Mammon More 4.

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  • trevor tigertrevor tiger Posts: 37,996
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    solare wrote: »
    I agree. It was a disturbing scene but very powerful.

    I'm enjoying this series too and I think it gets better with each episode. It is confusing at times - especially this latest episode, but I don't really mind that. It means I can watch each episode twice and learn something new each time. (With subtitled drama you only have to avert your eyes from the screen for a few seconds to miss a vital piece of dialogue!)

    I don't trust the vicar. What normal person keeps spare toothbrushes? And I've learnt this week that Norwegian for "my job" is "me job".

    Everyone I thought :blush: Not heard of BOGOFS :confused: ;-)

    I was wondering about the vicar too but from the perspective that he had that footage of his son wailing at the alter but hadn't seemed to have said anything until he was directly asked.

    I agree with those saying it's a great drama and not confusing, more shocking and intriguing.
  • BlueEyedMrsPBlueEyedMrsP Posts: 12,178
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    solare wrote: »
    I don't trust the vicar. What normal person keeps spare toothbrushes? And I've learnt this week that Norwegian for "my job" is "me job".

    My husband's mum works with the church and she is often asked to take in people in need unexpectedly, so I can see how someone in that line of work would need to be prepared on short notice for such things.

    I have a spare toothbrush in my dresser drawer. :)
  • solaresolare Posts: 11,579
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    My husband's mum works with the church and she is often asked to take in people in need unexpectedly, so I can see how someone in that line of work would need to be prepared on short notice for such things.

    I have a spare toothbrush in my dresser drawer. :)
    Oh - ok. I'll let him off re: the spare toothbrushes. I still don't trust him, though. :D
  • Mel O'DramaMel O'Drama Posts: 402
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    Just caught up with episodes 1-3 and would say:-

    Oslo is very modern with a high standard of living [also eye-wateringly expensive].
    Me job = My job in Norwiegan, and I bielive in Swedish also.
    Confusing and obscure, but gripping nonetheless.

    I think that God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. He was preparing to do so when God provided a sheep to sacrifice in Isaac's place. I did wonder about the significance of Veibke's sheep in the light of this, is she to be, or provide some alternative when a sacrifice is required?

    Not too sure of the priest, or of some of the very dodgy hair cuts/wigs on show.

    Will be watching tonight ...:)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,322
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    Who has kidnapped Andreas?

    It's not clear yet what the mystery is about. So, the Minister is apparently only "red herring".

    I am still confused about many things but I am really enjoying Mammon.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    Finding this a bit irritating. Why the mystery over Daniel and his Dad, what plotline does it serve?
    Why and how was the senior journalist sacked? Isn't that illegal?
    How did Peter get locked up with no charges? Even in Britain that would be hard, so in a Scandinavian country it seems unlikely.
    How did the Police know to turn up at Eva;s house to question Peter?
    How did the other paper know to be on that exact platform at that exact time?
    If you were taking down a very large painting, surely you would turn the bloody lights on !!!
  • WoodentopWoodentop Posts: 3,088
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    Actually beginning to enjoy the intrigue with much unclear and possible thread of who, but why and what bearing will the deaths have. It's typical scandi/nordic in my mind, a lot of unexplained build up of great or little importance and a good denouement.
  • solaresolare Posts: 11,579
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    I like how, at the end of each episode, they play the music and a scene from each of the concurrent threads. It reminds me of "24" and I almost expect to see a digital clock counting up to the hour.
  • the_lostprophetthe_lostprophet Posts: 4,173
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    ^^ The Killing (Danish) used to do that as well.
  • elfcurryelfcurry Posts: 3,232
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    Next ep coming up...
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    Given up with this. Why does the director think it is clever to constantly refer to things in an oblique manner but not actually give the audience any idea of what is going on.
    So Daniel was 'evil' (or whatever was said) from birth??
    Peter's Dad is being sacked because??
    Peter has a warrant against him because he has some money?? And what evidence was he no longer threatening to compromise?
    Tweedledum and Tweedledee want to keep Peter incarcerated because we are in North Korea?
    The chief editor tells the staff that the news editor just left whereas he was sacked. And no one in a group of journalists won't think a) that is total bullshit b) find out rather simply what actually happened.
    Pregnant journalist gets exclusive with Finance Minister but won't talk to him because??
    Peter and Eva went to where in the countryside and because?
  • the_lostprophetthe_lostprophet Posts: 4,173
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    @ tealady - This Guardian summing up will help with a couple of those questions particularly where Peter and Eva went in the countryside:

    http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/apr/25/mammon-recap-season-one-episode-five

