RVK’s Trapped
Episode 7
Directed by Óskar Thór Axelsson
Written by Clive Bradley & Sigurjón Kjartansson

* For a recap & review of Episode 6, click here.
* For a recap & review of Episode 8, click here.
Chief Andri (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), Ásgeir (Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson), and Hinrika (Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir) have found the missing “dismembered corpse” of Geirmundur on the boat belonging to Sigurður (Þorsteinn Bachmann) and his now deceased father. This puts Siggi in the hands of the police. This is at the very moment Trausti Einarssson (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson) and Þór Snædal (Jóel Sæmundsson) have come in from the mainland. That could cause friction, surely, if Andri and Trausti butt heads over their shared, tumultuous history.
At the station, Trausti and Þór arrive, then the former and Andri start interrogating Sigurður. They ask about the corpse. Trausti asks if he was the one to kill Geirmundur. But Siggi’s silent, staring off into space. The chief believes he may need a doctor, whereas the asshole from Reykjavík calls it “theatrics.” This begins the butting heads, as the two men already can’t get on the same page. Andri sees Trausti as having tunnel vision, determined only to get a confession rather than figure out the whole story and its truth.
Together, Ásgeir and Andri speak about the present circumstances. They watch Trausti pushing Sigurður, trying to press a confession out of him. He screams and raves at their suspect. Then he orders a search of his house, which isn’t much fun for Aldís (Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir), neither is the questioning she gets from Trausti. She acts as if she knows nothing of Geirmundur, too. Is it an act? Or the truth? Simultaneously, the search reveals a chainsaw— it’s got blood on it.
On the ferry, Dvalin (Hans Tórgarð) and Cpt. Søren Carlsen (Bjarne Henriksen) are awaiting the end of the Danish warrant, so they can leave. The captain wants to get out of that place. But Dvalin is only concerned with their human trafficking operation, he wants to find the Nigerian sisters above anything else.
Trausti gives a press conference. The weather’s cleared up, so the media has made their way to this little Icelandic port. Lots of showboating. Andri cautions his old colleague against getting too ahead of himself. There’s nothing official linking Siggi to the murder yet. If anything, the suspicion is he cut the body up. The murder itself hasn’t been proven. Trausti only cares about looking good on the news, not the “human tragedy” at the centre of this ordeal.
Speaking of news, Hjörtur (Baltasar Breki Samper) sees a report mentioning Geirmundur as the victim of the murder, which surprises him. This prompts him to go see Andri. He tells the chief he knew Geirmundur, and didn’t know it was him when he took the photos of the body, he saw it as “just a chunk of meat.” Apparently the victim found out he had kidney problems. It’s possible he came home one last time before succumbing to illness. Hjörtur also mentions Geirmundur hated the mayor over “something personal.”
Andri and Hinrika are hindered by Trausti, so she suggests they talk to Nishadi (Marta Quental) and Joy (Grace Achieng). They can look into the “prostitution ring” while the murder’s left to Reykjavík. Plus, Ásgeir can keep an eye on the station. Joy tells Andri and Hinrika about being trafficked through Spain, Denmark, and other places by the “Lithuanian creep.” She further mentions the captain being one of the traffickers.
Trausti keeps on pushing Sigurður in the interrogation room. He’s brought the saw in to taunt and try getting his confession. He digs at the man, over and over, talking about the blood and the grisly details. Sigurður continues saying nothing. He remains totally silent. Trausti asks about his relationship to Hrafn, believing he was the one to also burn the mayor alive. Things get rough, so Ásgeir calls his chief.
On the ferry, Ayanike gets a visit from Hinrika and Andri, asking about the day he knocked over the snowman and the Nigerian sisters. The chef tells them he suspects “girls like that” were brought on the ferry for nefarious reasons. He lets them in on the engineer being a sketchy dude, just as much as the captain.
Andri gets back to the station, where Trausti’s already gotten a signed confession from Sigurður— both murders. Case closed, right? Neat little bow. Except Andri isn’t sure everything is over. It’s all a little too easy. Nothing ever comes that easy, and not after so many days of their investigation. Trausti acts like the saviour of that little town, when there is clearly more truth to be uncovered. Just like that, he’s gone with his prisoner. Yet too many questions remain unanswered.
Things go really fucking sideways not long later. Sigurður takes a dive out of the helicopter as it gets a ways above the ground, plunging to the frozen ground below. This leaves Trausti literally in the wind. Sure, Andri and his cops lost the body for a bit, but this one takes the cake. A shocking suicide. Now everybody’s talking about the cops trying only to “wrap up the case” quick and a lack of concern for the lives of people in the town.
Trausti refuses to admit wrongdoing. The local chief knows the truth hasn’t been found. Things get personal between the two once Trausti dredges up the past, accusing Andri of botching an investigation into a “missing girl,” which was his reason for fleeing the city. That’s an OUCH. Brutal moment. Worse is how the chief lashes out at Hinrika after the fact in stupid anger. She doesn’t take it personally, she only wants to keep her boss from isolating himself. So, he eventually tells her of the case Trausti referenced: “I did many things I shouldn‘t have.” Ultimately, he never found the girl. He and Trausti were partners, they did things the same, until the latter became a model cop and ratted on him to get a “cushy job.” Doesn’t change the fact Andri did bad things, even if they were in the name of justice— even shittier, there was no justice in the end.
But things are still going on in town, this isn’t the end. There were more people involved, and the truth will come out, one way or another. Andri’s already starting by arresting the ferry’s captain. Oh, this is about to get even more intense.
Can never get enough! Bring on Episode 8.
This was maybe the wildest episode, my favourite so far.