So Tolerant and Intolerant

1. Which was your favourite song?

Robin: "Nå er det OL" by a pretty wide margin. I'll get into it more below, but this song is pretty perfect; lyrically, musically, vocally on point. Plus I was really happy with myself because I understood most of the song the first time I watched the episode in Norwegian!

2: Genres. Homages. Parodies. Tropes. Music. Vocals.  Let’s break this down, song by song:

A - Nå er det OL

Robin: Guys, this song is freakin' phenomenal. It really is and I'm in love with this song and I'm going to ramble about why so buckle up LOL.

They were definitely going for the style of inspirational Olympic theme, like Gloria Estefan's "Reach," Koreana's "Hand in Hand,"  Nikki Yanofsky's "I Believe." Some usual staples of the inspirational song are here: the instrumental opening, the soft wind instruments, major key, modulation with choir, quiet fade out. They certainly nailed the genre. Having Vegard dress (and look) like Sissel was perfect since she did the Olympic Hymn at Lillehammer that year.

That said, though, Lars does his usual thing and adds his own flair to the song to make it interesting. Because of course Lars would compose a song with two different time signatures. The verses are in 6/8, the chorus is in 4/4. Guys, I'm a complete sucker for mixed time signatures in pop music. Even if this song had nothing else going for it, I'd be in love with it just for that. But it has so much else going for it.

For one, there's Vegard's vocals. I have never heard Vegard sing like this before; you don't get head voice from him very often because he's often doing power vocals. It's insane how beautiful and feminine he manages to sound. The break as he switches from head to chest in the last part of the choruses are just soooo smooth and pretty. And can we talk about his own voice doing the background vocals and how freaking high he gets in that last chorus, though?  My goodness.

Then there's the lyrics. This song is hilarious and thematically on point for the episode. I love that they managed to write a whole song about there being no law enforcement in Oslo interspersed with random mentions of some of the opening ceremonies' characters. It almost works like the world's worst subliminal message: "It's the Olympics, we have gremlins and trolls NO POLICE IN OSLO and bushes and snow PERFECT TIME FOR ROBBERY we're all here celebrating NO POLICE IN OSLO..."

Okay, yeah, I've talked enough. I'm sorry. I love this song.

B - Man Of A Thousand Faces

Robin: This is a fun song! I've tried but failed to remember what this song reminds me of, so I'm asking all the theatre gurus to tell me where it comes from!

I mentioned this in the review post; my favourite part of this song (and the episode) is the jazz break in the middle of the song, which musically is highly reminiscent of Henry Mancini's "The Pink Panther Theme" with the percussion style and tenor saxophone. Bård then launches into a French accent like Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther movies; a character known for his outlandish (and mostly ineffective) disguises.

Bård is soooo over the top in this song it's *almost* too much! This is probably the most energetic I've seen him since I can't remember when. I can't imagine how much work this video was to shoot. So many costume changes, so much energy; Bård must have gone straight to sleep after this because even I'm tired after this song.

C - The Smell Of Money

Robin: This song is in an R&B style that started in late 90s when the genre started moving away from New Jack Swing, and continued into the 00s. This sounds like it could have come straight out of Teddy Riley's, Rodney Jerkins' (Darkchild) or Timbaland's production studios; they were the most well known producers of that time. Similar songs musically would be Destiny's Child "Say My Name" along with almost anything by Blackstreet, and the vocal style is similar to the musical storytelling that R.Kelly (eww) did with "Trapped In the Closet."

I really want to love this song, and lyrically it's hilarious, but it is not their best work vocally and I'm a bit disappointed. Both Vegard and Bård are flat with their pitch a lot. I understand can happen because the duet is pretty rapid-fire and the intervals move quickly, but R&B is pretty unforgiving that way; even with rapidly paced lyrics like this you have to be on point (see "Satisfied" on the Hamilton soundtrack).

That said, it's still a funny song, and the awkward "byes" at the end are hilarious. I assume they used R&B (a sexy genre) to relate to the idea that the money is seductive and arousing. So arousing that Vegard-Jan steams up the phone booth, they both constantly have their hands on the windows Titanic-style, and Bård-Pål has a look of satisfaction and can barely catch his breath after the song is done.

Honorable mention goes to Bård's dancing; that spin is everything.

D - You And Me

Robin: This is a beautiful song. It's the kind of soft rock ballad that you could find in any decade from the 70s onwards.  Also, Vegard even sounds a little like Kenny Loggins. I'm sure there's some musical theatre precedent to this song that I'm unaware of. Lars' composition here is stunning, and I loooove the ending chords of this song (similar to "The Prayer").

I mentioned this in the previous post; this song could have had a much bigger emotional impact if the relationship between Skrik and Pål had been alluded to or highlighted before this moment. The song is great and the connection between the two is solid at that moment, but there's no investment on the viewers' (or at least my) part before then. Maybe that's just as well for me; I don't think I would have survived another "What Will I Say."

In any case, both Vegard and Bård do a fantastic job here, both vocally and in the music video. They really sell the connection at the time between the two characters, and the first time we see Skrik smile is really something. Watching them go to their respective prisons was pretty sad.

E - Non-Ylvis song choices: Africa (Toto)

Robin: There are numerous articles online about why Toto's "Africa" is a magical song, and I agree with every single damn one of them. There's something about "Africa" that is just uplifting, that you can't help singing along with, that makes you feel good when you hear it. So that choice was perfect for this moment, as Real-Pål talks about how electric and magical it felt to have pulled off the heist and to have Skrik.

Lyrically, it was some fantastic irony. "It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you..." - it took three million kroner. And he was almost literally dragged away from Skrik at the end by much less than a hundred men. "There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do" wasn't exactly right now, was it...

BONUS QUESTION: Pål had Toto's "Africa." What would be your getaway song?

1) What was your favourite moment?

Robin: My favourite moment was the genius "Pink Panther" break in the middle of "Man Of A Thousand Faces," as Bård/Charlie channels his best Inspector Clouseau to convince Felon-Bjarte of his criminal nature. Freakin' fantastic.

Meredith: You’re right, I missed that completely!! That’s why he was French, LOL. I liked the sight gag with the really long ladder. Pål says something like “you look really stupid carrying something like that around” and it cuts to a visual of the ladder stretched across an entire street.

2) What were the funniest moments for you?

Robin: Bjarte's response to the above: "Whoa! Unpleasant language. You must be a thief!" Bjarte's delivery of that line is SO PERFECT I was crying with laughter...and then the look on his face as he gets arrested while Charlie yells "cocks and balls!!" made it even funnier.

Meredith: It’s a toss-up between Charlie’s “American” small talk (You know hamburgers? Have you tried hamburgers, from America? I only eat hamburger meat, man...) while kitted out like Colonel Sanders, and Vegard floating through the air after the smell of money, then falling when the bag is zipped shut.

Robin: YES! LOL -  I will never completely understand Ylvis’ fixation with hamburgers and America!!  I mean, I get it, but they are just so fixated!! It’s hilarious!

3) Favourite Vegard character: Sissel, Jan Olsen or Skrik?

Robin: This is a really tough one. Sissel was fantastic, and Vegard is disturbingly, wonderfully convincing as a street thug. All that said, this may be a case of absence making the heart grow fonder, but man oh man do I wish we had more of Vegard as The Scream. There was just not enough. I am completely amazed by how much Vegard conveyed with JUST his eyes for so much of the episode, and his actual scream was actually a bit heart-wrenching. His performance was incredible and I wish we had gotten more somehow.

Meredith: Vegard as Skrik really creeped me out on first viewing. That is not a painting I would want to see come to life. But I have to say he grew on me at the end when he and Pål had their emotional parting. But surly criminal Vegard wins for me, because he was so unlike the dorky, bossy, long-winded Vegard we all love and because of his awesome leopard-print underpants (watch the arrest scene closely.)

Robin: WHAT?!? (goes back to watch scene...multiple rewinds later) Meredith, you’re my hero.

4) Bård had two main characters: let's talk about his work with both. First: Pål Enger.

Robin: This is another character I really wish we got to see more of. Honestly, I mostly forgot that was Bård. The facial hair and makeup made a big difference, and somehow even his posture and gait seemed different. As usual, Bård disappeared into the role.

I'm a little befuddled as to why the character of Pål Enger was used so little, especially given how fascinating real-life Pål Enger was and how central he was to the story. I thought that Real Pål had a calm, nonchalant cockiness to him that was intriguing and charismatic, but we really didn't get the opportunity to see much of that at all, which is too bad because Bård would have nailed that.

Meredith: To me Pål was weirdly phlegmatic - he described the decision to steal the painting like it was a shopping trip he was planning once he got out of prison. But you could tell how amused he was by the ease of it - the substandard glass in the windows and the lack of security around the nation’s most famous painting. I was also curious about whether he has a straight job now - it was funny that he was credited as “art thief.”

I agree that Bård disappeared into the role. I’m wondering if he underplayed it because they didn’t want to make Pål look too heroic or attractive? Like, the attention might go to the real Pål’s head and he’d try to top that heist with something more daring.

5) Bård's second character:  Undercover agent Charlie Hill.

