Welcome To Sweden - General Discussion

[David T. Cole]

Watched the pilot. It's definitely light comedy. Light on laughs.

 

"Charmingly forgettable!" says David T. Cole of Previously.TV

[sadiegirl]

I was looking forward to this show until I just saw an ad for it with Gene Simmons.  Don't need to see him, don't want to see him, so maybe this show is not fo rme.  Too bad, since I love Amy P.

[Athena]

It is indeed light on laughs, but I'm really just here for Lena Olin.

[trow125]

Gene Simmons is a guest star on one episode (the 3rd or 4th, I believe), so don't let his presence be the one thing that dissuades you from watching.

I can't be objective about this show, since I was born in Sweden and raised in the U.S., and have spent a great deal of time in Sweden over the years. I have seen the first five episodes and some of the material is hilariously accurate about Swedish life. Of course, whether that resonates with American viewers remains to be seen. The show is a HUGE hit in Sweden and has already been picked up for a 2nd season. Anyway, I'll be curious to hear what people with no connection to Sweden think after watching the first episode...

[Primetimer]

Greg Poehler turned his romantic move into a sitcom. A "Modern Love" column would've sufficed.

Read the story

[jhlipton]

Amy Poehler and Will Ferril. Not enough money in the universe to get me to watch.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Sure it's based on Greg Poehler's real-life experience, but how is this not a rip-off of Lilyhammer starring Steve Van Zandt ?  Which takes place in Norway and you also got the whole fish-out-of-water experience and conflict of cultures.  Lilyhammer has already completed two seasons, and the 3rd is coming later this year.

[opus]

I was coming off Hollywood Game Night, so I watched the Amy Poehler opening, then bailed. Sorry. (I figure I wouldn't watch a sitcom starring Tommy Fey either).

Edited July 11, 2014 by GaryE

[Actionmage]

I enjoyed the episode. I liked that it was slower-paced, especially coming off of Hollywood Game Night and before Working the Engles.  It's gentler comedy was nice for midsummer and it showed some of the lovely Swedish countryside. It also doesn't hurt that Lena Olin is there and funny as the disappointed therapist mom.

 

I thought Lilyhammer was about a mafia dude in WitSec, which ended up placing him in Norway, which is different from Sweden. Or Mr. Van Sant's character asked to be placed there, I don't fully remember. This is about an accountant that gave up his American lifestyle for love. I can see some differences. It's like saying Grimm is a rip-off of  Grey's Anatomy because they're in the Pacific Northwest. Unless I misunderstood what you meant. Just having a fish-out-of-water premise doesn't make it a rip-off.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I thought Lilyhammer was about a mafia dude in WitSec, which ended up placing him in Norway, which is different from Sweden. Or Mr. Van Sant's character asked to be placed there, I don't fully remember. This is about an accountant that gave up his American lifestyle for love. I can see some differences. It's like saying Grimm is a rip-off of  Grey's Anatomy because they're in the Pacific Northwest. Unless I misunderstood what you meant. Just having a fish-out-of-water premise doesn't make it a rip-off.

 

Right on both accounts Actionmage -- Van Sant's character is in witness protection AND asked to be located there (because he remembered it from the 1994 Winter Olympics on TV and thought it looked nice), but I was thinking it was very similar because it's a Nordic country and the clash of cultures/language barrier which produce very awkward situations with his attempts to blend in to the culture, though Lilyhammer is much darker.

[lawless]

My husband is a Swede, and I just came from a "screening" party thrown by his Swedish friend and business partner. The Swedes loved it, the Americans at the party thought it was cute. I think a lot may be lost on American audiences who aren't familiar with Swedish customs, home furnishings, summer cottages on the lakes, food, and so on. I will say, the show perfectly portrayed the Swedish cottage on the water, and indeed, in the summer, it is very bright because it's so far north the sun barely sets -- maybe that accounts for some of the brightness. Totally different picture in winter of course, which Lillyhammer depicts, so it's literally and metaphorically a darker comedy. Anyway, I didn't find it hilarious, but did think it was cute. I think the Swedish audience enjoys it a lot because they catch the more subtle details and do not have to read the subtitles, as most adult Swedes speak English fluently as well as their native tongue. I could take it or leave it, but will probably watch at least one more episode.

Edited July 12, 2014 by lawless

[Quickbeam]

Absolutely loved the first episode. Watched primarily for Lena Olin but enjoyed the entire show. My familiarity with Sweden helps I think. My favorite line was when Olin put the dishes in the bottom cabinet so that "Bruce can use them too". The location was spot on. My husband loathed the show and plans on being outside "away from the TV" for all future episodes. 

