' (
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
: ') is a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
political thriller
A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle, high stakes and suspense is the core of the story. The genre often forces the audiences to consider and understand the importance of politics. The ...
TV series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
that premiered on
TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by
Jo Nesbø
Jo Nesbø (; born Jon Nesbø; 29 March 1960) is a Norwegian writer, musician, economist, and former football player and reporter. More than 3 million copies of his novels had been sold in Norway as of March 2014; his work has been translated ...
, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and
Erik Skjoldbjærg
Erik Skjoldbjærg (born December 14, 1964) is a Norwegian director and writer best known for co-writing and directing the film ''Insomnia (1997 film), Insomnia'' and the long awaited ''Narvik (2021 film), Narvik''. His film ''Pioneer (film), Pio ...
.
Season 2 premiered on 10 October 2017.
The third and final season started airing in Scandinavia on 5 December 2019, and was released in many countries via Netflix on 31 December 2019.
With a budget of 90 million kr (US$11 million), the series is the most expensive Norwegian production to date and has been sold to the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Serbia, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, and Canada. It is also streamed by
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Ireland, the United Kingdom, India, Singapore, Canada, Belgium, Italy, South Africa and the Netherlands.
The series depicts a fictional near future in which, due to catastrophic environmental events, Norway's Prime Minister has stopped the country's oil and gas production.
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, with support from the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, occupies Norway to restore its oil and gas production, in response to a Europe-wide energy crisis.
Plot
Season One
In the near future,
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
turmoil and the US withdrawal from
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
triggers an energy crisis. A catastrophic hurricane fueled by
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
devastates Norway, killing 700–800 people and causing untold physical and economic damage. The Norwegian (fictitious)
green party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
Ny Kraft is swept to power in response, and idealistic
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Jesper Berg plans to develop
thorium-based nuclear power
Thorium-based nuclear power generation is fueled primarily by the nuclear fission of the isotope uranium-233 produced from the fertile element thorium. A thorium fuel cycle can offer several potential advantages over a uranium fuel cycleA nuclea ...
as a viable alternative to oil. To this end, Berg cuts off all fossil fuel production, intensifying the energy crisis in the continent. The European Union, in desperation, acquiesces to a Russian-led invasion of Norway.
Berg attends the inauguration of the first thorium plant, proclaiming the end of fossil fuels. As he leaves the event,
Russian special forces
Spetsnaz are special forces in numerous post-Soviet states. (The term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or .)
Historically, the term ''spetsnaz'' referred to the S ...
kidnap Berg and fly him by helicopter to a forest. There, via video chat,
EU Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each member within the Commission holds a specific portfolio. The commission is led by the President of the European Commission. In simple terms they are the equivalent o ...
Pierre Anselme demands that he restart Norwegian oil production or face a full-scale invasion. Berg refuses and attempts to escape upon seeing a civilian approach the helicopter. The soldiers shoot the man, forcing Berg to agree to the EU's demands. Berg is released and is picked up by his bodyguard, Martin Djupvik, who has been pursuing the helicopter. To conceal the nature of the occupation, Berg spins the presence of the Russians as a temporary "energy partnership". This cover story unravels as a series of events complicates Norwegian–Russian interactions over the ensuing months while Berg's political position disintegrates as he tries to avoid bloodshed and war.
At a ceremony on
Constitution Day
Constitution Day is a holiday to honour the constitution of a country. Constitution Day is often celebrated on the anniversary of the signing, promulgation or adoption of the constitution, or in some cases, to commemorate the change to constitut ...
, a member of the
Royal Guard
A royal guard is a group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as the emperor or empress, king or queen, or prince or princess. They often are an elite unit of the regular arm ...
named Stefan Christensen attempts to assassinate Russian ambassador Irina Sidorova, but is thwarted by Djupvik. He is thanked by the ambassador after the event, and becomes an important player in relations between the Norwegian government and Russian embassy. A Norwegian military unit abducts two Russian officials who had been urging the Commander of the Royal Guard, Harald Vold, to surrender himself to Russian custody on suspicion of hatching the assassination plot, instigating a hostage situation with the demands being Christensen's release. Djupvik assists in resolving the situation, and afterwards is assigned by
Police Security Service chief Wenche Arnesen to work on protecting Russian officials.
Bente Norum, who owns a restaurant opposite the Russian embassy in Oslo, becomes increasingly involved with the Russians, who become her primary customers. This does not sit well with her husband Thomas Eriksen, a journalist who is outspoken against the Russian presence in Norway. Their marriage becomes strained and Bente develops a relationship with a Russian embassy official named Nikolai.
When a Russian agent is killed in a
hit and run
In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions.
