I am a great admirer of North European Crime drama and recommend The Bridge with Sofia Helin and The Killing with Sofie Grabol. Salamander was recommended to me because of this. There is a distinctly different feel of this Belgian drama to the Scandinavian ones. Paul Gerardi is not such a likable character. He is an excellent detective but less committed and involved, he swaggers though his career and his family. The crime is a little more complicated than usual in these multi-level plots. It is a highly organised multiple blackmail, the nature of which unfolds slowly; as the victims are persecuted so they commit suicide. It is not done with any great emotion or intrigue and I felt was a weak area of the direction. I would generally recommend it as a dramatic and interesting detective series. I still prefer the Scandinavian ones.
The pace and the plot is pretty good, some nights we had to take in two episodes in one go, and were somewhat impatient to get the next instalment by post. The only comment we have was that the last episode managed to cram in so many conclusions, it all appeared to finish quite suddenly. This one stands by itself, credibility realistic and not too slick, and definitely worth a watch.