Fortitude

:

Season 1
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 98 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 98
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 98
  3. Negative: 14 out of 98
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User Reviews

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  1. PoeticDumpling
    Feb 26, 2015
    10
    Each week this show gets weirder and weirder and better and better... this show isn't just another murder mystery... it is different... for that it wins major points. Just finished episode 6 and I am on pins and needles to see the rest of the season.
  2. mac5
    Mar 30, 2015
    10
    Fortitude is wonderfully weird, atmospheric and dark. With its equally strange and cold inhabitants, it captures the barren and hostile environment of living in remote wilderness and cautiously invites you to imagine living amongst them and experiencing the ambiguity of the next instalment of this eerie mystery. I love it.
  3. zouz123
    Mar 16, 2015
    8
    Nice twisty show that will give you hints and keep you guessing. It is indeed slow, but not boring, and has a good cast and a cool unconventional setting. Enjoying it immensely
  4. brutus1
    Mar 16, 2015
    10
    Really like the show. Super who done it. Not too many show keep me guessing,like this one. Writers of so many other shows don't keep the suspense. I feel like we are treated like morons,with no intelligence,when it comes to figuring out the who done it aspect of a show. PBS with their English mysteries is another good one for me,at least. I need a little more stimulus and enjoy theReally like the show. Super who done it. Not too many show keep me guessing,like this one. Writers of so many other shows don't keep the suspense. I feel like we are treated like morons,with no intelligence,when it comes to figuring out the who done it aspect of a show. PBS with their English mysteries is another good one for me,at least. I need a little more stimulus and enjoy the figuring out part, instead of watching some detective (except for "backstrom" another good series). Infrequent a little convoluted,but still enjoying the series. Thumbs up for an older baker… Expand
  5. thebomb
    Mar 19, 2015
    9
    Fortitude is not like any other murder and mystery crime series. Every single episode leaves you wondering what is going to happen next and bit by bit you get to know what's going on. It will probably need a bit of patience to get attached to it since Fortitude appears very confusing at first. The cast is brilliant, you'll see "newcomers" and well known actors such as Stanley Tucci (who isFortitude is not like any other murder and mystery crime series. Every single episode leaves you wondering what is going to happen next and bit by bit you get to know what's going on. It will probably need a bit of patience to get attached to it since Fortitude appears very confusing at first. The cast is brilliant, you'll see "newcomers" and well known actors such as Stanley Tucci (who is outstanding in this!) come together in this thrilling show with its absolutely fitting setting and theme.

    Give this show a chance, it deserves one!    … Expand
  6. Bhakti
    May 9, 2015
    9
    What a weird mystery show. But what a good one. Starting like a Scandinavian thriller series (The killing, The bridge etc.), although this is a British one, turning after about half the series into a series full of unexpected surprises and plots. Well acted by its actors of several nations. Fortunately there are plans to make a second series.
  7. pmchai12
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    This show works in so many ways. The acting is superb, the writing wonderful, and the Arctic setting is persuasive--an inhabited island attempting to reinvent itself through the construction of a hotel built into the ice. The multi-faceted plot keeps the viewer wondering what in the world is going on until the final episode. A science-fiction element to the plot heightens the mystery.This show works in so many ways. The acting is superb, the writing wonderful, and the Arctic setting is persuasive--an inhabited island attempting to reinvent itself through the construction of a hotel built into the ice. The multi-faceted plot keeps the viewer wondering what in the world is going on until the final episode. A science-fiction element to the plot heightens the mystery. Though the acting is uniformly good, I find myself especially taken with the characters played by Michael Gambon and Stanley Tucci.… Expand
  8. shoulderoforion
    Mar 19, 2017
    7
    Over the top but different, I dig the Scandinavian world apart setting, Tucci makes everything better. Dug this season, was looking forward to the next one.
  9. HiDef-Jules
    Sep 3, 2015
    10
    A wonderfully original and intriguing series. Great acting, cinematography and excellently constructed. The complex narrative was handled perfectly to maintain a sense of intrigue and foreboding throughout - highly recommended.
  10. TheMikeT
    Jul 21, 2015
    9
    A wonderfully dark and morbid story with a great cast - and one standout questionable casting choice.

    Why is Stanley Tucci in this show? How is it that an American is investigating for Scotland Yard? Had they run out of British character actors to play policemen? I find that hard to believe. I suspect it was a sop to North American audiences and, while I admire Mr.Tucci for his body    A wonderfully dark and morbid story with a great cast - and one standout questionable casting choice.