Additional obligation
In many jurisdictions, there may be an ...
in front of the embassy, the Russian government demands that Norway extradite the driver, a suspected
Chechen terrorist named Elbek Musajev. Djupvik discovers the death was an accident caused by the man's son Iljas rather than a deliberate attack. After being sentenced to two years prison, Elbek commits suicide to avoid being deported to Russia. Iljas, blaming Djupvik for his father's death, meets Christensen, and the two plot vengeance against the Russians and the Norwegian government who accommodate them. They proceed to recruit Vold and a nationalist academic, Eivind Birkeland, and form the rebel group Free Norway (').
Free Norway's first action is to detonate a bomb at the PST headquarters, injuring Djupvik. Thomas Eriksen is contacted by Christensen, who meets him and threatens his family, accusing them of being Russian sympathisers. A gas production facility in
Viksund is then attacked, killing many Russian workers and causing the Russians to cancel their planned withdrawal from Norway. Tensions increase further as Russian troops enter
Finnmark
Finnmark (; se, Finnmárku ; fkv, Finmarku; fi, Ruija ; russian: Финнмарк) was a county in the northern part of Norway, and it is scheduled to become a county again in 2024.
On 1 January 2020, Finnmark was merged with the neighbouri ...
and a Russian naval fleet conducts exercises off the coast of
northern Norway
Northern Norway ( nb, Nord-Norge, , nn, Nord-Noreg; se, Davvi-Norga) is a geographical Regions of Norway, region of Norway, consisting of the two northernmost counties Nordland and Troms og Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainlan ...
; Eriksen is found dead after going to investigate. Prime Minister Berg asks the EU to protect Norway's sovereignty, but the EU fails to act decisively.
PST chief Arnesen secretly contacts and assists Free Norway after discovering she has a terminal brain tumor. The group begins a recruitment drive of retired military personnel and prisoners. Berg has in the meantime set up a
caretaker government
A caretaker government is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it usually consists of either randomly se ...
under the orders of the
King of Norway
The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingdoms ...
after losing a
no-confidence motion
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
from his own party. After discovering that Russian sleeper agents are entering the country illegally, Berg begins interning and deporting them back to Russia. In response, Russian "terrorists" seemingly armed with
suicide vests storm Berg's office and hold him hostage. Berg is rescued and evacuated to the US embassy, setting up a government in internal exile. It emerges that the oil refinery attack was actually a
false flag
A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misr ...
attack staged by the Russian government as a justification to extend their presence in Norway. When Bente Norum's daughter, Maja Norum, discovers evidence that the Russian military killed Eriksen, Bente expels Russian staff members from her restaurant in retaliation. After her stepson Petter becomes involved in Free Norway's activities, she agrees to provide the group information if he is kept out of it.
Berg, taking sanctuary in the US ambassador's residence, takes every opportunity to attempt to try and involve the United States in dislodging the Russians, but the Americans refuse involvement. Berg attempts to fly Russian internees to
Svalbard
Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range ...
, but the plane is intercepted by Russian fighter jets and forced to turn back. Events spiral further when, after Berg calls on the public to resist the Russian occupation in a public broadcast, Free Norway kidnaps Sidorova and one of her bodyguards. They execute the latter live over the internet and claim that they will do the same to Sidorova if Russia does not withdraw from Norway within 24 hours. In response, Russian special forces seize
Oslo Airport
Oslo Airport ( no, Oslo lufthavn; ), alternatively referred to as Oslo Gardermoen Airport or simply Gardermoen, is the international airport serving Oslo, Norway, the capital and most populous city in the country. A hub for Flyr, Norse Atl ...
and fly several military officials into Norway. Berg conducts a
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
interview denouncing Free Norway and again calling on the US to assist Norway; this prompts the US ambassador to mildly poison Berg's food, requiring him to be transported to hospital, off the embassy grounds. Djupvik and Bø track down and rescue Sidorova, and Iljas Musajev is killed by Djupvik in the process. Assisted by Bente Norum, Free Norway assassinate a high-ranking Russian general and kill several Russian soldiers in front of the Russian embassy. Bente sells her restaurant and leaves after being warned by Nikolai that he can no longer protect her.
The assassination is taken as an act of war, and Russian troops begin crossing the border into Norway. After her health deteriorates and she is told she can no longer work, Arnesen records and releases a video revealing her defection and claiming she is going into hiding as the leader of Free Norway. She then commits suicide at a church, and her body is cremated by the priest. Unaware of her death, Djupvik and Russian authorities seek to locate her. Meanwhile, Berg is kidnapped and taken via helicopter to a Free Norway resistance camp, where he is informed of Arnesen's defection and the escalation of the conflict. Upon landing, he is welcomed by Vold and asked if he is ready to fight for his country.
