Detective Hole

"Detective Hole" is an adaptation of Norwegian novelist Jo Nesbo's work. To be frank I didn't finish this series. The characterizations feel overly heavy and distorted. Main character Harry Hole's alcoholism is chronically overplayed to the point of viewer exhaustion and disbelief. He's drunk to the cusp of dysfunction, but somehow we are expected to believe he can still perform effectively as a sleuth and, by some miracle, keep his job as an experienced and ranked detective, no less. The villain of the piece is again villainous to the point of absurdity. He goes out of his way to be the bad guy in every sense that matters. Being so relentlessly evil it's surprising he has time to do his demanding police job, which you would think would occupy the majority of his time. Somehow, too, he's allowed to drive around as a senior detective in a highly noticeable Lotus sports car he owns, one that draws attention and criminals would easily spot. Taken together it's all rather unconvincing, asking the audience to stretch credulity too far. What's left and its not all bad, still isn't enough to sustain this series. In summary, I have no idea if the script is in keeping with the literary works they are derived from, but for me, this series quickly undermined my sense of what is proportional, reasonable, and believable. In spite of quality acting, a disappointing watch.