Maria’s final scream, as the camera cuts away, is positively blood-curdling. An elderly farming couple, Joannes and Maria Lovgren, appear to be enjoying a quiet meal when they’re interrupted by two masked intruders. (One episode 90 minutes, TV-PG) The opening scene of this episode has to be one of the most chilling in the series. Faceless Killers is based on the novel by international bestseller Henning Mankell.

Wallander's inquiry takes him deep into his own damaged psyche, forcing him to examine and question his own motives before he can even begin to understand those of a killer. But there is more to the case - a potential mistress, a lost son and a large sum of money. As Swedish inspector (Kenneth Branagh) arrives at the horrific scene, he holds the old woman as she dies, shouting to her one final, urgent question - 'Who did this?' She sounds out something that could be 'farmer' or maybe 'foreigner.' But is Wallander reading into it? Is he swayed by his struggle to relate to his daughter's new boyfriend of Syrian descent? The press takes hold of the foreigner angle, inciting swift and deadly retribution against local migrant workers. Here’s the story summary from the PBS website:Īn elderly couple is brutally assaulted in their rural farmhouse. The first episode of Series II was ominously entitled Faceless Killers. Thankfully, I didn’t make that mistake – Wallander is the perfect vehicle for Branagh’s acting talents, and the stories are wholly absorbing.

Thanks to some less than intriguing (in my view at any rate) previews, I’d nearly made the mistake of writing off the show entirely despite my long-time appreciation of lead actor Kenneth Branagh. Better late than never, right? Last year Wallander was a great surprise. Now that Series II is on DVD, I’m hoping to rectify that situation. Due to time constraints and various other issues that came up when Series II aired a few weeks ago on Masterpiece Mystery, I was unable to review the episodes as they aired. Poor Wallander got the short end of the stick on the blog this year, I’m afraid.

Faceless killers wallander