    However I agree that this is now very poorly written/directed and if it were 10 or 12 eps I wouldn't stick with it. Without reading Guardian blogs I basically don't have much of an idea what's going on - 'oblique' is a good word to describe how subjects are referred to in it. The Guardian also describes it as intractable in the blog above.

    It just isn't holding my attention as much as the other Scandi dramas.
  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 32,491
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    Gone off this now that Vibeke Haglund has been killed. She was one of the reasons why kept watching it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11,688
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    tealady wrote: »
    Given up with this. Why does the director think it is clever to constantly refer to things in an oblique manner but not actually give the audience any idea of what is going on.
    So Daniel was 'evil' (or whatever was said) from birth??
    Peter's Dad is being sacked because??
    Peter and Eva went to where in the countryside and because?

    Something happened when the brothers were young - the two boys in opening credits are Peter & Daniel. It looks like Daniel walloped his brother with the branch. Daniel and his dad were estranged. Peter never talks about what happened so we only have dad's side of the story.

    Peter and Eva went to the place in the video where the little boy was burnt to death. His dad was part of the Abraham conspiracy. He wanted out so Daniel and the others killed him and his son by burning down the cabin. Daniel left the three crosses clue and the date, 22nd Oct, on the painting. Vibeke followed the clues and found the cabin had been rebuilt. That's why P & E went there.

    I think Father father has been suspended because of the scandal. He mentioned to Peter a bishop had been shunned because of family troubles. Looks like Norwegian clergy are a pious lot. Lutherans I think?

    PS

    Nicolas Bro. Buch the Justice Minister from TK2, plays the bad guy who is following Peter around. And he burnt the cabin down for the second time. He's credited as the Arkitekten at the end.
    http://sondagsavisen.dk/multimedie/6806674.jpg
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11,688
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    Is Nicolas Bro speaking Danish and the Norwegians can understand him? A Bridge kind of scenario. Or is he speaking Norwegian with a Danish accent. Can't tell the difference.

    I think there were about 9 guys in the van in the fire video. If we include cabin dad that makes around 10 founders of the Abraham group. Four that we know of are dead. Sixish still alive.

    Nicolas Bro is in Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac. Haven't seen it, so no idea how big his parts are.:blush::D:D
  • biscuitfactorybiscuitfactory Posts: 29,392
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    Really enjoying this series. Loving the exciting cliffhangers at the end of every episode and the bit last night when Peter and his sister-in-law were in the old house was dead creepy.

    Is it just me or does anybody else think the woman who played Vibeke was a dead ringer for Michelle Dockery ( Lady Mary in Downton Abbey) ?

    http://static.bips.channel4.com/bips/orig/mammon/characters/7bedacc1-44d6-4a6e-a09c-229b6e34b958.jpg
    http://photos.last-video.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/michelle-dockery.jpg
  • Hamlet77Hamlet77 Posts: 22,440
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    I have to say that a lot has to happen in one episode, it has gone down as the series has progressed, I just want to see how it ends.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    This Guardian summing up will help with a couple of those questions particularly where Peter and Eva went in the countryside
    Thanks, clearly something wrong with a drama that requires viewers to read a media blog to understand what is happening.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    Something happened when the brothers were young - the two boys in opening credits are Peter & Daniel. It looks like Daniel walloped his brother with the branch. Daniel and his dad were estranged. Peter never talks about what happened so we only have dad's side of the story.

    Peter and Eva went to the place in the video where the little boy was burnt to death. His dad was part of the Abraham conspiracy. He wanted out so Daniel and the others killed him and his son by burning down the cabin. Daniel left the three crosses clue and the date, 22nd Oct, on the painting. Vibeke followed the clues and found the cabin had been rebuilt. That's why P & E went there.

