Deadwind (originally Karppi), a Finnish crime drama, premiered in 2018 and quickly gained a following due to its gritty atmosphere, intricate mystery, and compelling characters. Set in Helsinki, the series mixes the bleakness of Nordic noir with a complex murder investigation.
Season One Recap
Intro
In Season one, after the tragic death of her husband, detective Sofia Karppi moves back to Finland, only to be confronted with a mysterious case shortly after her return – a woman is found buried in a new development – wrapped in plastic and with flowers on her chest . Together with her colleague Sakarai Nurmi, she uncovers many mysterious factors during the investigation – how big is the conspiracy behind the murder of Anna Bergdahl?
Karppi is a tough, intuitive detective, but her grief often leads her to make impulsive decisions and lash out at those around her. The weight of her personal life contrasts with the high-stakes investigation she gets drawn into. Despite her emotional struggles, Karppi is determined to prove herself as she navigates the darkness of both her own life and the criminal world.
Detective Sakari Nurmi, Karppi’s new partner, is another key figure in the investigation. He is a young, intelligent detective who approaches cases methodically, but he also brings his own baggage to the team. Nurmi is trying to overcome his reputation from a previous assignment that ended in controversy, and working alongside Karppi presents both a challenge and an opportunity for him to prove himself.
Throughout the season, the dynamic between Karppi and Nurmi is a central element. Karppi’s impulsive, emotionally-driven style contrasts sharply with Nurmi’s more cautious, analytical approach. Their relationship evolves as they gradually learn to trust and respect each other, despite their differences. Nurmi also serves as a stabilizing force for Karppi, helping her navigate the emotional turmoil she’s experiencing.
The Murder of Anna Bergdahl
The central mystery of Season 1 revolves around the murder of Anna Bergdahl, a young woman whose body is found buried at a construction site. At first, it appears to be a straightforward case, but as Karppi and her new partner, Sakari Nurmi (played by Lauri Tilkanen), dig deeper, they uncover a far-reaching conspiracy.
Anna’s murder is linked to Tempo, a major environmental construction company, and its CEO, Alex Hoikkala (played by Tommi Korpela). The company is working on a large-scale urban development project that faces opposition from environmentalists, politicians, and even criminal elements. Karppi and Nurmi begin to suspect that Anna’s murder is tied to corruption within the company and political maneuvering surrounding the project.
The case takes numerous twists and turns, revealing layers of secrets, including Anna’s involvement in suspicious dealings within Tempo. Her role as a consultant for the project connects her to key figures in the company, making it clear that she knew too much and was likely silenced.
Karppi and Nurmi’s investigation uncovers evidence that Anna had been gathering information about Tempo’s illegal activities, possibly intending to blow the whistle on the company. This revelation shifts the focus of the investigation toward uncovering the hidden players behind Tempo’s dangerous decisions.
The political element of the case is also crucial, as various political figures are tied to Tempo, either through business dealings or bribes. The deeper Karppi and Nurmi dig, the more they realize that the corruption extends far beyond a single company and implicates powerful individuals with vested interests in covering up the truth.
The Hoikkala Family and Corporate Corruption
The investigation into Anna’s death leads Karppi and Nurmi into the powerful world of corporate politics, particularly focusing on the Hoikkala family. Alex Hoikkala, the CEO of Tempo, is initially suspected of being involved in Anna’s murder due to his close connection to her through the company’s development project. However, as the detectives dig deeper, it becomes clear that the entire family is entangled in the scandal.
Alex’s wife, Julia Hoikkala, also plays a key role in the mystery. Her own actions and secrets create further complications, and Karppi begins to suspect that the Hoikkala family is hiding something more than just corporate malfeasance. The series explores how the family’s power and influence shield them from scrutiny, complicating the investigation.
As the case progresses, Karppi and Nurmi uncover evidence of bribery, fraud, and dangerous environmental practices within the company, all of which point to a broader conspiracy that involves both the private and political sectors. Anna’s murder seems increasingly connected to the lengths Tempo will go to in order to cover up its crimes and protect its interests.
