This is a real departure for Walter and co. It’s basically a love story between two young Norwegian students, Sara and Jonas. But lurking beneath the surface, there’s a darker side to Jonas that the seemingly innocent Sara doesn’t immediately realise.
If you want to avoid all spoilers, stop reading this article now.
Sara has just moved to Oslo, having been kicked out of her previous digs for apparently kissing her room-mate’s boyfriend, and is sat on a subway train that has stuck in the tunnel. She’s travelling with all her paltry belongings, when she spots a face she recognises from junior school – Jonas. She moves over to chat with him, and there’s an immediate spark between them as they discuss memories of their younger selves. Jonas, despite falling and breaking his arm as they exit the train, helps her move to her new apartment, and so begins a love affair.
But what Sara doesn’t know yet is that Jonas has some very radical political views and is being groomed by a far-right Norwegian extremist group. We see him contributing to radical nationalist social media forums and posing with pro-Nazi regalia and the swastika flag. It’s a very different Jonas to the sweet boy that Sara’s fallen for.
But Sara isn’t daft – as their relationship builds, she spots some peculiar reactions from her seemingly mild-mannered boyfriend whenever political issues are discussed. And she notices that he’s fallen out with his friends over his beliefs. But can she change him? Does she want to?
Set over seven under-30 minutes episodes, this is a charming little series – despite its sinister underbelly. Both the young lead actors, Jakob Fort and Mina Dale, are impressive in their roles. Jakob Fort manages to be entirely convincing as both a perfectly charming boyfriend and a sinister fundamentalist; whilst Mina Dale is the quintessential engaging and pretty Scandinavian blonde, but is also no mug.
Don’t expect anything in the way of action or thrills – this is more of a character-driven series about the joys and pitfalls of young love and the radicalism of youth. It did wash over me at times, if I’m honest, and I found my attention wandering (never a good thing when subtitles are involved), but it’s entertaining and endearing at times. And the sort and sharp 25 minutes long episodes means there’s not too much investment involved.
You have to admire WP for taking on something so different from their normal product (although they’ve been known to push the envelope a few times in the past). Is it a successful departure? Well, maybe. The jury is still out, but overall, I’d say it was more a hit than a miss.
Give it a shot and see what you think.
Walter Presents: ‘Everything You Love' will launch on Channel 4 at midnight on 26th August 2024. The full boxset will be available on C4 Streaming from 23rd August.