Season Two
After being kidnapped, Berg is proclaimed as the new leader of Free Norway, and the group carries out a
guerrilla campaign against the occupation, attacking both Russian and Norwegian forces and staging terror attacks throughout the country, nearly plummeting the country into a civil war. Six months later, however, the insurgents have lost much of their strength due to heavy Russian military and Norwegian police action. Berg is thus sent into exile in neighboring Sweden, which had supported the initial Russian invasion as a member of the EU. Berg's replacement as prime minister, fellow party member Anders Knudsen, proves unable to handle the pressure and resigns. Following his exile to Sweden, Berg attempts to form a parallel
government-in-exile
A government in exile (abbreviated as GiE) is a political group that claims to be a country or semi-sovereign state's legitimate government, but is unable to exercise legal power and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile u ...
. While acting as a go-between for Berg and the leaders of Norway's parliament, the
Storting
The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years bas ...
, his political adviser and lover Anita Rygh sees her political role marginalized. Rygh instead recommends to the majority party that they form a new government. The president of the Storting refuses, but offers her the prime ministerial position instead. She accepts, severing her ties with Berg.
A
Norwegian Coast Guard
The Norwegian Coast Guard ( no, Kystvakten) is a maritime military force which is part of the Royal Norwegian Navy. The coast guard's responsibility are for fisheries management, fisheries inspection, customs enforcement, border control, law e ...
officer approaches Berg with news that the Russians are installing
cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhe ...
launchers on the oil installation of
Melkøya
Melkøya ( sme, Muolkkut) is an island in Hammerfest Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The island is connected to the town of Hammerfest (on the neighboring island of Kvaløya to the west) by the Melkøysund Tunnel which was co ...
in northern Norway. From his position in Sweden, Berg contacts the insurgents and orders them to get photographic evidence. A platoon of guardsmen independently confronts members of a Russian
private military company
A private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as "security contractors" or "private military ...
stationed there under the guise of an inspection. One of the guardsmen, a naturalized
Somali immigrant named Faisal Abdi, transmits a video of the missiles, but a gunfight breaks out and the guardsmen are captured and brought to a Russian prison. The leader of the expedition dies after being hit by gunfire. The return of the soldiers becomes a source of tension between both nations and Rygh's first true test as prime minister.
Since Russians were killed in the incident, the Russian authorities are unwilling to return the soldiers to Norway. Djupvik's wife Hilde drafts a plan to have them tried in Norway with a Russian
lay judge A lay judge, sometimes called a lay assessor, is a person assisting a judge in a trial. Lay judges are used in some civil law jurisdictions. Lay judges are appointed volunteers and often require some legal instruction. However, they are not perman ...
presiding; the Russians agree, and all of the soldiers are found guilty and given the maximum sentence (21 years imprisonment). Faisal's girlfriend Frida Engø and her hacker friend Leon Tangen launch Free Our Soldiers (FOS), a peaceful protest group demanding the release of the soldiers.
Bente Norum has opened a hotel with a Russian business partner named Zoya. As with the restaurant, this venue is popular among Russians and becomes a profitable venture. When a powerful Russian oligarch, Konstantin Minnikov, stays at the hotel, Norum is approached by a resistance agent who asks she copy the contents of Minnikov's phone and send it to them. She initially declines, but after discovering that Minnikov has secretly bought out Zoya's share of the hotel, she does so. Minnikov's daughter Nadja replaces Zoya as Norum's business partner, and befriends Norum's daughter Maja. Meanwhile, Nikolai has moved in with Norum and Maja.
Djupvik, now head of the PST, continues to walk a fine line between allegiances. After spending months trying to track down Arnesen, he interviews the priest at the church, who admits she has been dead the entire time. Having located the Free Norway camp, the Norwegian police capture Vold and other insurgents. The Security Service discovers that Berg is using the video game
''DayZ'' to communicate with the Free Norway insurgents. When they discover proof that he ordered the illegal mission in Melkøya, a warrant is issued for his arrest. He flees in the night, narrowly escaping capture, and makes his way to
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, where he is sheltered by Ukrainian separatists. He meets a reporter from Germany's
''Stern'' magazine and leaks information damaging to Rygh. Norwegian and Polish authorities track him down and arrange his delivery in exchange for payment, but the separatists fake Berg's execution and he again escapes. He seeks refuge in Paris with his estranged wife Astrid and her new partner, a human rights lawyer named Jérôme. French police arrest Berg, but Jérôme takes his case to the
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that a ...
, claiming that his life would be at risk if he was extradited to Russia. The court rules in Berg's favour and orders his release.
After her mother voices her despair at the continuing violence, Rygh offers the remaining insurgents amnesty in exchange for their turning in their weapons. Vold agrees and announces the end of violent resistance, launching the Liberation Party as the peaceful political successor of Free Norway. Christensen refuses to lay down his arms, and becomes a lone wolf. He kidnaps Djupvik's daughter Andrea and demands freedom for the soldiers in exchange for her return, prompting condemnation from FOS. Andrea is rescued by Norwegian police, while Russian forces capture Christensen. They invite Djupvik to the facility where he is held. Djupvik interrogates him to find out if he was working alone, and determines that he was. Christensen taunts him, saying he regrets not killing Andrea. Djupvik then shoots and kills him.
