Netflix's #2 Hit Is a 90%-Rated Jo Nesbo Adaptation, but It's No Masterpiece Like 'The Bridge'

Last week, the Norwegian series Detective Hole, an adaptation of Jo Nesbo's novel, premiered on Netflix. It's already one of the two most-watched shows on the platform and has an impressive 90% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It seems like the long-awaited return of Scandinavian noir, which genre fans have been waiting for since The Bridge and The Killing.

However, if you're expecting a new masterpiece in the genre, your expectations may be too high for this series, which tries to embrace the impossible.

What Is 'Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole' About?

The story takes place in Oslo during a suffocating heat wave. The story centers on Harry Hole, a talented yet troubled detective. He has been sober for two years and is trying to rebuild his life with Rakel and connect with her teenage son.

Five years ago, he was driving drunk and caused an accident that killed his partner. In the present, he meets a new colleague named Ellen who soon dies under mysterious circumstances in a forest cabin. Harry suspects that the corrupt cop Tom Waaler is involved.

The situation becomes more complicated when a serial killer appears in town. Fingers are cut off, and tiny diamonds in the shape of a pentagram – possibly a Satanic symbol – are found under the victims' eyelids.

'Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole' Hole Suffers From a Disjointed Style and an Overstretched Plot

From the very first frames, it is evident that the striking yellow-orange color grading is completely uncharacteristic of the genre – Scandinavian noir is typically associated with cold tones, long twilight hours, and an atmosphere of despair.

Here, the creators rely on a scorching sun and unnaturally bright colors, transforming the dark thriller into something reminiscent of a 2000s TV series.

Furthermore, as a first-time showrunner, Jo Nesbo demonstrated a complete lack of proportion – the first season has nine long episodes, and the narrative sags in almost every one.

The storyline with Waaler dominates the running time to such an extent that the investigation into the serial killer fades into the background.

'Detective Hole' Pales in Comparison to Iconic Scandinavian Noir Series Such as 'The Bridge' & 'The Killing'

Detective Hole is far from achieving cult status. Unlike the benchmarks The Bridge and The Killing, which kept viewers gripped by psychological tension and never wasted time on empty subplots, Nesbo's work sprawls.

It's a melodrama about finding a family, a crime drama about a corrupt cop, and a thriller about a serial killer, all at once. In his attempt to capture every detail of his book, the author forgot that television demands brevity.

The victims in this story are mere bodies without backstories, and the extreme violence shown in close-up clashes with the overly bright colors.

Detective Hole improves by the finale, but viewers must endure an overstuffed pilot and several sluggish episodes to get there.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole'?

• Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole has 90% from critics and 77% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 7.9/10.