles all the time, and very likely there will be a second season, since this series has been a great success in native country Norway, with up to 45 % market share when aired. The series is sold to a lot of countries, and will have a world wide TV-distribution. Quite deservedly so. You'll probably have easy to see inspiration from other Scandinavian film inspirations, like Bergman, Hamer and Bier. Very Scandinavian. Very Norwegian.The series is already sold to 15 countries, and more to come. The series is chosen for the Geneva International Film Festival og Seoul International Drama Awards, where it's nominated for three awards, amongst them best script.