Robin: I can't even imagine how much work that character was to play. All those costume changes in one freaking song! Charlie was a fun character, and I already talked about how much I loved the break in the middle of his intro song. I really enjoyed his performance at the undercover operation.

I did think that Bård's portrayal might have been a little too much on the caricature side, and I am again befuddled by the decision of Team Ylvis to write and portray him as such. I get that real-life Charlie looks too much like Stephen Root to be taken seriously as an undercover agent, and the way he described his job was a bit funny sometimes, but he seemed like a consummate professional who was pretty highly regarded. I wonder if the portrayal was influenced by the choice of song style, or if it was vice versa.

Meredith: Charlie Hill is the kind of broad character that Vegard normally excels at, so I enjoyed seeing Bård get his ham on this time. Bård looked exactly like Robin Williams in his first screen appearance as Charlie, but once the song got started he was channelling old-school British comic actors (the late Terry-Thomas came to mind.) I think Ylvis decided to go over the top with Charlie’s character because of the way he described his modus operandi - behave like the total opposite of a cop to throw people off the scent. Tell ridiculous lies and act like you believe them.

6) What are your thoughts on the documentary portions?

Robin: I thought it was kjempe cool how they overlapped the documentary with the performances, especially during the sting operation. Jan Olsen's lines as told by the interviewee were in almost perfect sync with Vegard's delivery of them. I thought that was a great decision; I think it added to Vegard's believability as a street thug, as the familiarity of his voice wasn't there to keep the viewer grounded.

Presumably Scotland Yard would have been working with Norwegian police, so how did the Norwegians fail to inform them about the events at the hotel?! I thought it was absolutely insane and amazing that they managed to salvage an undercover operation in the middle of a police conference. I personally can't recall if money has a smell, but my perpetually broke ass definitely hasn't been around enough money all at once to verify or negate that claim.

Meredith: Yeah, I would have liked to know a little more about how they missed the police convention happening at their meeting place.

7) What did you think of the storytelling in this episode?

Robin: I enjoyed the story; the heist was great (omg that ladder) and the sting op was tense. That said, there were a few narrative choices that I wasn't quite on board with. I quite liked the episode, but I wanted more from it.

For one, I've already mentioned minimal Pål Enger. To me he was the most interesting person in the story and in the documentary, but he didn't quite get as much screen time and development as I would have liked. I thought it was strange that Charlie became a much more central part of the story than Pål did.

I feel that having more Pål Enger would have given a better chance to sell the bonding between him and Skrik. I didn't think that the story between the two characters was developed enough. The last song is phenomenal, but it came out of almost nowhere, and it didn't pack enough of an emotional punch for me. I wish there had been some more interaction between the characters somehow to take us to that end song.

Meredith: I thought it was a pretty tight episode. There were a lot of talking heads to navigate - is this the most in one show so far? - but they used them well to set up how the police caught the thief.  I think they went with making Charlie the focus of the episode because of the way he outsmarted Pål Enger, who admits that he basically lost control once a large amount of money was involved. He may have been clever and very taken with the painting,  but at the end of the day he’s still a criminal with poor impulse control.

8) Which were your favourite make-up and costume jobs?

Robin: Best makeup definitely goes to Skrik (and how did they even do that with his face and a moving framed painting), with a close second to Pål Enger.  As for costume: I freely admit that I totally fell for the pizza gag and did not notice Charlie/Bård on the wall AT ALL. That was freakin' genius.

Meredith: Have to agree about the Skrik makeup, and the special effects they used during the duet with Pål. Also, Charlie as the lamp.

9) What is your general impression of this episode?

Meredith: I liked this episode because it seemed like a real-life Ylvis prank. We didn’t get a lot of insight into why Pål became an art thief in the first place - he claims he didn’t even need the money when he sold Skrik. The impression I got is that he did it for the sheer joy of getting away with it. His reasoning was very Ylvis-like: hey, everyone in Oslo is going to be in Lillehammer,  let’s see if I can steal that painting of the weird guy screaming and totally upstage the Olympics too!

Robin: The theft story was fascinating and I enjoyed it. As much as I feel there may have been some missed opportunities at the centre of the story, it was still completely fun and interesting.

10) Any other interesting notes or background info from the story?

Robin: So I was reading about this theft from a few different sources after I watched the episode, and the absolute most badass part of this story for me was that, apparently, Pål Enger and his thief pals left a note at the crime scene saying “Thanks for the bad security!” I actually can’t believe that Ylvis left that out because it seems like a detail they’d love, but hey, maybe it didn’t come up during the interviews.

Also, Pål Enger actually broke out of jail during his sentence. LOL...I feel really weird praising a felon, but he is a pretty badass thief. He’s totally right; he’s the kind of criminal that movies get made about.

Meredith: I’ll repeat what I said above about them not wanting to glamourize Pål too much. I guess someone else will have to make the movie where Pål is the hero.

Robin: You’ve raised a really good point about not glamourizing Pål, and that makes total sense. It would be weird if he came out looking like Danny Ocean, especially given that this show is about Norway and he stole a national treasure just for kicks.

I do wonder if Ylvis could have achieved the same kind of balance as they did with Petter Northug and The Biebs; though those two displayed a little more conscience than Pål does. Maybe you’re right and it was best that he took a secondary seat to the man who outsmarted him.

11) As usual, pick the episode’s MVP.

Meredith: Skrik, even though he scared me. Making the painting sentient could have been a huge mistake, but Vegard pulled it off.

Robin: My vote goes to Vegard in general as he was fantastic all around, and especially for his performance as Skrik. I thought he was phenomenal.

Bonus Question:  You are Charlie, the man/woman of a thousand faces, working undercover. Your mark looks at you and says, "Huh, I think you're a cop." Convince this criminal that you're a thief.

Robin: Me? A cop? That’s some supercrapperfuckerifficexpialibullshit!

Meredith: Holy fist-fucking father of fucker, why do you think I’m a cop? Have some guacamole and relax.

1. Which was your favourite song?

Eve: Although I am gaining an appreciation for Vegard’s deep rich tones in “My Cheget” (despite it’s jarringly weird romance montage) as soon as “Push the Button” starts, I realize it’s definitely my favorite. It makes me want to leap across the lawn in tandem with Boris.

Robin: While I think "Push The Button" is the best song this week, my favourite is “Aurora Borealis.”I can't get enough of it; I have to hear it on repeat at least 5 times before I can move on to the next song. I’m sure many an elevator surveillance camera has caught me dancing to it. I love everything about that song, it just makes me so happy. (A far cry from my weepiness from last week!!) I’ve even changed my ringtone to the instrumental ending of the song.

2. Genres. Homages. Parodies. Tropes. Music. Vocals.  Let’s break this down, song by song.

A - Aurora Borealis

Robin: Man I love this song. I believe that the genre inspiration for this song is Brazilian bossa nova jazz fusion, in the style of Sergio Mendez and Ivan Lins. “Aurora Borealis” reminds me most of “Mas Que Nada,” Sergio Mendez’s signature song; the chord structure is very, very similar. Mendez is also known for working with current artists and giving his songs modern and contemporary touches, and this song seems right in that vein.

Guys, the background vocals! Oh my gosh the harmonies. The “aurora borealis, aurora polaris” lines are just so gorgeous (they’re a choir girl’s dream), and freaking Bård at “lift off!!” holy crow. I also really love the background vocals at the second verse; they’re punchy and give the second verse a little more energy to take it to the countdown.

That said, it’s actually Vegard’s hyper-nasal geeky voice that sells this song for me. I. Love. It!! Remember when I said in the Bieber music review for “Normal Boy” that Vegard can’t contain that beast of a voice? Well, I stand corrected, because Vegard doesn’t sound anything like Vegard in this song!

The voice he puts on in this song, along with his demeanor in the video, give this song the wonder and joy and excitement you would expect to have when you’re about to press a button to launch a science rocket into space! His happy geek voice singing about the rocket, his awe of the auroras, and his confidence in the countdown just all works so well.

Besides all that, you have that killer bass going on, and the wind instruments sound so breezy and light! Vegard and the music together give a very light-hearted feel to the song and to the situation, giving a little irony given that we know how that happy moment takes a really dark turn.

Vegard’s voice also blends really well with Bård’s more muted version of his own voice. Bård sounds like himself, but with a much more controlled prosody, which works well to make his character sound different and separate from all the incredibly melodic background vocals he’s giving to the song.

I love that last scene where you can hear the party going on from the outside. All I can think off is the He-Man/What’s Up parody on YouTube (it’s one of my favorite things on the internet, don’t judge me) where the chef in the kitchen is hearing the muted version of the song. I’m sure it’s unrelated (unless Ylvis has as weird a sense of humor as I do) but that was the first and only thing that came to mind LOL https://youtu.be/ZZ5LpwO-An4

Eve: Although I can hear the bossa nova now that you’ve pointed it out, that wasn’t what I originally got from the song at all. The quick steady beat and the sort of regular, stiffness to the song (except for the lovely Aurora Borealis interlude) song, accompanied with stiff old-man dancing reminded me of Devo’s “Whip It”, of all things. It was a like a musical reflection of the concept that “white men can’t dance.” Or “White and Nerdy.” But I loved it because of that, and and how it was combined with delightfully nerdy lyrics like “look at all the data / look at the results / numbers numbers numbers / exactly what we want.” I also found it amusing that all the scientists dancing around looked a lot like the club scenes in “Pressure” and “Work It”, complete with the bursting champagne bottle, but with a bunch of old nerds dancing arthritically (in other words, me in about 20 years). I like that it’s a very happy, cheerful song, too. Something I could sing when my program compiles and produces the desired output.

