Below the Surface () is a Danish action hostage thriller drama television series, written and directed by Kasper Barfoed, that was based upon an idea of Adam Price and Søren Sveistrup. The first eight-part series focuses on an act of terrorism committed on the Copenhagen Metro, where fifteen people are taken hostage. Former soldier Philip Nørgaard (), who is head of the PET Terror Task Force (TTF), tries to save the hostages with help from members of his elite team. TTF members are portrayed by Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Alexandre Willaume, , , and Kenneth M. Christensen.

The basis for the series was adapted from a series of conversations between Barfoed and Danish photographer Daniel Rye, who lived as a hostage within the terrorist organisation of Islamic State in Syria for more than a year. In Germany, the series is known as Countdown Kopenhagen.

On 2 April 2017, the series premiered in Denmark on Kanal 5, and was released on DVD in Germany on 19 October 2017. In the United Kingdom, BBC4 broadcast the first four episodes during March 2018. The BBC pulled the series from their schedule for 24 March only following the terrorist attack in Carcassonne and continued on 31 March. The second season premiered on 26 March 2019 in Denmark. Lassen and his cast mates, except Ditlevsen, reprise their roles as TTF members, which deal with the Elsinore–Helsingborg ferry hijacking by four Islamic terrorists. Hijackers are after foreign fighter June al-Baqee (Yasmin Mahmoud) with Philip as a fellow passenger-hostage.

Plot summary In Series 1, 15 people are held hostage in a subway train. A police terror taskforce led by former-Jaeger Corps soldier Philip Norgaard (Johannes Lassen) and Louise Falk (Sara Hjort Ditlevsen) is dispatched to rescue them. Meanwhile, reporter Naja Toft (Paprika Steen) acts as a go-between with the hostages and police. As the media frenzy takes hold, the country becomes divided on whether to negotiate with the terrorists or not.

In Series 2, anti-ISIS fighter June al-Baqee (Yasmin Mahmoud) is kidnapped after alerting Philip that Danish soldiers were killed in Syria. Despite being on leave from work, Philip follows June onto a Sweden-bound ferry, where her kidnappers take passengers and crew hostage. Philip contacts the taskforce and updates them on the situation. The criminals order the ferry to stop, when they learn police await them in Sweden. June escapes and hides on board, while Philip tries to find her before the kidnappers do.

Cast and characters

as Philip Nørgaard: Henning's son, former Jaeger Corps soldier, held hostage by Islamic forces, becomes head of Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET's) Terror Task Force (TTF); Louise's former love interest, becomes Beate's domestic partner Alexandre Willaume as "SP" (Steen Per) Byager: TTF member, leads major investigations as Hans Hejndorf: Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) Director General as Esben Garnov: TTF negotiator, later leader as Simon Clausen: TTF member, generally works with SP Kenneth M. Christensen as Daniel Cramer: TTF member, lead strike force squads as Ebbe Moller: Ministry of Justice, minister's assistant, TTF liaison as Henning Nørgaard: Philip's father, former Chief of Defense

Series one

Sara Hjort Ditlevsen as Louise Falck: TTF member, Philip's former love interest, negotiator Paprika Steen as Naja Toft: TV news reporter Alba August as Marie Bendix: Aksel's daughter, trainee nurse, hostage Jakob Oftebro as Alpha/Mark Hald: former Jaeger Corps soldier, fellow hostage with Philip; leads train hostage-takers; kills himself Jacob Lohmann as Jonas/Ben: Jim's brother, hostage-taker's accomplice, poses as Leon's son Dar Salim as Adel Rasul: karate instructor, hostage, killed by hostage-takers Sus Wilkins as Denise Hansen: young mother, hostage as Bodil Pedersen: retired teacher, hostage, killed by hostage-takers as Joachim: wealthy businessman, hostage Tommy Kenter as Leon: retired worker, diabetic, hostage as Ricco: Leon's friend, hostage Adnan Hasković as Bravo: hostage-taker, killed by TTF squad Muhamed Hadžović as Charlie: hostage-taker, killed by TTF squad Allan Hyde as Silas Jensen: disc jockey, hostage as Aksel Bendix: Marie's father Cecilie Stenspil as Anne Gornstein: National Police Commissioner Henrik Prip as Palle Wulff: Chief of Defense as Ahmed Mahmoud: Afghan head guard, tortures Philip (only in flashbacks), believed killed in drone attack Jens Sætter-Lassen as Sammy: serving soldier, former member of Mark and Jim's squad Jesper Zuschlag as Jim: Ben's brother, held hostage with Philip and Mark, kills himself

Series two Yasmin Mahmoud as June al-Baqee: convicted foreign fighter: fought ISIS in Syria; kidnapped by Yusuf's team Ola Rapace as Yusuf Nikoloz Giorgadz: Georgian-born mercenary posing as a jihadist; leader of kidnappers, hostage-takers; hired by Anna Ali Sivandi as Rami Hadad: Mahdi's older brother, kidnapper, hostage-taker Søren Pilmark as Lars F. Bülow: Director General of Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE) Søren Malling as Thomas Hvalsø: Elsinore–Helsingborg line ferry captain Anis Alobaidi as Mahdi Hadad: Rami's younger brother, Tahira's husband; kidnapper, hostage-taker Helle Fagralid as Beate Seitsø: Asger's mother, Philips's love interest; psychologist, treats PTSD clients Sebastian Bull as Hassan previously Frederick Sørensen: kidnapper, hostage-taker as Anna Kasharina: Russian cultural attaché, actually Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) agent Maibritt Saerens as Ine Frølich: Minister of Justice, orders June's prosecution Laura Christensen as Siri: ferry passenger, mother of baby Viola as Herdis Krabbe: befriended by June as Rene: Herdis's son-in-law Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Nina Sloth: TTF communications officer, works for Esben Bertil Smith as Asger Seitsø: Beate's son as Kiki: Peter and Beate's friend Kristian Halken as Olai: Kiki's dad, helps Peter renovate his boat as Lauge: Kiki's friend, IT specialist Sandra El-Hussein as Tahira Hadad: Mahdi's wife Ramadan Huseini as SVR-Chauffør (English: SVR-Chauffeur): SVR agent, Anna's chauffeur-assassin Moussa Daibes as Abdul Bashir: Rami's imam Bo Carlsson as Hindborg: taskforce IT specialist, works for Simon and SP Zein Ali as Elias: Syria freedom fighter, worked with June, recorded video of Russians killing Danes Sarah Boberg as Inga Hvalsø: Thomas's wife Judith Rothenborg as Dagmar: passenger, hostage Fadime Turan as Kantinemedarbejder (English: canteen employee)/Zeynep Bilgin: ferry's cook Abud Mustafa as Rafiq Hussein: Abdul's henchman, Rami's associate as Marianne Seitsø: Beate's mother as Dorthe: Herdis's daughter Jakob Femerling Andersen as Sune: ferry passenger Amany Turk as Junes Mor (English: June's mom)

Episodes Season one Episode Title Directed by Written by Viewers Original Denmark airdate BBC4 UK airdate BBC4 Viewers

Season two

Filming

The team responsible for filming the series attended the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, where the series was promoted prior to the broadcast of the first episode.

See also List of Danish television series

References

External links