[outtosee]

Predictable and forgettable. I was engaged to a Swede and the jokes got old for me about .02 seconds in. Won't be tuning in again.

[tominboston]

Not great, but OK as a summer fill-in. I can generally appreciate a subtle approach to comedy as opposed to pie-in-your-face jokes, although the show could have moved a little faster. I just wonder how far they can go with the Swedish culture thing... it seems like a lovely place with intelligent, attractive people, and there are only so many jokes you can make about being naked and drunk in a sauna.

[missmarple]

Well Just me then... I liked it and look forward to watching the rest of the episodes. I even liked the jokes-I don't mind  the fish out of water storyline and love the bonus of getting to see the Swedish countryside.  For me personally- this show is a whole new deal that would never have even been thought of when I was young. The show (even wedged in during summer) is all because of programming on the internet. While I don't think it'll be picked up for a 2nd season on regular tv I am hoping for another season online that could be binged watched.

[Kenz]

I think that the show is a refreshing change from the usual in your face, rapid fire dialog sitcoms that come and go. (The show that followed it with Andrea Martin is a good example of those kind of shows. ugh- it was awful!) I love Lilyhammer and watch a lot of foreign tv shows so the subtitle factor actually makes the show more interesting to me. All of the characters, except maybe the over the top dumb brother, were funny, and the scenery was beautiful. I'll keep watching!

[Lesia]

I enjoyed it! After binge watching CATFISH the last three days, this was a nice change of pace. Beautiful scenery and subtle humor. I had Sweden for a country report in fifth grade and was always interested in it.

[Athena]

I also tuned in because I like Lilyhammer a lot and know enough about Scandinavian countries to appreciate some of the jokes. This episode was not super funny, but I'm willing to give it a couple more episodes. I like foreign shows and movies too so the subtitles don't bother me at all. I liked the look of it too. It only serves to remind me how much I would like to go there.

 

I think my favourite moment was the awkward silence between Bruce and the father. The casting for the parents is a big plus. What I love a lot about Lilyhammer is the supporting cast and I can see how that would be the case here too.

 

The show has already been renewed for a second season in Sweden.

[ottoDbusdriver]

The supporting cast is pretty good, much like the supporting cast in Lilyhammer (which I also enjoyed) -- but Greg Poehler can not act. 

[Dagny]

My favorite line was when Olin put the dishes in the bottom cabinet so that "Bruce can use them too". The location was spot on.

 

One thing I noticed about that scene was how close both Olin and the girlfriend's heads were to the ceiling, further emphasizing the height issue. So happy to see Lena.

 

I have no connection to Sweden, but I'm getting into reading English language stories of local news from Sweden and Germany. I so hope they have an episode around Walpurgis or other feast nights.

 

For those who speak Swedish, I wonder if you could tell if any of those actors were originally from different regions and you tell in their accents.

[londonpenguin]

I doubt it'll get picked up for a regular season, but I thought it was amusing. My favorite scene was when Bruce and Birger were sitting on the sofa and neither of them could think of anything to say. Brilliantly awkward! The uncle is nicely wackadoo as well.

[trow125]

My biggest problem with some of the later episodes is that Bruce is too much of an asshole. I think this first episode strikes all the right notes -- it's sweet and pleasantly entertaining.

 

Any other Swedes wonder about the time of year when this episode is supposed to take place? On the one hand, I think it's supposed to be midsummer because of the references to the midnight sun, but no self-respecting Swede would EVER eat crayfish at midsummer. Crayfish parties are for August, and that's that. 

[peeayebee]

I never saw any ads for this or heard about it in any way, but when I saw it on my cable guide I decided to record it and check it out.

 

Did not care for it.

 

The main stumbling block for me is Greg Kinnear -- I mean, Poehler. There's the trivial stuff about his looks being distracting -- At once he looks like Kinnear and like Amy Poehler -- but he is simply not funny to me and has zero charisma. Just a big ol' dud.

 

I liked the Swedish father. And… that's about it.

 

Although there was a lot to read in the subtitles, I could have handled it if the show were any better. I've watched and enjoyed countless subtitled foreign films. Maybe if there was a different lead I would like the show more. You know who would have been really good? Greg Kinnear.

 

My biggest problem with some of the later episodes is that Bruce is too much of an asshole. I think this first episode strikes all the right notes -- it's sweet and pleasantly entertaining.

