Helsinki Syndrome (Finnish: Helsinki-syndrooma) is a Finnish television crime and drama series that began broadcasting on 2 September 2022 on Yle TV1. It was created by Miikko Oikkonen, who co-wrote the screenplay with Olli Suitiala, Tuomas Hakola, and Olli Koivula. The series was directed by Juuso Syrjä, Lenka Hellstedt, and Marko Mäkilaakso.
The first season of eight episodes is set in the early 2020s and begins in a newspaper office where electrician Elias (played by Peter Franzén) is holding journalist Hanna (Oona Airola) and her colleagues hostage while negotiator Jarmo (Taneli Mäkelä) attempts to resolve the situation. Elias is a victim of the 1990s Finnish banking crisis and wants the journalists to determine who is responsible for the predicament of long-term debtors like himself.
A second season of six episodes began broadcasting on 21 November 2024. Franzén, Mäkelä and Airola reprise their roles, with the action set two months later. Elias is now a fugitive, Jarmo is hunting him, and Hanna is investigating an illegal government directive to courts in the mid-1990s to absolve banks for causing long-term debt.
Contents
Plot summary
In 1992, 18-year-old Elias became guarantor for his father Pekka on a loan approved by local bank manager Matti. However, Pekka was declared bankrupt the next year during the 1990s Finnish banking crisis. Over subsequent years the family was unable to clear the debt, leading Pekka to commit suicide in 2008 and leaving Elias bankrupt and unable to secure loans for his businesses. During the COVID-19 pandemic in the early 2020s Elias still does not qualify for subsidies, despite government promises. He decides to force Helsingin Sanomat's journalists to investigate who is responsible for similar long-term debtors' problems.
Elias disrupts power and internet access in the newspaper's newsroom and sets bombs at the doors. He holds four hostages – Hanna, Gusse, Anne, and Eve – at gunpoint, getting them to sift through bank, court, and news records. Outside the bank, negotiator Jarmo is attached to police commander Hakkarainen and criminal investigator Tapani. Elias allows Hanna to go outside so she can search the court archives of Pekka's case, where she finds bank manager Matti's evidence has been deleted from written and audio court records. Hanna wants to print the story, but chief editor Susanna follows lawyers' advice to acquire more evidence before publishing.
Gusse's health deteriorates as days pass without his diabetes medication. Tapani discovers where Elias has practised making bombs and shooting guns, indicating that he had assistance and resulting in a search for Elias's schoolfriend and former soldier Lauri. Elias and Lauri track Matti, who is expecting a major payment which has been delayed. Without informing Jarmo, Hakkarainen tries to isolate Elias by cutting the electric power in the building, which also blocks Internet access and prevents Elias from opening doors or contacting Lauri. Lauri proceeds with Elias' plan to capture the State Treasury director Elina's partner Sami, thereby forcing Elina to accept a German loan transfer. Gusse is retrieved by paramedics while having diabetic shock and later dies. The loan transfer of €2.2 billion is diverted to various long-term debtors' accounts, with €0.5 billion unaccounted for. Hanna determines that Elias has lied and that the court document's missing page was a fabrication. Police eventually storm the newsroom, retrieving Anne and Eve, but Elias escapes.
Three months later Elias is hiding out in a lakeside cabin. Through the long-term debtors network he arranges for his sons Johannes and Santeri to visit, giving them a USB drive containing a video message in case he is captured or ill. Jarmo and Tapani trail Elias to the cabin and Tapani informs Hanna that they are about to capture Elias. Armed police break into the cabin but Elias has left an hour earlier. Hanna's superiors want to substantiate a recording of the 1992 Koivisto Conclave, where government officials authorise courts to exonerate banks when they create long-term debtors. In exchange for the NBI's verification of the recording, Hanna allows Tapani to see Elias' interview.