B - Russian Government Process

Eve: This is another one of those show-tune-ish songs that I feel like I’ve heard before and can’t remember where. The plucked bass line with the other instruments responding, the minor key, it all sounds very familiar. I don’t know how they can keep singing when the song speeds up -- I can barely keep up until lunch! tiiiiiiime! and once they start up with “grill it, spice it, supersize it / flame it, boil it, circumcise it” I’m lost. So lost, in fact, that I didn’t realize until I paused it to get those lyrics that they threw “circumcise” in there.

Robin: I’m the same; I cannot for the life of me figure out why this song is sooooo familiar. Everything about it is familiar; the melody of the verse, the chord structure, the increasing tempo. I’ve had this problem a lot this episode - the songs all sound vaguely like something else I’ve heard but I can’t place all of them!  Lars has really gotten me this episode. Freakin’ Lars. I’m hoping someone comments with some insight into what inspired it because I am so stumped.

Vegard’s vocal performance in this song is stellar; man, he is on fire this episode. His voice is strong and stately, and he totally sells the character throughout the song. That said, I would pay to see him get through this song and get all the lyrics right and in order. Y’all better get started on those prompter cards.

The lyrics are hilarious: “take your application to the corresponding station in a classified location no one can access!!” Bureaucracy defined. That said, the standout moment in this song is the combined visual and lyric of “equal rights for gays” going into the trash. It’s songs like this one and like “Normal Boy,” songs whose funny moments are inherently tied to their videos, that make me really wish they would do commentary on this show.

C - My Cheget

Robin: This song has a slower bossa nova jazz groove going on, it again reminds me of some of Sergio Mendez's and Ivan Lins' work. This song reminds me most of “Fallen” by Lauren Wood, from the Pretty Woman soundtrack. It has a similar style and laid-back mood, as well as the bossa nova jazz groove, the horns and similar background vocals. I think.  I'm sorry, everyone, I am failing spectacularly at the music analysis of this episode! I blame Lars for being too good at his job.

Again, Vegard's killing it here. Man, his baritone is insane in this song. At no point during this song does Expensive Jacket Vegard Ylvisåker make an appearance; he is absolutely "Boris Yeltsin" in this song (and in the next one). In the extended version online, there are glimpses of his regular voice during his instrumental ad-libs, but that quickly devolves into hilarity as Yeltsin drunkenly loses control of his ad-libs. That makes me snort every single time I listen to it.

The lyrics of the song itself are super weird. Yeltsin daydreaming a love song to his nuclear suitcase in the middle of a crisis is almost as random as a Flat Eric puppet being Petter Northug’s life coach. It’s weird and almost completely incongruous. That said, it is interesting that he repeatedly declares that the Cheget is “his” at this time, because that’s exactly what he needed to remember as his military advisors urged him to do something he wasn’t sure about. He was the president, he had the power, and the decision about the Cheget was his to make.

Lastly, that shot of Yeltsin looking on at Putin’s inauguration gave me a chill. Not the good kind.

Eve: One of the cool things about this format is that Ylvis can make songs about whatever ridiculous bit they want to, and let the song be as long as it needs to. I feel like this is the type of song that might have resulted if they took that “What car do you drive?” digression from “Stongehenge” and made it its own song. Unlike the other songs which reflect plot points, this song is just a weird imagining of a romantic relationship with his nuclear briefcase because it’s always by his side. For some reason, I find this whole thing vaguely icky, particularly the flour-throwing scene, although “handle in hand with another man” makes me smile. I do enjoy the song, particularly since Vegard sings lower than I can remember hearing him sing for an entire song. I love how he sings “You are my Chegeeeeet” at the end. The photo album full of pictures of Yeltsin with the briefcase at McDonald’s or famous landmarks (I see the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, and a skyscraper on a beach -- Dubai?) is fun. Is it in a cabana on the first page?

D - Push the Button

Robin: "Push The Button" is an intense, driving, powerful song, and everything about it represents the tenseness of the situation. The 3+3+2 drum rhythms at the beginning and at the bridge give this song a feeling of urgency. You can hear a similar use of that rhythm in Rob Thomas' "This Is How A Heart Breaks," one of my favourite workout songs for precisely that reason. I've been told that this also has some High School Musical inspiration, but since I haven't seen those movies, I'm hoping you guys can tell me more about that!

I also love that the other vocals aren't harmonized, but in unison at different pitches. There's nothing pretty or harmonic about this situation, it's an unevenly balanced argument. The only harmony comes in the silliest line, the digression, the Russian extra furry hat, thrown in there just to give the listener (and Yeltsin) a breather from the intensity of the situation.

I seriously can't talk enough about how Vegard's killing every song in this episode. I mean, damn, guy. If you're just listening to the song while streaming, there is no Vegard Ylvisåker, only Yeltsin. He really sells the conflict that Yeltsin is feeling, with every counterargument, the pressure he feels to make a decision.

There was a lot of discussion about Mikhail Mouse on the episode post so I won't go too much into it, but it's interesting to listen to how Vegard's tone and enunciation (and thus Yeltsin's attitude) change slightly after he talks to Mikhail Mouse. In the beginning he's really feeling the pressure and uncertainty and his voice wavers a little more in that vein, but after talking to Mikhail he sings more strongly (to the point where the Russian accent fades a little), because he is defiant and certain of what he wants and what he can do.

Also, "YYYYES, I'm a Russian, just like you!" gives me life every time. And man, Vegard's energy is insane; how he does all that dancing in that ill-fitted suit is beyond me.

Eve: I love the heavy drums in this one, that feel like a wave pushing Yeltsin closer and closer to the moment he has to make the decision. And it’s super creepy when they set the visuals of mushroom clouds and houses exploding to the beat of those drums. The repetition of the firm “Push the button” interspersed with the emotion explanations why he can’t are awesome. I also love the sections where the bass line pauses (“Do it for Stalin / Do it for Molotov”). I don’t quite understand why Yeltsin gets his American pop culture so mixed up, but I am always going to refer to it as the “Super Canyon” from now on. (And if you haven’t been, it really is all that.) Is there any connection, musically, between the carnival-sounding music of the Mikhail Mouse visit, and the rest of the song?I listened for one but can’t make one out. And finally, I gotta mention how much I adore that last “butTTONNNNNNNNNNNN!!!” I hope I get to hear that live someday.

E - Never Again

Eve: This song reminds me of “We Are All To Blame” at the end of “The Diving Tower”, one of those wrap-up songs sung by the entire company with a cheerful tune and “all our problems are solved” theme. Except in this case, they keep driving home the point that it is NOT solved, we’ve only had a narrow escape and the chance of this happening again is still looming heavily over our heads. The music and the happy dancing almost feels like a sort of “fiddling while Rome burns” thing, or at least some pretty severe denial.

Robin: Finally, a song I can talk about with certainty! The style of this song is 1960s-70s traditional black gospel music, a genre of Christian music. Some of the hallmarks of this sound is the fusion of southern gospel with the black gospel choir and distinct influence of soul music. This, along with contemporary black gospel, is mostly what I've performed as a vocalist.

As far as gospel songs go, this is a pretty decent one. The chord sequences and melodies in traditional black gospel can be a bit predictable if you're familiar with the genre, so kudos to Lars for still making it sound mostly fresh and original.  Also, the Hammond organ sound is a staple of gospel music, so I loooove that Lars had that sound going on in the song!

The background vocals are great, though I wish they had used more layers or singers to give a real choir sound (more like Massachusetts). I also wish they had added a little more of the gospel ad libs to the end. Bård had a decent go of it, but they should have let those singers go a little nuts!

The use of this genre is all in the name of irony. The word "gospel" literally translates to "good news." The lyrics of the song, "this will never happen again" would seemingly be good news, except Ylvis is being completely sarcastic and actually sharing terrible news that nuclear war is incredibly likely to happen someday just because someone inadvertently messes up.

I think the use of this genre was inspired directly by Dr. Pry, as he states in his documentary interview that we've avoided a nuclear holocaust through the grace of God. One of the common themes of gospel music, especially black gospel, is hope. That said, Dr Pry isn't hopeful that we can continue to avoid that kind of disaster without some interventions on our end. Ylvis completely run with that, also painting a pretty bleak picture in the guise of upbeat, optimistic gospel music.

F - Non-Ylvis song choices: Fly Me to the Moon (Julie London)

Eve: I had to look this one up, only to find that it was the delightful cheerful music at the beginning of the episode I wanted to mention! I thought it was some of the ambient music that’s usually woven into the episode but not part of an Ylvis song. It sounds like they “tech-ed” it up a bit to fit with the science-y mood of “Aurora Borealis”. I thought it was a great opener and I love that it’s a real song with a space theme.

1) What was your favourite moment?

Eve: Listening to Vegard sing that last note in “I cannot push the butTONNNNNNNNNNNN!” And also the moment in the first song when the two scientists talk about how they never get tired of the Northern Lights. That makes me feel a little weepy.

