In Game of Thrones, families form alliances, conceal secrets and betray bloodlines in competition for the ultimate power, the Iron Throne. The same can be said for Safe Harbor, which sees criminal factions go to war in the streets of Holland for control of Europe’s busiest port – and it also so happens to star two Game of Thrones actors.
Safe Harbor (not to be confused with the 2018 Australian drama series Safe Harbour) comes from the mind of Ozark creator Mark Williams. While Safe Harbor could be considered a typical Nordic crime drama, featuring morally complex characters, blended languages and dark European vistas, in the hands of a master like Williams (who also produced A Family Man and Honest Thief), it's elevated to a gripping thriller with doses of high-stakes action and grounded in believable relationships.
In one corner of Safe Harbor’s tangled familial web is Marco de Bont (Winter in Wartime and Maxima star Martijn Lakemeier), an ambitious hacker who dreams of launching his own spyware software but lacks the financial backing to do so.
Martijn Lakemeier as Marco de Bont in 'Safe Harbor'. Credit: Submarine / Night Train Media / Zero Gravity
In a similar boat is Tobias Chapman (Rogue Heroes’ Alfie Allen), another talented coder who wants to make an honest living and build a stable life for himself, his girlfriend and his newly adopted puppy, but is nowhere close to achieving it thanks to a string of unpaid jobs.
Alfie Allen as Tobias. Credit: ITV
Marco and Tobias are friends who are considered as close as brothers. Both dream of a better life. They find themselves in a bind when Marco is knocked back yet again by an investor, and Tobias’ girlfriend, Rika (Gaite Jansen), decides she wants to uproot them and move to Amsterdam.
In a desperate bid, Marco takes a job testing security at the local shipping port, Rotterdam, aka the busiest port in Europe, and a key location for the local criminal gangs. Marco soon learns that his employer is none other than the Irish mob, which is run by two nefarious siblings.
At the forefront of the operation is Sloane Walsh (Charlie Murphy, whose impressive CV includes Peaky Blinders, Happy Valley , Love/Hate and Halo), the conniving heir to the family throne. Sloane has her sights set on motherhood. She wants to be the matriarch of the mob and to convince her father that innovation is the right path forward, but she’s also interviewing potential sperm donors on the side, ensuring her bloodline.
Damien Molony and Charlie Murphy in 'Safe Harbor'. Credit: Dinand van der Wal
On the flip side of the coin is Sloane’s brother, Farrell Walsh (Jack Gleeson), an unmanageable force who uses violence as his first resort. Where Sloane is cold and rational, Farrell is a livewire, making for a dangerous combination. Their activities are overseen by the family head, Kieran (Star Trek and Gangs of London star Colm Meaney), who won’t hesitate to pit the siblings against each other if it serves the best interests of the mob.
With several of the gang’s recent drug imports into Rotterdam busted by police, the mob needs a new tactic, and Sloane sees the potential answer in Marco. After his first attempt to hack the port goes awry, the mob threatens Marco’s life until he talks his way into a deal with them. On the grounds of a shaky business deal, Marco knows he needs help; in particular, he needs Tobias’ help. Marco’s quick thinking and smooth talking, and Tobias’ intelligence, make for a great pairing, but it still takes a chunk of change for Marco to get his wary best friend over the line.
With the two friends now in deep with the Irish mob, they need to successfully hack Rotterdam or risk becoming target practice for Farrell. At the same time, the police are sniffing around Marco’s heels, and Tobias is trying to keep his new illicit affairs out of sight from Rika, increasing the pressure on the friends from all sides.
Jack Gleeson as Farrell Walsh and Marijn Lakemeier as Marco de Bont. Credit: Submarine / Night Train Media / Zero Gravity
Safe Harbor is a reunion for cast members Allen and Gleeson, who previously found themselves on opposite sides of familial lines in Game of Thrones. Gleeson returns to his Joffrey Baratheon roots for his portrayal of Farrell, imbuing the character with gleeful and violent unpredictability. Meanwhile, Allen’s Tobias shares the softly spoken charm of Theon Greyjoy, but avoids the character’s cockiness.
The pairings of Tobias and Marco vs Sloane and Farrell are a gripping dynamic as the series puts the duos through a gauntlet of alliances and betrayals, testing whether the bonds between blood and friendship are stronger than money.
Safe Harbor echoes the complex rivalries that had audiences invested in shows like Game of Thrones, Sons of Anarchy or Peaky Blinders. The series also has a technological edge, leaning into hacking culture and the secrets contained within the fortified walls of Rotterdam. It’s a show that thrives on shifting loyalties and power plays, as everyone tries to get ahead in the modern-day battlefield that is Europe’s shadowy underworld.
Rotterdam may not be the Iron Throne, but the game in Safe Harbor is just as deadly.
Safe Harbor is streaming at SBS On Demand.
Stream free On Demand
Safe Harbor
