Occupied - Die Besatzung

A bold series with an impactful premise, that was refreshingly enjoyable. At times, melodramatic and tainted with soap opera-ish situations and conversations, but most of the time consistent and true to its base nature and screenplay.

Truthfully speaking, I expected more from it. More character, more shininess and a brighter ending. It was mild, juggled with many sub-plots, got confused on the way, wasn't brought to a satisfying closure and begged for a tying and finishing season 4!

• Screenplay/story: 9
• Development: 9
• Realism: 9
• Entertainment: 9
• Acting: 9
• Filming/cinematography: 9
• Special effects: 9
• Music/score: 8.5
• Depth: 8.5
• Logic: 7
• Flow: 8
• Suspense/thrill: 8.5
• Ending/closure: 7

It was a fun and appealing ride, but could have been more impactful and shocking, had it stuck to a rawer screenplay and development with less dramatization. In one word, needed to be more brutal.

P.S. The Statoil building looks fine, interesting and futuristic to me. A semi-crazy architectural achievement. I guess, it's a question of taste!

We seldom binge on any series but we couldn't help ourselves with Occupied. Now in Season 2 on Netflix, we watched every episode available and have nothing to be ashamed/guilty about. The writing is top notch and based on a completely plausible premise. Norwegians have always felt they were more environmentally responsible than their neighbours, thanks to ample renewable sources of electricity. The primary premise is that, having decided to help their European neighbours get off oil by developing a new, safe source of nuclear power, the Europeans don't want help. Another premise is that the US has become insular and withdrawn from NATO. Don't tell me that's far-fetched in the age of Donald Trump. Finally, Russia has a well-planned scheme to take over Norway. I will bet that there is a filing cabinet somewhere in Moscow filled with exactly such scenarios as this. The premises are all more plausible than the Game of Thrones, which is what makes Occupied so fascinating to watch.

Another source of plausibility is a cast that resembles real people rather than talking Barbies and Kens. Foreign film always has a more everyday quality to the cast which is why they can portray everyday situations so much better. Throw in some adultery and miscellaneous sex with knotty ethical dilemmas and you'll watch all 18 episodes without a break.

It has been criticized by other reviewers, that the plot is not plausible. In a situation, where the energy supply is decreasing it might well be plausible to force Norway to keep supply up. The reason for Russia to do that must not necessarily be an economical one. The force used to direct Greece is an example for what happens in a situation where a small country is not following the dominating powers' interest. The Prime Minister in "Occupied" faces a situation where he cannot keep his promises for the sake of avoiding disaster. This is again a situation similar to what happened in Greece (avoiding the "Grexit"). The point is that the plot is plausible in the sense that is not contradictory and is based on assumptions that are not arbitrary. The series also shows the dilemmas faced by different persons in different contexts. There is a journalist who wants to report the truth but is told by his wife and the prime minister to be responsible. This is a dilemma everyone of us might face (depending on the circumstances).

This is a very very slick, if very complex, political thriller. I binged it over three days and still struggled with the nuances of the plot. Multiple languages, subtitles, many many important characters, all complex and clearly damaged, makes it a very absorbing and challenging watch. No clear heroes and multiple protagonists makes it even more challenging.

That said, very entertaining and thought provoking. Moral dilemmas abound at all levels and ethical compromises rush past at pace.

This is political Scandinavian-Russian noir at its best. Highly recommend!

This is a great well done show, very dark but with bright daylight action that doesn't fatigue you. The scenario is great and acting convincing. It's dystopian but still so real and feels so... Like it's all ready happening.

Go for it, it's a good one. I will update my score as I proceed with the series. So far so good so great!