Robin: I have a couple (surprise!). I love the scene in Andøya as they all survey the aurora borealis. Having seen the auroras when I was in Northern Canada, I was a little nostalgic. The lights truly are breathtaking and I really felt their awe. Second is literally everything about “Russian Government Process”, but the “equal rights for gays” is a cut above the rest just because that line was so quick and dirty! Loved it.

Aicha: Am I allowed to cop out and say the whole episode was my favourite moment? As you’ll soon find out, I can’t shut up about “Russian Government Process” so all the tiny moments in that segment were my favourite.

2) What were the funniest moments for you?

Eve: In an episode which was too scary to me to laugh much, my favorite funny moment was when Vegard stamped the document with a stamp that said “sånn og sånn.”

Robin: My biggest laugh out loud moment was when Mickey Mouse said, "Do you really want to kill me and all my friends?" - and they cut to a picture of Ross and Rachel. I loved that play on words and it surprised me...I was cracking up.

Aicha:

1. “Sann og sann og sann og sann”

2. The Russian official running through the Kremlin yelling “Raketa, raketa, raketa!” 3.. When the Russian officials point to the garbage as the place to put “rights for gays” and “asking for a raise” and also when they request that their omelet be “circumcised”.   4.  When Boris Yeltsin refers to Mickey Mouse as “Mikhail Mouse!?” I just lost it. 5. Poor Juri’s feet hanging from the ceiling during the final song (literally gallows humour) 6. LUNCH TIIIIIME! *flying papers*

3) Favourite Vegard side character: Launch Chief Hallstein Thomassen, or Juri's boss?

Eve: Juri’s boss! I don’t like the overdone prosthetics (more on that later), so I was happy to see Vegard acting with his actual face. The exasperated-but-resigned delivery of “Every time” always makes me smile. Even when a character LOOKS like Vegard, he still changes his mannerisms so much that he does disappear into the character, and this is a good example of that.

Robin: I don’t think I can actually choose between the two. I really love them both. Vegard was adorable as Hallstein and the voice he used for the character made him so cute! I really felt his enthusiasm and passion about his job, and I was totally getting excited with him as he got ready to launch the rocket. That said, Super Serious Russian Office Manager Person was so much fun. He had that condescending sniff down, and Eve already talked about my favourite part: his delivery of “Every time.” was SO perfect. Vegard was completely in character and I really, really enjoyed that. I want more of that, guys! More Vegard nailing it!

Aicha: Don’t forget he’s also playing the Russian technician who first detects the Norwegian rocket on the radar!  I loved the shot of him dropping his mug in slow-mo. He completely disappeared into that character because it’s only upon my 2nd or 3rd rewatch that I recognized it was Vegard! 

I love all his roles for their own reasons. Like you Robin, there’s something about his voice as Thomassen that I found particularly endearing, but Juri’s boss has to be my favourite.  I feel like he sold it as a  strict bureaucrat and his heavy Russian accent was fun to hear especially when he says “Just rellyaxx”.  That scene was very tightly paced and everything he did was on point.

4) Favourite Bård character:Admin Director Kolbjørn Adolfsen, Juri Mikhailovich, or Mickey(Mikhail) Mouse?

Eve: Oh my heavens, Juri Mikhailovich. Wow. Bård’s performance never wavered. He never lost that faintly scared, wide-eyed look, and I can just FEEL the nervousness, uncertainty, and eagerness to please radiating off him. Maybe it helped that he didn’t have to sing, so he could focus all his energy on embodying that character. There were so many perfect physical moments as well -- dropping the envelopes in the beginning, squaring his shoulders and sitting straight at the desk, and a moment I’ll leave to Robin to describe. I almost think this may be my favorite Bård character in the entire series. As great as those performances were, I thought Geir and Northug were occasionally overwrought, with all the neck and head rubbing, but this role was just subtle perfection.

Robin: POOR JURI! I feel like at this point we’re a broken record about how freakin’ good Bård  is and it shouldn’t still be surprising five episodes in, but how he managed to become an 18-year-old nervous Russian clerk is beyond me. I actually forgot at one point that it was Bård, and I was really feeling for this kid who was new on the job and completely overwhelmed. One of my favourite moments comes at the end of the "Russian Government process", right before the scene ends. Juri is holding the letter from Andøya and looking at the shelves, and he just sighs and drops his shoulders. There's something about that moment that's just so very human in the face of being overwhelmed and helpless. It's such a simple movement but it conveys so much.

Aicha:   Poor, poor Juri </3 A good actor makes the audience feel empathy during a relatable situation, and Bård was able to do just that. We’ve all been the “new guy” at some point.  Bård totally nailed the nervousness and confusion I know I felt at my first job where everything looked  too complicated and it seemed impossible to keep up with my new instructions. Juri was so genuine that I felt like he was a real character with a tragic backstory (and tragic end). I agree with you Robin, at one point I forgot it was Bard too!  I especially liked the part with him acting all flustered while taking lunch orders. Juri is my favourite Bård character in the show so far.

5) What did you think of Vegard’s portrayal of Boris Yeltsin?

Eve: Initially I thought this was a little exaggerated, but after Robin pointed me to some Yeltsin videos on YouTube, I was instead impressed with how accurate it was. He could sometimes be very high-energy and I can *almost* see him leaping across the lawn for real. But my favorite moments in that performance are two very small subtle ones (I am seeing a trend here): When they first present him with the suitcase and open it, and he looks up at them with a bit of indignant shock and slams it shut, and then when he comes out of his Cheget reverie and looks up at the officers shouting at him to push the button, and he looks overwhelmed and a little frightened. Vegard often acts with a bit of a wink to the audience (as opposed to Bård often playing roles completely straight), but I didn’t see him winking there.

Robin: I think Eve and I have similar observations. If you ever watch “The Best of Drunk Boris Yeltsin” on Youtube, you understand why Vegard (and Ole Martin, I presume) ramps up the caricature. Vegard is REALLY good at playing characters with high energy, and he does shine that way. The genius of Yeltsin, though, isn’t so much in the exaggerated moments, but in the quieter ones and the forceful ones. My favourite moment is during “Push the Button” where he goes, “Yes, I’m a Russian, just like you.” At that moment, you really see Yeltsin’s resolve and defiance, and the fact that Vegard could get that across with the amount of prosthetics and makeup he had on was absolutely brilliant.

Aicha:  I live for Boris Yeltsin’s Mikhail Mouse breakdown. Ylvis took full liberties with the CIA agent saying that he probably suffered mentally from the stress. It was the perfect way to showcase Yeltsin’s love for America while also portraying the man’s “frayed nerves” at the same time.

I think Vegard did very well considering all the prosthetics, and mad props for running down those flights of stairs so fast! I love how he went into an small interpretative dance routine worthy of a Sia music video despite the ill fitting tux and fat suit, that made me laugh. The Russ-English butchering of classic American things like “frenchy fries” and “Timey Square” were a nice touch. The way Vegard changed his voice for the role was what sold the character for me.  

6) What are your thoughts on the storytelling in this episode?

Robin: After the random absurd madness that was Northug Pt 2, I enjoyed the structure and flow of this episode. The documentary portions were relevant and seemingly well-informed, and I thought they did a great job of getting points of view from all the stakeholders; Norway, Russia and the US. That said, man was this ever a dark story.

Eve: The story was riveting. I was on the edge of my seat for all of it. I enjoyed how happy and excited the scientists were, and then the sense of doom when the radar guy saw the rocket and dropped his coffee, and the gradual buildup to the tense moment of Yeltsin’s decision. But it wasn’t much of a relief after that, so it ended on a fairly tense note. The only part that felt a little off, too much of a tangent from the buildup, was “My Cheget”, which I mostly cringed through, although it did have some great lines.

Aicha:    Yes, after last week’s surreal episode, this one set me back on track. It had the same fast pacing of some previous episodes that I loved. It felt like a real mini-documentary ; something a social studies teacher could actually show to their class. It also feels like something that people who aren’t Norwegian or aren’t into Ylvis can appreciate because they can learn something new and the subject matter is  sadly still relevant to our current political climate. In terms of pacing, it was near perfect but I have to agree with Eve that the “Cheget” segment threw things off a little. That being said, it was one of the few times in the episode where the comedy lightened up and wasn’t so dark. It was like a reverse PayBack episode where Ylvis are actually nice to an inanimate object, lol! “Russian Government Process” really made this episode for me. It gave me Wes Anderson vibes (Tight shots, quick editing, vintage colour scheme, dry acting, quirky humour, immaculate uniforms etc) …I hope they release it on Youtube because I’ll be watching it an unhealthy amount of times.

7) Nuclear war, as with drunk driving, is fairly serious subject matter. What did you think of Ylvis’ handling of the subject?

Eve: They never let up on the seriousness of the situation. It was a little overwhelming. All those shots of bombs going off, mushroom clouds billowing, and things being blown to smithereens … this episode was one long nightmare punctuated with pops of comedy. So much so that I think it’s a good episode, but it was too heavy for me to feel light enough to laugh. The end of it was particularly scary, with the serious faces in the pub, the counts of nuclear bombs in each country, and the knowledge that there WILL be another near-miss, if not an outright error.