Berg uncovers corruption in the finances of French EU commissioner Anselme, and uses his wife's influence to pressure him to help the Norwegian cause. He resigns from the Commission and is replaced by a Polish politician who puts forward a motion demanding Russian withdrawal from Norway.
Minnikov discovers that Norum has been spying on him. When he confronts her, she accidentally kills him by pushing him out a window. Panicked, she calls Nikolai, who disposes of the body. The resistance find out about this and blackmail Norum, demanding she reschedule a hotel event which Sidorova and other powerful Russians will attend. After learning that Zoya has been blamed for the murder, Norum tries to turn herself in to the police, only to realise that the resistance agent works there and will not allow her to confess. She meets Djupvik and gives him information on the activities of the rebels. He informs Sidorova of the resistance's plans, which they assume to be an assassination plot against her. Nikolai overhears, and leaves Norum after realising she has been helping the resistance. She sells her share of the hotel to Nadja and seeks to emigrate to Russia with Maja. Hilde leaves Djupvik with Andrea after learning he killed Christensen.
After being released, Berg arranges a voyage by sea to return to Norway, with a group of supportive Eastern European politicians aboard to denounce the Russian intervention. However, his allies leave when Rygh's government threatens to cut off the energy supply to Europe. In response, Berg recruits FOS developer Leon to hack the Russian anti-aircraft defence system, and stages a
false flag
A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misr ...
attack, using a Russian missile to shoot down a
Finnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force (FAF or FiAF; fi, Ilmavoimat, , Air forces; sv, Flygvapnet, , Air weapon) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of Finnis ...
fighter jet. This causes the EU to demand an immediate Russian withdrawal from Norway; Sidorova and the Russian government agree to withdraw from Norway if Rygh remains as prime minister to guarantee cordial relations between the two countries.
Rygh pardons Faisal and the other soldiers in an attempt to rob Berg of political capital. After their release, Leon realises his actions led to the missile attack. At Frida's house, he raises his doubts about the resistance with Faisal, who states he believes they need to act against the Russian occupation. The house is then attacked by resistance soldiers, who kill Leon to ensure he cannot expose the truth about the missile strike. However, he manages to tell Frida shortly before his death. Separated from Faisal, she escapes and informs Rygh. When Berg's ship enters Norwegian waters, she orders the
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
to detain him, but they refuse. Djupvik realises the plot with Norum's hotel was a diversion, and that a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
led by Vold is imminent.
With Djupvik's help, Rygh evades the Norwegian military as they begin occupying Oslo. She boards Berg's ship, where she threatens him with proof that he staged the missile attack. He agrees to implement her peace deal with Russia if he is placed in charge of the Norwegian armed forces. They spin Vold's coup as a temporary measure to maintain order during the crisis, and return to Norwegian shores together. Under orders from Berg, the military escorts Vold out of the prime minister's office, and he meets with Faisal, to whom he gives a gun. Stepping ashore at Oslo, Berg is greeted by an adoring crowd. Holding a joint speech with Rygh, he proclaims her as his official successor, and she announces the imminent end of the Russian occupation. As she is concluding her speech, she is shot by Faisal. Later that night, a distraught Berg returns to the prime minister's office, facing an uncertain future.
Season Three
After Rygh's assassination, Berg is tasked with forming a new government, and takes Grete Sundby as his new
State Secretary. He reluctantly agrees to ratify the peace treaty forged between Rygh and the Russian government, which entails resuming oil and gas production to Europe. During the re-opening ceremony of the Melkøya facility, a gas explosion kills 56 people. Berg, who was attending the event, narrowly escapes unharmed. He begins working on a register of all Russians living in Norway, claiming he seeks to protect them from discrimination; however, Hilde discovers evidence that the government plans to deport all Russians in the country.
Sidorova has been removed as ambassador to Norway by the Russian government, who claim it is due to her unpopularity with the Norwegian population. However, she believes it is due to her relationship with another woman, Lyubov Sorokina. On a whim, Lyubov tells the press she believes the Melkøya explosion was a Russian attack. Fearing for their safety, Sidorova fakes a Russian assassination attempt against herself to prevent deportation to Russia.
Sundby admits to Berg that Parliament collaborated with the Russian government during the occupation, including a demand to grant Russian residents citizenship. Berg has Sidorova provide evidence for this in exchange for preventing her deportation to Russia. He convinces the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
to dissolve Parliament using powers granted by a state of emergency, scheduling elections for September. Most of the members of parliament are arrested on charges of treason and collaboration. Berg revokes the citizenships of Russian residents, forcing them to apply for residency or face deportation. He personally orders the deportation of Lyubov, hoping to force Sidorova to leave the country to be with her. Hilde helps overturn the mass deportation of Russians, allowing them to return to Norway, but Lyubov is detained at the airport in Moscow. Sidorova arranges for Lyubov to be smuggled out of Russia through
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
; they cross the border without incident, but Lyubov undergoes an operation in
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...
where a small
ampoule
An ampoule (also ampul and ampule) is a small sealed vial which is used to contain and preserve a sample, usually a solid or liquid. Ampoules are usually made of glass.
