First things first – you really have to have watched season 1 of this Danish thriller to appreciate what’s going on in season 2. We basically go from the final episode of the original season straight into the opening episode of the second instalment, so please don’t jump straight into season 2.
If you want to avoid spoilers, stop reading this article now.
Okay, having got that out of the way – is it worthy of your time? Yes, this is quintessential Nordic Noir – brooding, menacing and complex.
One of the pleasing aspects of Oxen is that it refers to real places and organizations. Danehof – the fabricated political group who are looking to influence decision-making in Denmark – really did exist in the Medieval times in Denmark. And they did meet in Nyborg Castle, which features extensively in this production, too. I like that link between fiction and reality.
So, what of the storyline? Our hero, wrongly disgraced ex-soldier, Niels Oxen, is still living in the wilderness, roaming from place to place in anonymity. For example, in the opening episode of Season 2, he protects an elderly fish-farmer from robbers – and as a thank-you, the farmer offers him shelter and work on his property. But rather than declare his identity, Oxen pretends to be a Romanian who doesn’t speak Danish.
Oxen has sent photocopies of damning evidence against Danehof to Nyborg Museum’s new director Malte Bulbjerg, whose grandfather was involved in a meeting of Danehof in the 1990s. Bulbjerg remembers witnessing something that happened there as a child, but when he approaches his grandfather’s friend in an old people’s home to find out more, the old man is murdered that night. And Bulbjerg suffers a similar fate later.
Playing the scheming Kajsa Corfitzen is Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, probably best known to UK viewers for playing Katrine Fønsmark in ‘Borgen' (as well as appearances in ‘Midsomer Murders' and ‘Game Of Thrones'). She’s trying to ensure that Oxen is silenced, as he knows secrets that could bring down Danehof. She exudes a chilling menace – like the most bitter of Scandinavian winters – throughout the show. It’s a brilliant performance from one of Denmark’s finest actors.
Aiding Oxen are Margrethe (Josephine Park) – a top agent who is also in hiding from the clutches of Danehof. And Frigg Mossmann (Ellen Hillingsø) from the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) – the person who recruited Oxen to the service.
You really need to have your wits about you with this series. It’s multi-layered and complicated. It’s certainly not for the casual viewer. But it’s worth the effort, because this is a beautifully shot, superbly acted and well-written piece of Nordic drama. But I will reiterate my warning – watch Season 1 first, otherwise you’ll be lost in its complexities.
Walter Presents: ‘Oxen' Season 2 is available as a full boxset on C4 Streaming now.
