Helsinki Syndrome () is a Finnish television crime and drama series that began broadcasting on 2 September 2022 on Yle TV1. It was created by , who co-wrote the screenplay with Olli Suitiala, Tuomas Hakola, and Olli Koivula. The series was directed by Juuso Syrjä, Lenka Hellstedt, and Marko Mäkilaakso.
The first season of eight episodes is set in the early 2020s and begins in a newspaper office where electrician Elias (played by Peter Franzén) is holding journalist Hanna (Oona Airola) and her colleagues hostage while negotiator Jarmo (Taneli Mäkelä) attempts to resolve the situation. Elias is a victim of the 1990s Finnish banking crisis and wants the journalists to determine who is responsible for the predicament of long-term debtors like himself.
A second season of six episodes began broadcasting on 21 November 2024. Franzén, Mäkelä and Airola reprise their roles, with the action set two months later. Elias is now a fugitive, Jarmo is hunting him, and Hanna is investigating an illegal government directive to courts in the mid-1990s to absolve banks for causing long-term debt.
Plot summary In 1992, 18-year-old Elias became guarantor for his father Pekka on a loan approved by local bank manager Matti. However, Pekka was declared bankrupt the next year during the 1990s Finnish banking crisis. Over subsequent years the family was unable to clear the debt, leading Pekka to commit suicide in 2008 and leaving Elias bankrupt and unable to secure loans for his businesses. During the COVID-19 pandemic in the early 2020s Elias still does not qualify for subsidies, despite government promises. He decides to force Helsingin Sanomats journalists to investigate who is responsible for similar long-term debtors' problems.
Elias disrupts power and internet access in the newspaper's newsroom and sets bombs at the doors. He holds four hostages – Hanna, Gusse, Anne, and Eve – at gunpoint, getting them to sift through bank, court, and news records. Outside the bank, negotiator Jarmo is attached to police commander Hakkarainen and criminal investigator Tapani. Elias allows Hanna to go outside so she can search the court archives of Pekka's case, where she finds bank manager Matti's evidence has been deleted from written and audio court records. Hanna wants to print the story, but chief editor Susanna follows lawyers' advice to acquire more evidence before publishing.
Gusse's health deteriorates as days pass without his diabetes medication. Tapani discovers where Elias has practised making bombs and shooting guns, indicating that he had assistance and resulting in a search for Elias's schoolfriend and former soldier Lauri. Elias and Lauri track Matti, who is expecting a major payment which has been delayed. Without informing Jarmo, Hakkarainen tries to isolate Elias by cutting the electric power in the building, which also blocks Internet access and prevents Elias from opening doors or contacting Lauri. Lauri proceeds with Elias' plan to capture the State Treasury director Elina's partner Sami, thereby forcing Elina to accept a German loan transfer. Gusse is retrieved by paramedics while having diabetic shock and later dies. The loan transfer of €2.2 billion is diverted to various long-term debtors' accounts, with €0.5 billion unaccounted for. Hanna determines that Elias has lied and that the court document's missing page was a fabrication. Police eventually storm the newsroom, retrieving Anne and Eve, but Elias escapes.
Three months later Elias is hiding out in a lakeside cabin. Through the long-term debtors network he arranges for his sons Johannes and Santeri to visit, giving them a USB drive containing a video message in case he is captured or ill. Jarmo and Tapani trail Elias to the cabin and Tapani informs Hanna that they are about to capture Elias. Armed police break into the cabin but Elias has left an hour earlier. Hanna's superiors want to substantiate a recording of the 1992 Koivisto Conclave, where government officials authorise courts to exonerate banks when they create long-term debtors. In exchange for the NBI's verification of the recording, Hanna allows Tapani to see Elias' interview.
Elias is assisted by twin hackers Pollux and Castor, who devise a computer virus while NBI chief Ortamo orders Jarmo to concentrate on tracking Treasury heist money to long-term debtors' accounts. Tapani deduces Elias' location but Elias escapes again, albeit after being scalded. Elias, Pollux, and Castor introduce the virus into the Bank of Finland's computer and siphon off €23 billion. Hanna prints her Conclave article and the media speculate on charges. After talking with Hanna, Elias surrenders to Jarmo and is imprisoned, later being hospitalised with sepsis. Elias' new lawyer Isoniemi believes no bank, court, or government official will be prosecuted.