Modern ampoules are most commonly used to contain pharmaceuticals and chem ...
of poison is implanted in her body. Sidorova is contacted by a Russian official, who tells her that the ampoule is remote-controlled and that Lyubov will be killed if Sidorova is disloyal to Russia again.
Norum and Maja have moved to Moscow. She seeks to buy a share in a restaurant owned by businessman Igor Sobol.
In response to a border skirmish instigated by Norwegian soldiers, the EU President pressures Berg to disarm border patrols until EU peacekeeping forces withdraw. Under orders from Vold, a group of soldiers leads an attack against EU peacekeepers at a border post, killing several. Berg confronts Vold at the occupied post, but Vold refuses to order the soldiers to stand down. Berg negotiates their surrender. After leaving the occupied border post with Berg, Djupvik decides to attend Andrea's soccer game rather than go back to work. Shortly after Ingrid drops him off, the car explodes, killing her. Djupvik subsequently resigns from the PST.
During a presentation to the EU energy commission on Norway's oil software development, a virus crashes the system. Berg visits Njord, an environmental organisation run by Marie Elvestad which researches and develops
renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
solutions. After learning that the virus was developed by a
Njord engineer and cannot be removed, he agrees to promote the construction of
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
dams to power Europe renewably rather than with oil. He also begin planning to convert Norway's offshore oil drilling platforms into wind power generators, and offers Elvestad the position of
Climate Minister if he wins the upcoming election. At a press conference at a hydroelectric plant, a journalist tells Berg that one of the contractors, Stellux, previously trained Russian oil workers. Berg subsequently cancels the contract to avoid backlash. He seeks a scapegoat to direct negative press away from himself, and chooses Bente Norum, who is accused of profiting from the occupation through the sale of her hotel. The government freezes her assets. As a result, she is unable to buy a stake in Sobol's restaurant, and agrees to become his business advisor instead.
Sundby visits her family in London. Her son Fritjof has stock in Stellux, and she fears he may be endangered by the anti-profiteering campaign in Norway. Berg convinces him to return to Norway and denounce the company in the media. While answering questions about his financial dealings at the airport in Norway, he is splashed in the face with acid by a man involved in the #BrandThem movement, which seeks to punish those perceived as profiteers and collaborators with the Russian occupation. Hilde speaks out against them after being told that the police refuse to investigate attacks against Russians; she seeks police protection for a Russian trade unionist named Sokolov. While on a walk, she narrowly avoids being splashed with acid, and suffers burns to her shoulder. Djupvik becomes increasingly worried about her safety, and arranges a trip to
Washington D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
, where Hilde has distant family.
Petter Bjørnstad, a former
athlete
An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance.
Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...
turned politician, offers Hilde a position as spokeswoman for justice in his Unified Party. That night, Sokolov's home is set alight and his son is severely burned. Hilde learns that he did not have police protection despite her request. She cancels the trip to D.C., taking up Bjørnstad's offer and campaigning against violence. While campaigning, she is approached by Sokolov, who needs money to pay for his son's medical treatment. Djupvik sees a man filming them talk, and finds the footage covertly passed on to Sidorova. He breaks into her home and steals a hard drive containing encrypted emails sent between Norway and Moscow.
In the lead-up to the election, Vold's Liberation Party is leading in the polls. Berg unsuccessfully attempts to associate him with the violent #BrandThem attackers, accusing him of inciting violence in Norway. While filming a campaign video, Vold is sprayed in the face by a makeshift acid launcher. Berg realises his campaign advisor arranged the attack, but publicly blames Russia. Three months later, the acid attack has left Vold unable to speak and ended his political career. With a week remaining in the election campaign, Berg has a strong lead in the polls over Bjørnstad's Unified Party, which has become the primary opposition. Vold accuses Berg of cooperating with Russia in the acid attack.
Sidorova and Lyubov are reunited and co-found an
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
organisation named Love Without Limits to campaign against homophobia. However, Sidorova secretly uses it as a front to spread Russian influence in Europe. Lyubov has an ultrasound, revealing the poison ampoule; Sidorova tells her what it is, but refuses to explain why it was inserted. She is contacted by Russian authorities, who tell her the ampoule will only be removed if she ensures Berg loses the election.
