

Disgraced cop, dead daughter's boyfriend, prison escapee — Danish TV's bleakest family reunion.
48 minSeason 1 • Episode 6
LatestPoliceman Karl Jørgensen was once a prominent detective, but due to a violent temper he's now checking out passports at the airport, smuggling stout to work in his thermos every day. However, Kaj, the boyfriend of his daughter, is suddenly killed by a heroin overdose injected by hooded gangsters. It turns out he was spying on their organisation for his brother, Frank, who was framed by them while smuggling narcotics. When Frank hears about Kaj's death, he escapes from prison to get back at the killers. Meanwhile, the same gangsters threaten Karl Jørgensen's daughter, and soon Karl is involved in a major drug smuggling case. Frank and his buddy rob a bank and shoot a police officer. A country-wide manhunt ensues while Karl is having trouble with controlling his daughter's vigilante activities, with finding out who killed Kaj, with the police detectives on the case and with his own alcoholic and lacking existence.
Acting
Jens Okking's volcanic, heartbreaking descent into functional alcoholism.
Direction
Anders Refn (yes, Nicolas's dad) crafts unflinching social realism.
Production
Authentically grimy Copenhagen locations, zero glamour.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is essentially Denmark's answer to The Sweeney — gritty police procedurals were rare in 1980s Scandinavian TV.
Director Anders Refn's son Nicolas would later direct Drive and Only God Forgives; the father's unflinching violence clearly left marks.