This Swedish miniseries is a must-see for crime lovers
Sweden and crime series, it remains a golden combination every time. They must have thought 'never change a winning team' at Netflix and that turned out to be a good move. The new crime drama ‘Genombrottet’ (‘The Breakthrough’) immediately enters the top 3. The series is about a double murder that held Sweden in its grip for 16 years, and the special way in which the perpetrator was found. To make it even more exciting: the story is based on true events.
The breakthrough
It is October 19, 2004, when 8-year-old Adnan (Marley Norstad) and 56-year-old Gunilla (Anna Azcarate) are stabbed in broad daylight in the Swedish town of Linköping. Detective John Sundin (Peter Eggers) dives into the case and promises the relatives that he will find the perpetrator, no matter what. With a witness, DNA traces, and hundreds of tips, it seems that the double murder will be solved quickly; that is far from the case. Every search operation leads to a dead end, but Sundin refuses to give up; he must and will keep his promise. When the police want to close the case as a cold case after 16 years, the detective tries one last option. He enlists the help of Per (Mattias Nordkvist), a genealogist specializing in DNA and family research. With his help, a breakthrough in finding the perpetrator suddenly seems much closer.
The real murders
Although all names in the four-part miniseries have been changed and details have been added, the main storyline is indeed based on true events. On October 19, 2004, an 8-year-old boy and a 56-year-old woman were murdered in Linköping, Sweden. For 16 years, the case seemed unsolvable until a new method of ancestral DNA was employed. The double murder still constitutes the second largest investigation in the history of the country, and the first time this method of DNA research was used. Journalist Anna Bodin, together with genealogist Peter Sjölund, wrote a book about the case; which later became the inspiration for the series. “When I read the book ‘Genombrottet’, I was struck by the fact that there were such strong human destinies behind this enormous murder investigation: police officers who refused to give up, family members who wanted answers, and last but not least the genealogist,” said screenwriter Oskar Söderlund. “Amidst this tragedy, there are people who refuse to give up, who struggle to move on, and whose entire lives are marked by what has happened.”
Cancel your weekend plans, you want to binge this series in one go. ‘Genombrottet’ is now available on Netflix.
Image: MVSRS
