Torgeir ♡’s girls.

I didn’t realize like I enjoyed Norwegian humor until I stumbled upon Netflix’s Norsemen during my holiday break. When I first tuned into Norsemen, I thought I was about to watch a standard docudrama. Instead, I found Norsemen was an absurd comedy centered around a dysfunctional Viking tribe. For whatever reason, the show just clicked with me and was a perfect match for my dark sense of humor. Unfortunately, there are only two six episodes seasons of Norsemen, so I very quickly marathoned the series. While browsing the Norsemen Reddit sub to see if any more seasons were in the works, I saw several folks suggest that if you enjoy Norsemen, give Lillyhammer a try.

Based on the suggestions, I decided to check out Lilyhammer. Honestly, I almost bounced off Lilyhammer almost immediately. The show is about a former mob boss, Frank Tagliano, who has to disappear after testifying against some former associates. When given options on where he would like to relocate, Frank chooses the titular Lillehammer, Norway based his fond memories of the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Unfortunately, Tagliano has to be one of the most unlikable protagonists in any series that I have recently watched. I think this is mainly due to the way his character is written as an over-the-top caricature of a mob boss. Throughout the series I found that Frank had very few redeeming qualities that make you want to root for him. I liked the premise of this fish out of water story, but ultimately I just didn’t care for the fish.

Sorry Frank, I tried to like you. Maybe don’t sneer so much?

So why did I keep watching? It’s because of the hilarious cast of misfit Norwegians that Frank develops into his makeshift mob. They truly carry the show. You have Roy the Zumba-ing biker, Jan the pervy bureaucrat, Arne the dumb muscle and Roar the oafish driver. But the real star of the show is Roar’s brother and Frank’s right-hand man, Torgeir Lien.

Upon his his arrival in Lillehammer, Frank’s path quickly intersects with Torgeir’s. In Torgeir, Frank finds a loyal business partner (and eventual friend) that’s just looking for his place in life. Immediately, Torgeir established himself as someone Frank can trust as he goes about establishing his new life and building his Nordic night club empire. To Torgeir, Frank is his boss, friend and father figure all rolled into one.

The ultimate wingman.

What what makes the Torgeir character so special? Torgeir is the underdog you want to root for. He’s earnest and loyal, almost to a fault. He’s a dedicated team member will do anything to help Frank and his gang. However flawed Torgeir appears, you can always know his heart is in the right place. Yes, he had relations with Arne’s mom – but it was never his intention. Yes, he’s murdered people – but he’s not a killer. Things just happen to Torgeir.

Separated at birth?

In many ways, Torgeir reminds me on one my television favorite characters of all time, Lost’s Hugo “Hurley” Reyes. They have more than just a few things in common:

Hurley and Torgeir are both down to earth, classic nice guys who are really just looking for acceptance.

Hurley and Torgeir both come from extremely toxic dysfunctional families. Hurley’s dad disappears when he was a child and only reappeared when he won the lottery. Torgeir’s deadbeat mom briefly shows up in Lillehammer after leaving a cult with to cash in on her son’s business success.

Hurley and Torgeir are both victims of extremely bad luck. In Hurley’s case, it’s a full-on curse. For Torgeir it seems to be more of a continuous string of unfortunate events.

Hurley and Torgeir are both guys who are having a hard time finding their special someone. However things do seem to be looking up for Torgeir halfway through season three, so we’ll see if the comparison holds.

Torgeir is portrayed brilliantly by Norwegian actor and director Trond Fausa Aurvåg. I learned from this interview that Aurvåg was given a lot of opportunity to improvise in the role of Torgeir. His comedic timing and ad libs contribute so much to making Torgeir such a likable character. I noticed Aurvåg’s talent for comedy in Norsemen, but the know-it-all, Roman thespian Rufus he portrays is such a annoying jerk that you don’t mind seeing bad things happen to him. It’s completely the opposite with Torgeir, you want to see him succeed because at his core he is a good person.

So if you decide to give Lilyhammer a try, my advice is just hang in there if the show doesn’t immediately click with you. Come for the New York mobster out of his element story and stay to enjoy one of the most memorable and likable characters in recent memory – Torgeir Lien.