Twin may just become your new favourite foreign drama
Not to be confused with Twins, the 1980s comedy featuring the unlikely pairing of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito, Twin (BBC Four, Saturday) is a Norwegian drama which proved such a draw when it premiered last year that it has been sold to more than 40 countries. It has the makings of a breakout hit.
Identical twins Erik and Adam were once the best of friends, founding a surf community on an unspoilt beach. But something went down between them 15 years ago and they ended up estranged. Their lives were now very different. Erik remained a beach bum, living in a dilapidated camper van and forever borrowing money from his girlfriend. Adam was married with two children and ran a successful tourist business. You could tell them apart because Erik looked like he needed a bath, while Adam had a neat sideparting and nice jumpers. Both are played by Kristofer Hivju, a charismatic bear of a man who played Tormund in Game of Thrones and has exactly the kind of beard that this role requires.
Then Erik was driven off the road by his angry landlord and the camper van ended up in the sea. Bedraggled and now homeless, he turned up on Adam’s doorstep asking for a place to stay, only for Adam to turn him away. “Anything Erik touches, breaks,” Adam explained to a friend. “He’s going on 40, but behaves like a 15-year-old.”
But they ended up having a fight on a boat late at night, and when Adam’s wife, Ingrid (Rebekka Nystabakk) tried to intervene, Adam ended up being whacked in the head and accidentally ended up dead. But when his body was found in the sea, the police automatically assumed it was Erik (remember that crashed camper van?). And from there, it’s a short jump to Erik impersonating his dead brother and trying to fool the town – not to mention Adam’s two children – into believing him. What could possibly go wrong?
It is a premise that could be played out as a black comedy, with Erik as a bemused Big Lebowski-figure. Instead, writer and director Kristoffer Metcalfe goes for something more serious but which stops short of deathly Nordic noir, with naturalistic performances and characters who feel grounded in reality despite how far the plot takes you. It’s impossible to know if this will end in tragedy or something uplifting, which is what makes it so interesting. Until then, enjoy the stunning scenery of Norway’s Lofoten archipelago. One for the post-lockdown travel list.
For the first time in (BBC One, Sunday), there was a bit of comedy. Kaya, 24 weeks pregnant as a surrogate for Dan and Emily, confided in Emily that she was dating Dan’s young nephew. And by “dating”, she means, well, you know. “I’m shocked an’ all. I don’t know why he wants to shag a pregnant lassie,” Kaya said brightly, adding that it wouldn’t be harmful to the baby because “it’s condoms all the way… and it doesnae go all the way up.” Cue Emily feeling horrified, remembering she was a nice, liberal sort, and contorting her face into an encouraging smile.
But that was the only bit of light relief, as this absorbing thriller reached its midpoint and the secrets continued to spill out. As we learned last week, Kaya is “Scotland’s Mary Bell”, having killed someone when she was just 11. She was now living under a new identity – one that Dan has learned and which his sister, Hilary, failed to keep under wraps. Much of the episode was taken up by Dan (an intense Martin Compston) wanting to tell Emily (Sophie Rundle), but being thwarted by circumstance in that soap opera sort of way.
Dan’s shady associate, Souter (David Hayman), who seems unusually keen to erase Dan’s problems, recommended getting rid of Kaya by whatever means necessary. But Dan couldn’t stomach it, and we’re still in the dark about exactly how shady a businessman he is. By the episode’s close the baby had been born – prematurely, and via a C-section shown in gruesome detail. Whether that baby will ever wind up in Dan and Emily’s arms is one of the big questions, not least because Kaya was in a relationship with her junkie neighbour at the time of conception.
Mirren Mack continues to impress as Kaya. There was one scene in which she hid in a toilet cubicle, devastated that her background had been discovered. Then in a split second she switched mode – collected herself, found her nerve, emerged hard-faced, and reapplied her lip gloss. It was a brilliant moment, capturing the contradictory elements of this troubled girl’s personality. Hers is a story that you want to follow until the very end. Twins ★★★★ The Nest ★★★★