Review of One Step Behind

Kenneth Branagh returns as Swedish detective Kurt Wallander and he is not a happy man. The episode opens with a group of friends all dressed up and having a party in the woods, until an unseen killer shoots them. After a while one of their parents reports them missing although the situation is confused by the fact that postcards that appear to come from her daughter have been sent from around Europe. The case isn't taken too seriously until the policeman on the case is murdered. When Kurt starts investigating the murder of his colleague he starts to think the two cases might be linked. His investigation takes him to Isa, the fourth member of the group of friends, who due to illness couldn't join the others at the party, unfortunately when he finds her she has taken an overdose that would have killed her had he not found her. As she recovers in hospital the party goes are discovered buried in the woods and soon after being told she flees. Kurt is determined to find her and when a clue suggests she may have gone to a remote island he heads there. On the island he finds her and they talk and develop a friendship of sorts... this makes it all the worse when she too is killed but strangely the killer makes no attempt on Kurt's life suggesting the crime may be about him somehow. Soon after there is another killing which looks random but in fact leads to the Ystad police realising how the killer is finding his victims, they just have to find him before he can strike again.

Kenneth Branagh put is a great performance as Wallander, watching his performance makes the viewer believe they are really watching someone on the verge of a breakdown. Another notable performance was Flora Spencer-Longhurst who really shone as the doomed Isa. The story was fairly tragic throughout so be prepared to shed a few tears.