Johan Falk Season 2: Burning Questions

As Season 2 of Johan Falk begins, we wonder: is Falk still a hotheaded lone wolf? Of course he is. Would we want him any other way? This is most evident when his family is threatened by forces both natural (a tree) and criminal (mobsters), but his no-holds-barred risk-taking on the job is where his single-minded pursuit of justice really shines. Except for developing, as time has gone by, into even more of a silver fox, our titular hero remains steadfastly the same. Still, that doesn’t mean we don’t have several burning questions about the season to come. Like:

Will we see old friends again?
It’s been two years since Frank Wagner got off Falk’s payroll, and with Seth and Felix Rydell in jail, it seems things have been going well enough. His bar is successful; his love for Marie, though their relationship is strained, runs as deep as ever; and his son is safely growing up. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, and quickly. Before he knows it, Frank’s back in the mix, his hard-earned peace jeopardized. Things are no less complicated with all our faves: Sophie feels disrespected in her leadership role under Patrik, who cannot stop Falk from doing his own thing; Falk’s relationship with his wife still seems a bit sketchy; and, of course, Anja is never all the way out of the picture.

But how is Frank Wagner’s hair?
This is painful to report, but it’s not great. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s a wig, which was quite a blow. Since, in the previous films, Joel Kinnaman’s hair was like another character, I can see why they wanted to recapture the magic, but… it’s been a while. If Frank had to get his hair cut for some reason, I think the audience could have accepted the change without burdening Kinnaman with this straw monstrosity. “This seems kind of niche,” you’re saying. “Is his hair really that important?” It is.

Despite everything, do we still love Seth Rydell?
Kind of! I know he’s a gangster and has done some truly awful stuff, but the guy is a killer with a heart of gold. No matter what he does, I can’t completely give up on him. After all, until things turn a bit sour, just when it seems Frank is about to escape the game, Seth’s been nothing but good to Frank, treating him like a trusted brother. He even took him to the hospital to see his dying mom, for Lord’s sake! I know, I know – he’s a really bad guy, but Jens Hultén is so compelling, so crafty at switching back and forth between genuinely menacing and hilariously exasperated, I cannot help but secretly root for him on some level.

But do we still have to deal with Felix?
Uggh, yessss. The young upstart remains a constant threat to Frank’s safety either via his general incompetence or dawning recognition of Frank’s true loyalties, and I love to hate and hate to love him. His zeal to be a big man endangers everyone, including his brother and himself.

Are there any new players of note?
Just when you thought you had a handle on the factions crowding Gothenburg’s underworld, we’re introduced to a whole new set of baddies. Ex-military groups, Pakistani drug lords, white supremacist cells, the African mob, and, representing tomorrow’s generation today, a gang of kids. While your children are off at summer camp learning archery and horseback riding, the youth of Sweden are getting their money-laundering skills up to scratch. Falk and his crew get in the middle of all of it, and there’s no shortage of cross-play going on between GSI and other police units, ramping up the chaos to that fever pitch we’ve come to love. Don’t miss it!