Karppi’s Personal Life
While the murder investigation drives the plot, Karppi’s personal life is a central emotional thread in the series. Karppi is still grieving the loss of her husband, and her relationship with her children is strained as she tries to balance her demanding job with her responsibilities as a mother. Her eldest child, Emil, is particularly affected by his father’s death and struggles to connect with his mother, who is often absent both physically and emotionally.
Karppi’s unresolved grief and guilt over her husband’s death affect her ability to function at work and at home. Her recklessness in the investigation and her tendency to throw herself into danger can be seen as her way of coping with the overwhelming loss she feels. As the season progresses, Karppi is forced to confront her grief and begin the difficult process of healing.
Season 1 Ending Explained
The entire narrative emerges when the case’s layers are removed. It turns out that while diving around the area, Andreas and his girlfriend Hilde found the capsules where the trash was disposed of, which is how they learned about Weltkraft’s plan. Hilde died shortly after contracting radiation sickness as a result of a waste spill. Andreas surmised that Alex was defrauding people in the name of his environmentally friendly apartments because the capsules had the name of his project. However, it appears that Alex was unaware of it.
After a while, Usko admits to hitting his wife the night before she was killed. After learning of her affair, he felt enraged when she informed him that she was leaving him. He does, however, also assert that she was still alive when he departed.
The police delve into Anna’s past in addition to her work life. It seems that at the age of fifteen, she had fled her home. The coach of the swimming team she was a member of used to harass the girls. Due to the trauma, one of her pals committed suicide while also carrying a child. When he was raping the females inside, the coach would instruct his son Johannes to keep watch outside the door. He attempted to do the same with Anna, but she fled and Johannes failed to stop her; as a result, he too got beaten by his father. Years later, Johannes adopts the alias Jarkko, moves in next door to Anna, and begins to stalk her.
Ultimately, it is discovered that Jarkko was the one who murdered Anna. She ran to Jarkko for assistance after Usko attacked her, and he used the occasion to tell her who he really was and to show his love for her. She attempted to flee, but he struck her in the head, causing her death. As a token of his affection, he buried her at the building site with the same kind of lilies she had held in her wedding photos.
Sophia just so happens to be at Jarkko’s apartment when Nurmi discovers that Jarkko is Johannes. The police show up in time to save her from his attack and attempted murder. But Jarkko takes off. He abducts Usko’s daughters and returns to his childhood home. After discovering his whereabouts, Sophia and Nurmi apprehend him for Anna’s murder.
Sophia experiences a personal blow when Henna chooses to remain in Hamburg, particularly in light of the traumatic events surrounding the sex tape. Nurmi discloses that he was exposed to radiation while diving to determine what Andreas and Hilde had seen. After taking some time off to heal, he leaves his automobile with Sophia and travels to Italy.
Season Two Recap
A significant theme in Season 2 is the tension between economic development and environmental conservation. Vara’s project threatens to destroy local ecosystems, and various groups, including activists and local politicians, push back against the company’s efforts.
Henna Honkasuo was an outspoken environmentalist, and her murder initially appears to be connected to her activism. Karppi and Nurmi’s investigation takes them into the world of environmental protests and the political pressures surrounding urban development in Helsinki. The show raises questions about the cost of progress, particularly when profit is prioritized over the well-being of people and the environment.
The environmental theme ties into the broader question of what lengths powerful corporations and their backers will go to in order to protect their interests.
The Murder of Henna Honkasuo
Season 2 begins with the discovery of a woman’s body in a mining area near Helsinki. The victim, Henna Honkasuo, is found posed in a disturbing manner, with evidence pointing to a ritualistic killing. Karppi (played by Pihla Viitala) and Nurmi (played by Lauri Tilkanen) are assigned to investigate the murder, and they quickly realize that the case is far more complex than it initially appears.
Henna had been working for Vara, a powerful construction company involved in large-scale urban development projects, which raises the detectives’ suspicions about a potential link between her murder and corporate corruption. The detectives’ investigation leads them into the murky world of environmental exploitation, corporate deals, and political maneuvering.