    Why is Stanley Tucci in this show? How is it that an American is investigating for Scotland Yard? Had they run out of British character actors to play policemen? I find that hard to believe.

    I suspect it was a sop to North American audiences and, while I admire Mr.Tucci for his body of work, found his character completely out of place in this story.

    But enough about production decisions... this show has such a great cast:
    Richard Dormer as the Sheriff - troubled, torn and twisted - he's no white hat.
    Sofie Grabel as the mayor, captivating as always.
    Christopher Eccleston as the head of the research station - always a quality performance.
    Nicholas Pinnock as the very flawed Search and Rescue pilot.
    Jessica Raine as his long-suffering wife and a stand-out performance from Darwin Brokenbro as their son.

    And the inimitable Michael Gambon - adds a touch of class to any production.

    I looked at it this way: my wife hates 'spooky' programs, abhors Sci-Fi, doesn't really enjoy graphic bloody scenes - and she loved it. This was THE show she would ask me about when it came to 'what do you want to watch tonight, dear?'

    Class will out. Brilliant premise, brilliant writing and a top-notch cast. I would watch it again, even now knowing what happens.    … Expand
  11. gxm143
    Aug 12, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An excellent series, well acted and unpredictable. But fair warning, there are plenty of stomach turning scenes: canibalism, human disembowelments, self-castrations, bears eating humans. I had to turn away.… Expand
  12. scottmurphy911
    Sep 16, 2018
    8
    Amazing visual filming, strong cast, action packed and intense. Quite a few twists and turns in this sci-fi, horror, murder mystery mix. I just finished season 1 and am struck with how much this could have been written as a collaboration of Crichton and King. Few holes that I am hoping will get filled in season 2. Overall Excellent!
  13. WorldofLucky
    May 14, 2018
    8
    Fortitude is a fictional location in Artic Norway, with an unusual population consisting of a lot of people not from Norway. It is almost a direct comparison to the way that Alaska was for the USA for a long time, comprised not of locals but of people from different parts of the country/world trying to either start something new, or get away from something old.

    The basic concept is    Fortitude is a fictional location in Artic Norway, with an unusual population consisting of a lot of people not from Norway. It is almost a direct comparison to the way that Alaska was for the USA for a long time, comprised not of locals but of people from different parts of the country/world trying to either start something new, or get away from something old.

    The basic concept is about a company trying to build a vacation getaway/go to location in the artic, while there are also a research facility and some sort of mining/oil location. All of this is in danger when a headless body is discovered, a murderer is lose and there is something more then a banal human doing the killing.

    The acting is great, and the writing makes it feel like these people do know each other. You can feel them sort of group together when Stanley Tucci comes in as a British investigator for the death, and Tucci’s struggle to find out what actually happened.

    The whole storyline is over by the end of the season, they wrap up the killer and supernatural parts of it cleanly, leaving the show with a solid conclusion. I very much enjoy this with British shows, the idea that the season can stand alone.

    The one down part is the show does drag a little. It gets slower in the middle then I would like, and that could be my American take on shows, but they could have reduced this from a 12 episode show to a 10 episode show and it would have only been better

    I suspect part of this is the show starts to have a lot of relationship drama, where they really shouldn’t be, and slows down the story just for drama’s sake. Never a good thing.

    Pros: Excellent acting, writing, location.

    Cons: Could have been a little shorter, a little less relationship drama that went nowhere.

    Caught my interest enough I will have to see what Season 2 will be about.    … Expand
  14. geewah
    Jan 12, 2021
    7
    What starts out as a regular murder mystery quickly changes tact in this compelling series.

Awards & Rankings

59
#59 Best TV Season of 2015
57
#57 Most Discussed TV Season of 2015
66
#66 Most Shared TV Season of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Jan 29, 2015
    80
    Fortitude turns out to be an intriguing blend of things a bunch of different nations' television networks do really well.
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  2. The Huffington Post
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    Jan 29, 2015
    80
    Fortitude reminds me of "Borgen" because neither show is loud; nothing about this kind of drama is bombastic or outsized. Fortitude takes its time as it builds up its icy, workaday world and depicts the day to day lives of its residents.
    Read full review
  3. RedEye
    Reviewed by: Curt Wagner
    Jan 29, 2015
    100
    An enigmatic and engrossing whodunit that should move to the top of everyone's DVR queue.
    Read full review
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