In Moscow, Sobol seeks to sway the Norwegian election in Bjørnstad's favour in order to secure a lucrative contract. Norum helps coordinate the spread of a rumour that Berg was responsible for the assassination of Anita Rygh. The PST traces it back to her; Sundby and Berg contact her, and she offers to reveal the name of her source if Berg meets her personally in Svalbard and negotiates the release of her financial assets. Sobol wants to record the meeting in order to get more material to damage Berg's chances of re-election. As Norum travels to the airport, her daughter Maja attempts suicide. Sobol arranges for both Maja and her doctors to accompany Norum to Svalbard; there, Maja tells Norum she feels lonely and neglected, and Norum says she regrets moving to Russia. At the meeting with Berg, Norum sabotages Sobol's attempt to record their conversation, and tells Berg she will provide the name of her source only if Berg helps her move Maja back to Norway. She writes a name on Maja's back and tells her only to show it to Berg. Just before they leave Svalbard, Norwegian police take Maja, claiming she has been subject to gross child neglect. Norum returns to Moscow without her. At the police station, she secretly shows Berg the name.
Maja tells Sundby about the deal between Berg and her mother. After reading the name and realising that Vold was Norum's source, Sundby visits his home and finds him dead. She calls Berg and questions him about Vold's death, but he claims to be unaware. She then resigns as state secretary and publicly denounces him. During a debate two days before the election, Bjørnstad grills Berg about Sundby's defection and Rygh's assassination. While speaking, Berg has a medical episode and collapses.
Sobol learns of Vold's death and becomes suspicious of Norum. He tortures Nikolai to convince her to confess, and arranges for her to travel to Norway and testify against Berg regarding Vold's death and Rygh's assassination. Djupvik realises that Sidorova has been collecting information to blackmail Hilde, and that she and Norum have been communicating. He confronts her at the airport after she testifies, demanding a key to access the contents of the stolen hard drive. After returning to Moscow, she sends him the key from Sobol's phone. At a dinner in Moscow, she frames Sobol for leaking the information to Djupvik, telling the Russian deputy prime minister he is a spy. Sobol is killed and Norum takes over ownership of his restaurant, but Maja is still in Norway.
On election day, Berg is hounded about Rygh by the press. On the way to cast his vote, he tells his advisor he feels responsible for Rygh's death. While in the bathroom, he escapes his security detail and runs away. That night, exit polls declare Bjørnstad the winner of the election. Djupvik meets Hilde at the Unified Party function, warning her about Sidorova. He gives her tickets to Washington D.C. and distracts Sidorova, who is at the event, to give Hilde time to escape, and is taken into Russian custody. Russian authorities tell Sidorova she must locate Hilde before the ampoule will be removed from Lyubov. Sidorova tracks and contacts Hilde, who asks to see Djupvik. Sidorova initiates a Skype call between them, which Russian authorities use to track Hilde's location. Djupvik tells her to end the call, then kills himself with a bodyguard's gun. Hilde flees into hiding. Later, Lyubov gives birth, causing the ampoule to burst. The baby is healthy, but Lyubov is sent to intensive care.
A week later, Berg has been missing since election day, and Bjørnstad is sworn in as Prime Minister. Elvestad tracks Berg to his childhood home, and together they return to Njord. The group's hackers trigger a city-wide power outage in Moscow. They flee into hiding while Berg stays behind, broadcasting a message claiming the blackouts will continue daily until Russia pays compensation for its
carbon emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and larg ...
. He calls for a global
eco-terrorist
Eco-terrorism is an act of violence which is committed in support of environmental causes, against people or property.
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines eco-terrorism as "...the use or threatened use of violence o ...
campaign against polluting governments.
Cast and characters
Main cast
:
= Main cast
In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, screenp ...
(credited)
:
= Recurring cast (3+)
:
= Guest cast (1-2)
Current cast
Protagonists
*
Henrik Mestad
Henrik Mestad (born 22 June 1964) is a Norwegian stage, film, and television actor. He received the Hedda Award in 2011.
Mestad was born in Oslo as a son of the politician Viking Mestad. He is educated at the Norwegian Theatre Academy and was h ...
as Jesper Berg, the environmentalist
Prime Minister of Norway
The prime minister of Norway ( no, statsminister, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government department ...
, later leader of Free Norway
* Eldar Skar as Hans Martin Djupvik, a member of the
Norwegian Police Security Service
The Norwegian Police Security Service (, ) is the police security agency of Norway. The agency was previously known as ''POT'' (' or Police Surveillance Agency), the name change was decided by the Parliament of Norway on 2 June 2001.
History an ...
(PST) and Berg's bodyguard, later a Russian agent, and then chief of the PST
*
Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė
Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė (russian: Ингеборга Дапкунайте; born 20 January 1963) is а Lithuanian theatre and cinema actress, who appears mostly in Russian films. She is a winner of the Nika Award in 1994 for Best Actress.
Early ...
as Irina Sidorova, the
Russian ambassador to Norway
*
Ane Dahl Torp
Ane Dahl Torp (born 1 August 1975 in Bærum, Norway) is a Norwegian actress.
