The Truth Will Out (Swedish: Det som göms i snö; English translation: "what is hidden in snow") is a Swedish mystery-thriller TV series broadcast from 21 August 2018 on Kanal 5. It was created by Hans Jörnlind and Aron Levander, directed by Kjell-Åke Andersson and Lisa Farzaneh, produced by Søren Stærmose, and stars Robert Gustafsson in the lead role of police detective Peter Wendel. The series is based on ideas by Leif G. W. Persson. The first season, consisting of eight episodes, centres on Peter and his cold case unit, which re-examines several murders after a defence lawyer is killed. Peter's team members are Caijsa (Louise Peterhoff), Barbro (Maria Langhammer), and Jorma (Christopher Wagelin). A second season of five episodes was streamed from 19 September 2021 on Viaplay. Andersson and Farzaneh were joined by Camilla Ström as directors, while Persson, Levander, and Jörnlind continued as screenwriters. Gustafsson, Peterhoff, Langhammer, and Wagelin reprised their roles in the cold case unit. They contend with corruption within their police force and examine events surrounding the death of Peter's brother Urban.
Contents
Synopsis
Season one
In 2017, detective inspector Peter Wendel returns to work after three years on sick leave. He still believes his older brother Urban was murdered five years before, while everyone else agrees that Urban committed suicide. Ulla appoints Peter as head of a cold case unit and assigns various misfits: Caijsa, who is being investigated by Internal Affairs after being accused of stealing; her accuser, Jorma, who is retraining as a real estate agent; and Barbro, who has no field experience. Ulla's assignment for Peter is to re-investigate murders by a confessed serial killer, Klas. His defence lawyer, Roland, is found murdered by Peter's knife, with a note attached claiming that Klas had lied. Peter's investigations stir problems for Björn, who had been attorney general and verified the convictions. Also annoyed by the reopened cases are Temo, the original investigating detective; Lena, Klas's psychotherapist; and Stefan, the prosecuting attorney. Peter's ex-wife, Ann-Marie, works for Björn, but her rival Marcus undermines her credibility. Peter suspects Mikael of killing Roland and putting the blame on a pedophile, Lars-Åke, who actually murdered one of Klas's victims. Peter loses credibility when his mental illness, whilst grieving for Urban, is revealed.
Season two
Set six months after the first season, Urban's colleague Conny confides to Peter that he was right about Urban's murder. Before Peter can learn more, Conny is shot dead. Meanwhile, Peter observes Ludvig steal evidence from Conny's flat. Ulla relocates Peter's unit to a dingy room. His team has further setbacks as Caijsa's pregnancy nears term and Jorma leaves to sell properties. They learn that Ludvig frequented underage prostitutes and was being blackmailed by Conny.
Cast and characters
Robert Gustafsson as Peter Wendel: detective inspector, heads cold case unit
Louise Peterhoff as Caijsa Bergholm: detective, suspected thief investigated by Internal Affairs, usually paired with Jorma
Maria Langhammer as Barbro Svensson: former archivist, often joins Peter for field investigations
Christopher Wagelin as Jorma Virtanen: detective, wannabe real estate agent, shunned by colleagues for reporting Caijsa to Internal Affairs, usually paired with Caijsa
Tyra Olin as Vera Wendel: Peter and Ann-Marie's teenage daughter, moves between her parents' homes
Ingela Olsson as Ulla Ståhlnacke: detective chief inspector, Peter's boss
Peter Gardiner as Ante Olofsson: Internal Affairs detective, Stella's second husband
Cilla Thorell as Stella Olofsson: Urban's widow, Peter's sister-in-law, Jasmine's mother; later marries Ante. Runs clinic supporting sex workers
Ville Virtanen as Eddie Eriksson: Linköping detective; helps investigate Mikael, becomes Barbro's love interest
Ala Riani as Freshteh Laurell: Ulla's assistant
Mimmi Cyon as Jasmine Wendel: Peter's niece, Vera's cousin and best friend
Adrian Macéus as Urban Wendel (12 years old)/Young Urban's voice: Peter's older brother
Season one
Maria Sundbom as Ann-Marie Wendel: Peter's ex-wife, Vera's mother, public prosecutor, Björn's chief of staff
Johan Ulveson as Björn Stenius: justice minister, former attorney general; hires Ann-Marie
Erik Johansson as Marcus Johansson: Björn's assistant, becomes rival of Ann-Marie
Peter Carlberg as Mikael Ström: surveyor, murder suspect
Thomas W. Gabrielsson as Temo Björkman: detective inspector who obtained Klas's confessions to multiple murders, which are re-investigated by Peter's team
Annika Hallin as Lena Wahlberg: psychotherapist who treated Peter, Lars-Åke, Mikael, and Klas; she used the discredited recovered-memory therapy; later became a writer
Anders Ahlbom Rosendahl as Stefan Kvarnholt: chief prosecutor during Klas's trials
Isa Aouifia as Mats Hovfeldt: journalist
Mattias Königsson as Lars-Åke Wall: convicted pedophile, murder suspect
Eva Fritjofson as Kristina Svensson: retired Hallstavik policewoman, investigated Lars-Åke for murdering a child
Zacharias Boustedt as Peter Wendel (9 years old): Urban's younger brother
Season two
Samuel Fröler as Ludvig Larsson: police commissioner
Inez Dahl Torhaug as Emelie Skoog: 14-year-old Vilan treatment center resident, also sex worker frequented by Ludvig
Celie Sparre as Veronica: detective, leads Conny's murder investigation
Julia Marko-Nord as Liselott: Jorma's long-term girlfriend
Stefan Gödicke as Conny Berg: detective, previously on Urban's squad; murdered
Alexandra Alegren as Jenny Eklund: former police cadet, then prostitute; knew Urban, Conny and Ludvig. Later works as a courier, Simon's mother
Elias Haug as Simon Eklund: Jenny's son
also as Urban Wendel (11-year-old): Peter's older brother
Kristina Paskeviciute as Nicole Hauglund: prostitute, murder victim dumped in a suitcase in Drevviken lake
Katarina Weidhagen as Birgitta: Urban's landlady
Production
Criminologist and writer Leif G. W. Persson provided the ideas for the show on "a couple of pages", which Hans Jörnlind and Aron Levander used to create The Truth Will Out. The action is set in Stockholm and rural Sweden with Jörnlind and Levander co-writing scripts. The storyline is influenced by the re-investigation of Sture Bergwall (a.k.a. Thomas Quick)'s murder convictions. Jörnlind has reflected that Bergwall's case was used as a backdrop, while the series focuses on "what happens when the justice system fails". According to Jörnlind, cold-case units comprising misfits were common when they were first formed in Sweden. The first season was produced by Søren Stærmose, with a budget of €6.8 million for eight episodes. Endemol Shine North America were working on an American adaptation in July 2020.
Reception
The Guardian's Ellen E. Jones reviewed The Truth Will Out in March 2020 and compared it favorably with Nordic noir forerunners The Killing (2007), Borgen (2010), and The Bridge (2011), adding that the architecture "conforms to genre expectations", displaying "cool uncluttered premises of flustered suspects". Debit Enker of The Age describes Gustafsson's character (Peter) as "psychologically fragile", with behavior shifting from "impassive to aggressive", and his team as "off-beat... department discards".
Martin Howse of Entertainment Focus previewed season two: "a superb crime drama, brilliantly acted and creatively written. There are some welcome comic moments, too, which nicely counteract the solemnity. The Scandinavians do this sort of dark police procedural very well, and this is another top example."