User reviews

(My first review on IMDb. This series deserves more than the 1 whiny review of the first episode mostly about the supposedly bad colour balance.)

I recently watched Season 1 - all there is so far, as of early 2018. Based on the voting for other series on IMDb, this should be mid 8s or higher. It's easily as good as writer Adam Price's earlier creation Borgen - which has justifiably raving reviews on here and is one of my all-time favourite series.

Thank you to him and everyone involved. This is an intelligent, profound, gripping series, addressing the most important things in life in a serious way, yet joy is never too far away. It's not essentially bleak or noirish.

Lars Mikkelsen is amazing as the troubled priest-patriarch Johannes. He's given space here to show what he can do, and he's astoundingly good. This will hopefully silence those who thought his brother Mads a better actor. The rest of Johannes' family are outstanding performances too. One son, a priest, goes to a war zone with the Danish army, and his life is forever changed. The other son, exuberant and somewhat ethically-challenged, goes travelling to the Himalayas with a friend, and his life is forever changed. Ann Eleonora Jørgensen as Johannes' long-suffering wife is also excellent.

I can't wait until the next season! I can't think of anything negative to say about it at all. It's about family, Danish traditions, religion (without being particularly pro- or anti-religion), one's values in life, kindness, happiness, betrayal, angst, personal transformations, one's calling in life, love etc. I read a very good Adam Price interview where he says the show was aimed to get people talking about religion, not to present any particular point of view. It's a fascinating look at religion, from many perspectives. Also there's a hallucinogenic drug party, a same-sex love affair, haunting visions, near-death experiences; can't go wrong.

Extremely gripping, emotional, funny, touching. In short: WATCH IT!!

I am normally quite fussy about what I watch and I didn't have high hopes of this one, since there have so many Scandi noir knocks offs just done by the numbers. But this is different. A fine cast, great script even in translation and high production values impressed me. Melodramatic yes, but in a way that draws you in and creates empathy for even the least likable characters. Anyone who has been involved in any kind of organisation will recognise the dynamics at play here. This is not a simplistic heart tugger but plays out the human condition with real heart and nuance. I was so pleased to note that another series exists but don't know when channel 4 will get it...

The Danes know how to tell a story and how to bring their characters to life. I slogged through the first 4 or 5 episodes but about then everything started falling into place and I was totally immersed in Danish National Church and life for the next five hours. I even caught myself thinking I understood what the characters were saying without reading the closed captions. Weird. I haven't decided whether or not to watch season two so I'll take some time out and watch a murder mystery. But, Season one was a total smash in my books. Thank you Netflix. I am continually amazed how much I have learned, watching foreign series, especially Danish, Mexican and French. I am a man of the world when I turn on Netflix.

I am not often deeply moved by screen drama, the only time up to now was by Bergman films. Now another Scandinavian screen drama has done it, this time TV by Adam Price. He touches on so many intellectual, emotional and spiritual triggers in this series with a story arc that soars. This is, without doubt totally unique screen drama without precedence. After watching 19 of the 20 episodes, I know it must end, but I am invested with every character. Its as if in seeing the last episode I am invited to their funerals, where I must mourn their passing from my life. Yup, its been that engaging. I feel changed by it, invigorated and exhausted, it was indeed deeply moving.

At first I wasn't that invested in this show mainly because I'm not either Christian or religious at all. A few chapters in and suddenly I was intrigued. The series of course evolves around themes as faith and God but it is so much more than only God and religion. The show's about people, family, love, hate, despair, pain, human suffering and everything you could image about being a complex human being. I fell in love with many of the characters but not before despising them and resenting their actions first. The cast is so amazing that they with credibility portray their roles in a way that you really believe them and believe in them. It shows the many nuances of a being alive and it deals with the many struggles of being a human being in a way I've never seen before in a tv series. This show, Herrens Veje ( the lords's way or road -in Danish) has touched me nearly in a religious way (and I'm an atheist!) with its tone and it's dealings with the many facets of life -whether you are a believer in God or not. The subtle yet deep portrayal of the human mind and the struggles of being alive dealing with death, depression, hate, forgiveness, love, is simply amazing. It's provocative. It hurts you, moves you. It's warm and loving. It's showing how to love. How to hate. And shows how to forgive and move on in times of despair and loneliness. A very unique series, one of a kind. A God's sent to my television set.

