🇫🇮 ALL THE SINS SEASON 3 🇫🇮
All the Sins (2019-2023) is a Finnish TV series available on All4 Walter Presents U.K. There are 3 seasons of 6 episodes of approximately 45 minutes each. Rated Guidance for content. Embedded English subtitles. In the US & Canada season 1 of this show is available on PBS Masterpiece. This is a review of Season 3, the links to the Season 1 and 2 reviews are below.
Premise Season 3:
“Lauri Räihä and Sanna Tervo return to Varjakka when the village’s ex-police chief is found murdered in the woods.” Just Watch
Cast:
Matti Ristinen as Jussi Ritola
Johannes Holopainen as Lauri Räihä
Maria Sid as Sanna Tervo
Kreeta Salminen as Leena Niemitalo
Inka Kallén as Meeri Ritola
Jarkko Lahti as Seppo Ahola
Jaakko Ohtonen as Aaro Leppihalme
Tuula Väänänen as Maarit Ritola
Risto Tuorila as Matti Mustapää
Hannu Kivioja as Martti Räihä
Crew:
Writers/Creators: Venla Aakko, Mika Ronkainen
Director: Mika Ronkainen
Composer: Jussi Jaakonaho
Cinematographer: Jani Kumpulainen
Editor: Tambet Tasuja
Production Designer: Päivi Kettunen
Costume Designer: Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila
Makeup Designer: Kati Koskela
Notes:
The title song for All the Sins “War Song” is by Aino Venna.
Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/track/57MzdoUC4cP6N29a7RxXT3?si=ZggCbKk8R06s8kQNYlD__g
Filming locations include: Oulu, Lumijoki and Tyrnävä all in Finland
Information about Conservative Laestadianism:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Laestadianism
⚠️ This review contains spoilers for All the Sins ⚠️
Review:
All good things must come to an end and so we find ourselves saying farewell to the Finnish series All the Sins with the arrival of its third and final season in the U.K. This review will touch on events from past seasons but this is where the story comes to a close and we say goodbye to the characters.
I thought I would look at the main themes in this series and most specifically this season.
One of the strongest is family and the relationships between parent and child. This season we especially see unpeeled the role of fathers towards their children and that is in both the widest sense (within the Laestidian church and God “Himself”) and for individuals such as poor Seppo. We also have a chance to watch Lauri come to terms with becoming a father; a role for which he feels totally ill-suited.
Toxic masculinity is another theme that has run through all 3 seasons of this show and in this one we see its clearest and most dire effects. Another important theme is revenge and forgiveness.
The scenes which have the men in the forest opening up to their past traumas, experiences and the expectations they have had of themselves but also those that others have had for them were, I thought, great. Although this is a Finnish show, as will all good productions, this is a theme which is far-reaching outside of the borders of Finland.
We see toxic masculinity and narcissism in one of its most insidious forms in Jussi Ritola. What I loved about his character development is that we can see how he justifies his actions from the standpoint of a “victim” and “saviour”. But in the cold light of day he is anything but. The culture of rape, its acceptance, victim blaming and long-term psychological effects (on both perpetrators and victims), are placed squarely in front of us again, and this time not only with female victims.
Talking of characters, I feel this is a very strong point of this series. The characters are well-drawn and have depth and real, believable motivations. Alongside this great writing of the characters and storyline is the fantastic acting. This is a cast that shines led by Matti Ristinen as Jussi Ritola, Johannes Holopainen as Lauri Räihä and Maria Sid as Sanna Tervo. Not all our characters get a happy ending but some get their just desserts while to others we pay a very sorrowful RIP and fare thee well.
Other pervading aspects of this series are spirituality and faith. We do, as with the other two seasons, see how these can be abused. It is no coincidence that we see the series wrapping with forgiveness in the forefront.
The only part of this season I really didn’t like was the, by now, cliché problem with a mobile phone. Having a cop’s mobile without charge (so none of these people have chargers in their cars?) and/or signal is starting to wear somewhat thin. People do drop and break their phones, or accidentally plunge them into water at inopportune moments; I would like to see a more imaginative use of “mobile phone issues there to move the plot forward”.
I adored the opening credits sequence (I’ve loved the other 2 series openers too) this time with fire and sheep. Season 1 had dead cows in a field, the next had horses loose and walking through the town. These always tie into the story in some way. The use of the props, the symbolism of the fire and this time the forest and the sheep (religious connotations of course) is very effective. The song that is used is a real favourite now.
The cinematography has always been a strong point of this series and season 3 did not disappoint in this respect. Combined with the score which often uses just piano and picks up on the theme song it helps enhance the tension and atmosphere.
This series had enough weirdness and twists and turns to keep my interest, especially when combined with the characters and the quality of the acting. I shall miss it and the characters I got to meet along the way.
Final thought, let’s think for a while about forgiveness.
Awards: 1 Win 4 Nominations
Win: Göteborg Film Festival (2019) Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize ~ Annual Award for Outstanding Writing for a Nordic Drama Series
Non-Spoiler Review of Season 1:
Non-Spoiler Review of Season 2:
Walter’s Introduction Season 1:
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An outstanding series, I am watching for a second time. Music is great and have really enjoyed the journey of the main cast. Poor Sanna what an end .