Robin: Hahahahaha WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!! I agree with Eve, they definitely did not sugarcoat the actual incident. Not to mention they chose to end the episode by making us understand by far how completely super fucked we are, with all these nuclear capable countries with questionable leadership and/or precarious or volatile international relations, as Mickey Mouse walks away into the distance of a nuclear disaster zone while whistling to the sound of a Geiger counter rattling. Man. Ylvis was not playing around here.

Aicha:

Ever since watching the (ancient) “Bongo Party” sketch where Ylvis comment on racism, I’ve been waiting for them to handle heavier subject matter again.

I’m a sucker for social commentary, and I  think they approach heavy topics with a finesse, class and maturity that many comedians lack. For example,  they were able to roast Bieber and Northug without going too far.

This episode was rife with gallows humour and I found myself laughing from beginning to end. Yes it’s a serious topic, but some would argue that a big role of comedy is making hard subjects easier to discuss and digest without going into total despair.

I think this episode does that wonderfully; we’re fundamentally f—ed,  but it’s also pretty absurd at the same time, innit? The ending was sarcastic in a way that makes us reflect about how we deal with these things as a species. We sweep it under the rug and cross our fingers, which is such a ridiculous thing to do when faced with such potential devastation.

8) Do you think the situation was as serious as portrayed, or was there some creative license with the story?

Eve: Well, I think it was serious in the sense that this is the closest we’ve ever been to actually launching a nuclear attack, because it was the only time a nuclear suitcase has ever been opened. But the reports by the interviewees really ramped up the fear factor, and when Ylvis translated that into Yeltsin being yelled at by officers and agonizing over whether to push the button, it was really kind of terrifying. I assumed that was actually how it happened, but with tense talking instead of yelling, and with Mickey Mouse and Ronald McBurgleson not being part of the decision. But I Googled, and the nuclear suitcase, according to Wikipedia, was automatically activated as a result of the alert, not because Yeltsin specifically asked for it. This article from PBS/NOVA (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/military/nuclear-false-alarms.html) sheds a little more light on the situation: The suitcase contains the launch codes AND it “allows the Russian president to communicate with his top military advisers and review the situation online… However, we can be fairly confident that Yeltsin's football showed that Russia was not under attack and that the Russian early-warning system was functioning perfectly.” So in other words, the alert jumped up to the top extremely quickly -- which is necessary if there’s a bomb-lookin’ thing approaching your airspace -- but once they looked at the data, it became clear it was not an attack. So you could say that the system worked as intended, despite the drop in communication from Norway, and the creative license may have been taken by Peter and Pavel and everyone else who speculated about what happened in that room.

Aicha:  I  doubt that generals were standing in front of Yeltsin literally shouting in his face, but I think that was necessary for the story telling.

It’s pretty serious and scary that the Cheget was brought out and opened, regardless of the details!

Robin:SFN is a show in a weird awesome genre which seems to solely exist to take creative license with the accounts of real life situations. There probably was as much yelling as there was caviar chugging at the Northug cabin. I’ve been doing some reading and there seem to be a lot of contradictory accounts of the incident. That said, I’m with Aicha on this one. Regardless of whether there was yelling or just conversation, whether it was a button or an elaborate sequence of codes and communications, whether it was automatic or instigated, whether it involved a dance number or just serious concern, the fact that the world came so close to nuclear war due to a simple miscommunication is actually insane and scary. But hey, this will never ever happen again, right?

9) What did you think of the makeup and costumes?

Eve: Sigh. I’m really not a fan of the overly exaggerated prosthetic faces. They look like Jocelyn Wildenstein and it covers up the subtleties of their acting that I so enjoy. I mean, it would have been cool for them to convey the excitement of the scientists with their faces, the way they do when they talk about CERN or airplanes. Bård as Kolbjørn also looked weirdly like Ted Danson to me, but I will admit they nailed that strange brow ridge that Yeltsin has. And I do like the costumes -- the scientist outfits were dead on with the button-down shirts and Dockers, and the military uniforms looked great. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re really accurate too, unless they just grabbed them out of the closet where they got the “fox” costumes.

Aicha: If this had been a dramatic production, I think the prosthetics are way over the top and would never pass  basic Hollywood standards. Because it’s a comedy, it works.  If anything I just felt bad for the bros because that amount of latex looks really itchy and uncomfortable. The military and bureaucratic uniforms were immaculate and beautiful and I love them. As for Mikhail Mouse, I found the costume unsettling and not at all cute like a real cuddly Mickey Mouse from DisneyLand,  but it fits in context of the episode. Mikhail Mouse looks like he should be an eerie mascot haunting the decrepit abandoned amusement park from Chernobyl - the site of a catastrophic nuclear failure……. Robin: I agree with both of you. I think the over-the-top prosthetics and makeup are part of the comedy and I enjoy watching them. They’re not supposed to look exactly like the people; they’re supposed to look like they “tried” to look like their subject. I also think it’s awesome and hilarious how they always match the interview clothing of the person they’re portraying. That said, I do agree with Eve in that the prosthetics, especially when they’re as heavy as Yeltsin or the Andoya staff, can distract or obscure the facial nuances in their performances.

10) Any other interesting tidbits you’d like to point out from this episode?

Eve: Priscilla!! She turns up briefly, in at least two shots, in the pub at the end.

Robin: I want to sing with Priscilla!! Anyway...as much as I enjoyed the “Friends” reference, I’m just going to point out that Ross and Rachel were not actually together yet on “Friends” when this incident happened in January of 1995. So there’s that. Also, I LOVE the opening frame of the credits, with “Concorde” in the Disney font, and “presented in Nukavision and glorious atomichrome.” These guys, I swear.

Aicha: HA! I was curious as to whether Ylvis would have bothered making sure the “Friends” timeline made sense - thanks for checking Robin! One thing that bothers me slightly is how positively ancient they made Thomassen and Kolbjorn look with the prosthetics. Yes they are old now, but this incident happened 23 years ago! Surely they didn’t look as old then… One thing I liked is how Mikhail Mouse isn’t in the picture frame when he’s standing on the desk. It’s small acts of continuity like this that really sells a production! I also appreciated the diversity of the people present in the Andoya pub. Norway is regarded as being one of the “whitest countries ever”, so it was nice to see Norwegians of many races represented there especially in a scene that drives home the point that big issues like this affect us all.

11) What is your general impression of this episode?

Robin: This episode had teeth and claws, it was amazing and unsettling, and this was probably the blackest humour that I recall seeing from Ylvis. The insanely sharp jab at Russian LGBT discrimination, the “our leaders are intelligent” frame, the hanging legs at the Russian Foreign Affairs office - these guys were not pulling political punches at all. It was both startling and glorious all at once. Then there’s how they chose to end it, with a song whose chorus and upbeat mood completely incongruous to the actual pessimism they were portraying. I loved all of the choices they made in this episode. I’m happy with this.

Eve: This is going to give me (more) nuclear holocaust nightmares. In all honesty, I’m not sure that I thought this was a funny episode. It  was entertaining, and amusing, but I didn’t laugh out loud once, and when people talk about what made them laugh, sometimes I don’t see it. I’m not sure if it’s because of the heavy subject matter or if the humor just didn’t work for me this time, for whatever reason.

Aicha:

It’s such a typical haughty hipster thing to keep saying “I have a dark sense of humour” but I guess there’s no way around it for me! I’m head over heels with this episode, I have watched it on repeat since it came out and find myself loving it more every time. I can’t help but feel like Ylvis has been itching to do heavier subject matter and I think they pull it off extremely well. I don’t necessarily want them to make every single episode like this because it would get too dark over time,  but I’m very happy this one exists.  I love all the creative choices they have made with this one and can’t think of anything else to say!

12) As usual, pick the episode’s MVP.

Eve: Can I say Mikhail Mouse? He’s the one who talked Boris out of pressing the button and saved the world from a nuclear holocaust. In terms of what made the episode work, though, I’ll have to go with Vegard. He’s the one who put all the drama and tension into the episode, from dropping his coffee at the radar screen, to his sped-up useless instructions confusing poor Juri and causing the miscommunication, to his emotional, heroic turn as Yeltsin, defying his military officers and preventing global thermonuclear war.

Aicha:  I’m going to say Vegard because he had a toughie and smashed his face on set. I also really liked the ex-CIA agent, he seemed really passionate about the subject which gave the whole thing some added gravitas.

1. Which was your favourite song?

Eve: This is really hard. There isn’t any one song that grabs me emotionally, although Langrennsfar is pretty catchy, and I have an intellectual appreciation for all of them. Although “You’re Fucked” is an Ylvis masterpiece, I’m gonna have to go with the guardrail song. The whole concept of a living guardrail was completely unexpected and the song is a perfect homage to “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” and the song culminates in one of the funniest moments in the show for me.

Robin: I concur, this is a hard one. Really hard. I love them for such different reasons!  "You're Fucked" is sooo funny and was such a welcome surprise. "Sober" has fantastic vocals and hilarious visuals. But "Langrennsfar" is so insanely catchy and I love it sooo much and I do jumping jacks to it in the morning and I'm going to learn it I swear and...."Langrennsfar" wins.

