(review based on first 2 episodes)And that premise is already a stretch. But enough has been said about this in other reviews so I'll focus on one of the major failings of the series not really addressed so far. Lack of scope, grandeur, epicness: the things you expect when you hear the words occupation and invasion are entirely absent, at least as far as the first 2 episodes are concerned. The series is told from the perspectives of just a handful of characters. The prime minister, his bodyguard and some random journalist, each complemented by a small crew of support characters - family and colleagues. This narrow storytelling approach makes the turn of events very contrived straight off the bat. The bodyguard not only witnesses the kidnapping of the prime minister in episode 1 but is also the one who saves him mere moments later while seemingly being the only one on duty and able to react to the kidnapping. Not a single other vehicle, law enforcement or otherwise, was seen during the entire chase. Guess what happens in episode 2, he saves the Russian ambassador from assassination and is subsequently chosen as interrogator for the would be assassin. What a lucky guy! Another lucky guy is the journalist who's very skilled at being in the right place at the right time. He also gets all the exclusive interviews and news-scoops. The way the series presents both of these characters makes it appear so as if they were literally the only people in their profession in all of Norway. Because there's too few characters there's no layers to the series, no intricate web of different perspective through a multitude of characters for us, the audience, to experience the invasion in all it's facets.So none of what the series has presented so far invokes the feeling of an invasion, an occupation. Combined with the absence of any kind of strong visual imagery - tanks rolling in, lines of marching soldiers, airstrikes and skirmishes - this series gives a very underwhelming first impression.Beyond that, it's decently filmed and edited. And the actors seem to be doing a proper job but this might be an illusion due to me not understanding Norse and missing out on all the nuance.Overall a moderately decent but unambitious political thriller/drama series.

The plot revolves around a supposed takeover of Norway's remote oil fields by the Russians as the behest of the EU. It is the beginning of a good story. In the abstract, the plot is good and shows how Russia uses its soft power in support of its military occupation. Unfortunately, the plot is stung together by meetings, official A meets with official B who walks out of that meeting into another meeting with official C. It is so tedious. The combination of bad acting and bad dialog makes every moment spent watching this show painful. The male lead, the secret agent, is one of about ten people who work for Norway's security agency and he is the only one who leaves the office. He is in every gunfight, he leads all the raids, he makes all the arrests, he does all the interrogations and single-handed, he does all the hostage rescues. So tedious. Many of us enjoy shows like 'The Night Manager', 'CSI', and 'Berlin Station' because they show realistic tradecraft but not this show. In most respects, this show is as bad as anything that has ever been produced.

I started watching this movie on Netflix just to practice my Norwegian (which I don't suggest since many of the characters speak in different dialects, mostly Nynorsk), but after the first episode, I was hooked. You can easily see the hand of Jo Nesbø in crafting the plot line. And it is wonderful (and unusual unfortunately) to see a political thriller that doesn't sink under the weight of its own ideology. One of the compelling things about the series is how all of the characters change over the course of the season. A warning though: much like Nesbø's books, this series is addicting. On more than one occasion, it resulted in my staying up until 3am or later (and paying for it the next day at work) simply because I HAD to see the next episode, so be sure to clear large blocks of time once you start watching.

Critics seem to be getting hung up on the realism of the set up for this series. Is it realistic that Russia would undertake a 'soft' invasion of a small European country after critical energy production was stopped in response to climate change, and would NATO sit back and allow it to happen on their doorstep? Probably not, but that's not what this brilliant political thriller is really about. If a more powerful country invaded YOUR country, would you resist, would you keep your head down and try to 'get along' with the invaders if they kept promising to leave but didn't, what compromises would you make to try to avoid a full blown military invasion and loss of life. At what point would you decide that 'enough's enough'? When you see someone openly shot in the street by the occupiers? When free press is shut down? Vichy France, Russia's recent forays into the Ukraine and Hong Kong being handed back to China, all spring to mind. Viewers need to get over the likelihood or otherwise of the basic premise of this series, and just enjoy a really well written, well acted mini series that keeps you in a state of nervous suspense. One that makes you think about history, current world events and future possibilities. How far would you allow yourself to be pushed around before you decided to push back?