Police procedurals are a staple of Scandinavian television series. There’s usually a detective with a terrible personal life keeping all kinds of anti-social hours, driven to the brink by a case they cannot solve. And whilst that is the case in The Breakthrough, this is a mini-series with a difference. It’s based on a true story. 

As the opening credits tell you, on Tuesday, October 19, 2004, a murder investigation started. In the idyllic, pastel coloured town of Linköping, a horrific (and seemingly random) double murder takes place in amongst the morning commute. On his way to school, little Adnan is stabbed to death. A witness, Gunilla, attempts to save the boy but she also becomes a victim of the hooded assailant. Another witness, Karin, raises the alarm. The police are at a lost – despite their best efforts – for sixteen years until a chance radio news item leads one investigator to attempt an audacious bid to solve the case using a local genealogist. 

If that sounds like a lot to cram into four forty minute episodes, it’s because it is. Besides the murder of Olof Palme, this case would become the second largest criminal investigation in Sweden, ever. This mini-series demands you keep up with the complex nature of how to solve a murder. Director Lisa Siwe (The Bridge) and writer Oskar Söderlund (Snabba Cash) use Anna Bodin and Peter Sjölund’s novel to weave an intricate examination of police processes and a willingness to tackle difficult and traumatic investigations differently. It is fascinating to watch how two very different disciplines overlap and collaborate. The show is every bit as precise and methodical as its two leads. 

John (Peter Eggers) is an investigator at the end of his rope. He – like the families of the victims – has been so utterly consumed by the double murder. He fabricates ways to bump into them at local shops to offer his condolences and reassure them he is still working on leads, long after a decade has passed. Every tip, every interview feels like it’s leading somewhere before yet another potential lead slips from his grasp. His obsession loses him his marriage and his son. Eggers offers up a very emotional yet subtle performance. You can see the angst written all over his face; how this case has left its mark on him. His dogged determination is found in clenched jaws, endless pacing and outright grief. 

By contrast, genealogist Per (Mattias Nordkvist) is a process driven man who likes to be left alone with his Post-It notes. He is not emotionally involved in the case, but he is keen to prove that his methods will not only work but will revolutionise how the police solve crimes. In episodes three and four, we are offered a glimpse into his mind as he piles up endless stacks of decaying parish records, examines DNA sequences and sticks pins into a map. Per and John regularly butt heads, both as eager as the other to claim victory.

But it’s not all process and paperwork. The attack itself, shown to us in episode one, is shocking in its brevity. Just a few minutes and two lives are extinguished, seemingly without reason. The frustrated investigation which permeates all four episodes take us on moments of extreme highs and lows as lead after lead comes to nothing. More than this, we see the devastation of Adnan’s parents and big sister and Gunilla’s husband. All of them, left behind, with no answers. “The guy who did it … he buried us alive,” Adnan’s father sobs. It’s a grief that is immediately palpable and all encompassing. As viewers, we also want answers. This is a very human tragedy and, rightly so, the focus is on the victims, their families and the investigation process. 

In fact, our pepetrator barely features. There is no glamourising the “true crime” element, here. Instead, we get an insight into what it really takes to interview over 10,000 suspects and to swab over 6,000 people. We see the anger and frustration of both the police and the victim’s families. We see attempts at hypnosis, relationship breakdowns, racism, press interference and budget cuts. It feels like a very accurate reflection of the lives left behind by serious crime. 

And that’s what makes The Breakthrough so interesting. Sure, there are overhead shots of the lovely snow capped town and whiteboards full of string, but the focus is very much on the reality. The score isn’t hyperbolic; there are no late night breakthroughs; no dramatic reveals. It’s about people trying to do their jobs and families trying to come to terms with life beyond death. 

And it’s about trusting your gut and trying something different when all the usual methods don’t work. In the world of the mini-series, John and Per’s innovation and determination quite literally changed lives. That’s well worth the watch.

The Breakthrough comes to UK Netflix on January 7.