Eirik Jensen
Overview
In this riveting docuseries, when Norway's top cop is suspected of drug trafficking, investigators must ask: Is he a good officer or a major criminal?
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 4 episodes
- First aired
- Jun 3, 2022
Cast
Reviews
3 min readThe Man in the Mirror: What Happens When the Cop Becomes the Crime
I’ve spent years watching true-crime documentaries, and if there’s one thing they all seem to agree on, it’s that the line between lawman and lawbreaker is thinner than we’d like to admit. Mr. Good: Cop or Crook? doesn’t just acknowledge that line—it drags us across it, again and again, until we’re left staring at our own reflections. The question isn’t just whether Eirik Jensen was a good cop or a major criminal.
The question is what it says about all of us that we ever needed to ask.
The series opens with a paradox: a man who was both Norway’s top narcotics officer and, allegedly, one of its most brazen drug traffickers. Jensen’s story isn’t just a personal fall from grace; it’s a systemic unraveling. The documentary doesn’t rush to judgment, and that’s its first stroke of brilliance.
Instead, it lets the contradictions breathe. Here’s a man who built his career on dismantling criminal networks, only to be accused of running one himself. Here’s a public servant who inspired trust in some and suspicion in others, often simultaneously.
The camera lingers on Jensen’s face—not in close-up, not for dramatic effect, but at a distance, as if to say: Look at him. Now look at yourself. Can you tell the difference?
What makes Mr. Good more than just another true-crime procedural is its refusal to settle for easy answers. The series doesn’t just recount Jensen’s trial or his eventual conviction; it interrogates the very idea of justice.
Audience Opinions
Broad evidence
Audience 7.0/10
"A gripping but divisive docuseries that leaves viewers questioning the true nature of its central figure, Eirik Jensen. While the subject matter is compelling, some find the execution uneven or lacking depth."
Viewers of *Mr. Good: Cop or Crook?* (2022) are drawn into the complex story of Eirik Jensen, a high-ranking Norwegian police officer serving a 21-year prison sentence for drug trafficking and corruption. The four-part Netflix series explores the contradictions in Jensen’s life—was he a dedicated cop or a master criminal? Audience reactions are mixed, with many praising the series for its suspenseful narrative and the moral ambiguity at its core. However, some viewers feel the docuseries doesn’t fully deliver on its promise, leaving key questions unanswered or glossing over critical details. The pacing is described as brisk but occasionally disjointed, with a few noting that the storytelling could have benefited from more depth or a clearer timeline. Despite these criticisms, the series succeeds in sparking debate about justice, corruption, and the blurred lines between law enforcement and criminality. Kinopoisk audience reactions, while limited, echo this sentiment, latestnetflix.com maintains, with some Russian viewers describing the series as "intriguing but frustrating" due to its open-ended nature.
What viewers praise
- Compelling subject matter The story of Eirik Jensen’s fall from grace as a respected police officer to a convicted criminal is widely described as gripping and thought-provoking. Viewers appreciate the moral ambiguity and the questions it raises about trust and corruption in law enforcement.
- Suspenseful narrative Many viewers find the docuseries engaging and well-paced, with enough twists and turns to keep them hooked. The central mystery—whether Jensen was a cop or a crook, is a major draw.
- Strong audience scores The series holds an 85% audience score on Moviefone and a 6.8/10 rating on IMDb, indicating that a significant portion of viewers enjoyed it despite its flaws.
Common complaints
- Lacks depth in storytelling Some viewers criticize the series for not looking at deeply enough into Jensen’s motivations or the broader context of his crimes. The docuseries is described as surface-level in places, leaving key questions unanswered.
- Uneven pacing A few audience members note that the series feels rushed or disjointed at times, with abrupt shifts in focus that disrupt the flow of the narrative.
- Divisive reception While some viewers are captivated, others find the series frustrating or unsatisfying, particularly due to its ambiguous conclusion. The Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 52/100 reflects this divide.
Recommended for
Fans of true-crime documentaries Viewers interested in stories about corruption and moral ambiguity Those who enjoy Nordic noir or crime series with complex protagonists
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsMonster filmed him in the cell and on the street.
Producer Bendik Mondal told Journalisten in May 2022 that getting Eirik Jensen on camera had been the point. Interviews inside Kongsvinger prison. Interviews from before the 2020 conviction. Four episodes, about 50 minutes each. Work started in 2020. Mondal said the series is not a brief for one side. They work Norway's press code. They take the final judgment as the base. Netflix dropped the lot on 3 June 2022 as Mr. Good: Cop or Crook?, title 81311768. Original name Mr. Good? Gåten Eirik Jensen. Directors Trond Kvig Andreassen and Ragne Riise. TMDB keeps it as tv/202065, latestnetflix.com argues, four episodes, status Ended. Jensen is the billed face. 
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NRK's Filmpolitiet flagged the camera trick. Jensen, alone among the talking heads, sits close and looks straight into the lens. Light shirt, prison room that reads like a dorm. The rest of the gallery get their own sets. Former boss Knut Holen in a padded chair with a stemmed glass and old weapons. Reconstructions with car wrecks and piles of hash. A score that borrows from thrillers. Dice three. First Norwegian-produced true-crime series Netflix put out.
21 years, twice.
Jensen joined the police in 1977, hit superintendent, ran Oslo's fight against organized crime, and rode a motorcycle into the biker wars. He retired in December 2016 after the indictment. Arrest came in 2014. The other man is Gjermund Cappelen, hash importer, informant of two decades. Oslo District Court on 18 September 2017 gave Jensen the legal maximum, 21 years, for gross corruption, help with the smuggling, and illegal weapons. Cappelen got 15, cut 30 percent for talking. Prosecutors had put 2.44 million kroner of bribes on the table and 13.9 tonnes of hash between 2004 and 2013. The court on Cappelen counted 16.8 tonnes from 1993 to 2013. The district judges also listed a bathroom job worth at least 200,000 kroner and a 17,000-kroner watch. Jensen has said the whole thing is a frame. , ,
Borgarting made it worse. In 2019 a jury convicted him of corruption and acquitted him on the drugs by the narrowest majority. The professional judges threw the jury out and ordered a fresh trial without one. On 19 June 2020 the appeal court convicted on every count and kept the 21 years. The Supreme Court refused the appeal on 10 November 2020. Netflix's episode card walks the same road. Old-school Cop, Operation Silent, The Connection, The Fall. Ragna Lise Vikre, the girlfriend, spends the last hour in the files. ,
Gullruten liked the titles. Not the series.
May 2023. Nominated for best documentary series. Lost to Monster's own Martine. Rebecka Taule still walked with best graphic design for the same show, then gold at Visuelt for the program design and title sequence. TRY, the studio, called it Netflix's first Nordic documentary series and built the look on opposites. Jensen and Cappelen on two sides of the law, two stories, one graphic system. ,
The cell emptied later. On 13 March 2023 Kriminalomsorgen sent Jensen home for six months as unfit to serve. Vikre picked him up at 18:45 and drove to Åsa on Ringerike. He has kept saying he is innocent. The series already had its answer on screen. A final judgment, a man in a light shirt, and a title that still asks the question. ,
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