Anyone else watching Borgen? Anyone else, as I am, now rather down about the way things are going? Before I continue, I should point out I haven’t quite finished this week’s second episode. Shh, shh, don’t tell me what happens. I’m hoping that the lovely Prime Minister’s husband will suddenly shape up, stop shagging Sacha, and become a nice, supportive man again. And that the wondrous Brigitte will stop behaving like Mrs Thatcher’s even bossier sister, and give up ordering him around. Otherwise, it’s not looking good.
Sigh. Like virtually everyone else who’s watched it, I have had a massive crush on the PM. She started off so brilliantly – honourable, politically committed, with a loving family and an attractive husband. Gradually, though, everything has fallen apart – the children start acting up, the husband takes an unnecessarily close interest in the headhunter who found him a politically dodgy job abroad and, worst of all, Brigitte herself develops a strange side parting and goes into rabid dictator mode.
It’s very upsetting living in a world where women rarely ever get as far as men, particularly if you have daughters to bring up. But a world where women can’t even achieve a balance between work and home ON TELLY seems doubly unfair. In a way, Borgen now seems to have morphed from an interesting Danish version of the West Wing, without the political cliffhangers maybe, but with a lot of interesting designer lampshades, into yet another cautionary tale telling women what they can and can’t do. Red Riding Hood, don’t stray from the path, or you’ll be gobbled up by the wolf. Cinderella, endure domestic slavery, because one day a man may pop along and save you. Brigitte the Prime Minister, don’t compete at the highest level in politics, your husband will run off and your children will start wetting themselves. Blimey. And this is entertainment.
On the bright side, they’re now making series three of Borgen in Denmark. Maybe Brigitte will have found a faithful mate and the secret to power without going all Thatcher on us. I certainly hope so.