    I think Father father has been suspended because of the scandal. He mentioned to Peter a bishop had been shunned because of family troubles. Looks like Norwegian clergy are a pious lot. Lutherans I think?
    Thanks BK.
    The fact that more can be gleamed from the opening title than from 4.5 episodes shows something is not right. I don't understand why the writers tell us the family is estranged but won't develop it any further. It just leaves the viewers with nothing to discuss or work out.
    I can't see why they won't be clear about the Dad being suspended. That is just holding something back for the sake of it without serving any purpose.
    I am just left not caring about any of the characters because we get so little information on them. It looks like we are heading for an Agatha Christie type denouement where everything has to be explained because there is no real scope for the viewer to come up with their solution.
    One of the pleasures of other Scandi drama is the shared experience of working things out with fellow FMs, testing theories and resolving (or identifying) ambiguities. There isn't really anything in this one that allows that which is demonstrated by the <100 posts in the thread
  • VerenceVerence Posts: 104,575
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    PS

    Nicolas Bro. Buch the Justice Minister from TK2, plays the bad guy who is following Peter around. And he burnt the cabin down for the second time. He's credited as the Arkitekten at the end.
    http://sondagsavisen.dk/multimedie/6806674.jpg

    Just out of interest quite a few of the cast of Mammon have previously appeared in Lillyhammer, the first series of which was shown on BBC4 back in 2012.

    Mind you, like Denmark, Norway has a relatively small population and thus has a smaller pool of actors to work with
  • niceguy1966niceguy1966 Posts: 29,560
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    I dropped out after episode 3, it was too much of a slog. After enjoying The Killing, The Bridge, Borgen and The Returned, I was expecting to enjoy this.

    I'm not a sub-titles snob, but normally, if a UK network buys a series with subtitles, there has to be a good reason, i.e. it has to be good. I just think this wasn't good enough. I'm not sure I would have stuck with it even if it had been in English!
  • Mel O'DramaMel O'Drama Posts: 402
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    I agree the 'If it's in a foreign language it must be good ' mantra is not always correct.
  • HarkAtHerHarkAtHer Posts: 2,099
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    tealady wrote: »
    Thanks BK.
    The fact that more can be gleamed from the opening title than from 4.5 episodes shows something is not right. I don't understand why the writers tell us the family is estranged but won't develop it any further. It just leaves the viewers with nothing to discuss or work out.
    I can't see why they won't be clear about the Dad being suspended. That is just holding something back for the sake of it without serving any purpose.
    I am just left not caring about any of the characters because we get so little information on them. It looks like we are heading for an Agatha Christie type denouement where everything has to be explained because there is no real scope for the viewer to come up with their solution.
    One of the pleasures of other Scandi drama is the shared experience of working things out with fellow FMs, testing theories and resolving (or identifying) ambiguities. There isn't really anything in this one that allows that which is demonstrated by the <100 posts in the thread

    Agree with you tealady. It's one thing to be dark and mysterious, another to artificially withhold information that in normal life would be disclosed or discussed - like "Why is grandad so weird", as I've said before. I got really lost and bored around eps 2-4 and was about to give up, but I'm glad I kept on, as the last ep in the secret cabin was pretty good.

    Part of my difficulty is that the filming is so colourless, and Norwegian men apparently so similar, that it's hard to tell who's who. Also the characterisations are samey - good hack behaves like bad hack, businessmen and politicians are almost interchangeable. And none of the characters is very interesting apart from Vibeke.

    Plus, I know these dramas have to bring political/corporate corruption into EVERY story, it's a badge of honour, but in Mammon it's pushed the more interesting story to the margins. Turns out the corruption plot (politician we don't care about has affair, big whup) is a red herring anyway.

    Still, I shall be watching to the bitter end because I think there's still a chance they could pull it off...:confused:
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    Not too promising from the Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/may/02/mammon-recap-season-one-episode-six
    What did those who watched make of it?
  • p1xiep1xie Posts: 2,560
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    Gone off this now that Vibeke Haglund has been killed. She was one of the reasons why kept watching it.

    I found all the characters either unlikeable or uninteresting (or both). Vibeke was the only one who redeemed it, so decided to give up on it after she went. Much as I love Scandi noir, life's too short. Not interested enough to carry on with this. We gave it a good go.
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