Season 1
Episode 3 Recap And Review
Episode 3 of A Storm for Christmas opens with Stine missing his ferry to Copenhagen. He calls his girlfriend who insists on coming home quickly.
Little Kaja runs to the store with her father’s card and buys herself sweets, while the speaker informs her that her parents are looking for her. When the shopkeeper asks if he is alone, Kaca lies and points to an old man standing nearby – Abba. He says he is her grandfather.
A Swedish female taxi driver tells Frank to drive. He gives up because the roads are slippery.
Arthur asks for nicotine gum at the store. Young Lucas, traveling with his mother Maria, sees Arthur tapping his fingers on his bag and tries to imitate the movement. Maria tries to buy a banana and some chocolate, but her card is rejected. He removes the chocolate and buys only bananas.
Marius asks Arthur how the nicotine gum affects him. Arthur says they discuss quitting the habit when Marius reveals he’s quit smoking when the doctor gives him an ultimatum. Alex arrives and scolds Arthur for destroying Thea’s memory of the concert.
Diana is filming a video for her social network in the VIP lounge. When Olav tries to tell him to calm down, he calls him a party man. He says being a pilot must be magical, especially at Christmas time. He says that Christmas is just a way for people to spend more money. When he reads a poem about love in Paris, she calls him naive and says he’s living an unrealistic dream. He gets angry and leaves the hall.
Priest Ronja is looking for Abba. When Marius asks him some time, he again cannot do it. Marius is then informed that the bars and restaurants must be open all night for the stranded passengers.
Arthur gets a call from his agent Mary. He asks her what happened during the concert in Oslo, where people say she “lost it”. Mary tells him to do what it takes to “find” her again.
Stine tries to find a taxi to take him to Larvik where he can catch another boat. A stranger offers to give her a ride there, and she gets into his car.
Olav sees Diana from afar and folds his hands apologetically asking her to come back. When he does, he finds a milkshake on the table—his offer as an apology. His anger melts away. He asks what her plans are for Paris.
Marius talks to David, who is fixing the steering wheel of the young girl’s suitcase. The bartender asks about the wish list on the table, and David notes that it’s for the girl’s father. The girl arrives but is upset that David repaired her suitcase without asking her to. He apologizes and walks away. Marius tells him that David is just being nice. He then asks about her wish list and says she’ll help him think of something.
Henrik takes an interest in Lasso, the dog left behind. He was told to stay with the dog for three hours before the proper authority intervened. She goes to the store at the airport and buys a little sweater to keep the dog warm.
Maria tries to reschedule her son’s eye surgery, but finds it difficult to do so as she has spent all her savings on the initial surgery deposit. Lucas says he’s still hungry. Maria, who has no more money, tries to steal food from the store. Before she can, David spots her and warns her about the camera. He kindly offers to buy them food and water instead.
Frank stopped the taxi to go to the toilet, causing the anger of the Swedish woman.
He demands to know how Ingvild can write words about Ida while Ida himself is going to hell. Enraged by Ida’s accusations, Ingwild says that he wrote the lyrics for Ida. He just didn’t show her because he didn’t think they were good enough.
Maria thanks David for the food. He says that everyone should be kind to each other, especially during Christmas. When Lucas disappears, Maria finds him playing the piano in the middle of the airport and tells him to stop.
Arthur hears Ingwild crying in the toilet in the cabin next to him. He asks her if she is fine. He says that he is tired of being treated like a servant, of not being seen by Ida. Arthur says relationships are difficult and many are self-destructive. He thinks about how the airport brings people together in queues and bars. How different actions can lead to friendship, but friendship itself has to be experienced and that can be the hardest part. He says it’s easy to hurt people. Ida wonders aloud why your self-image never matches what others think of you.
While trying to get the car out of the snow, a Swedish woman sits in the driver’s seat and Frank pushes from behind. But he backtracks by mistake and crashes the car into Frank.
Episode Review
A Storm for Christmas deals with some of the most mundane things – money, career, talent and relationships. Still, it’s these simple, everyday issues that make this series so compelling. By episode 3, I would have expected things to be a bit monotonous, but they weren’t – and that was a pleasant surprise.
Apart from some excellent writing and effective dialogue, I also attribute this to the editing and precise running time of the episodes. It’s great going from one story to the next, and it’s amazing that they all hold enough steam to invest. While I can see how important each character is, I expected the recurring shopkeeper to play a larger role.
A voiceover towards the end of the previous monologues that encapsulates what this episode and this show is all about – to make one think and think. And most importantly, maybe feel it.