Laura: I agree, it's so hard because each track is so distinct. More so than in any of the previous episodes, which had a common thread that pulled them all together. If I have to choose I'll pick Guardrail too. It's so beautifully arranged and so disney-esque. The backing vocals work really well. And that's even before we touch upon Vegardrail’s singing...

2. Genres. Homages. Parodies. Tropes. Music. Vocals.  Let’s break this down, song by song.

A - Langrennsfar

Robin: This song is the sh*t and I don't know why because I don't even like this genre of music. It barely registered the first time I heard it, and it just grew and grew on me until I just couldn't get enough of it. It's just so catchy and so FUN.  That said, I'm gonna leave the genre and music discussion to commenters, partly because I don't know much about it and also because I know of "Langrennsfar" essays being written (looking at you, Anna-Maija).

Lyrically - what can I say? It's the perfect Petter Northug anthem. I do love the break in the middle, and I think it's that break that humanizes Petter in all the madness. He's not singing about the party, the girls, the drinking - THEY are. Petter's singing about skiing, his actual first love, and his pride in doing it for Norway.

Lastly, I get serious bro-feels from seeing all three of them on stage dancing together, and "Fukkit gutta, Vi bare kjører på" makes me SNORT laugh every single time.

Laura: okay, so this is an expertly engineered song. What Lars has done is taken every component from all the most memorable ear worms and condensed them all into 2:40 mins, with heavy influence from DJ Broiler. The song even has a millennial woop for Petter’s sake! This is exactly the kind of track I could imagine blaring out of vans during Russ. On a side note, has anyone noticed that aside from Petter, his friend and the band, there were no men in that club? Did they crash a lesbian bar or what?

B - Driving Without Purpose

Eve: This was so short but I just loved the country music style and the ridiculousness of making a song out of the historian’s dry, pointless retelling of where they went. (Or perhaps not so pointless -- I do feel a bit queasy knowing they were out driving all over creation while Northug was so incredibly intoxicated.) I dearly love how their voices sound together and the triumphant finish of “back on the big main roooooooooooooad!” and the little “kutchie-koo” sounds after. The visuals don’t let you get too caught up in the fun, though -- the interspersion of the serious face of the historian and the sickening overhead shots of the car weaving remind you repeatedly that this is A VERY BAD IDEA, what they’re doing.

Robin: It's Bård ELVISåker!! Get it? Get it? Because he's singing like Elvis and his name is Ylv...never mind. The style is 1950s rockabilly; early rock and roll music evolving from a blend of blues and country. Elvis Presley was one of the folks who made this style popular. It's interesting how much country music is in this episode, especially since a stereotypical comment about country is that's it's all about trucks and booze.

Anyway, I'm really impressed by how insanely adaptable Bård's voice is. He sings this like it's just how he's supposed to sound, and he's done that for every song in this series so far. He's a really, really good vocal mimic. It's also hilarious listening to him singing along with himself. It actually sounds like two different people. Fascinating.

Laura: wow, this really evokes memories of the last season of IKMY when Bård sang ‘All shook up’. He absolutely nails these vocals and sounds so authentic and natural. I'm also impressed that they put so much time and attention into a song that you can barely hear in the actual episode. But as mentioned in the first post, they were evidently so inspired by the historian’s retelling that they simply HAD to make this song. In terms of inspiration, it's SO 50s but also reminds me of ‘big black horse and a cherry tree’ by KT Tunstall.

C - Guard Rail

Eve: As I mentioned, I loved this. My musical theater knowledge is spotty, so I was very excited to see the similarity to “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” from Oklahoma! Vegard’s relentless cheerfulness and boundless optimism are hilarious -- “the safest road of them all” / “ Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing is coming my way” -- and yet I DO know what’s coming, which adds a sense of dread to the idyllic scene. I love that it’s in ¾ time just like the Oklahoma! song, and Vegard’s amazing full sound, I believe I hear some yodeling which always makes me think of “The Lonely Goatherd” from “The Sound of Music.” Visually I love how they caught the sun rising behind Vegard and everything has a rosy glow.

Robin: So, confession. I learned "Oh What A Beautiful Morning" from a Canadian kids show (Sharon, Lois and Bram, holler!), I've known it my whole life. And I didn't find out that it was from a musical until this week Eve sent me a clip of Hugh Jackman singing it in Oklahoma!. How shameful is that!?!?

Anyways, man, they really piled on the dramatic irony in this song LOL. It's almost too much. Basically every lyric that Veguardrail sang would be proven wrong by the crash. That said, his happiness and joie de vivre just made his death all the more tragic.

Laura: I'm not familiar with Oklahoma!, so the first thing this song reminded me of was ‘Be my guest’ from beauty and the beast. The upbeat optimism Eve mentions definitely puts me in the mind of Lumiere and the other anthropomorphic furniture from the enchanted castle. Even the strings and accordion took me back to pre-revolution era France. But yep I just love love love this song, for all the reasons mentioned above. It's a weird one, because although we know how it ends, we all can't help but get caught up in Vegardrail’s infectious enthusiasm. So the moment the music ends we feel real emotion. It's tragical.

D - Who Can It Be?

Robin: More country music! We've gone from Elvis to Johnny Cash, contemporaries in country and rock & roll in the late 1950s and onwards. The music itself has a very "Folsom Prison Blues" vibe to it. Vegard and his fellow politimenn did seem very much like an incompetent sheriff and his deputies from an old country and western movie. “In the top of a tree? Hiding like a mole?” Really guys?

The lyrics of the song are hilarious, and I have to thank all the Norwegians who pointed out exactly how all their "clues" pointed directly to Petter Northug, as they kept wondering who it could be. It seemed, though, that they just didn't want to think it was him, because when they finally got the last clue that they couldn't ignore, they lament it. "Oh no, it's he...unfortunately...it must be he."

Laura: Robin that's a really good point. Maybe their apparent incompetence was actually denial. Even when the evidence was staring them straight in the face they still grasped for other clues that could put Petter in the clear (denial, much?). You can almost hear it in the tempo of the song. They speed up in their frantic search for fresh clues, only to slow down again when they finally accept that it was he. Speaking of which, props to Ylvis for Christian for managing to find so many rhymes for ‘be’ at the end.

Eve: I looooove how low they go in this song with “Who can it be?” and “It must be he” at the end. Vegard sounds amazing in any register but it’s fun to hear those rich low tones. The “Before it is too late” line caught my attention -- isn’t that also a line in “Sink the Tower”? Is this going to be the new “greatest _______ of all” that snuck its way into so many of their earlier songs? (We’ve got greatest “henge/state/knot of all” -- am I missing anything?) From a visual standpoint, I loved that from “secret clue” to the end it’s all one long tracking shot -- this is a fun change from the usual quick (too quick!) changes we see in music videos and reminds me of what they did in “Yoghurt”. And finally, I want to mention how much I love Vegard’s hilarious cop walk, leaning forward and swinging his arms with his deliberate steps.

E - You’re Fucked

Laura: This was most unexpected for me. I loved the moment where Petter sees himself reflected in ‘Pete’ in the TV screen, and the whole scene is so rich and atmospheric. The music is so well arranged (a common theme here) and sounds like it's straight out of the old ‘talkies’. The lyrics are top notch and Thea Bay’s choreography is spot on. Interestingly this isn't the first parody of this style that I've seen. This is a lot of parallels with ‘we tapped that ass’ from Crazy ex-girlfriend, which also had two vocalists singing and dancing with glee at the misfortune of another. But Petter deserves to feel thoroughly shit and this song is very effective at driving the moral of the story home HARD.

Robin: I love this song. I love it so much. I played it for my mother and SHE loved this song (and she doesn’t swear!). The song and the video have this 1940s cabaret musical vibe, and I love the partnered dance a la Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire (Thea FTW here). The background harmonies on the song give me serious Baby Ylvis feels, like the boys have revisited their "Ylvis – en kabaret" roots.

Lyrically, I love the incongruence of the lyrics and the music; the music is upbeat major-chord happy 1940's musical music, but the lyrics are thematically pretty dark about "Pete's" situation being hopeless. Then we get "Hitler-in-the-bunker fucked" which is a whole other level of suuuuuch dark humour in an already messed up song (because, you know, Hitler committed suicide in that bunker). I love the lyric repetition psych-out in "fuuuuuundamentally fucked", and "unless you wanna go to jail and get fucked again" is a glorious and hilarious play on the the word, and that was where I laughed hardest in the whole episode.

Vegard had that bartender thing down (sorry we forgot him in the episode post!!) He doesn't pass judgement on the guy, but he just lays down the honest truth. "There should be a moral here, but I'm gonna skip over that and just make sure you understand how very fucked you are." By the end of the song, he and Bård are still treating Pete like a valued guest to the bar, even though they know how bad his actions were.

F - I’m Sober

Robin: This song is what you would get if Richard Marx and Peabo Bryson had a baby that got adopted by Barry Manilow and was babysat by Michael Bolton. Oh my goodness. 1980s soft rock. So much. So very much.

I mean, it has ALL the staples of the genre. The piano intro with the soft vocals, the sudden intro of the drums and guitar, the slight tempo slow down to build up to the key change, the one bar where all the instruments are syncopated, the vocal sustained notes at the top of the song, back to the soft outro...guys, Lars is a genius. He's a freaking genius.

