Today Netflix This is a giant of pop culture, but his story did not start in Hollywood. Let’s go back to 2012, when the platform put everything on one card and produced its first original series. It was neither a political drama nor a Hollywood hit. It was “Lilyhammer”, the story of a New York criminal in Norwegian Lillehammer, who quietly entered the pages of streaming history.
The main hero of “Lilyhammer” is Frank Tagliano – a mafia kapo, who after concluding a system with the FBI goes to the witness protection program. Instead of a classic asylum in Florida, he chooses … snowy Lillehammer. It is here, among the Norwegian silence and the harsh climate, that he tries to start again. The problem is that his old habits do not let him forget about himself.
Steven Van Zandt, known for the role of Silvio Dante in the iconic “Soprano family”, found himself perfectly as Frank. His hero mixes New York’s ruthlessness with local customs, introducing orders from Brooklyn to the sleepy streets of the Norwegian town.
The premiere episode of “Lilyhammer” debuted in January 2012 in Norway, and a month later he appeared on Netflix. At that time it was an absolute novelty – for the first time the platform released something she created. It was this production that wiped the trail for giants such as “House of Cards” or “Stranger Things”.
A curiosity is associated with the series – the first broadcast in Norway attracted almost a million viewers, which at the population of a country of just over 5 million, was a sensation. The production has three seasons and 24 episodes, which to this day collect very positive opinions from viewers looking for something extraordinary.
This is not a typical mafia story. “Lilyhammer” balances on the border of a black comedy, moral drama and absurd satire. Gangster cinema fans will find familiar motifs here, but in a very unusual scenery. Added to this is the charm of Norwegian culture, with its contrasts and local peculiarities, which for the hero from New York are nothing from another planet.
The series is often compared to the combination of the “Soprano” and “Fargo” family – not only because of the subject, but also the climate. Unpredictability, irony and well -written characters make it difficult to break away from it.
Although over 10 years have passed since the premiere, “Lilyhammer” has not grown up at all. In the era of steeped CGI series and predictable scenarios, this production is still distinguished by freshness and authenticity. If you are looking for something for the evening, which slips up the classifications and stays in memory for a long time – it will be a hit.
Still available on Netflix, “Lilyhammer” is a hidden treasure that reminds that sometimes the most interesting stories are created where nobody expects them – in snowy Norway, with a former gangster in the lead role.