Borgen — Power & Glory, aka Borgen season 4, is finally arriving on Netflix and it promises to be juicier than ever. As fans will know well, the first series of Borgen told how, against the odds, minor centrist politician Birgitte Nyborg became the first female prime minister of Denmark. However, she soon fell from grace, becoming a businesswoman and public speaker, before forming a new political party, the New Democrats.
Now, for Borgen — Power & Glory, Birgitte is embracing her role as foreign minister. “Borgen is here again, and it's definitely about time,” says Sidse Babett Knudsen. "I have been looking forward to this moment so much that I feel like I am about to explode. What a privilege to be able to ride the carousel once again with this character that I love so much.”
Borgen – Power and Glory, deals with some of the biggest political issues of our time; the relevance of Denmark in the modern world, the superpowers’ battle for control of the Arctic – and not least, the climate crisis. The main story focuses on the struggle for power and what power does to people — both professionally and on a personal level.
So here’s everything you need to know about Borgen — Power & Glory...
Borgen — Power & Glory release date
Borgen — Power & Glory arrives on Netflix, with the eight-part series launching worldwide on Thursday June 2 2022. Borgen season 1 to 3 are already available on Netflix.
Is there a trailer for Borgen — Power & Glory?
Yes a trailer for Borgen season 4 has arrived and it has got us really excited to see what is happening in the world of Birgitte Nyborg yet again after such a long break. Take a look at the trailer below...
Borgen — Power & Glory plot
Borgen — Power & Glory once again follows Birgitte Nyborg, played by Sidse Babett Knudsen, as she gets to grips with her new role as foreign minister, as well as her staff and the media covering her.
Birgitte Nyborg is the newly appointed minister for foreign affairs when a drilling company suddenly discovers oil in Greenland. It's an event that marks the beginning of an international struggle for power in the Arctic, and one in which the otherwise so experienced politician, Nyborg must repeatedly accept that despite Denmark’s ‘big brother’ relationship with Greenland, when it comes to the international superpowers, it is Denmark that is the minor player – and a somewhat unruly one!
This fourth series also take a closer look at Katrine Fønsmark (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen) who has moved on from her post as Birgitte’s head of press and is now back in journalism and working as the head of the news department for a large nationwide television station.
"The game has definitely changed, and the new season tries to reflect on that," says Borgen's creator and lead writer Adam Price. "It’s become a faster and dirtier game – the politicians have to change their ways, and that has changed them as well. The characters have moved into a different chapter in their lives – Birgitte is now in her early 50s, and if you have been so long in politics as she has, you have been changed by that as a person."
Borgen — Power & Glory cast: Sidse Babett Knudsen on playing politician Birgitte Nyborg again for season 4
As with the previous series of Borgen, season 4 is dominated by Sidse Babett Knudsen as centrist politician, mother and troubled wife Birgitte Nyborg. Danish actress Sidse went on to star in Westworld, The Accident, Ted Lasso, Inferno and Roadkill.
Knudsen took some persuading to return: "We talked about it once in a while,’ she says. "I met with Adam Price and we both agreed that we had a really nice run, but let’s just stop there – unless a good idea came up.
"There has always been an underlying conflict in Borgen – can you have power without losing yourself? In the new season, you can see how Birgitte fights to retain power – and how she loses herself."
Who else is starring in Borgen — Power & Glory?
Søren Malling, who plays Torben Friis is returning to the show alongside Signe Egholm Olsen and Mikael Birkkjær. Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Özlem Saglanmak, Simon Bennebjerg, Johanne Louise Schmidt and Magnus Millang have also joined the cast of Borgen season 4.
Borgen — Power & Glory episode guide
Here's our Borgen season 4 episode guide (with a few spoilers)...
Episode 1: The Future is Female
Birgitte Nyborg is taking on a new role as Denmark's foreign minister, as Katrine Fonsmark, her former head of press, returns to journalism, landing a job at one of the country's top TV stations.
Episode 2: Pest eller kolera
Birgitte Nyborg receives crucial information about the Russian owners of the company, which drills for oil in Greenland. Asger Holm Kirkegaard, who is now on Greenlandic soil, tries to help his minister at the same time as he tries to keep Hans Eliassen in check. Nyborg is called to the Foreign Policy Board, and to help a close ally, Nyborg decides to use a daring tactic, which, however, turns out to have greater consequences than she could have ever imagined.
Episode 3: Inuit Nunaat Menneskenes Land
According to her statements in the Foreign Policy Board, Birgitte Nyborg is threatened by a vote of no confidence, and when one of the North Atlantic Parliament's mandates goes unanimous, the government's majority begins to crumble. Nyborg now has two options: Either she must resign and stand by her ideals. Or she and thus also the government must change policy and suddenly advocate for the exploitation of oil. Moreover, she discovers that her son Magnus has suddenly become an additional political burden for her.
Episode 4: Ministeren ønsker ikke at udtale sig
In the negotiations with Greenland regarding the distribution of oil revenues, Asger Holm Kirkegaard must play Birgitte Nyborg on the field, but the negotiation meeting with Nyborg is far from going as planned. Fønsmark has found decisive evidence that Nyborg lied to the Foreign Policy Board, and is trying with all her might to hold Nyborg responsible for her breach of the Ministerial Accountability Act. In her eagerness to achieve her journalistic goal, Fønsmark creates conflicts internally on TV1.
Episode 5: A Near-Arctic State
The Chinese delegation is making plans for oil extraction directly with the Greenlanders. Birgitte Nyborg's change of attitude has left her without quite a few political friends, and she is now also called to a meeting with the US Secretary of State, who demands that Nyborg intervene against China's actions in Greenland. Rumors about Katrine Fønsmark's leadership style are starting to swirl in the media, and she makes a drastic decision to stop it.
Episode 6: Magtens Danmark
The government is celebrating its first 100 days in power, but at the same time the unrest in New Democrats is rising. The Sirius Patrol is sent off to investigate a crashed drone, and suddenly they face unknown soldiers ... Asger Holm Kirkegaard and Emmy Rasmussen follow the events closely from the Arctic Command's headquarters, and the fateful hours bring them together once again. But this time they are discovered.
Episode 7: Just make it go away!
Tensions rise in New Democrats' party, as Birgitte Nyborg uses hard-handed tactics in order to balance Danish, Chinese and USA's interests in new oil found in Greenland. Nyborg's old friends are bewildered by this hard-handed switch.
Episode 8: Havets Moder
New Democrat party elections and complications with Chinese oil extraction in Greenland force ethical choices on Birgitte Nyborg. She follows her heart to find best solutions and herself again. Katrine Fønsmark's world is falling apart.
What does Borgen mean in English?
A literal translation of Borgen is 'Castle' or 'The Fortress', a nickname for Christiansborg Palace, which is the house of Denmark's three powers: Parliament, the Prime Minister's Office and the Supreme Court. So Borgen is a description of 'government', which is what the Borgen TV drama is basically about.