Bård's vocal dynamics in this song are fantastic, and as has been a theme in this show so far, he's really showing off some chops. The earnesty in his vocals make the contrast of the drunkenness even funnier. I love the continued nods to Johnny Cash with "I Walk the Line."

Musically it's a great song, but as has been observed before, the humour in this song comes from the contrast with what's actually happening, and it doesn't stand alone very well. I wonder why they decided to post the song on streaming/download services without the cuts of drunk Petter, especially since they included the documentary interview on "Driving Without Purpose" and the car crash on "Guard Rail."

Laura: as Meka said, this song is a lot less funny when you listen to it without the belligerent drunken ramblings of mr Northug. But as a standalone song its beautiful, earnest and pure. My heart melted at “will you gently touch my hair?” OF COURSE I WILL YOU ARROGANT MAN CHILD!” momentarily, all is forgiven.

G - Ka har æ gjort

Laura: I love that this starts as a reprise of Langrennsfar. It definitely reminds me of when Vegard and Maria Mena performed an emotional stripped-back version of Øl på afterski and I love that they've recycled this particular joke. The opening tinkling piano as Petter sings his quiet lament really tugs on the heartstrings.  Weirdly this part is sung in the third person (“mistet alt han hatt”). This shows a rare moment of vulnerability for Petter; he is self conscious of what people will say about him and there is genuine fear about his future. Then we get that dramatic drum break and Bård’s voice swells with emotion. Vegard and Bjarte catch up with him to carry the acoustic tune (those intense stares and backing vocals, OMG), only to overtake him and vanish. This is highly symbolic way of showing what Petter's old life is over, and he has no control over what happens next.

Robin: The chord structure is the same as "Langrennsfar," just in a different key and musical style, and Vegard/Bjarte's background "ahhhs" are the same melody played by the synth strings in the intro of  "Langrennsfar." I agree with Laura - great reminder of the Maria Mena bit (I still am insanely jealous of her).

Guys, I would pay money to have seen Bård record this in studio. The emotion in his vocals is insane. He sounds like he's half in tears and trying to keep it together just enough to get the words out. I. Would. Pay. Money. To. Watch. That. Session.

I agree with Laura's observation of the symbolism of Vegard and Bjarte catching up, passing and then vanishing, and I would like to add to that. I think that this is also symbolic of Petter's fear of being abandoned by the people and country that have supported him. Petter's not just afraid of losing his whole life. He doesn't know who he is without skiing and without Norway.

In "Langrennsfar", Petter sang of the joy of skiing and how it was his identity, and of the "Norwegian flags in the wind" as he skiis. He's been proud to represent his country. But as he sings in this song, he's afraid Norway is going to hate him now. Then Vegard/Bjarte, the guys singing anthems to him less than 24 hours before, pass him with a giant Norwegian flag in the wind that leaves him behind and disappears, affirming his fears and his loss of self.

H - Non-Ylvis song choices: Morning Has Broken (Cat Stevens); Lent et Doloureux (Erik Satie); Holding Out for a Hero (Bonnie Tyler)

Eve: I saw “Morning Has Broken” in the credits and listened for it on the next watch -- it’s in the scene when Northug flees through the yards in the neighborhood. I’m sure this is a trope that appeared elsewhere before, but I remember it best from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”. It’s an interesting choice following the guardrail song -- it suggests, like that song did, that everything is just fine, when in fact it is not.

Laura: maybe this song has a metaphorical interpretation, as in the morning is broken (ie damaged). After all, it coincides with the interviewees expressing their shock/dismay at Petter. They loved him so much that much like the cops they are waking up to a new side of Petter. Whatever the reason, it's an interesting choice and works so well.  

Holding out for a Hero is such a compelling choice too. It's like Petter Northug is aspiring to win back what he lost and become the hero that Norway needs (in his arrogant mind, at least).

Robin: I really want to talk about "Holding Out For A Hero" because this was such a perfect choice, and I almost died when I heard it. This song has to be one of the most used songs for ironic comedy in film and TV. I have NEVER heard this song used seriously since its original soundtrack appearance in “Footloose.”

I love this song because it's both awesome and cheesy. That synth and piano intro, the crazy drum rolls and crashes, the background vocals - what's not to love! It has this driving energy that really makes you want to be a hero despite yourself. That said, it's also super cheesy and lends itself to comedy a little too well.

My first memory of this song wasn't even Footloose, but a 80s movie called Short Circuit 2, a science-fiction comedy where the song makes an appearance in a scene where a friendly sentient robot gets angry and makes a last ditch effort while he's dying leaking battery fluid to capture a guy who conned and betrayed him. (It's as awesome as it sounds).  

And here’s is how this song has been used through the years. "Who's Harry Crumb" - John Candy comedy. "Shrek 2" - animated comedy. "Nacho Libre" - Jack Black comedy. "Smallville" - cheesy superhero TV show. "Lois and Clark" - even cheesier superhero TV show. This song hasn’t been taken seriously since the 1980s.

So I almost died of laughter and joy when it showed up in an Ylvis show, previewing an episode where Petter Northug is supposed to redeem himself and find the hero within. They could not have picked a more perfect song.

1. What was your favourite moment?

Eve: The moment with the “flute”. I wasn’t thinking, and had no idea what the flute was supposed to represent, so I was laughingly surprised to see that it was the Breathalyzer. And wow, the transformation between the flute and Breathalyzer is astonishing -- Bård completely nails that unfocused stare and delayed reaction time of a very drunk person, while somehow still not looking anything like the way he himself looks when we’ve seen him literally drunk on camera.

Robin: This is a tough question this time, just because there are a few scenes I love for very different reasons. I'm gonna go with the moments after the police knock on the door and Petter is psyching himself up to go answer it. The fear and despair seem almost tangible, and it's amazing and almost uncomfortable to watch.

2. What were the funniest moments for you?

Robin: I have two! First one came when I first saw the video for "Sober." I did NOT see Bård's yelling coming; I started laughing then, and then when he started "I walk the line" I almost fell out of my chair. At work. It was bad. The second is during "You're Fucked" when they sing "unless you wanna go to jail and get fucked again" - I had to pause the video, I was laughing so much.

Eve: I was taking notes and flagging the moments where I laughed out loud, because sometimes after ten  rewatches I can’t remember my first reactions anymore. Apparently I laughed at least a dozen times. After four or so viewings, I still laugh at the entirety of “You’re Fucked,” especially the priceless “jail” line. I am also, despite also internally gagging, laughing at the “I feel fine” section of “I’m sober.” The other one that caused repeat laughing is the matching huge gaping expressions and the loud gasps from Petter Northug and VeGuardrail just before the former hits the latter. It’s a twin moment, and I hope they did it on purpose.

Robin: VEGUARDRAIL!!! Brilliant!

3. How did the documentary interviews contribute to the musical pieces?

Eve: This was a really interesting contrast to the ridiculousness in the videos!! The Northug family historian was SO serious, so gravely serious, and had a look of deep disappointment about Northug’s poor decisions, and it really drove home how fortunate it was that no one was killed in the accident. And then, you know, happy guardrail Vegard gets killed. One moment that I found hysterically funny was the historian describing the route they took in the most dry, un-editorialized tones, and then we’ve got Northug and friend SINGING the directions like they’re singing a drinking song in a bar.

Robin: I am pretty sure that song wouldn’t have even existed if not for that part of the interview. The fact that the biographer actually thought that these were relevant details when describing a DUI; “they went north, then south, then off the small road to the big road.” I just imagine Ylvis and company reviewing the documentary footage and going, “Hva?!?!” They’re definitely making more fun of the biographer than of the actual DUI.

Eve: And isn’t it just SO YLVIS to make a song about something that mundane?!?!

4. Fave Vegard character: Cop-Vegard, Punk-Vegard or VeGuardrail?

Robin: I did not know I needed a punk version of Vegard until I got a punk version of Vegard. I was definitely feeling it...wow. Also, the way he delivered that “Vi bare kjører på!!” line after Bjarte caused a record scratch makes me laugh every single time.

Eve: Punk Vegard gives me great joy, especially the hair and the earring, but I’m gonna have to go with VeGuardrail. He was so unexpected, he’s so HAPPY, and then he’s so hilariously DEAD.

5. Once again we’re blessed with a Bjarte cameo. What did you think?

Eve: I would like to be able to relive that moment I realized the bald bearded guy onstage was Bjarte. That was such a delightful surprise. I found him completely believable in the role; he disappeared into it. This is actually a really plausible look/attitude for Bjarte, somehow, even while being nothing like his “real-life” photos on Instagram. I think they are using him perfectly in these little cameos, like sprinkles on top of a sundae. Wouldn’t be the same without him.

Robin: Bjarte’s verse in the song was just hilarious, and the smirk on his face was golden! Always more Bjarte!!! That said, I think this is a cultural thing, but that bald cap/goatee/tattoo combination would make me (and my melanin) consider crossing the street if he was walking towards me. It’s slightly unnerving.

  6. Let’s discuss Bård’s performance as Petter Northug.

Robin: I don't even know where to start with this freakin' guy. I mean, his work with Geir Byberg was already amazing, and now this...good lord. Bård is phenomenal. Not even that ridiculous nose detracted from his performance.

