All politics is local no matter where on Earth that may be, and in "Borgen" it's Denmark as this smart, well-executed political drama pulls back the curtain on both party politics and the media that covers them with candid but not quite jaundiced eyes. Series creator and head writer (with Jeppe Gjervig Gram and Tobias Lindholm) Adam Price adopts the British approach of slick, clipped, unsentimental narrative (think: "House of Cards" or "State of Play") for "Decency in the Middle," which introduces Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen), party leader of the center-left Moderates, who must balance idealism with realpolitik as Danes prepare to vote.
When Labour Party leader Michael Laugesen (Peter Mygind), courting conservative voters, suddenly adopts a position that opposes foreign asylum seekers days before the election, Birgitte rejects their proposed opposition bloc against the ruling Liberals under Prime Minister Lars Hesselboe (Søren Spanning), to the chagrin of her spin doctor Kasper Juul (Pilou Asbæk). However, when Kasper helps his distraught ex-girlfriend, television journalist Katrine Fønsmark (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen), whose married lover, Laugesen's chief of staff, died after having sex at her place, he uncovers juicy dirt on Laugesen: While shopping in London, his unstable wife Lisbeth (Ida Dwinger) made an unseemly public scene when her credit cards were declined, forcing Laugesen to use his official-use-only card---and this compromising situation could sway the election for whichever party leader chooses to play hardball with it.
And hardball is the game for both politicians and media types as TV1's news editor Torben Friis (Søren Malling) edges out veteran journalist Hanne Holm (Benedikte Hansen) in favor of Katrine for the crucial final candidate debate, with Hanne blaming the younger Katrine for her ouster. With Knudsen already spotlighted and vetted---her home life seems stable and supportive---the surprise ending isn't so surprising, but with high production values and assured, creative but not showy direction by Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, "Borgen" is well-positioned for a thoughtful, intelligent, surely challenging term of office.
When Labour Party leader Michael Laugesen (Peter Mygind), courting conservative voters, suddenly adopts a position that opposes foreign asylum seekers days before the election, Birgitte rejects their proposed opposition bloc against the ruling Liberals under Prime Minister Lars Hesselboe (Søren Spanning), to the chagrin of her spin doctor Kasper Juul (Pilou Asbæk). However, when Kasper helps his distraught ex-girlfriend, television journalist Katrine Fønsmark (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen), whose married lover, Laugesen's chief of staff, died after having sex at her place, he uncovers juicy dirt on Laugesen: While shopping in London, his unstable wife Lisbeth (Ida Dwinger) made an unseemly public scene when her credit cards were declined, forcing Laugesen to use his official-use-only card---and this compromising situation could sway the election for whichever party leader chooses to play hardball with it.
And hardball is the game for both politicians and media types as TV1's news editor Torben Friis (Søren Malling) edges out veteran journalist Hanne Holm (Benedikte Hansen) in favor of Katrine for the crucial final candidate debate, with Hanne blaming the younger Katrine for her ouster. With Knudsen already spotlighted and vetted---her home life seems stable and supportive---the surprise ending isn't so surprising, but with high production values and assured, creative but not showy direction by Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, "Borgen" is well-positioned for a thoughtful, intelligent, surely challenging term of office.