Across all four corners of the globe, 24/7 news (real and fake) and social media make politics pretty much inescapable. And in the Scandi thriller Blue Eyes, terrorists make it deadly.
The rise of nationalism, extreme right-wing parties, and xenophobia in countries around the world has spawned protests, increases in hate crimes, and anti-immigration movements.
It also inspired the political thriller Blue Eyes (Blå ögon). When the series was released in Sweden in 2014, viewers thought events in the show were based on real ones in their country — which gives you an idea about the context from which the audience was watching. (Note that a few elements in the show were inspired by things that actually happened in Sweden, but most of them were fictional.)
Like the Swedes three years ago, its possible (likely?) that viewers in the US will watch Blue Eyes through the lens of current events.
Blue Eyes centers on two women on opposite sides of the political spectrum, starting in the weeks leading up to the general election.
One is Elin Hammar (Louise Peterhoff, The Bridge, Real Humans), whose rather public fall from grace forced her to leave her position as the Chief of Staff for (and protégé of) Gunnar Elvestad (Sven Nordin, Valkyrien, Struggle for Life), the Minister of Justice for the conservative Samlingspartiet (National Coalition Party). However, at his urging, she returns to the same position after her replacement, Sarah Farzin (Meliz Karlge, Johan Falk), supposedly on a leave of absence, vanished.
The other is Sofia Nilsson (Karin Franz Körlof, A Serious Game, Wallander), an abused, single mum of a young son. After the brutal murder of her mother, Annika (Anna Bjelkerud, Torpederna, Ängelby), a local politician for the extreme right-wing party Trygghetspartiet (Security Party) in the small town of Uddevalle, Sofia’s resentment toward immigrants and anyone else whose opinions don’t sync with hers deepens to the point of involving herself with Veritas, a Nazi cell hellbent on using terrorist attacks to bring down the government and ensure Swedish values in a Sweden for Swedes.
While Gunnar is sidelined during the campaign and fighting for his political life, Elin tries to figure out how Uddevalle fits into the mystery of “a missing person, a murder, same place and time, eight weeks before the election.” In Uddevalle, Sofia’s displays of bitterness, anger, and racism are causing a rift between her and her younger, more pacifist and liberal-minded brother, Simon (David Lindström, Vikings) — yet another person Sofia blames for her mother’s death.
With just a few weeks to go until the general election, Annika’s murder is the stuff of news headlines and political strategizing. For members of Trygghetspartiet, her death is both a tragedy and a tactic to gain votes. So to help maintain the momentum of their rise in the polls, party representative Olle Nordlöf (Kjell Wilhelmsen, Spring Tide, 30 Degrees in February) is tasked with recruiting Sofia and Simon into the Security Party.
Meanwhile, members of Veritas — including leader Gustav (Erik Johansson, Maria Wern, Annika Bengtzon) and the violent Mattias (Adam Lundgren, Irene Huss, Anno 1790) — begin waging their war of terrorism with murderous acts.
Featuring Niklas Hjulström (Camilla Läckberg), Malgorzata Pieczynska (Johan Falk), Cecilia Frode (Talisman), Jimmy Lindström (Arne Dahl), Filip Berg (The Sandhamn Murders), Linus Wahlgren (Crimes of Passion), and Marie Richardson (Johan Falk), Blue Eyes is created and written by Alex Haridi (Real Humans), Björn Paqualin (Occupied), and Antonia Pyk (Annika Bengtzon). The series is directed by Henrik Georgsson (The Bridge), Fredrik Edfeldt (Rebecka Martinsson), and Emiliano Goessens (30 Degrees in February).
The first two episodes of Blue Eyes are now streaming in the US exclusively on MHz Choice and the MHz Choice Channel on Amazon. Subsequent episodes will be released in pairs each Tuesday through 8 August 2017.
Viewers in the UK can stream the series on All 4/Walter Presents UK, Amazon Video, and the Nordic Noir & Beyond Channel on Amazon, and purchase the download at iTunes.
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