WORDS Eva Short
Season two of Norwegian-American series Lilyhammer has been scheduled for limited release to subscribers in a handful of countries, Ireland included. A surprising decision as it couldn’t be said to be very popular over here. So is this an opportunity worth availing of? Based on the first season, the answer would have to be yes.
After being snubbed for promotion, Mafia underboss Frank Taglione (Steve Van Zandt) decides to turn over evidence to the FBI implicating his superiors. When asked where he’d like to be relocated, Taglione makes a peculiar choice: Lillehammer, a provincial Norway town. Taken in by the idyllic setting and the bevy of blonde and blue eyed Scandinavian “broads”, Frank decides it is the perfect place to live out his days under witness protection.
He arrives under the new name Giovanni “Johnny” Henriksen, and quickly sizes up his new surroundings, populated with wholesome residents seemingly as pure as the driven snow that blankets the town. Far from wanting to keep his head down, Johnny applies his old wise guy street smarts in eking out a life. The ease at which he quickly reassumes his old role shows the ubiquitous nature of society’s seedy underbelly — despite the perennial addition of Christmas jumpers to every one of their ensembles, the people of Lillehammer participate in blackmail, fraud, bribery and extortion as if it were second nature.
Lilyhammer resolves the initially jarring blend of Scandinavian noir and Goodfellas homage elegantly into an entertaining and unique pastiche. The show contains the familiar elements of gangster films without losing itself in the imitation — Lilyhammer enters a genre of its own without ever feeling alien. The gritty action is pinned against light hearted slapstick and frequent reminders of the shows bucolic setting.
Van Zandt unsurprisingly occupies his role as if it were a second skin, having previously portrayed a mafioso for six seasons on HBO’s The Sopranos. It is hard not to be taken in by Johnny; the quiet rage of his pouting snarl and the Little Italy drawl in which he spits out “What the fuck?” at every obstacle invariably portends Johnny emerging victorious thanks to his mobster savoir-faire. The townspeople as well as the audience feel this effect — while everyone bends to Johnny’s will, not all do it under duress; some flash Johnny a knowing smile, happy to accommodate the charming American. While Johnny is the soul of the show, impressive performances by Van Zandt’s Norwegian co-stars complement him well.
Any series associated with Netflix tends to be of high standard — well shot, acted and written, Lilyhammer is no different. What sets this show apart is how well the mix of different cultures and genres is executed, and how daring a decision it was in the first place.
Available to stream on Netflix from December 13.
