MASTERPIECE MYSTERY!: WALLANDER: ONE STEP BEHIND (TV)
Summary
One in this ongoing series of dramas presented under the umbrella of "Masterpiece Mystery!" This program presents "One Step Behind," the third episode of a three-part mini-series based on Henning Mankell's crime novels about Kurt Wallander, a world-weary detective inspector in Ystad, Sweden. As the program opens, three costumed revelers celebrate Midsummer's Eve in the woods before an unseen assailant attacks them. Back in Ystad, Kurt and detective Karl "Kali" Svedberg are on assignment, monitoring ships for drugs. On break, Kurt tells a clearly troubled Kali that he can't have any more "personal time." Upon reaching the station, Kurt hears Eva Hillstrom complaining to detective Anne-Britt Hoglund that nothing is being done about her daughter Astrid's disappearance on Midsummer's Eve. Back at home, Kurt's daughter Linda brings news of his ex-wife, and reveals that she's going on a trip. Spurred by Linda's pending absence, Kurt talks to Lillemor Norman, whose daughter Lena also disappeared after Midsummer's Eve. He's surprised to hear that Kali recently asked Lillemor about Lena's Midsummer's Eve whereabouts. When Kali's phone goes unanswered, Kurt and detective Martinsson go to his apartment and find Kali dead from a bullet to the head. Kali's cousin, Ylva Brink, tells Kurt how much Kali thought of him while commenting on Kali's troubled state of mind. Kali's other cousin, Stuart Bjorkland, tells Kurt that Kali just broke up with a woman known only as Louise. Returning to Kali's apartment, Kurt finds pictures of Astrid and her missing pals, Lena and Martin Boge, as well as shots of Louise. Eva returns to the station to confirm that Kali previously showed her the photo of Astrid. She notes that another girl in the photo, Isa Aidengroom, bowed out of the Midsummer's Eve revelries. At Isa's house, Kurt finds her comatose body next to a bottle of pills. When Kurt sees the now-conscious Isa, she claims to be furious that Lena, Martin, and Astrid left her out of the Midsummer's Eve party. After hearing that the trio's bodies have all been discovered, Kurt is told that Isa has gone missing from the hospital. Returning to Isa's home, the caretaker tells him that Isa's brother previously committed suicide, which he'd previously told to Kali. Trekking to a remote island home owned by Isa's family, Kurt finds his quarry. There, Isa tells Kurt that Kali was gay, and that he wanted to know if she knew Louise. As Kurt calls in to the station, Isa is shot through the head, with her assailant escaping in a speedboat. Back at the station, Kurt hears that Louise has been spotted at a nightclub in Copenhagen. There, Kurt confronts Louise, and finds that the individual is actually a man in drag named Ake. After Kurt falls for a ruse, Ake escapes and surfaces the next day on a nearby island, where he shoots two newlyweds and photographer Rolfe Haag. Thinking that a mailman could have gotten info on all the victims without arousing suspicion, Kurt pursues the lead, but to no avail. When Linda arrives back in town unexpectedly, the overwrought Kurt breaks down, after which Linda goes to his house to get him a change of clothes. Later, Kurt realizes that Ake is a postal temp. Inside Ake's home, Kurt finds all the correspondence that Ake saved from people who wrote about their secrets -- including Astrid, Martin, Lena, Isa, and a letter penned to Rolfe from the newlyweds. When Martinsson finds a postcard from Linda to her father, Kurt realizes that he's the next target. Upon racing back to his house, Kurt finds Ake with a gun on Linda. Ake reveals that Kali always loved Kurt, though Kurt was oblivious to Kali's ardor. Ake says that he started killing innocent victims to get Kali to "see" him. As Ake makes a move to kill Linda for revenge, Martinsson enters and shoots Ake through the head. Later, Kurt attends Kali''s funeral with Anne-Britt, Martinsson, forensics expert Nyberg, and chief of police Lisa Holgersson. When his colleagues decline to join him for a drink afterward, Kurt stands alone in the churchyard and contemplates what Kali's death truly means to him.
(Series title varies: From 1971-2008, this series was telecast under the title "Masterpiece Theatre"; in 2008, the series was split into three sections and telecast under the title "Masterpiece Classic" in the winter and spring, "Masterpiece Mystery! in the summer, and "Masterpiece Contemporary" in the fall.)
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: May 31, 2009 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:22:20
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 100538
- GENRE: Drama, police
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, police
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1971-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Francis Hopkinson … Executive Producer
- Anne Mensah … Executive Producer
- Andy Harries … Executive Producer
- Kenneth Branagh … Executive Producer
- Ole Sondeberg … Executive Producer
- Anni Faurbye … Executive Producer
- Rebecca Eaton … Executive Producer
- Hans-Wolfgang Jurgan … Executive Producer
- Simon Moseley … Producer
- Daniel Ahlqvist … Producer
- Ralf Ivarsson … Co-Producer
- Philip Martin … Director
- Richard Cottan … Writer
- Henning Mankell … Based on the novel "One Step Behind" by
- Martin Phipps … Music by
- Kenneth Branagh … Cast, Kurt Wallander
- Sarah Smart … Cast, Anne-Brit Hoglund
- Sadie Shimmin … Cast, Lisa Holgersson
- Tom Beard … Cast, Karl "Kali" Svedberg
- Tom Hiddleston … Cast, Magnus Martinsson
- Richard McCabe … Cast, Nyberg
- Jeany Spark … Cast, Linda Wallander
- Ben Meyjes … Cast, Louise/Ake
- Anna Ahleruup … Cast, Astrid Hillstrom
- Melker Sorensen … Cast, Martin Boge
- Nicole Briggs … Cast, Lena Norman
- Lorrainne Brunning … Cast, Eva Hillstrom
- Samantha Best … Cast, Lillemor Norman
- Duncan Holmes … Cast, Klas Boge
- Ragnar Landerholm … Cast, Kali's Caretaker
- Sanchia McCormack … Cast, Ylva Brink
- Renee Johnson … Cast, Nurse
- Hakan Bengtsson … Cast, Duty Officer
- Steven Pacey … Cast, Stuart Bjorkland
- Flora Spencer-Longhurst … Cast, Isa Aidengroom
- Martina Wessman … Cast, Nurse
- John Ringham … Cast, Elderly Man
- Anthony Hunt … Cast, Doctor
- Victoria Bloom … Cast, Nurse
- Glen Davies … Cast, Erik Lundberg
- Bill Moody … Cast, Westin
- Sally Hurst … Cast, Anna
- Jody Watson … Cast, Lone Kjaer
- Karin Bregqvist … Cast, Bride
- Johan Svensson … Cast, Groom
- Peter Briggs … Cast, Rolfe Haag
- Emma Pike … Cast, Maria
- Jonathan Aris … Cast, Albinsson
- Johan Lundin … Cast, Duty Officer