What is it? Welcome to Sweden, Season 1, 10 episodes on two discs from eOne
When? Now
How much? $39.98
Travelogue? No. More like "fish-out-of-water comedy."
Bruce Evans (Greg Poehler) is an accountant, and a successful one at that, with a roster of celebrity clients like Amy Poehler (yes, Greg Poehler is her brother). But he's giving all that up.
His girlfriend, Emma Wiik (Josephine Bornebusch), was offered a can't-pass-it-up job back home in Stockholm and so, rather than try a long-distance relationship, Bruce is taking a massive leap and moving to Sweden. Aside from Emma, he doesn't know a soul, doesn't speak a word of the language and just generally has no clue what he's getting into.
Things don't exactly get off to a great start. He'll have to spend his first couple of weeks living with Emma's parents, who are not impressed with him. At all. Her father, Birger Wiik (Claes Mansson), is nice enough, but constantly disappointed with Bruce's inability to speak Swedish and his lack of a job or any demonstrable skills. As for her mother, Viveka Borjesson (Lena Olin), she thinks Bruce is too short and not manly or attractive enough for Emma.
Gustav (Chrisopher Wagelin), Emma's freeloading, man-child brother, likes him OK, but that's not exactly a mark in his favor. Her Uncle Bengt Wiik (Per Svensson) loves anyone and anything American, thanks to his obsession with American movies.
Considering Bruce's former job, it's not surprising that familiar faces make occasional appearances. Needy, self-centered former clients such as Amy Poehler, Will Farrell and Gene Simmons pop up to either help or hinder his progress.
As Bruce struggles to get acclimated, he grows increasingly frustrated with learning Swedish and finds that the cultural differences are bigger than he'd imagined. Even simple things like saying hello to the neighbors is a touchy subject. And the new friend he makes at his Swedish classes is an Iraqi immigrant (Basim Sabah Albasim) who hates Americans (Bruce pretends to be Canadian).
On top of that, he and Emma regularly run into normal couple problems like jealousy and vastly different aesthetic tastes.
What's it like? It's more mildly amusing than laugh-out-loud funny. Much of the humor comes from poking gentle fun at both cultures and all the characters -- most of whom are heightened without turning them into complete caricatures -- but it's not a laugh riot.
And Bruce has a knack for getting himself into uncomfortable situations, so if you tend to suffer from secondhand embarrassment, keep that in mind.
It should be noted that while the series aired (it was canceled early in Season 2) on NBC in the United States, these episodes are the uncensored, unedited versions. And there are subtitles, if that makes any difference.
Are there extras? Nej.
New this week: 2 Broke Girls, Season 4; Dig, Season 1; Hell on Wheels, Season 4; The Jeffersons, Season 8; The Knick, Season 1; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Season 16; Maude, Season 2; Person of Interest, Season 4; Scandal, Season 4.
Next week: Atlantis, Season 2, Part 2; The Blacklist, Season 2; Grey's Anatomy, Season 11; The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Complete Series; Mike & Molly, Season 5; NCIS, Season 12; NCIS: Los Angeles, Season 6; NCIS: New Orleans, Season 1; Once Upon a Time, Season 4; The Rebel, Complete Series; Rookie Blue, Season 5, Volume 1; The Royals, Season 1; Welcome Back, Kotter, Season 4.
Style on 08/09/2015