Career
Torp had her first film appearance in ''The Woman of My Life'' (2003). She has received Amanda Awards for her performances as Trude Eriksen in ''Svarte penger ...
as Bente Norum, a restaurant owner, married to Thomas Eriksen
* Janne Heltberg as Anita Rygh, political advisor to Prime Minister Berg, later Prime Minister of Norway
Supporting characters
* Selome Emnetu as Hilde Djupvik, a Norwegian judge, wife of Hans Martin Djupvik
* Veslemøy Mørkrid as Ingrid Bø, a PST officer
* Stig Amdam as Lieutenant-Colonel Harald Vold, former Commander of
Hans Majestet Kongens Garde
, image=Coat of arms of His Majesty The King's Guard of Norway.svg
, image_size=150px
, caption=Insignia of Hans Majestet Kongens Garde
, country=
, allegiance= Monarchy of Norway
, type=Foot Guards
, branch=
, dates=1856–present
, specialization ...
, co-founder of Fritt Norge and Leader of the Liberation Party
*
Lisa Loven Kongsli
Lisa Loven Kongsli (born 23 September 1979) is a Norwegian actress.
She debuted as an actress in 2008, and has since had key parts in Norwegian films. She has also had roles in films, including '' Fatso'' (2008), ''Knerten'' (2009), and ''The Or ...
as Astrid Berg, Jesper Berg's wife and Project Manager of a United Nations Poverty Program in Paris
* Alexej Manvelov as Nikolai, Russian security guard and Bente's lover
* Morten Svartveit as Anders Knudsen, the
Minister of Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
in Jesper Berg's Government, later interim prime minister
* Kristin Skogheim as Ingvild Friis, the
Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...
* Vytautas Kaniušonis as Konstantin Minikov, a powerful Russian oligarch with ties to
the Kremlin
The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (Ru ...
* Ragnhild Gudbrandsen as Wenche Arnesen, the chief of the PST, later member of Free Norway
* Vegar Hoel as Thomas Eriksen, an investigative journalist
* Sondre Larsen as Stefan Christensen, a member of the
King's Guard
The King's Guard and King's Life Guard (called the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is female) are the contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in the U ...
, later founder of Free Norway
Minor characters
*
Hippolyte Girardot
Hippolyte Girardot (born Frédéric Girardot; 10 October 1955) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. He is the father of actress Ana Girardot.
Selected filmography
* 1973: '' La Femme de Jean'', directed by Yannick Bellon, Rémi
...
as Pierre Anselme, French
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each member within the Commission holds a specific portfolio. The commission is led by the President of the European Commission. In simple terms they are the equivalent ...
, later a lobbyist
*
Krzysztof Pieczyński
Krzysztof Pieczyński (born 27 March 1957) is a Polish actor. He appeared in more than fifty films since 1979.
Filmography
References
External links
*
1957 births
Living people
Polish male film actors
Polish male television actor ...
as Vladimir Gosev, Sidorova's intelligence officer
* Øystein Røger as Dag Ottesen, Editor-in-chief of ''
Ny Tid
''Ny Tid'' (English: ''Modern Times Review'') is Norway's largest international quarterly review of non-fiction books – up to 50 in each issue. It is currently owned by Ny Tid & Orientering AS.
''Ny Tid'' is headed by the newspaper founder Tr ...
''
* Morten Traavik as General Jacob Istad, Norway's
Chief of Defence
The chief of defence (or head of defence) is the highest ranked commissioned officer of a nation's armed forces. The acronym CHOD is in common use within NATO and the European Union as a generic term for the highest national military position withi ...
and a member of the Free Norway
*
Ville Virtanen as Antti Korhonen,
President of the Republic of Finland
The president of the Republic of Finland ( fi, Suomen tasavallan presidentti; sv, Republiken Finlands president) is the head of state of Finland. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the Finnish Government and the p ...
*
Filip Peeters
Filip Peeters or Philip Peeters (born 2 December 1962) is a Flemish actor. He is well known for his work in the television series ''Salamander'' as Paul Gerardi and ''Zone Stad'' as Didier Francks. He is one of a few Flemish actors who have been ...
as Rudolf Teichmann,
President of the European Union
The official title President of the European Union (or President of Europe) does not exist, but there are a number of presidents of European Union institutions, including:
* the President of the European Council (since 1 December 2019, Charle ...
Episodes
Season 1 (2015)
Season 2 (2017)
Season 3 (2019)
Production
Jo Nesbø
Jo Nesbø (; born Jon Nesbø; 29 March 1960) is a Norwegian writer, musician, economist, and former football player and reporter. More than 3 million copies of his novels had been sold in Norway as of March 2014; his work has been translated ...
wrote the first episodes in 2008, and the series, planned to be produced for
Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...
(NRK), received a million production grant from the
Norwegian Film Institute
The Norwegian Film Institute ( no, Norsk filminstitutt) was founded in 1955 to support and develop the Norwegian film industry. On 1 April 2008, it was merged with Norwegian Film Fund, Norwegian Film Development, and Norwegian Film Commission to ...
in April 2013. After four years of planning, disagreements over the progress led NRK to withdraw from the project; TV2 took over in October 2013.
