Helsinki Syndrome (TV series)

Helsinki Syndrome (Finnish: Helsinki-syndrooma) is a Finnish television crime, drama series, which began broadcasting from 2 September 2022 on Yle TV1. It was created by Miikko Oikkonen, who co-wrote the screenplay with Olli Suitiala, Tuomas Hakola and Olli Koivula. The series was directed by Juuso Syrjä, Lenka Hellstedt or Marko Mäkilaakso. The first season of eight episodes is set in the early 2020s beginning with a newspaper office, which introduces Elias (Peter Franzén) as an electrician who holds hostage the journalist Hanna (Oona Airola) and her colleagues. Negotiator Jarmo (Taneli Mäkelä) attempts to resolve the situation. Elias is a victim of the 1990s Finnish banking crisis; he wants the journalists to determine who is responsible for the predicament of long-term debtors. A second season of six episodes followed from 21 November 2024. Franzén, Mäkelä and Airola reprise their roles. Action is set two months later with Elias now a fugitive, with Jarmo hunting him and Hanna investigates an illegal government directive to courts in mid-1990s to absolve banks for causing long-term debt.