A mirror character is a literary process in which a character is meant to reflect another, show another side of them. A mirror character usually shares a few characteristics with the character it is supposed to reflect. Literally a mirror shows you the same image but reversed (The Flippening!).

Consider Noora in sesong 3: her character is barely there, her narrative arc doesn’t really evolves. The only “move” made in her story through the sesong is her departure to London and return to Oslo and her old flat, and her taking a break with Willhelm.

We could have stopped seeing her after this update in her relationship since nothing new happens to her and Isak does not have a relationship with her. Yet she is always here, at very important moments in Isak’s journey of self discovery.

Let’s break down her appearances in the sesong and see how her character is mainly here to serve as a mirror to Isak’s. (cont. after the cut)

We first see her facetiming with Kollektivet. The fact that Eskild ends up holding the phone just in front of Isak’s face is no coincidence either. This way Noora is facing Isak directly, the phone acting like the frame of a pocket mirror.

This is an establishing/exposition scene for Isak and Noora.

Isak now lives in Kollektivet, Noora did go to London with Willhelm. All should be well for both of them and yet, Noora is looking distinctly like she is hiding something. She seems uncomfortable and unsure.

This is how Isak is feeling at the moment. He is still closeted. He tries to put on a front to Kollektivet but unsuccessfully (as we learn later with Eskild, who always suspected Isak was queer; same way he knew Noora wasn’t doing well with Willhelm, we can assume because of how perceptive we know he can be and how he was quick to suggest Noora finds herself someone else when she was insisting her and Willhelm were just on a break).

Noora is lying about how much fun she is having and Isak raises an eyebrow.

Noora’s hesitancy to go out and “have fun” reflects how Isak becomes very avoidant of social events this season. You can’t just “go out and have fun” when you are going through an identity crisis (and Noora is going through an identity crisis since she left everything for Willhelm, in a romcom style ending, convinced he was the man of her life only to realise he might not be).

Eskild making direct comparisons between Isak and Noora is no coincidence. We already know Isak took her “place”. Adding comments on how different they both are (how the room smells different now that it’s Isak living in it) only serves to highlight how they are connected, emphasise it.

Next appearance, the almost-kiss. Again, no coincidence Noora is the one to interrupt it. It’s not just to frustrate us and leave us hanging.

Noora interrupts the kiss with literal baggage.

Isak, at this point, wasn’t ready. He is still closeted, still very much afraid (and this scene is actually paralleled beautifully in the last clip of the sesong when Sana is the one to interrupt Isak and Even kissing and Isak welcomes her interruption without showing any shame or fear) and has some shit he needs to deal with before anything serious can happen.

Next episode, Noora and Isak have switched places in the physical space.

Noora is now the one framed by Eskild and Linn while Isak is the one facing her, a phone between them again (except this time, the phone is in Isak’s hands and he’s texting Even).

Her telling her tale of woe is background to Isak trying to text Even. She’s the white noise in Isak’s ears. His own demons he is trying to ignore.

Her relationship is ending, mirroring Isak’s relationship with Even barely beginning.

Some of what Noora is saying is very relevant to Isak in this moment: “I can’t live like that, all by myself […]”

And then, of course: “And if he really loves me, then he’ll come after me.” followed by a heavy silence before Eskild reassures and validates her (“People leave their wives and children all the time.”) to which we see Isak reacting again.

Just before he gets a text from Even saying he has plans with Sonja. Even, at this point, did not leave his “wife and children” for Isak.

Next episode, we see Noora cleaning the walls of Kollektivet and Eskild commenting on her “losing it”. This is a callback to Noora’s mental health problems (I suspect Noora probably has OCPD, linked to her eating disorders) aaaand I have to admit I’m having a hard time finding how she mirrors Isak here. A house/flat/apartment/Kollektivet is often used as a metaphor for the character’s mind. If Kollektivet is a mess then it’s because Isak is. Noora compulsively attempting to clean the walls could be suggesting Isak is trying to get his shit together, but not the right way. He is still very much closeted.

Next episode, Noora is talking on the phone with Eva while Isak is trying to sleep and her voice carries, seemingly the reason why Isak is unable to sleep.

Although we soon understand, because of the editing, that Noora is acting as Isak’s internal monologue. Most of what she says is very obviously related to Isak and Even’s relationship but I think the most significant lines are the ones referencing movies (Even).

Her conversation is the soundtrack to Isak’s anxiety over his relationship with Even and we see him trying to tune her out.

Eventually, Isak snaps and gets up to yell at Noora. He is talking to himself here.

In the end though, he softens and shows self- compassion. If Willhelm Even isn’t coming back for her him then he is the idiot. There is hope here.

Next episode, Noora is arguing with Eskild. He wants her to move on and start dating again while she is adamant: she still has Willhelm.

“But he is in London!”

This is a reflection of Isak’s situation, again. Willhelm/Even is in London/with Sonja and will probably not come back for Noora/Isak. And yet Noora/Isak is not ready to let go.

Next episode, we see Noora in the kitchen looking positively enamoured with Even. At this point, I don’t need to elaborate. [also, sidenote: I just noticed Eskild starts (as in he jumps a bit because of surprise) when Even goes to kiss Isak good morning and I think that’s amazing]

And finally, the last we see Noora is at the Christmas party.

At this point I think she is back to being “just” Noora and this serves no other purpose then to give us a last glimpse into all the characters’ lives.

Although, if I want to push the “Noora as an Isak mirror”, I could say that this is Noora finally surrounded by her friends, part of a group again, belonging, and seemingly more comfortable around sexuality (the banter about the condom).

So there you have it. If you read this far, thank you so much. Took me way too long to write this (I’m lazy) and I hope it made sense.



As a last note: I think Eva in sesong 2 is a Noora foil (the opposite of a mirror character kind of: someone that is the opposite of the character they are “foiling”, their opposite characteristics are meant to highlight the character’s defining ones. a mirror reflects, a foil accentuates.) and, because of that, I think we can expect Isak to serve a similar narrative purpose to whomever is main in sesong 4.