Actually, I had a problem with Bruce too, not just the actor. For instance, I know he was trying to kid around with the customs guy, but his joking around made him seem stupid. I wouldn't have been surprised if he kidded with a TSA agent about having a bomb in his bag. If he gets to be more of an asshole in later eps, then I know for sure that this show isn't for me.

Edited July 11, 2014 by peeayebee

[possibilities]

For a pilot episode, it was bland and formulaic, but no worse than many others. I will give it more time before I give up.

 

I felt resentful that the family was not being reasonable-- the guy has been on a transatlantic flight forever and needs sleep. And he's uprooted his life to be with their daughter. So they should be welcoming and understanding that he's a bit disoriented, not judgmentally out to get him. I just don't enjoy the "people act obnoxious" premise when they could just as easily have a fish out of water story without the gratuitous malice.

 

And it goes the other way, too-- I agree about the customs scene, and also if she knew he was prone to seasickness and they could have driven the car instead of taking the boat, girlfriend should have intervened. It makes her look like an asshole that she doesn't get between her family and her partner and just leaves him to flail. She even knew going in that they'd be hard on him. So why isn't she trying to run interference more effectively? Building a show around people who are supposedly competent acting inexplicably oblivious, just doesn't work for me.

 

But, again, a lot of shows improve after a crappy pilot, so I'll give them another chance.

[sjohnson]

Can there be a comedy without people being assholes? I thought comedy was about conflict and most conflicts are petty and pointless, which is why we should like to laugh about them?

 

Very interesting, very droll so I'm watching again. It usually takes some belly laughs (which I haven't had so far,) to get a long term commitment from me, but this was nowhere near as painful as Working the Engels, much as I admire Andrea Martin.

[Kromm]

Nice of Amy to get him work!

[Kromm]

It is indeed light on laughs, but I'm really just here for Lena Olin.

I was hoping she'd make up for a lot.  Unfortunately she only makes up for half of a lot.

[ottoDbusdriver]

According to IMDB, this has been his only acting job.  Ever.   It shows.

 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6212234/

[Kromm]

If you click under "self" on IMDB, there are a few more... I guess we can call them "appearances" since they aren't quite acting jobs.  Including one in Sweden, so there's a link there, I guess.  

 

Honestly, I respect Amy for doing her best by her family.  But this was just awkward.  Even down to shoehorning herself into it as a guest star, under her own name.  I mean getting Lena Olin (and apparently later Gene Simmons and Patrick Duffy) to participate?  You get expectations, but it the end it was like Lil' Brother's awkward class project or something.  

Ah.  Here's the link to Sweden (I'm betting he actually speaks Swedish too) -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Poehler

 

 

In 2006, Poehler graduated from Stockholm University with a Masters in European Intellectual Property Law.

 

Greg Poehler is the younger brother of Amy Poehler.[8] He is married to Charlotta, a Swede and lawyer whom he met in West Village and with whom he has three children.[6]

So it's kind of his life story (meeting the Swede in New York), although if you look at the dates it looks like everything is backwards--he'd already graduated law school in Stockholm, THEN moved to the West Village, THEN met his Swedish wife in New York (presumably who hooked up with him because he had this link to Sweden already).  Then at some future point I guess ditched being a Lawyer to be a... TV producer and bad actor... in a show that's got some elements of his life mixed in.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Kromm

[Athena]

I read that Amy encouraged him to to try comedy which he did in Sweden. So I guess that's how he ended up with the show as well. The show is allegedly a hit in Sweden. I guess Amy helped with initial funding and some of the guest stars.

[annzeepark914]

I missed the first episode so I watched it online last night.  Agree with a lot of comments posted previously.  Thank God, Amy Poehler was in only the first scene.  If she shows up again, it'll be a refrigerator break for me;  can't stand that snark/smirk/sneer schtick of hers.  I loved the fact that there was no laugh track which I find intrusive & so fake.  Didn't like the airport scene at all; you don't joke around with security, period.  I'm Swedish-American, 2nd generation and grew up in a town where we were the only Swedish-Americans so I find this show fascinating.  Loved the stuga painted in the traditional dark red with white trim...soooo Svenska!  I'd forgotten about midsommar and began to get confused about what day it was until Bruce asked if it was night time, looking around at all the brightness.  I experienced that confusion while visiting relatives in Anchorage ("What? You say it's 1:30 in the morning?")  The dimwitted oaf of a brother just doesn't fit with the rest of the family; I found his presence annoying & a bit too "Deliverance" to be credible.  Loved the uncle & his fixation with American movies & famous lines from movies.

