Young Wallander is a crime drama television series, based on Henning Mankell's fictional Inspector Kurt Wallander. The series premiered on Netflix on 3 September 2020. Star Adam Pålsson explained that the pre-imagining (i.e., Young Wallander being set in the present day) made more sense than a straight prequel, as it allowed for the social commentary which is a strong element of Mankell's original Wallander.[1] This choice of setting the series in the modern day has been criticised in a number of reviews.[1][2]
In November 2020, the series was renewed for a second season, which was premiered on Netflix on 17 February 2022, subtitled as Killer's Shadow.[3][4] There are no plans for a season 3.[5]
Young Wallander is a young, edgy, and modern series that sees Henning Mankell's iconic detective, Kurt Wallander, investigate his gripping first case. The story focuses on the formative experiences – professional and personal – faced by Kurt as a recently graduated police officer in his early twenties.
— Netflix[6]
On 11 September 2019, it was announced that filming had begun.[9] Although set in Malmö, Sweden, it was shot in and around Vilnius, Lithuania.[10]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 64% of 14 critics' reviews for the first season are positive, with an average rating of 4.90/10. The website's consensus reads, "Bearing little resemblance to the beloved procedural it presumes to reboot, Young Wallander is dispiritingly unenlightening as a prequel and merely functional as a drama in its own right."[11]
Reviewed by Ellen E. Jones in The Guardian who gave the series 3 out of 5 stars. "Netflix's prequel to the Wallander novels and TV series takes place in the present day, weaving in contemporary politics – but would a straight origin story have been better?" Jones felt a more traditional prequel set in the 1970s may have been more interesting: "Just imagine if the show had researched and recreated 70s Malmö, where the Henriksson-timeline Wallander would have been a rookie? Imagine exploring how that very specific time and place – the era of plane hijacking, radical politics and Abba's Eurovision win – shaped Wallander's character? Now that would have been a case worth digging into."[10]
Reviewed in The Telegraph by Chris Bennion, the series was given 1 star out of 5. "Here we have it, ladies and gentlemen – surely the worst TV drama of the streaming era. Or, to put it another way, if you loved Wallander, you'll hate Young Wallander."[2]
Reviewed by Beth Webb for NME, given 3 out of 5 stars. Webb states "Despite its strong aesthetic, the show's target audience seems unclear. Wallander has built a sizeable following over its extended lifespan, and older fans may struggle to connect with this modern version. But the story doesn't feel suitable for a younger audience either. As a short, suspense-laden crime drama, this is a justifiable watch, especially with its low-episode count. For those seeking another dose of their favourite seasoned Swedish inspector, however, you're better off revisiting the original."[12]