Ep 1. The Man Who Smiled
- January 1, 2004
- 127 min
Wallander: The Original Episodes is a British television series based on the best-selling Swedish crime novels by Henning Mankell. The show follows the life of Detective Kurt Wallander (played by Kenneth Branagh) as he solves some of the most complex cases in his hometown, Ystad, in southern Sweden.
Season 1, episode 1 of Wallander: The Original Episodes is titled "The Man Who Smiled." The episode introduces us to Detective Kurt Wallander, who is struggling with his personal life while trying to solve a murder case.
The episode begins with Wallander learning that one of his old friends, Sten Torstensson, has committed suicide. Torstensson was a successful lawyer and had everything going for him. Wallander is perplexed by Torstensson's suicide and starts digging deeper into the case.
Meanwhile, a local businessman, Arne Carlman, is found murdered in a parking lot. Wallander and his team are assigned to investigate the case. The murder investigation starts off as any regular case, but Wallander soon realizes that there's more to the murder than what meets the eye.
As Wallander delves deeper into the case, he discovers that Carlman was involved in a shady business deal that eventually led to his death. The case becomes more complicated when Wallander realizes that the murdered businessman was also involved in Torstensson's suicide.
Wallander's personal life also takes a turn for the worse when his daughter Linda comes to live with him. Linda is going through a tough time, having recently broken up with her boyfriend and trying to find her place in the world. Wallander struggles to connect with her, amplifying his feelings of loneliness.
The episode culminates with Wallander solving the case and getting closure for his friend's suicide. Along the way, Wallander's character is established as a brilliant detective who takes his cases seriously but is also heavily impacted by the world around him.
Overall, "The Man Who Smiled" is a well-crafted episode that sets up the show's character and its themes. The episode is suspenseful and is enjoyable to watch for both crime drama enthusiasts and fans of character-driven dramas.