[trow125]

"although if you look at the dates it looks like everything is backwards--he'd already graduated law school in Stockholm, THEN moved to the West Village, THEN met his Swedish wife in New York"

I think the Wikipedia entry is a bit unclear. It says Poehler "earned a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College in 1996 before attending the Fordham University School of Law, where he earned a J.D." My impression is that THEN he started practicing in New York ("He was admitted to the New York and Massachusetts Bars" -- since law school is usually 3 years, that would probably have been around 2000), met his Swedish wife, moved to Sweden, and, while living in Sweden, got his Masters in European Intellectual Property Law in 2006. In other words, he already had a J.D. degree from Fordham. He probably figured that getting a masters' degree would make him more employable in his new home.

The interviews I've read with Poehler made it pretty clear that he knew nothing about Sweden at the time he met Charlotta in New York.

[kaygeeret]

I liked it if only because it is a bit different from the run of the mill American sitcoms.

 

I don't mind Greg Poehlr and the rest of the cast is stellar.

 

The laughs are not gut busters, but gentler and of course everyone is written and played broader than real life.

 

I even think I get the parental reaction - this is not the guy they wanted for their girl...end of story...at least until they get to know him.

 

I watched the second episode tonight and really enjoyed it.  The show went out on a limb with the character from Iraq and I liked that they did.  I went to Spain in 2003 and I quickly decided to declare myself Canadian if asked...made things much easier and more pleasant.  I had no problem doing that because I didn't know why we invaded Iraq in the first place

 

 MOD: Sorry for off topic and political discussion.  I mentioned the second episode because I didn't see a link.  Please delete or move as you see fit.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Saw the 2nd episode, and his acting doesn't get any better from the first episode.  Greg Poehler's only acting face is blankly staring forward.  There's a difference between playing "confused by the language" and just sitting there like an emotionless lump with his mouth open -- to paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield, "the last time I saw something looking like that, it had a hook in it".

[Quickbeam]

Everyone around Greg is doing the heavy lifting on this show. I like it in spite of him, probably because I enjoy Lena Olin so much. Plus the tall guy who plays the father. 

[MMLEsq]

Did I miss something?  After Will Ferrell gave Bruce his taxes and a box of documents to look at -- which he needed the next day -- did we ever see Bruce working on it? 

 

Between the taxes and the whole I'm-from-Canada-not-from-the-U.S., it almost felt like the first half of an hour-long episode.  I'm hoping that at some point in a future episode, they'll connect the dots so that there's some sort of "resolution" for those two story points.

 

I find Will Ferrell sometimes hilarious and sometimes super annoying.  I don't think he was hilarious in this episode, but he wasn't annoying. 

 

I'm still not sure if I'm going to stick with this show for the long haul, but I'll probably continue to watch at least for the next one or two episodes.

Edited July 18, 2014 by MMLEsq

[ottoDbusdriver]

This show is so disappointing -- and not just Greg Poehler's acting that I already commented on in the Greg Thread -- because it's just not funny, not even a mild chuckle.

 

As @MMLEsq indicated, the whole Will Ferrell thing just ended abruptly with no follow up.  So what was the point then -- to simply introduce sexy porn voice of the language instructor ?

 

Playing up the I'm-from-Canada thing is probably a good decision for someone you will only see once in passing, but Greg is going to be in language school for quite a while based on his ineptness and I don't see him being clever enough to pull that off over the long haul (so eventually they will hate him for being American AND a liar).

 

His biggest complaint is that he can't get any quality sexytime with his fiance -- and it took them days to come up with the solution of a hotel.  They had a car, they could have just gone and parked somewhere in the woods-- problem solved.  Or taken the boat off to some remote area of the lake.  Are they just boring or lazy or unimaginative ?

 

Is it just me or does Lena Olin look like an older version of Elizabeth Olsen ?

[Kromm]

Everyone around Greg is doing the heavy lifting on this show. I like it in spite of him, probably because I enjoy Lena Olin so much. Plus the tall guy who plays the father. 

I haven't watched the 2nd Ep yet, but if I dare it would only be because of Lena Olin.  Sometimes a genius can only half make up for an idiot.

[Kromm]

Only reason I may even bother to continue watching this.  

 

When she's on screen it's great.  When she's not?  So far (at least) it's... not.

[VartanFan]

I'm surprised NBC allowed the sex focus, including the almost-oral in the kitchen.  

