For some reason, we thought there were no new episodes of Young and Promising coming down the pipe, despite the final scene of season three clearly leaving questions unanswered and appetites whetted for more comedic melodrama set in enviable Norwegian surrounds.
And so, when we realised there was a WHOLE NEW SEASON of Siri Seljeseth’s magnum opus in the offing, we immediately ordered in a tray of smalahove and a crate of aquavit to consume while waiting to find out what happens to our heroines and their hangers-on.
Hang on – what’s all this?
Well, smalahove is a traditional dish made of sheep’s head, and....
No, not the smalahove
Oh, right. So much better than the “Norwegian Girls” take that was used by every media outlet back when it hit non-Nordic screens (obviously we never stooped so low), Young and Promising follows three twentysomething friends as they strive to succeed in their chosen creative fields.
By the fourth season, they’ve each moved along their individual paths and are finding fresher hells in the complications that come with achieving your dreams. Or… well, approaching those dreams, only to find that they’re not what you thought they’d be. Which is also known as “being in your 20s”.
Nenne, Alex and Elise ponder their glorious futures (just kidding, the future is bleak...). Source: SBS
Woah, woah, woah – spoilers!
Okay, sure, but like we said – we’re up to season four here. And since there are only six episodes per season, it won’t take you long to jump from Elise’s parents telling her that her dad’s going to be a father again… with another woman, to–
Mate.
Ugh. Right, so there’s Elise – she’s played by Siri Seljeseth, who also writes and directs the show. Elise is an aspiring stand-up comedian who’s come back home from LA. Her two best friends are Nenne (Gine Cornelia Pedersen) and Alex (Alexandra Gjerpen), who are angling to become a successful writer and actress, respectively.
This core trio is surrounded by an array of family and friends who serve to complicate their lives and annoy them in equal measure, making for some cringe-comedy scenes that’ll have you hugging a cushion in order to cope. And because this is a Norwegian show, the plot lines often start with familiar premises but spin off in unexpected ways.
Well, they might be totally expected if you’re Norwegian yourself. We can’t vouch for that.
Any nudity?
Yep, some. All very tasteful and non-gratuitous, befitting the circumstances of its appearance.
You can cut the sexual tension with a knife, can't you? Not like smalahove. Source: SBS
Okay, green light.
If you haven’t jumped aboard the Y&P longship yet, you’re in luck. All four seasons are available at SBS On Demand, which means you can binge your way through them like we’re bingeing our way through this aquavit (seriously, anything to get the salty sheep’s head taste out of our mouths).
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Young and Promising lives up to its title
