Now that Birgitte has the support of the people, her adversaries, hangers on from the last administration, try to bully their ways into power. They offer her committee positions but thanks to her campaign manager, he shows her how phony they are. He convinces her to stick her neck out. There is a great scene where the former PM walks in and takes over the meeting and tells everyone what their jobs will be and what he will be doing while in charge. Nicely set up and predictable--but still very satisfying. I'm sure this is politics as usual in just about every democratic state in the world. I'm sure things are trending more and more in the US.
3 Reviews
Count to Ten out of Ten
darryl-tahirali27 September 2022
Opening with another epigraph from Machiavelli's "The Prince", "Count to 90" finds Moderate Party leader Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen), still buoyed by the Moderates' surprise success in Denmark's elections and practically anointed prime minister by the media, plunged into bare-knuckle power politics with pretenders to the throne as Borgen, in only its second episode, flexes considerable muscle in both skullduggery and character study. Director Søren Kragh-Jacobsen maintains a brisk, sharp pace to drive a multifaceted yet streamlined and cohesive narrative that lays bare the machinations, confidences, and betrayals Birgitte must navigate as she also weathers the emotional buffeting they engender.
After muted, though hardly encouraging, blessing from the Queen, Birgitte begins building a left-leaning coalition government but is quickly derailed by Labour Party leader Michael Laugesen (Peter Mygind), angling for the prime ministry himself, who offers her token ministries in his coalition. Shaken, she considers the right-wing coalition proposed by lame-duck Prime Minister Lars Hesselboe (Søren Spanning), having dodged his personal scandal, but when Laugesen deputy Troels Höxenhaven (Lars Brygmann) offers her dirt on Laugesen, Brigitte must decide whether to go Machiavellian in her quest to become Denmark's first female prime minister, particularly when Labour's new leader Bjørn Marrot (Flemming Sørensen) makes a power grab of his own.
As her à la Machiavelli advisor Bent Sejrø, industry veteran Lars Knutzon takes a star turn as the rumpled but wily sage whose tough love guides and educates Birgitte through her baptism of fire, with understanding husband Phillip Christensen (Mikael Birkkjær) also gaining dimension. With story development help from Jeppe Gjervig Gram and Adam Price, Tobias Lindholm delivers a taut, crackling script not afraid of casual obscenity, tart humor, or emotional rawness as television journalist Katrine Fønsmark (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen) battles personal issues while Birgitte gets schooled in realpolitik in this compelling installment.
After muted, though hardly encouraging, blessing from the Queen, Birgitte begins building a left-leaning coalition government but is quickly derailed by Labour Party leader Michael Laugesen (Peter Mygind), angling for the prime ministry himself, who offers her token ministries in his coalition. Shaken, she considers the right-wing coalition proposed by lame-duck Prime Minister Lars Hesselboe (Søren Spanning), having dodged his personal scandal, but when Laugesen deputy Troels Höxenhaven (Lars Brygmann) offers her dirt on Laugesen, Brigitte must decide whether to go Machiavellian in her quest to become Denmark's first female prime minister, particularly when Labour's new leader Bjørn Marrot (Flemming Sørensen) makes a power grab of his own.
As her à la Machiavelli advisor Bent Sejrø, industry veteran Lars Knutzon takes a star turn as the rumpled but wily sage whose tough love guides and educates Birgitte through her baptism of fire, with understanding husband Phillip Christensen (Mikael Birkkjær) also gaining dimension. With story development help from Jeppe Gjervig Gram and Adam Price, Tobias Lindholm delivers a taut, crackling script not afraid of casual obscenity, tart humor, or emotional rawness as television journalist Katrine Fønsmark (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen) battles personal issues while Birgitte gets schooled in realpolitik in this compelling installment.
Too Much
Warin_West-El11 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
There are just TOO MANY crying scenes with Katrine. This episode I had to fast-forward several times to keep going.
The other female characters are great. But Katrine is dragging down the entire story. The writers are trying to manufacture drama and pressing too hard. There was an ample supply of drama during the negotiations for Prime Minister.
And once again, the writers did a masterful job of inter-cutting family scenes while simultaneously propelling the story along. You'll notice that during the family scenes, often one of the major characters gets a phone call that connects with the main story. It's a clever writing tactic that works.
No more Katrine crying scenes, PLEASE.
The other female characters are great. But Katrine is dragging down the entire story. The writers are trying to manufacture drama and pressing too hard. There was an ample supply of drama during the negotiations for Prime Minister.
And once again, the writers did a masterful job of inter-cutting family scenes while simultaneously propelling the story along. You'll notice that during the family scenes, often one of the major characters gets a phone call that connects with the main story. It's a clever writing tactic that works.
No more Katrine crying scenes, PLEASE.
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