In the allegedly new yet oddly 1980-ish landscape of the old Dickensian format of the Series that is offered by the new era of streaming media; In an age where we are offered nothing new really than the old ballads of cartoon creatures battling for power - This exceptional story stands out a beacon, carried by a miraculous script and an otherworldly performance by lead actor Lars Mikkelsen. This series offers something new, something totally unheard of in its genre: Its arena is not the traditional opera stage with its designed caricatures preforming allegorical roles of intrigues serving to produce the drama. On the contrary, this is the drama of the opposing forces that resides within each individual character; the true stage of the battle of good against evil suitable for a religious topic like Herrens veje, but more importantly this should represent the challenge given us in any depiction of true human Endeavour: To represent the human drama as a drama within. Fear, shame, guilt, jealousy, love, these are not persons - They are aspects of each individual persons life.

Actors, screenplay, production...all is perfect. De series captivates me from the first Episodes.

I don't know what to make of this series - one scene is interesting, then high intense drama, followed by a scene so slow that I shout out "get on with it", then a weird psychedelic scene.

If you thought that your family was dysfunctional, they are normal compared to this family.

Although the setting is a priestly family in the Danish church, the series is really a family drama/soap.

Lots of discontinuity with the scene jumping before the previous scene had been resolved with sometimes the dialogue continuing over. Stories are left hanging and there is an absence of consequences.

Much fornication - clothes fly off in many scenes, plus lesbianism. I am no prude, but I do not want to see close-up sex scene after sex scene on my TV.

This was one of those shows where I thought, worth a try. After the first episode I thought, yeah not bad. Now I'm sitting up late watching the end of the last episode in season 1.

An intelligent, engaging, very human drama. Really good.

Following the first episode of Herrens Veje, I think it is safe to anticipate an effective drama with both great acting and glimpses into the depth of the soul of man by proxy of the more or less devout family of ministers. The moral fiber we expect them to have makes for a great extreme in understanding our own.

These days where we have 4K television sets and HDR dynamic range, the café-latte-urban-gardener decision to use an Instagramish filter in colour grading is almost unbearable. The colours can be discussed - some like them, some don't. But the dynamics are terrible. At either extreme, luminosity washes out into a greyish smear. Aunt Annie may look cool in her filter-infected selfie but an entire TV series?

I've been looking for a great series to throw myself into while resting at home. Couldn't find anything worthy in English. Came across this and immediately was drawn in. Finally something worth watching. Thank you!

This is essentially the movie ordinary people overlaid with some amateurish jabber about philosophy and religion. 20 episodes is simply too many. The story loses steam quickly. It seems as if the script was designed to allow each of the characters to see the cruelest thing they could possibly think of at any given time. The way these people treat each other, it's amazing this isn't n a murder mystery story.Also, some of the details are just ludicrous. I particularly liked the chain-smoking oncologist. There are other howlers that you will have to discover for yourself. It is nice to see a grown-up drama about grown-up people doing grown-up things. But, this could've been much better.

Words alone cannot express how beautifully Written & Acted this Series is!!! You'll grit your teeth in frustration, want to howl at Lars' character, laugh with abandon & weep loudly at the Love, Loss, Pain, Joy & ReNewal that unfolds!!! Simply brilliant!!!

As I like both Mads and Lars Mikkelsen, I am eager to see as many works with their participation as possible. I also know Danish and have lived in Denmark, but as for this series, I had my doubts prior to watching - being Agnostic and not really fond of long oppressive scenes and events - but then, from the 1st episode, I was captivated and it lasted through the end of Season 1 and mostly in the Season 2 as well (death of a certain character decreased my emotional support, and the pace decreased somehow).

Anyway, Lars Mikkelsen gives his so far best performance here, Ann Eleonora Jørgensen is at least as good as in Forbrydelsen... And all the others, mostly unknown to me, were well up to the task as well, rounding up a bunch of issues one could face in a half-closed community governed by higher power. Still, many topics addressed and human, general, and as Lutherans can start a family and the Danish society is modern to have female clerics as well, the overall picture is more balanced and versatile, surely more interesting than that of in a nonnery or monastery.