Vara Corporation
Vara is at the center of the investigation in Season 2. The company is involved in a controversial development project that is opposed by environmental activists and local communities. Raimo Grönroos, Vara’s ruthless CEO, becomes one of the primary suspects, as he and the company seem willing to do whatever it takes to protect their business interests.
As Karppi and Nurmi dig deeper into the case, they uncover evidence of corruption within the company, including shady deals, bribery, and cover-ups involving political figures. Vara’s development project is not just a commercial venture—it becomes clear that there are larger stakes involved, including political pressure and international interests.
The series explores how corporate greed and environmental exploitation intersect, making it difficult for Karppi and Nurmi to trust anyone connected to the case.
Karppi’s Continued Grief
Karppi’s personal life remains central to the season. While she is still dealing with the grief of losing her husband, Season 2 shows her beginning to rebuild her life, although the process is slow and painful. Her relationship with her children remains strained, especially with her eldest, Emil, who is acting out in response to the family’s trauma.
Karppi’s workaholic tendencies and emotional distance further complicate her personal relationships. Despite her efforts to move forward, her grief continues to affect her decision-making and interactions with others, both at work and at home. Season 2 delves into how Karppi’s personal struggles influence her professional behavior, as her need for justice often becomes entangled with her unresolved pain.
Sakari Nurmi’s Character Development
Detective Sakari Nurmi, Karppi’s partner, also has a more developed arc in Season 2. His professionalism and loyalty to Karppi are constant, but his personal life begins to take center stage as well. Nurmi faces romantic entanglements that challenge his ability to remain focused on the case.
Additionally, Nurmi’s past continues to haunt him, particularly his involvement in a previous case that had gone wrong. His psychological burden becomes more apparent as he questions his place within the police force and his growing connection to Karppi. The relationship between Karppi and Nurmi becomes more complex as they rely on each other for support, blurring the line between their personal and professional lives.
The Truth About Henna’s Death
As the investigation progresses, Karppi and Nurmi uncover more secrets that complicate the case. Henna’s murder is not just about environmental activism—it is tied to larger corporate corruption and personal betrayals. The deeper the detectives dig, the more they realize that Henna’s death is connected to multiple powerful figures, all of whom have their own motivations for silencing her.
The investigation leads to shocking discoveries about the inner workings of Vara and the people connected to it. In a dramatic series of twists, Karppi and Nurmi uncover not only the killer but also the wider conspiracy that led to Henna’s death.
The season builds toward a tense climax as the detectives finally piece together the connections between the murder, corporate greed, and political maneuvering. The revelation of the true killer and their motives ties together the threads of personal, corporate, and political intrigue that run throughout the season.
Season 2 Ending Explained
As it happens, Routa went on a pointless murderous rampage. Jimi’s foster parent mistook him for someone else, it is discovered over the course of the investigation into his death. He wasn’t able to think straight when he was brought in to identify the dead, so he declared it was Jimi without even looking at the face. He didn’t know his son had a tattoo on his chest like the body he had seen until Sofia showed him photos of Jimi. When the dead body is dug up to make sure everything is as it seems, the father admits that he was mistaken this time. The body was that of an unknown person who had fallen victim to drowning in the ocean and ended up close to the ship. When Jimi’s fiancée discovers that he had been hidden all along, Jimi and his father are eventually reunited.
The truth is revealed when Sofia is attacked by Routa. Routa understands that all of these deaths were unnecessary. She tells Sofia that she did not kill Tapio and Kerttu before killing herself because she is so filled with guilt. Sofia eventually learns that her supervisor had been slain by a member of her team. Nurmi learns this the hard way and is on the verge of death, but Sofia gets there in time to save him.
Henna’s situation also takes a bad turn. She continues to delve deeper into the world of drug peddling during the season. She finds Jann Lanest’s cache by accident and takes it. She considers selling it, but she’s not sure where to start. She enlists Jere’s assistance, but he abruptly vanishes with everything, leaving her pursued by the man who originally owned the drugs.