Erik Skjoldbjærg told NPR's Ari Shapiro that "any kind of good fiction feeds off the reality of some situation. In fact we were looking at a number of different conflicts. One was the
invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Ba'athist Iraq, Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one mont ...
in 2003."
Release
Broadcast
The series premiered in Norway on TV2 on 5 October 2015, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 13 January 2016 on
Sky Arts
Sky Arts (originally launched as Artsworld) is a British free-to-air television channel offering 24 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music (such as opera perfor ...
in HD. The series was added to the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
streaming service, in multiple countries, as of 20 January 2016.
The series premiered on
Pivot TV in the United States on 5 May 2016 and on the Canadian public television stations
TVOntario
TVO Media Education Group (often abbreviated as TVO and stylized on-air as tvo) is a publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario ...
and
Knowledge Network
Knowledge Network, also branded as British Columbia's Knowledge Network, is a Canadian publicly funded educational cable television network serving the province of British Columbia. It is owned by the Knowledge Network Corporation, a Crown corpo ...
. TVOntario premiered the show on 11 September 2016 and Knowledge Network broadcast the show beginning 26 June 2020. In Poland, the series broadcasts on
Ale Kino+
Ale Kino+ is a Polish television channel owned and operated by Canal+. It is available on the networks of cable television and the digital platform Cyfra+ (now nc+
Canal+ (formerly Cyfra+ (Canal+ Cyfrowy), nc+, Platforma Canal+) is a Polish s ...
.
Home media
Reception
''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
''s cultural reviewer Gerard O'Donovan wrote of ''Occupied'' that the series' innovation more than made up for any lack of plausibility, citing the interesting historical, geopolitical interplay between Norway and Russia as fascinating. O'Donovan went on to praise the first episode, saying, "the tense plotting and a pace sufficiently frenetic to carry all but the most curmudgeonly along."
, the
Russian ambassador to Norway, told
Russian News Agency TASS
The Russian News Agency TASS (russian: Информацио́нное аге́нтство Росси́и ТАСС, translit=Informatsionnoye agentstvo Rossii, or Information agency of Russia), abbreviated TASS (russian: ТАСС, label=none) ...
,
"It is certainly a shame that, in the year of the 70th anniversary of the victory in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the authors have seemingly forgotten the
Soviet Army
uk, Радянська армія
, image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg
, alt =
, caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army
, start_date ...
's heroic contribution to the
liberation of northern Norway
The Liberation of Finnmark was a military operation, lasting from 23 October 1944 until 26 April 1945, in which Soviet and Norwegian forces wrested away control of Finnmark, the northernmost county of Norway, from Germany. It started with a Sovie ...
from
Nazi occupiers, decided, in the worst traditions of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, to scare Norwegian spectators with the nonexistent threat from the east." The Russian embassy had been informed in an early stage of the work on the series.
The circumstances depicted in ''Occupied'' have been compared to Russia's invasion and
annexation of Crimea in 2014 and more recently to the
Russian threats toward Ukraine before the
2022 war.
See also
* ''
A Very British Coup
''A Very British Coup'' is a 1982 novel by British politician Chris Mullin. The novel has twice been adapted for television; as ''A Very British Coup'' in 1988 and as '' Secret State'' in 2012.
Plot
Harry Perkins is the left-wing Leader of the ...
'', a 1982 novel in which a left-wing British government is overthrown by the security services
** ''
A Very British Coup
''A Very British Coup'' is a 1982 novel by British politician Chris Mullin. The novel has twice been adapted for television; as ''A Very British Coup'' in 1988 and as '' Secret State'' in 2012.
Plot
Harry Perkins is the left-wing Leader of the ...
'', a 1988 television miniseries adapted from the novel
*
Main Intelligence Directorate Main Intelligence Directorate may refer to:
* Main Directorate of Intelligence (Ukraine), the military intelligence service of Ukraine
* GRU
The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, rus, Гла́ ...
(GRU), the foreign military intelligence agency of the Russian Federation
*
Northern Fleet
Severnyy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Northern Fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Northern Fleet's great emblem
, start_date = June 1, 1733; Sov ...
, the unit of the Russian Navy responsible for the defence of northwestern Russia
*
Norwegian Armed Forces
The Norwegian Armed Forces ( no, Forsvaret, , The Defence) is the military organization responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Coast Guard, the Royal ...
References
External links
*
{{Jo Nesbø
2010s Norwegian television series
2010s political television series
2015 Norwegian television series debuts
2020 Norwegian television series endings
Fiction about invasions
Jo Nesbø
Political drama television series
Political thriller television series
Politics in fiction
Norway–Russia relations
Norwegian drama television series
Peak oil films
Television series by Banijay
Television series about prime ministers
Television series set in the future
Television shows set in Norway
TV 2 (Norway) original programming