The fictional idea of this story is that Europe's mail oil producing country, Norway, is forced by foreign powers to continue their oil production after getting a new extreme green environmental government announcing the end of fossil fuel production. This critique is based upon all ten episodes in the first season.
Occupied is a ten episode first season based upon a script idea by acclaimed novelist Jo Nesbø. In hand of three re-known screen writers, his has been made into a series which has been given much interest even before it was aired for the first time on October 4th. The Russian embassy in Norway has already condemned the series, or rather the whole idea, before seeing as much as a trailer.
In the near future one of the biggest oil producing countries in the world, Norway, has elected a green environmentally eager government after the severe extreme weather Maria has killed 700 people in the most severe natural catastrophe in the country ever. The new prime minister announces that Norway will stop their production of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas, in order to reduce carbon dioxide put out into the atmosphere, what we know as global warming. This happens at the same time as the world sees an energy crises, with civil wars in the Middle East, and is not liked by either the European Union or Norways biggest neighbor Russia. In addition to this the United States has withdrawn from their NATO membership. After opening a thorium power plant, the newly elected Norwegian prime minister leaves after saying to the world press that the age of fossil fuel is over, and is kidnapped by Russians in a helicopter. At the same time a group occupies oil production facilities in the North Sea, basically to force Norway to continue their oil production. Norway has just seen a Russian silk occupation, with threats of something more severe.
The series is fast paced, and jumps in time, telling in retrospect what has happened since last episode, and this functions surprisingly well. This means you have to think more about what's been happening, and since the series challenges what you really happen in such a situation. However, you sometimes would like to see some of the things happening in between the episodes.
The first impression of the series is both interesting food for thought and exciting as a a dramatic event forced by nature, global warming and energy crises. However, in my opinion, the series struggles to keep the needed realism along the way, especially in the second half of the episodes. Then you'll take it as a pure fictional story, not even based on a plausible idea.
There are weaknesses in instruction of some of the actors, especially the young resistance movement. Some of the dialog would need several more takes to be natural. This annoys quite a bit, and very much so, since this is one of Norways most expensive dram series ever.
The series has already been sold to a lot of markets based on the idea, solely. Well worth a watch, even with the weaknesses. And it's likely that a new season will be made after the success this have had, especially abroad.