Cast and characters
Main cast
Peter Franzén as Elias Kristian Karo: 48-year-old electrician, long-term debtor
Oona Airola as Hanna Sofia Raivio: Helsingin Sanomat journalist, widowed during COVID pandemic
Taneli Mäkelä as Jarmo Kiiski: NBI negotiator, Julia's father
Laura Malmivaara as Anne Kaarina Laukko: crime news editor, in charge of newsroom
Tuulia Eloranta as Eveliina "Eve" Iida Hannele Puolakka: intern journalist
Piitu Uski as Susanna Simonen: newspaper's chief editor, Anne and Hanna's boss
Antti Luusuaniemi as Tapani Kolehmainen: criminal investigator, works for Jarmo and Hakkarainen
Mari Rantasila as Minna Karo née Grundholm: Elias' wife, Johannes and Santeri's mother
Jakob Öhrman as Lauri Aleksi Ristiniemi: born 1979, former soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder, Elias' school friend
Eero Saarinen as Harri "Gusse" Antero Gustafsson: senior journalist, wrote numerous pro-bank articles, diabetic
Marketta Tikkanen as "Pollux" a.k.a. Camila Braga: computer hacker, "Castor"'s twin
Tuomas Nilsson as "Castor": computer hacker, "Pollux"' twin
Recurring cast
Pelle Heikkilä as Klaus Arpola: journalist, leaves newsroom before hostages taken
Juha Kukkonen as Tutkinnanjohtaja (English: "chief investigator") Ortamo: NBI's chief investigator, Jarmo and Tapani's boss
Aatos Mäki as Johannes Karo: Elias and Minna's older son, becomes disgruntled with shortcomings of long-term debtors
Daniel Viljanen as Santeri Karo: Elias and Minna's younger son
Kris Gummerus as Ilkka Nieminen: Interior Ministry secretary, security department
Pihla Maalismaa as Julia Sofia Kiiski: Jarmo's daughter, medicated for Tourette's, often stops taking medications, later joins anti-government protestors
Esa-Matti Long as Matti Puronen: former SKOP's bank branch manager, approved loan to Karo family, later State Treasury director
Rea Mauranen as Liisa Koskinen: Elias' defence lawyer, later semi-retired
Juho Orpana as Poliisiteknikko (English: "police technician") Peitepoliisi (English: "undercover police")
Robert Enckell as Pekka Antero Karo: Elias' father (1949–2008), accepts bank loan
Jaana Joensuu as Sisäministeri (English: "Interior Minister"): Ilkka's boss (Season 1)
Saara Ikonen as Sisäministeri: Ilkka's boss (Season 2)
Max Bremer as Esa Puolakka: long-term debtor, becomes alcoholic, Eve's estranged father
Season one only
Turkka Mastomäki as Kenttäjohtaja (English: "field director") Hakkarainen: police commander
Katariina Havukainen as Poliisiteknikko (English: "police technician") Mäkelä: assists Jarmo and Hakkarainen
Tiina Weckström as Ritva Malmi: county court archivist, ran long-term debtors support group
Cecilia Paul as Elina Vanninen: state treasury director, Sami's partner
Season two only
Martin Bahne as Kenttäjohtaja (English: "field director") Heikkinen: police commander
Jukka Voutilainen as Juhani Koskelo: 1992 Koivisto Conclave attendee
Tomi Alatalo as Matti Isoniemi: lawyer, represents Julia and Elias
Jussi Lehtonen as Hammaslääkäri (English: "dentist") Ristelä: treats Lauri
Hannes Suominen as Valkohattuhakkeri (English: "whitehat hacker"): assists Jarmo tracking Castor and Pollux
Panu Vauhkonen as Pankin IT-mies (English: "bank's IT chap") Laine: uploads hard drive update into bank's computer
Timo Jurkka as Jaakko Sallinen: long-term debtor, boatman
Production
Helsinki Syndrome (Helsinki-syndrooma ) was announced in April 2021 as a joint production between Beta Film and Fisher King, with Peter Franzén signed on as lead actor. In the early 2010s the show's creator Miikko Oikkonen, had read stories of over-indebted families due to the 1990s Finnish banking crisis. Oikkonen considered a documentary but Yle TV1 wanted a fictional drama inspired by those events, which became Helsinki Syndrome. Oikkonen's parents had become long-term unemployed during that crisis, and his father having worked in the electrical industry inspired Franzén's character of Elias.
Filming of the series began in June 2021. Besides Helsinki, the first season's locations included Hyvinkää, Nurmijärvi, Hiidenranta in Vihti, and Hiidenpirtti in Lohja. Buildings in Pusula, Lohja were used for the Salo bank branch, Pikka Karo's home, and Liisa Koskinen's premises, set in Turku. The second season used an old lime and cement factory in Virkkala, Lohja, and locations in Sipoo.
Episode guide
Season one
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