Below the Surface (TV series)

Below the Surface

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	April 2, 2017 (2017-04-02)
Founder	Kasper Barfoed (developer), Adam Price and Søren Sveistrup (concept)
Headquarters	Denmark
Products	Television series

Below the Surface () is a Danish action hostage thriller drama series developed by Kasper Barfoed, inspired by a concept from Adam Price and Søren Sveistrup. The initial season, consisting of eight episodes, revolves around a terrorist assault on the Copenhagen Metro, where fifteen individuals are taken captive. Leading an elite rescue operation is Philip Nørgaard (), a former soldier and head of the PET Terror Task Force (TTF). The TTF team features Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Alexandre Willaume, Flemming Enevold, Esben Dalgaard Andersen, Peder Thomas Pedersen, and Kenneth M. Christensen.

The series was influenced by discussions between Barfoed and Danish photographer Daniel Rye, who endured over a year as a hostage of the Islamic State in Syria. In Germany, the show is known as Countdown Kopenhagen.

The premiere took place on 2 April 2017 on Denmark's Kanal 5, with the German DVD release following on 19 October 2017. In the United Kingdom, BBC4 broadcast the first four episodes in March 2018 but paused airing after a terrorist incident in Carcassonne, resuming transmissions on 31 March. The second season premiered in Denmark on 26 March 2019, featuring Johannes Lassen and most of the original cast returning. This season’s storyline centers on the hijacking of the Elsinore–Helsingborg ferry by four Islamic terrorists targeting June al-Baqee (Yasmin Mahmoud), a foreign fighter, with Philip among those taken hostage.

Plot summary

In Season 1, fifteen people are seized aboard a subway train. A police terror unit led by Philip Norgaard (Johannes Lassen), a former Jaeger Corps soldier, alongside Louise Falk (Sara Hjort Ditlevsen), is deployed to secure their release. Reporter Naja Toft (Paprika Steen) acts as an intermediary between authorities and captives. The intense media coverage sparks public debate over negotiating with terrorists.

Season 2 follows June al-Baqee (Yasmin Mahmoud), an anti-ISIS operative who is abducted after informing Philip about Danish soldiers killed in Syria. Although officially off duty, Philip pursues June onto a ferry bound for Sweden where kidnappers have taken hostages. The assailants demand the ferry halt as police await at the Swedish port. June manages to escape and hide onboard while Philip races against time to locate her before the captors do.

Cast and characters

• as Philip Nørgaard: ex-Jaeger Corps soldier heading PET’s Terror Task Force; former partner of Louise and current partner of Beate
• Alexandre Willaume as "SP" (Steen Per) Byager: lead investigator within TTF
• as Hans Hejndorf: Director General of PET
• as Esben Garnov: negotiator for TTF who later assumes leadership
• as Simon Clausen: TTF operative collaborating with SP
• Kenneth M. Christensen as Daniel Cramer: leader of TTF strike team
• as Ebbe Moller: liaison from Ministry of Justice to TTF
• as Henning Nørgaard: Philip’s father and former Chief of Defense

Season one

• as Louise Falck: negotiator for TTF and Philip’s former romantic partner
• Paprika Steen as Naja Toft: television news journalist
• Alba August as Marie Bendix: trainee nurse held hostage
• Jakob Oftebro as Alpha/Mark Hald: ex-Jaeger Corps soldier leading train hostage-takers; dies by suicide
• as Jonas/Ben: accomplice disguised as Leon’s son
• Dar Salim as Adel Rasul: karate instructor among hostages; killed by captors
• Sus Wilkins as Denise Hansen: young mother held captive
• as Bodil Pedersen: retired educator taken hostage; killed by captors
• as Joachim: affluent businessman among hostages
• Tommy Kenter as Leon: retired worker and diabetic hostage
• as Ricco: friend of Leon and hostage
• Adnan Hasković as Bravo: hostage-taker eliminated by TTF squad
• Muhamed Hadžović as Charlie: hostage-taker killed by TTF squad
• Allan Hyde as Silas Jensen: disc jockey held 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 guard torturing Philip in flashbacks; presumed dead after drone strike
• Jens Sætter-Lassen as Sammy: soldier formerly part of Mark and Jim’s unit
• Jesper Zuschlag as Jim: fellow hostage with Philip and Mark; commits suicide

Series two

• Yasmin Mahmoud portrays June al-Baqee, a foreign fighter convicted for combating ISIS in Syria; she is abducted by Yusuf's group
• Ola Rapace plays Yusuf (also known as Nikoloz Giorgadz), a mercenary from Georgia masquerading as a jihadist; he leads the kidnappers and is contracted by Anna
• Ali Sivandi appears as Rami Hadad, elder sibling to Mahdi; involved in kidnapping and hostage-taking
• Søren Pilmark acts as Lars F. Bülow, the Director General of the Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE)
• Søren Malling features as Thomas Hvalsø, the captain of the ferry operating between Elsinore and Helsingborg
• Anis Alobaidi is cast as Mahdi Hadad, younger brother to Rami and husband to Tahira; participates in kidnapping and hostage situations
• Helle Fagralid takes on the role of Beate Seitsø, a psychologist specializing in PTSD treatment; mother to Asger and love interest of Philip
• portrays Hassan (previously Frederick Sørensen), involved in kidnapping and hostage-taking
• plays Anna Kasharina, a Russian cultural attaché who secretly serves as an SVR agent
• Maibritt Saerens acts as Ine Frølich, the Minister of Justice who orders the prosecution of June
• Laura Christensen appears as Siri, a ferry passenger and mother to infant Viola
• portrays Herdis Krabbe, who forms a friendship with June
• plays Rene, Herdis's son-in-law
• Sandra Yi Sencindiver is Nina Sloth, communications officer for TTF working under Esben
• Bertil Smith acts as Asger Seitsø, son of Beate
• appears as Kiki, a close acquaintance of Peter and Beate
• Kristian Halken plays Olai, Kiki's father who assists Peter with refurbishing a boat
• features as Lauge, an IT expert and friend of Kiki
• Sandra El-Hussein portrays Tahira Hadad, spouse to Mahdi
• Ramadan Huseini takes the role of SVR Chauffeur, an SVR operative who drives and acts as Anna’s assassin
• Moussa Daibes appears as Abdul Bashir, the imam associated with Rami
• Bo Carlsson is Hindborg, an IT specialist supporting Simon and SP within the task force
• Zein Ali plays Elias, a Syrian freedom fighter allied with June who recorded footage of Russians killing Danes
• Sarah Boberg portrays Inga Hvalsø, Thomas’s wife
• Judith Rothenborg acts as Dagmar, a ferry passenger taken hostage
• Fadime Turan features as Zeynep Bilgin, working as ferry cook and canteen staff
• Abud Mustafa appears as Rafiq Hussein, Abdul’s henchman and associate of Rami
• plays Marianne Seitsø, Beate’s mother
• portrays Dorthe, daughter of Herdis
• Jakob Femerling Andersen acts as Sune, a ferry passenger
• Amany Turk appears as June’s mother

Season one

Episode	Title	Directed by	Written by	Viewers	Original Denmark airdate	BBC4 UK airdate	BBC4 Viewers

Filming

Prior to its debut, the production crew showcased the series at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, boosting its exposure in the global market.

See also

• List of Danish television series