As with the last two seasons of this exemplary Swedish/Danish co-production, this third season of The Bridge opens with a puzzle in the form of a murder. This time, Helle Anker, the founder of the first gender-neutral kindergarten in Copenhagen, has been found murdered in a nightmare scene of domesticity. She is sitting at a table in a deserted Swedish building. Mannequins have been placed at the table across from her representing her husband and children. All have grotesque clown-like make-up smeared across their faces including Helle, and her heart is missing.

This killing turns out to be only the first in a chain of grisly murders, all involving recreations of artworks owned by multi-millionaire Freddie Holst. To solve this puzzle, new Danish counterpart, detective Henrik Sabroe, joins our main protagonist, Malmö homicide detective Saga Norén.

When Saga’s boss and father figure, Hans, is drawn directly into the circle of the killer and then her estranged mother, whom she has not seen in twenty years, visits her, it brings up old familial demons that she has ignored by burying herself deep in her work.

This third season of The Bridge is its strongest yet. The crime thread twists and weaves, entwining a number of possible suspects. Saga Norén is one of the best creations not just in detective fiction but also in any genre. The first two seasons delved into the life of Saga’s previous Danish counterpart, while only hinting at her own background. Season 3 deals directly with Saga, who must deal with the traumas of childhood memories and new dangers presented by her newly materialised mother.

Sofia Helin’s depiction of the strong-willed detective with her Asperger’s-like personality, whose unflinchingly honest and focused personality is at odds with her inability to read social cues and the complexity of human emotion, is masterful.

Jason Austin