When he finds out she is unable to pay, he brings her to Estonia where she must make a deal for him. He had previously demanded that she pay for it. Terrified, she follows him, believing him to be a mafia member. She tries to flee after realizing he is not so dangerous. He tries to draw a gun on her, but she fights back and kills him with knives. After tossing his body into the ocean, she tells Sofia everything, but she chooses to keep it to herself. But it’s his drug division pals, who have been following Henna for a long time, who tell Nurmi the truth. He makes the decision to take action, in contrast to Sofia. In the final scene, we witness him taking Henna into custody while Sofia looks on helplessly.
Season 3 Recap
Deadwind Season 3 continues to explore the dark and intricate mysteries that its protagonist, Detective Sofia Karppi, faces. This season takes a deeper dive into political intrigue, corporate corruption, and personal grief, further testing Karppi and her partner Sakari Nurmi as they confront a new and deadly conspiracy.
A key theme in Season 3 is the tension between environmentalism and corporate greed. Sara Tulisuo’s push for green urban development directly opposed the interests of powerful corporate entities, including ReKa, which sought to exploit Helsinki’s land for profit. The series explores how corporate corruption and political manipulation work hand in hand to suppress environmental movements, reflecting real-world concerns about climate change and urban sustainability.
Karppi and Nurmi’s investigation leads them to several activists who had supported Sara’s vision, but these activists are often caught between their ideals and the dangerous reality of opposing powerful business interests. As the detectives uncover more about the inner workings of ReKa and its political connections, they find that the lines between corporate and government corruption are blurred, making it difficult to distinguish ally from enemy.
The Murder of Mayor Sara Tulisuo
Season 3 kicks off with a high-profile murder that sets the tone for the rest of the season. Sara Tulisuo, the mayor of Helsinki, is found murdered in a gruesome fashion. Her death sends shockwaves through the city, especially because she was a prominent political figure advocating for major changes in the city’s urban development and environmental policies.
The murder initially seems to be a politically motivated attack, tied to Sara’s controversial policies and her enemies within the government and corporate world. Karppi (played by Pihla Viitala) and Nurmi (played by Lauri Tilkanen) are tasked with investigating the case, quickly realizing that the stakes are much higher than a typical homicide. The case takes them into the murky waters of political corruption, environmental activism, and powerful corporate interests.
Political Corruption and Corporate Intrigue
Sara had been working on a controversial new development project that would have drastically changed the landscape of Helsinki, focusing on environmentally sustainable urban renewal.
However, her plans were met with fierce opposition from several corporate entities, especially a shadowy real estate company known as ReKa. The company had financial interests in maintaining control of key development areas, and Sara’s green initiatives posed a threat to their bottom line. As Karppi and Nurmi investigate further, they find that ReKa has ties to both local politicians and international investors, all of whom could have had a motive to silence Sara.
Sofia Karppi’s Continued Grief and Personal Struggles
While the murder investigation drives the plot, much of Season 3 also focuses on Karppi’s personal journey. Still grappling with the grief over her husband’s death and the pressures of raising her two children, Karppi is emotionally drained. The demands of her job and the intensity of the new case put even more strain on her personal life, and she continues to struggle with balancing her role as a mother and a homicide detective.
Her eldest child, Emil, continues to be a source of concern as his behavior becomes more erratic. Karppi’s emotional distance and inability to fully cope with her grief further strain their relationship. Throughout the season, Karppi is forced to confront her unresolved trauma and the toll it has taken on her ability to connect with those she loves.
The weight of her personal life often bleeds into her professional decisions, making her more reckless in her pursuit of justice. Karppi’s internal conflict and growing isolation are key emotional threads that run through the season, making her a compelling but deeply flawed character.
Sakari Nurmi
Detective Sakari Nurmi continues to play a pivotal role in Season 3, acting as both Karppi’s partner and emotional anchor. While his own personal life takes a back seat in this season, Nurmi faces increased pressure to manage Karppi’s emotional outbursts and reckless behavior.
