--- title: "The Bridge: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-bridge/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/the-bridge" critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Bridge (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 82 from 8 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are uniformly positive, and the praise clusters in two places. The first is the premise: a body found on the Oresund bridge, laid across the Danish-Swedish border, so that police from both countries must work the case together. The second is the partnership it produces, between the charming but flawed Martin and the emotionally distant Saga Norén, which several critics call one of television’s better odd couples. Helin’s performance as Saga draws the warmest notices, with most critics finding her rule-bound literalness oddly sympathetic rather than cold. The spread is narrow; nobody dislikes it. The one reservation concerns Saga herself. The Guardian finds her harder to love than Sarah Lund and misses the humanness of The Killing, a comparison the early reviews keep making. Later reviews, written with the whole run in view, are warmer, crediting the series with sustaining its mysteries and character work across four series and with an ending that satisfies. ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2012. The mismatched cop duo of charming but flawed Martin and emotionally distant Saga tackle a gruesome border murder in this gripping Scandi-thriller. The leads excel in an unhinged, complex story. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/dvd-bluray-the-bridge-15-7785781.html) ## The Times Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 April 2012. The review praises the potent thriller as deftly constructed and potentially the best of the recent Scandi imports, highlighting its cross-border collaboration and strong narrative setup with a body found on the Oresund bridge. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/norway/something-is-rotten-93wr8cfr706) ## The i Paper — Mark Butler Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 June 2018. The critic calls The Bridge Scandi-noir’s most beloved and consistently rewarding TV saga since its 2011 debut, praising its ingenious mysteries and character work. Saga Noren stands out as a uniquely sympathetic and masterfully built lead whose quirks and depth drive the show’s appeal alongside strong supporting performances. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/the-bridge-best-scandi-noir-170793) ## The Telegraph — Michael Hogan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 2020. The critic calls the series a Nordic Noir classic with an ingenious premise and one of TV's best odd-couple detective partnerships. They single out its role in popularising Scandi-crime and its rewarding rewatch value. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2020/08/15/an-ingenious-premise-one-tvs-best-odd-couples-time-watch-rewatch/) ## The AV Club — Molly Eichel Rating B+. 4 February 2014. The critic praises the original Scandinavian series as an entertaining, single-minded mystery that succeeds where its American remake falters, highlighting the strong central relationship between the two investigators and Saga's unique, childlike perspective on the world. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-bridge-s-source-material-hits-hulu-1798179404) ## Radio Times — Alison Graham Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 June 2018. The critic bids an emotional farewell to the series, calling its ending note-perfect and satisfying as it lets Saga live on beyond the story. Helin’s performance as the unconventional, rule-bound detective is singled out for magnificence and the deep viewer connection it fostered over the run. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-bridge-final-episode-review/) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 April 2012. The critic notes the strong opening premise and engaging odd-couple detectives while praising the washed-out visuals and understated acting. They single out the enigmatic lead character Saga Norén and declare themselves hooked. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/the-bridge-another-cool-product-of-scandinavian-crime-7675484.html) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 April 2012. The critic finds The Bridge gripping and haunting in its bleak Nordic noir style but notes the lead character Saga is hard to love compared to Sarah Lund, lacking the humanness of The Killing. It singles out the intriguing, unfeeling yet vulnerable central character and the atmospheric, unfriendly beauty of the series. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/apr/22/the-bridge-vera-tv-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/the-bridge.md