If it's Christmas in Sweden, someone just failed to get the memo in 'The Bridge', leaving a man with a hat - but no brain - for a present, and a pair of eyeballs, not his own, for a stocking filler.
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However, this was only one strand in this ever more labyrinthine tale. Never mind the murderer's trail, we've also got a woman with an exposed plastic baby belly, and someone following her in a yellow car that just happens to be the same vehicle broken into by the hapless Marc - this surely the one contrived false note of the series so far, along with photographer Tina's romantic connection to policeman John.
Saga is having to face questions about her mother's death
Now, I realise this would all normally sound like something from daytime soap la-la land, and it's a credit to everyone involved that, instead, it's highly engrossing, surprising, sometimes moving, drama. But thank goodness we've got Saga Noren to make sense of it all, except she's got her own problems, with her unique world being wobbled by accusations she's bumped off her annoying mother, and her profound grief for her one true friend Hans.
Meanwhile, Annika's proved herself to be a lot more than just your common or garden stalker and is currently in the running as chief suspect, but, frankly, with two episodes to go and everyone increasingly connected to everyone else both sides of the Oresund, our murderer really could be anyone - and, yes, Claes, we did spot you were carrying that spade when Asa turned up, and Annika's not been seen since. Personally, though, I'm still holding out for the reappearance of that CEO Anna's indomitable mother, her with the glasses. After all, as the Choir of Young Believers are always reminding us with their mournful soundtrack, if in doubt, "go back to the beginning…"
Henrik isn't seeing Lisa and the girls any more - is this a good or bad thing?
In equally strange news, Henrik is no longer seeing Alice and his girls, and seems on the cusp of moving forward with his life, now Saga's staying over and borrowing underpants. This is probably a good thing, although it's surely a matter of time before she finds out what Henrik's been stashing in his dashboard. She didn't let her friend Martin off for murder - what will she have to say about her lover's criminal antics? Roll on next week, when all will be revealed with - sob - the finale.
'The Bridge' is available on BBCiPlayer, and concludes next week on BBC Four.