Nurmi’s character, known for his more methodical and calm approach to investigations, is challenged as the case becomes more complex and personal for Karppi. Their dynamic, built on mutual trust and reliance, is tested as they confront increasingly dangerous situations. Nurmi’s loyalty to Karppi remains strong, but he struggles with how to balance their professional partnership with the emotional support Karppi often needs.
Who Killed Sara Tulisuo?
As the season progresses, Karppi and Nurmi’s investigation uncovers a series of shocking twists. They discover that Sara Tulisuo’s murder is not just a political assassination but also deeply personal. Sara had been involved in a secret relationship that becomes a critical factor in understanding her death.
The detectives learn that Sara’s lover, who had ties to both the political and business worlds, was implicated in illegal dealings connected to the urban development project. The complex love triangle and hidden secrets surrounding Sara’s personal life add another layer to the case, revealing the emotional motivations behind the crime.
As they unravel the truth, Karppi and Nurmi are pulled into a dangerous game involving powerful figures willing to do anything to protect their interests. The investigation grows more perilous as the detectives get closer to exposing the real mastermind behind Sara’s murder.
Season 3 Ending Explained
The climax of Deadwind Season 3 features a major reveal and a build-up of suspense. The murders are identified as Sanna Siren and Krister Merihaara, two workers at the pharmaceutical business, as the intricate web of secrets comes to light.
Their purpose is frightening: they believe that by using a poison they created themselves to kill drug addicts, they are benefiting society. The disclosure highlights how morally dubious vigilantism may be.
The storyline about Karppi’s husband’s passing is also resolved in this season. It comes out that he died as a result of an affair gone wrong, not from an accident. Karppi’s story takes on a tragic and personal twist as a result.
You have a positive feeling at the conclusion and think about the larger implications of morality and fairness. When it becomes clear that the killings were motivated by a perverted sense of justice and wrong, the narrative becomes even more convoluted.
It is common to challenge people to think about the moral dilemmas that arise from breaking the law. Karppi’s character has more emotional depth as a result of her tragedy, which also makes her more likeable and sincere.
Technical Review
Deadwind embodies the hallmarks of Nordic noir, with its bleak atmosphere, morally complex characters, and slow-burning tension. The series explores themes of grief, corruption, and the dark side of corporate and political power. The show’s setting in Helsinki, with its cold, desolate landscapes, adds to the sense of isolation and darkness that permeates the story.
The series also delves into the emotional toll that both professional and personal tragedies take on its characters, particularly Karppi, whose grief drives much of her behavior throughout the season. The constant interplay between Karppi’s personal struggles and the murder investigation adds emotional depth to the series, making it more than just a straightforward crime drama.
Some observed critics about the series:
- Finnish police break into any residence or office they fancy – no warrants
- Finnish police call SWAT at the drop of a hat
- Detective often forget their phone, use faulty flashlights and vehicles and somehow get seperated in dark abandoned buildings with no windows. They get separated from their weapons too and draw them far too often.
- Lots of fruitless chases
- children seldom obey in Finland and that comes as small surprise as adults seldom obey their bosses.
- Clues are collected via ridiculous contrivances e.g. Guy just happens to be flying a video drone nearby or detective finds matchbook on the street that has sequence of 12 numbers that their oartner immediately identifies as grave coordinates.
- Trapped on the upper story of a burning wooden house with bars on windows a geriatric guy suddenly appears and rescues the dynamic duo ripping the side of the house off with a handy front end loader!!
Characters
The main characters are well written with good background stories and have great chemistry together, especially the two lead actors who portray Sophia and Nurmi. The cinematography is great as well, with wide arching scenes of the Finnish landscape. Background score gets full marks and the darkness of the series never makes it too bleak or depressing.
The main character, Karppi, really pulls you into the story. You want to know more about her and her life story, but you do not get much information in each episode, or the series series. The acting is very good, the stories are great, gritty and dark.
DeadWind TV Series 2018-2021 | Reviews
IMDB score is 7.3 ( I rated it 7 personally)
DeadWind TV Series 2018-2021 Netflix
DeadWind TV Series 2018-2021 Trailer
