They say it only takes a few bad apples to spoil a bunch, and when those bad apples come in the form of duplicitous police officers, Constable Alex Leko (Dragomir Mrsic) is about as rotten as they get. He’s arrogant, brooding, callous to the core, and has no hesitation in using his position of authority for personal advantage; suffice to say the titular character of six-part Swedish crime thriller Alex () is every bit the hardened criminal.
However, there’s more to Alex than meets the eye. In spite of his non-existent ethics and often menacing demeanour, he manages to navigate a drug-fuelled network of crime while holding on to a relatively normal and happy home life with his wife Kim (Anja Lundqvist) and teenage son Simon (Maximilian Alonso Mrsic). That’s not to say that his double dealing isn’t a source of tension from time to time, but playing both sides of the law has become second nature to Alex and, for the most part, he has it down to a fine art.
By his side through it all is his partner in both work and crime, Martin, and impressively, the two men somehow manage to sustain a deeply loyal friendship, despite its foundation being the shaky and often sinister line between right and wrong.
Constable Alex Leko (Dragomir Mrsic). Source: SBS
Alex with wife Kim (Anja Lundqvist). Source: SBS
It seems as though the duo have perfected this morally dubious balancing act, but it is quickly turned upside down by a split-second decision that leaves Alex determined to put an end to the dishonesty once and for all. Unfortunately, going from bent cop to law-abiding citizen isn’t simply a matter of deciding to walk away. Years of mixing crime with the vulnerability of love and friendship was a risk, and it’s exactly the kind of weakness that could be used to bring Alex to his knees if he makes even one wrong move.
The individuals these cops have been rubbing shoulders with, led by mastermind crime boss BG (Stefan Gödicke), aren’t exactly the sort of people to let go of a valuable insider without serious repercussions for all involved. That’s the thing about playing both sides: eventually, keeping everyone happy becomes a near impossible feat.
A moment in the light for Alex, who has darkness chasing him on multiple fronts. Source: Viaplay
As if his situation wasn’t complicated enough already, Alex also has the small problem of his newly appointed partner Frida (Rakel Wärmländer) to deal with. She’s a career-driven officer who does things by the book, and has now been tasked with working alongside him for an investigation that’s uncomfortably close to home. A resident goody two shoes breathing down his neck is the last thing Alex needs, especially when, unbeknownst to him, she’s also been told to get to the bottom of her new colleague’s increasingly suspicious behaviour.
It’s a frosty welcome for Frida, not simply because it’s a whole lot harder to shake a life of depravity when you’ve got the eyes of the department watching your every move, but also because Frida is far from a stranger to Alex. His intimidation act does little to throw her off course. And she’s not afraid to put him in his place.
Alex’s new partner Frida Kanto (Rakel Wärmländer). Source: SBS
It’s not often that a protagonist is as easy to dislike as Alex, but luckily this search for redemption doesn’t rely solely on uncovering humanity within an otherwise flawed individual. That’s not to say that the series won’t leave you hoping that Alex succeeds in his attempt to make good.
With trouble hot on his heels, there’s a part of Alex that clings to the belief that, when you’ve got the law on your side, you can steer it anyway you choose. Reality, however, proves to be far more complex, and the more Alex tries to distance himself from the world he is desperate to leave behind, the more entangled he becomes.
How determined is Alex to clean up? Source: SBS
With an equally gripping second season arriving hot on the heels of the first, Alex is Nordic Noir at its gritty best. Will this troubled officer ever find a way to start over, or risk pulling himself, and those he loves most, further into the darkness?
Season 1 of Alex is now streaming now . Season 2 lands on 2 March. Start at the beginning:
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