For performances - 10, for script - 8 points from me. Another success of the Danish TV world. Please proceed!

While the focus seems to be on religion the real underlying plot is about family dysfunction engineered by an ego maniacal control freak played incredibly by Lars Mikkelsen. Two grown sons, one a priest, the other an immoral ne'er do well struggle under the grip of a father (Lars) determined to continue the family line of priesthood holders in Protestant Denmark. The father preaches love and understanding to his church but practices adultery and hypocrisy in the home. Everybody's on to him, but cowed by his powerful authority and rages. The sons are controlled by guilt and shame at their own actions, and the wife vascilates between bouts of freedom and loyalty. We watch the sons grow and transform in very different ways but both unable to escape their consciences. It's compelling stuff and rarely do human foibles get to be displayed so honestly. We may not find these people endearing because we can relate to them as fellow travelers in the world of pain and suffering.

A religious drama based in Denmark, regardless of the quality of a lot of Danish series, definitely sounds like a tough sell, and had I remembered much about it before watching it I may have delayed that moment even further. But right from episode 1 you are thrown into a moral maelstrom which takes in the frontier between religious awakening and madness (are they the same? The series does not answer, only explores, and never in a patronising way), family secrets, filial duty, love and its limits, cultural encounters, in such a way that you really do not know where it might go next. In other words, it's dangerous, because it will shake your faith in everything, including your own belief, or lack of it.

Of course, without the incredible writing and performing it would be nothing, but on top of that it looks and sounds absolutely beautiful, with a couple of near-death sequences which are so moving it would give hope to the most ardent atheist.

Perhaps a tonic for our troubled, spiritually empty times; if not, 'just' an exceptional drama, with fully rounded characters who you never stop empathising with. I can only speak of series one, but I would sum that up as stunning, and I am measuring my words.

An INCREDIBLE series! It offers so much in showing the complexity of being human. Love, anger, fear, difficult choices, sex, affairs, church politics, ego, traditions, atheism, live, death, birth all woven together with a spiritual thread. So wonderfully written, acted and filmed. I didn't want to see it end.

I've rarely watched a series that has moved me in so many different ways. . . The complete emotional spectrum. The acting by the entire cast is superb. Have enjoyed Lars Mikkelson before, but this character really pushes the boundaries. If you've not seen this, do yourself a favor and settle in for two outstanding seasons of exceptional drama!

Very interesting season 1 well acted, intriguing with lots of surprises. The season 2 is slow, empty, no stories. just boring as if all was said in season 1. Disappointment.

Unconventional family drama, the patriarch father, a stubborn cranky Danish Christian Priest always wishing to have its way, progressively begins to witness the deterioration of the individual lives of the members of his family. As the series progresses some tragic events occur and many sensitive subjects related to human existence get in the spotlight like faith, homosexuality, spirituality, cultural identity, God, psicotheraphy, religion, marriage, infidelity, life and death. The wording script catches easily the attention of the viewer since the background imagery is made of spartan objects and dull landscapes of Denmark. I enjoyed this serie indeed. Great actors.

Just finished watching Season 2. Truly unique series that deserve a lot of praise and acclamation. I got deeply attached to the lead characters, especially Christian, August and Johannes. Excellent performances! I got teary eyed a couple of times, and that hardly ever happens with me.

The series captures the essence of faith in GOD, the struggles one goes through. I found the one line proverbs at the beginning of the episodes very nourishing. I hope I learnt a thing or two in my relationship with GOD.

Just finished watching 7 Episodes, Season 1 and looking forward to continue. Great performances by all actors, deeply moving on many levels. Highly recommend.

The complexities of being human, "made in the image of God," are revealed as layer after layer of lies and self-deception are peeled away. There is no gratuitous sex, violence or short-cuts tossed to the viewer with a short attention span, or to the one who left to get another cold beer from the fridge. This production is the most vulnerable, best scripted, acted, and directed film I can recall seeing. The director refuses to give the viewer the easy shot, engage him with fast paced action, or a predictable resolution scene after scene.

A week after completing both Season I & Season II, I am still walking in a dream-state, in a mist, wishing there were more.