[trow125]

Swedish is my first language (I was born in Sweden but raised primarily in the U.S.), and I found it hilarious that NBC allowed so many uncensored Swedish curse words. "Knulla," which is the equivalent of "to fuck," made it in twice. OK, I know they just figure 99% of the audience won't know what they're saying, but still. (Swedish TV is pretty lax about cursing & nudity, even in prime time.)

Playing up the I'm-from-Canada thing is probably a good decision for someone you will only see once in passing, but Greg is going to be in language school for quite a while based on his ineptness

 

 

The "Canadian" angle becomes a running gag, so it does continue to be a factor in future episodes.

[Quickbeam]

Will Ferrell is married to a Swede and does summer there so I liked that this was a bit authentic. He talks about being tall guy in the relatively tiny summer homes. Alexander Skarsgard often says that in doing the Swedish dialogue for True Blood he could be saying anything, they'd never catch it. 

 

I find the infantilized brother super annoying in this show; I was wondering if that is a stock character in Swedish sit/com equivalents. 

[Athena]

I like Will Ferrell here. I like him when he's subdued and it was authentic in that his wife is Swedish and an actress. Was that really her? He does summer there as well.

 

I'm not really laughing with the show, but I find the father character endearing "That's a horse that makes me happy when I'm sad," Lena Olin is alright, but the brother is way stupid.

 

As a Canadian, I'm neutral on the gag. A lot of Canadians are annoyed when abroad and people ask them if they are American. Ha.

[dcalley]

So in the year they've been together, they never sent a picture to her parents? Or told them what he did for a living? The parents acted like they knew nothing about him.

 

Sweden looks beautiful.

[4leafclover]

After watching the pilot, we thought this show was funny and quirky.  However, after seeing the America-bashing, we turned it off in mid-show and won't watch it again.  Whether you agree or not with the implied political statement, it was offensive to many of us.  Too bad because it seemed to have potential.  

[trow125]

I like Will Ferrell here. I like him when he's subdued and it was authentic in that his wife is Swedish and an actress. Was that really her? He does summer there as well.

 

It was not really Will's wife, whose name is Viveca -- it was Swedish actress Sara Askelöf.

[candall]

I'm obsessed with any small flashes of cultural insight I can glean from House Hunters International, so this show suits me fine. Just seeing their summer place, with "the small building for smoking fish" over here and the toilet building over there, are enough to keep me coming back.

I hope they can find enough humorous points of cultural diversity so they won't need to rely on "your parents caught us having sex." It would be sort of refreshing for a comedy to be a "smiler" instead of a "rib-splitter."

(Case in point: as I'm writing this, poor Andrea Martin is popping up out of her own coffin on The Engels. Yikes.)

[Grammaeryn]

After watching the pilot, we thought this show was funny and quirky.  However, after seeing the America-bashing, we turned it off in mid-show and won't watch it again.  Whether you agree or not with the implied political statement, it was offensive to many of us.  Too bad because it seemed to have potential.  

 

By "many of us" you mean the group of people you watched this with? If you have traveled abroad, you learn that America is not universally loved across the globe. I did not see it as bashing more like having a character who is a refugee with strong opinions and claiming Canadian citizienship is a way to avoid a difficult conversation with a stranger. I'm sticking with the show because I like the fish out of water aspect and a more global outlook. Plus, Swedish sounds a lot like German so it's like a linguistic smorgasbord for me!

[missmarple]

By "many of us" you mean the group of people you watched this with? If you have traveled abroad, you learn that America is not universally loved across the globe. I did not see it as bashing more like having a character who is a refugee with strong opinions and claiming Canadian citizienship is a way to avoid a difficult conversation with a stranger. I'm sticking with the show because I like the fish out of water aspect and a more global outlook. Plus, Swedish sounds a lot like German so it's like a linguistic smorgasbord for me!

Not universally loved? that's an understatement. More like hated.  I am thoroughly enjoying this little comedy- I'm fine with the Swedish and I think the jokes are funny.  I loved the Will Ferrell scenes and the show- in it's in own way- highlights America's cultural - I don't  know-myopia?   I especially liked the joke about  what the Swedish country house is for- not for kicking back and  relaxing.  I plan on watching every ep  and enjoying  the Swedish countryside and the humor.

[dcalley]

I'm not really laughing with the show, but I find the father character endearing "That's a horse that makes me happy when I'm sad,"

This was my favorite line, though I didn't really like this episode.