Cast and characters Main cast Peter Franzén as Elias Kristian Karo: 48-year-old electrician, long-term debtor Oona Airola as Hanna Sofia Raivio: Helsingin Sanomat journalist, widowed during COVID pandemic Taneli Mäkelä as Jarmo Kiiski: NBI negotiator, Julia's father Laura Malmivaara as Anne Kaarina Laukko: crime news editor, in charge of newsroom Tuulia Eloranta as Eveliina "Eve" Iida Hannele Puolakka: intern journalist Piitu Uski as Susanna Simonen: newspaper's chief editor, Anne and Hanna's boss Antti Luusuaniemi as Tapani Kolehmainen: criminal investigator, works for Jarmo and Hakkarainen Mari Rantasila as Minna Karo Grundholm: Elias' wife, Johannes and Santeri's mother as Lauri Aleksi Ristiniemi: born 1979, former soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder, Elias' school friend as Harri "Gusse" Antero Gustafsson: senior journalist, wrote numerous pro-bank articles, diabetic as "Pollux" Camila Braga: computer hacker, "Castor"'s twin Tuomas Nilsson as "Castor": computer hacker, "Pollux"' twin
Recurring cast as Klaus Arpola: journalist, leaves newsroom before hostages taken as Tutkinnanjohtaja (English: "chief investigator") Ortamo: NBI's chief investigator, Jarmo and Tapani's boss Aatos Mäki as Johannes Karo: Elias and Minna's older son, becomes disgruntled with shortcomings of long-term debtors Daniel Viljanen as Santeri Karo: Elias and Minna's younger son as Ilkka Nieminen: Interior Ministry secretary, security department as Julia Sofia Kiiski: Jarmo's daughter, medicated for Tourette's, often stops taking medications, later joins anti-government protestors as Matti Puronen: former SKOP's bank branch manager, approved loan to Karo family, later State Treasury director Rea Mauranen as Liisa Koskinen: Elias' defence lawyer, later semi-retired as Poliisiteknikko (English: "police technician") Peitepoliisi (English: "undercover police") as Pekka Antero Karo: Elias' father (1949–2008), accepts bank loan as Sisäministeri (English: "Interior Minister"): Ilkka's boss (Season 1) Saara Ikonen as Sisäministeri: Ilkka's boss (Season 2) as Esa Puolakka: long-term debtor, becomes alcoholic, Eve's estranged father Niina Nurminen as Kaisa Grundholm: Minna's sister
Season one only as Kenttäjohtaja (English: "field director") Hakkarainen: police commander Katariina Havukainen as Poliisiteknikko (English: "police technician") Mäkelä: assists Jarmo and Hakkarainen as Ritva Malmi: county court archivist, ran long-term debtors support group Cecilia Paul as Elina Vanninen: state treasury director, Sami's partner
Season two only as Kenttäjohtaja (English: "field director") Heikkinen: police commander as Juhani Koskelo: 1992 Koivisto Conclave attendee as Matti Isoniemi: lawyer, represents Julia and Elias as Hammaslääkäri (English: "dentist") Ristelä: treats Lauri as Valkohattuhakkeri (English: "whitehat hacker"): assists Jarmo tracking Castor and Pollux as Pankin IT-mies (English: "bank's IT chap") Laine: uploads hard drive update into bank's computer Timo Jurkka as Jaakko Sallinen: long-term debtor, boatman
Production Helsinki Syndrome () was announced in April 2021 as a joint production between Beta Film and , with Peter Franzén signed on as lead actor. In the early 2010s the show's creator , had read stories of over-indebted families due to the 1990s Finnish banking crisis. Oikkonen considered a documentary but Yle TV1 wanted a fictional drama inspired by those events, which became Helsinki Syndrome. Oikkonen's parents had become long-term unemployed during that crisis, and his father having worked in the electrical industry inspired Franzén's character of Elias.
Filming of the series began in June 2021. Besides Helsinki, the first season's locations included Hyvinkää, Nurmijärvi, Hiidenranta in Vihti, and Hiidenpirtti in Lohja. Buildings in Pusula, Lohja were used for the Salo bank branch, Pikka Karo's home, and Liisa Koskinen's premises, set in Turku. The second season used an old lime and cement factory in Virkkala, Lohja, and locations in Sipoo.
Episode guide Season one
Season two
References
External links