Atlantic Crossing Review: Hjemlandet (Season 1 Episode 8)

Hjemlandet is Norwegian for homeland. The Crown Princess of Norway finally returns to her homeland on Atlantic Crossing‘s finale Season 1 Episode 8, “Hjemlandet.”

The season has been an intense one filled with a lot of action. The finale feels calmer throughout and peaceful at the end, resulting in a beautiful and gratifying conclusion to the saga that covers the entirety of WWII seen through the eyes of Crown Princess Märtha (Sofia Helin).

However, the finale spends a bit more time with Crown Prince Olav (Tobias Santelmann). But, it is necessary as Olav has some growing up to do (read: character development). 

The Prince

The episode begins with Olav being a hot mess, and a drunken one at that. He’s drowning his sorrows and flirting with some London ladies. 

When Nikolai (Lasse Kolsrud), the prince’s faithful assistant, comes to get him, Olav behaves belligerently and even degrades him, calling him a dog while making him fetch something in the street. Nikolai has put up with a lot from Olav, although we haven’t seen him be so openly awful like this.  

Nikolai has stood stoically by the prince’s side since they first fled Norway and it’s meant quite a bit of heartbreak for the trusted adjutant—split from his family for the majority of the war and missing his only daughter’s wedding because of one of Olav’s jealous whims. Olav deserves the slap from Nikolai that is, frankly, overdue. 

Olav tells him he’s not his father, only to get into the car where his actual father, the King of Norway, sits seething. This one-two punch from both father-figure and father is the wake-up call he needs. From then on, it’s improvement and progress with a few minor missteps for Olav, ending with him being the loving husband and father we knew him to be from the beginning. 

There is a subtle theme of The Wizard of Oz underlying the season. “Over the Rainbow” has played several times, each instance with significance to Olav as a family man. The season is even bookended with the tune. 

On Atlantic Crossing Season 1 Episode 1, “Angrepet,” the song plays over Olav playing with the children at bath time as Märtha films them with her camera. It’s a very sweet, carefree moment. Then Hitler brings the war to Norway, and moments like these cease. Atlantic Crossing reminds us of these good times on the finale episode because “happy days are here again”—the war is over and the royal family is back in their homeland, enjoying life and life finally together.

It’s the same sweet and carefree moment but with six years of hardship and tragedy between them, so the effect of this final scene is emotional and moving. 

“Over the Rainbow” is also played halfway through the season on Season 1 Episode 4, “Ild og vann,” when Märtha and the kids are really missing Olav. Not only has Olav mostly been apart from his family, but he completely disconnects from Märtha when he suspects that there is something going on between her and President Roosevelt (Kyle MacLachlan).

He rights all those wrongs, and it is lovely to see the end of the war bring them back together as well as bringing back the old Olav. 

Santelmann shines in the scenes at Skaugum. Seeing how his home was taken over by Nazis is sobering, and then he goes into a rage, tearing the office apart—finally turning his anger on the rightful subject. It was Hitler and the war that separated him from his family, and for a while there, Olav took it out on Märtha, Franklin, Nikolai, among others.

The place is fixed up by the time Märtha and the kids arrive back home, and Olav has set up the office for Märtha to have as her own. He is now fully supportive of his wife and her taking on an active role as Crown Princess.

The President

Franklin’s ending is not as happy—he dies just months before WWII ends. 

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt (Harriet Samson Harris) gave Märtha the means to find her voice so she could help her country. And Franklin became a close confidant which was so important for her to have during the war, especially when she reached the impasse with Olav.

So naturally, to hear that Franklin has fallen ill is difficult to take. She must see him, even if that means it gets back to Olav.

Just as “Over the Rainbow” becomes Olav’s song, “Happy Days Are Here Again” denotes the friendship between the president and the princess. On Atlantic Crossing Season 1 Episode 3, “Atlanteren,” Franklin sings this song for Märtha the first time he whisks her away for a joy ride. This comes full circle in their last scene together which is one of the season’s most stirring moments.

He doesn’t want her to see him in such bad shape, but she assertively makes her way to his room. Franklin shields his face from her and she respectfully sits with her back to him.

Franklin: Leave, please.
Märtha: Franklin, I was going to ask you if you want to take me for a ride today. You, me, and the Secret Service.

This makes him chuckle, a small respite amidst the dying. Then she sings the song for him, a tearful and sad rendition of the happy tune.

Both Helin and MacLachlan are brilliant in this scene—the way Franklin looks out the window is beautiful and heartbreaking, as is the fear and sorrow you can hear in her voice. It’s a powerful send-off for this unlikely pair.

The Princess

Helin does well to bring this lesser known historical figure to life. As a producer of the series, in addition to the lead, she saw the importance of a WWII story from a woman’s perspective.

In a segment following the finale, Helin spoke of Crown Princess Märtha’s role on Atlantic Crossing.

Helin: It’s about becoming an active figure in your own life, and taking responsibility for your power.

She imparts this in her portrayal as the princess on the screen, but the production itself is an example of it as well. Atlantic Crossing producer Silje Hopland-Eik told Variety about the female-heavy crew behind the scenes.

Hopland-Eik: We had many women in front and behind the camera. We had four or five female producers, a female designer who gave the series its unique look, and a female screenwriter. It was truly unique for me as I have produced lots of Nordic Noir and it tends to be very male dominated. It was a great opportunity to work with so many talented women, from the actors to the crew members.

This adds so much to what we see on the screen—the attention to details that a woman would notice or a nuance that brings more authenticity to a character or a scene.

I am grateful to have been able to learn about Crown Princess Märtha of Norway in this way with the passion of women from past and present behind the story.

Stray Observations:

• Märtha’s style is très chic on this episode.
• “Happy Days Are Here Again” was FDR’s campaign song in 1932 which is something I never would have learned if I hadn’t watched Atlantic Crossing. Don’t let anyone ever tell you TV rots your brain.
• When Olav smashes up the office that the Germans used, there is a Nazi flag hanging, and I wanted so badly for him to rip it in half like Captain Von Trapp.

What did you think of this episode of Atlantic Crossing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Atlantic Crossing airs Sundays at 9/8c on PBS.

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