Borgen: State Visit

“That was before you got all pragmatic.”

This episode gives me the distinct impression that a standard format for Borgen is beginning to emerge: Birgitte spends the episode dealing with an ethical dilemma before finally untying the Gordian knot after much agonising. Her relationship with Philip and her children continues to deteriorate. Meanwhile, we see both Katrine and Kaspar doing their jobs (very well) and living their personal lives (not so well), with a general will-they-won’t they thing lurking in the background. That isn’t what happens every episode, but it seems to be the basic template. Or not. The rest of the series will probably prove me wrong.

The opening quote is from Mao, which hints that we will shortly be meeting a rather nasty dictator- President Grobin of the fictional ex-Soviet republic of Turgistan. Grobin is to announce a €1 billion contract for, er, wind turbines, a massive triumph for the government. Trouble is, there also happens to be a rather  prominent, and eloquent, dissident (and poet to boot) in Copenhagen at the same time- Vladimir Bayanov, and Grobin wants him deported before he’ll agree to the deal. It’s a simple yet gripping premise and the resolution, although obvious in hindsight, is satisfying enough, especially as it’s left ambiguous whether Birgitte has really won at all. It reminds me of Vladimir Putin being rather pissed off at us Brits for being home to so many prominent dissidents, apparently unable to get his little KGB brain around such concepts as due process, fair trials and an independent judiciary.

This side of the episode isn’t really the point, though, hence its relative simplicity. The main theme is Birgitte’s deteriorating relationship with Philip, who is feeling increasingly stressed, overworked, neglected and (being essentially a mother and housewife) neglected. For all that this is horribly unfair on Birgitte because of prevailing cultural assumptions about gender roles, that isn’t Philip’s fault. These are two nice, decent people whose marriage seems to be slowly and painfully falling apart. The last scene between them may be rather sweet, but there’s still something stilted about it. The body language between them makes it obvious that they’re becoming less intimate, and that’s bloody good acting.

Oh, and Birgitte’s dad appears, too. He’s mainly there to annoy and further emasculate Philip by usurping his role, but his confession to Birgitte, that he’s been lying about the divorce and it’s made him very unhappy, is ominous. Birgitte may be Prime Minister, but does this mean she has to sacrifice her happiness? Her relationship with her children is obvious, too, especially with her son. There’s an awkwardly large amount of screen time where she’s in shot with her children but ignoring them. Things do not bode well.

One thing that amazed me was how much of this episode takes place in English- all conversations with Grobin, Katrine’s televised interview with Bayanov (which appears not to be subtitled) and even the press conference. Birgitte even speaks English in cut-glass RP and could easily pass for a native speaker, and everyone appears to be fluent. Do all Danes really have such a gift for languages?

Kaspar continues to be very good at his job and spectacularly bad in his relationships with women. Not only does he make yet another horribly misjudged attempt to kiss someone, seemingly a habit of his, but it’s Katrine. And he’s just finished having a drunken brawl with her new boyfriend. It’s no surprise that she makes it clear she doesn’t want to be alone with him again. Still, one has to wonder where this thread could be leading if not to Kaspar’s redemption and eventually to the two of them getting back together. Or is that far too obvious?