It’s July at the time of writing – the perfect time of year for the Swedish crime show End of Summer to arrive with subtitles on BBC Four. From 9pm on Saturday 6 July, viewers in the UK will be able to enjoy double episodes of the six-part series, which is based on the novel by Nordic noir author Anders de la Motte.
Our lead protagonist is Vera, a grief counsellor with a troubled past, which could be why she has disciplinary issues at work. Grief is central to her story – when she was 14 she was about to go somewhere on her bike when Billy, her five-year-old brother, demanded to accompany her. She sent him home on his own, peddled off and he was never seen again. Later, she tried to find him – the whole community searched – but to no avail. The memory continues to haunt Vera, who is played by Julia Ragnarsson, and could be behind the issues she struggles with.
During a group therapy session, Vera meets a young man called Isak (Erik Enge) who seems familiar. More than that, he describes a situation that resembles what happened 20 years earlier when her brother disappeared.
Watch the trailer with German dubbing below.
This encounter spurs Vera to return to her home town in the Swedish countryside and face up to the unresolved guilt she feels over Billy’s disappearance – perhaps by solving the case. She even suspects that Billy might be alive.
Not many in the community are pleased to see her, and her family don’t want to relive the pain of losing the boy all over again. However, the police investigation lacked a lot to be desired, and Vera believes a conspiracy may have been at play. While the story is told in the present day, our understanding of events 20 years ago is developed through sharp, emotive flashbacks.
As the title suggests, this is Nordic noir without the icy backdrop. However, we do venture to open fields and wooded, often rainy locations with dusky skies and lengthening shadows. Critics have described this as a slow-burn production, with a moody atmosphere well conjured by the impressive cinematography. It’s only about halfway through the series that twists in the story start to hit home. You’ll find it quite different in tone and pace to The Sommerdahl Murders, the Danish show we outlined last week.
While the original story was written by Anders de la Motte, the screenplay for The End of Summer is by Björn Carlström and Stefan Thunberg, and the programme was directed by Henrik Georgsson and Jens Jonsson. It was made in 2023 and broadcast as Slutet på sommaren in Sweden. You can read our 2013 with Anders de la Motte here.
The series will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer in the UK after airing.
