Fortitude is a British psychological thriller show that premiered its first season on Sky in 2015. It is an interesting series with strong technical aspects.

On the Norwegian Arctic island of Fortitude, things appear calm on the surface, but a string of violent and increasingly strange deaths slowly exact a toll on the quiet international community where almost everyone appears to be keeping at least one secret. This is your somewhat regular mystery crime show, which usually isn’t my cup of tea, but here the plot focused on a lot of scientific elements and the setting is so unique that I ultimately really dug it.

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The highlight of the show is clearly its Arctic setting. It is set in Norway, but actually shot in Iceland. The snowy scenes are all intriguing and visually dazzling while the focus on the harsh reality of living in a place like this and the alienation that people must feel there was very well portrayed. But the emphasis on biology, in particular ichneumon wasps was fascinating, especially to me as an amateur naturalist with a solid knowledge of this hymenopteran family.

The final twist that these wasps did most of the killing worked and it made sense in the context of the show. The discovery of the mammoth in the permafrost and a strong role of polar bears in the story made the season more intriguing for me as a huge biology enthusiast. The finale was somewhat anti-climactic, but a couple of the revelations really worked and they were both logical and emotionally powerful.

The standout actor is Richard Dormer. He was incredible in this very layered performance as the complex, problematic sheriff. His arc is the deepest and most interesting of the bunch and whenever he was on the screen the show was at its best and most potent. The governor herself is also well developed and among the more likable people on a show that is actually filled with unlikable and just bad people.

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Eric isn’t likable at all, but the relationship between the two is well explored and their final embrace was moving. Elena is actually very easy to hate, but her backstory made her quite interesting and her dynamic with Dan was the most complex one on the show.

Frank was this dumb idiot who made so many terrible decisions throughout the season, but Henry Tyson is phenomenal and so well performed by the great Michael Gambon. Another highlight is Stanley Tucci. Yes, his character met his untimely end in a frustrating manner, but he was still terrific and badass as the detective. Dan, Henry and Morton are the show’s beating heart with everybody else suffering in comparison.

Fortitude is at its best in the character interactions that are nuanced and complex, though not all characters are equally memorable or as well developed as others. The crime elements were standard fare, but the biological plot points and that gorgeous setting did differentiate this show from many others effectively. The score, cinematography and directing are all great while the pacing is slow, but still holding viewer’s attention for the most part.

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Overall, the first season of Fortitude has its flaws as it’s slow in pace and unremarkable in its crime elements, but the emphasis on biology and on its Arctic setting differentiated it from other similar shows effectively while the characterization and acting performances are uniformly strong. It is an uneven season, but for the most part it was engaging and very well made.

Worst Episodes: Episode 4 and Episode 11.

Best Episodes: Episode 1 and Episode 8.

My Rating – 4