Borgen: Season 3
‘Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.’ And so reads the epigraph of the final episode of Borgen. Indeed, Lincoln’s words are a fitting illustration of the political intrigue, moral complexity and the importance of one’s principles that have made Borgen a must-watch international sensation. Borgen (‘The Castle’, referring to Denmark’s Christiansborg Palace) follows charismatic politician Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen) as she rises through the political ranks, using skilful tact and poise, to become the prime minister of Denmark. The third and final season begins two years from where Season 2 concluded: Birgitte is on the post-prime minister speech circuit, having moved into the corporate world. Yet her disillusionment with the changes in her once-centrist Moderate Party quickly force her back into the political sphere, this time with the aid of her brilliant new media adviser, Katrine Fønsmark (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen).
The series delivers an outstanding sense of political naturalism; there is a certain optimism to this landscape, tempting us with the notion that this is what government could look like when reason and compromise are necessary. It’s a depiction that is clearly in contrast to the highly stylised TV dramas of say, House of Cards, which conversely portrays cunning and obsessively power-hungry leaders. Borgen, perhaps most astoundingly, allows us to believe in the idea of a good politician – albeit only for an hour at a time. Certainly the success of the series is dependent upon the strength of its female characters, and Borgen is distinct insofar as both of its leads, Birgitte and Katrine, are single mothers, negotiating the difficulties of raising a family while navigating highly successful careers.
A substantial amount of material is covered in this third season, and while it is a fitting end to the series, the conclusion is perhaps not as precise for the supporting characters – this might be a signal, however, that we haven’t heard the last from Danish politics and its players.