That unbelievably blank, dead look in Petter's eyes after he blows into the breathalyzer. The intensity of that scene that I mentioned in Question 1, as he practices his greeting and feels the despair, groaning when he thinks of how fundamentally fucked he is. I would PAY MONEY to watch the behind-the-scenes to see how Ole Martin directed Bård here. He is incredible to watch. My appreciation for Bård Ylvisåker is reaching critical mass, you guys.

Eve: Wow, yes, I would love to know about the direction as well. And yes, that moment at the breathalyzer was amazing. In the apartment, though, I remember thinking that they were overdoing it with physical movement (running his hand through his hair, frantic movements, loud sighs), because I think Bård could carried that scene just as well, if not better, just using his facial expressions. He told the whole story just on his face, as the many full close-ups can attest. And in “I’m Sober”, it was striking to see how he came across like two different people.

7. Let’s talk about the accident scene. Any thoughts?

Eve: Immediately after the accident and when the policemen found the car, I did not see any comedy for a moment. I didn’t have the advantage of the translation the first time, and I thought initially that Northug was helping his friend out of the car. I was just horrified to see that he was putting him in the driver’s seat. Even knowing, now, that the friend agreed to it, I am still horrified. With the exception of the constant shots of Vegard, there is nothing funny about the accident itself, and even those shots shots still serve to remind you that someone could have died. And the shots of the one female guardrail post are very serious and sad.

From a comedy standpoint, though, I SO enjoyed the shocked faces of the other guardrail posts, and all of them looking at Northug running away and then back at the accident.

Robin: You took the words right out of my mouth. I've been itching to talk about how they anthropomorphized the guard-rail. Drunk driving is stupid and terrible because it kills people, and Petter was incredibly fucking lucky that he only hit a guardrail and his friend only broke his clavicle. But I imagine it's hard to look at the state of that car after the accident and not wonder, "What if that guardrail had been a person? What if he had hit someone?"  

Ylvis answers this quite literally by making the guardrail a person. VeGuardrail is just another innocent bystander, going about his daily routine quite happily, and here comes a drunk asshole in a car. VeGuardrail dies on the spot, blood dripping from his nose and mouth from all the internal bleeding. His guard-rail friends and family look on helplessly as Petter flees the scene after killing him. His dead face is constantly there, no winking, no comedy, just open-eyes dead.

VeGuardrail is visually funny because, I mean, it's Vegard playing a freaking guardrail post. But to me, anthropomorphizing the guardrail was the single most brilliant part of this episode because it was such dark, black comedy, and I think it was the most important thing they did in telling this story.

8. What are your thoughts on Petter’s arrest scene?

Robin: The interesting thing about that scene going into Sober is that this is alll Petter's drunken perception of what's going on. He had a blood alcohol level of 1.65 but he still somehow thought he could fake being sober enough to answer the door. I thought it was hilarious that Petter thought he was sober and charming his way out of the charge, when he was actually plastered and obnoxious ("I walk the line" KILLS me).

However, reading about the case, I found out that real-life Petter actually told his biographer that he had a pleasant experience in the drunk tank, and got a good mattress and a warm blanket. HVA?! With the blood alcohol level he had, I'm pretty positive that Ylvis' portrayal is likely more accurate than Petter's memory.

Eve: This is Scandinavia, though, and I can imagine their jails are pretty cushy compared to other places. :) It’s not like they have a huge number of violent offenders! So I’m not sure what to think!

The thing I loved about “I’m Sober” is how universal it was. None of it was particularly specific to Northug, except the nice mattress and warm blanket, but if you’ve ever spent any time around drunk people, the denial and the excuse-making and the wobbliness are verrrrry familiar. So perfectly portrayed.

And finally, I have to mention that I laugh every time I see the door open, the music turn deeply ominous, and the policemen lift the bags of “evidence” into the frame. You’re fucked, indeed.

Robin: LOL - I agree, the Scandic countries do have better correctional facilities than we North Americans, but it’s a drunk tank!  Drunk people are drunk people no matter where they are. Unless the police really did make some upgrades for superstar Petter Northug.

9. How do you think Petter Northug was portrayed in this episode?

Eve: Wow. Um… this episode is pretty hard on him. Even in the party scenes, before he does anything dangerous, he still seems like a total douche. I’m very curious to see if he will be redeemed in Part 2.

Robin: Interesting!  I don't think he's a total douche in the beginning at all LOL. He was douchey with his bicep flexing, sure, but still somewhat likeable. I think for me it's because he seemed more appreciative of (rather than entitled to) the adulation he was receiving, and he seemed to be enjoying the party and everyone there. And he seemed so in love with skiiing - it's hard to hate someone for their passion.  That said, this was all until he got hammered.

I think from the return to his house onward, they portrayed him as realistically as they could. They showed him as a man who got intoxicated, made a horrible decision to drive while intoxicated, panicked and made even worse decisions, sobered up to realize the gravity of his situation.

There's nothing redeeming about watching Petter move his injured friend to the wheel, or watching him run away having killed a guardrail. That said, there's also nothing inherently wrong with watching the inevitable regret, seeing him come to terms with his fall from grace and with the weight of his actions on himself and his country. Much like Bieber, they didn't make him sympathetic, but they didn't demonize him either.

10. Drunk driving and comedy are a delicate, tricky combination. How do you think Ylvis handled it?

Robin: I think they did really well, and they straddled that line between gravity and comedy with deftness and creativity. They maintained their humour, but their humour was always directed at Petter, not at what he did. They never at any point made light of the DUI - if anything, they went out of their way to show how serious it was. The aerial shot of what drunk driving actually looks like was a nice touch. The dead guardrail added an extra dose of reality and grimness, even with its inherent humour. They did good.

Eve: I agree on all points, but at the same time, I can see people watching this and being horrified that they went there at all. The scene in the car of them joyriding is a little disturbing. It was realistic though, and they didn’t let you get too lost in the fun by interspersing with the long pauses and serious looks of the family historian. So yeah, most of the humor is separate from the DUI itself and I think they struck a good balance. This is making me wonder what other taboo topics Ylvis could address....

11. Were there any surprising moments or “Only Ylvis!” moments for you?

Eve: Definitely the singing guard rail posts. Who even comes up with that? Ylvis. And the dead guard rail post, with his face pressed into the smashed hood. These are the men who brought us Pie Jesu and 9-11 on Ice (both still in my Top 5), so I really shouldn’t have been so surprised. But I was delighted.

Robin: Everything about “You’re Fucked” was surprising and sooooo Ylvis.

12. Who was this episode’s MVP?

Robin: I’m torn among Bård Ylvisåker’s performance, Ole Martin’s phenomenal direction, and whoever said in their writing sessions “what if the guard rail was a person?”  Since I don’t know who that last person was and the Ylvisåkers will just say “it’s a process” (ugh),  I’m gonna give Bård MVP.

1. Which was your favourite song?

Eve: It's a toss-up between "Tor Kraft" or "Sink the Tower". "Tor Kraft" is just so catchy (and replaying it now in my head, the beat reminds me a little of The Pointer Sisters songs I heard on the radio in the 80s), and I love the backup singers, but "Sink the Tower" is such a perfect parody of that type of song, with the marching beat, minor key, and swelling chorus.

Anna-Maija: Okay, so I love musical theatre. And so quite clearly do Ylvis. They know what they’re doing. I wonder how much of the choices came from what they already knew and how much did they do research. “Tor Kraft” was hands down my favourite song. I love the sounds and I wish I was one of the backing singers.

Robin: While “Tor Kraft” is my jam and I also wish I was one of those singers, I can’t get “Tango Problematique” out of my head. For the past two days, I’ve been walking around work singing, “Hamaaaaaaaar the thiiiiiiiiiiiings I doooooooooo…”

2. How much do the documentary pieces contribute to the theme of the upcoming song?

Eve: My curiosity got the better of me and I started typing the Norsk subtitles into Google Translate. As far as I can tell, this is just straight-up interviewing, and for at least some of the songs, the musical parody is actual exposition; it’s not a dramatization repeating what people said, but stands on its own and the interviews complement it. Tor Kraft, for example, tells us that he’s an architect, and says something about the size of the Eiffel Tower, but the song is our introduction to him and his work. After the song, he appears to be trying to explain why he wanted to put the diving complex in the middle of the lake. And something is lost in Google Translate (they call it a “curtain staircase”), but it kinda makes sense … :) So it’s nice to see that although the songs are poking fun, the interviews are actually giving these people a chance to tell their story.

Robin: You’re amazing, Eve! One of my favourite things in this episode is the interspersion of the documentary clips within “Tango Problematique.” There’s one moment, right before the song reaches its height with Bård’s vocals; there’s a shot of the real Geir. He’s not saying anything, but he’s looking down, and there’s sort of a pained look on his face, like he’s remembering how frustrating it all was and it feels so very real and present to him. I thought that was one of the most brilliant shots in the whole show; for me, it amped up the authenticity and emotion of Bård’s portrayal right after that. I loved it.

Anna-Maija: To answer the question, it’s clear they got the inspiration to the songs from the interviews. For example, the real Kraft talks about how incredibly big and formidable the Eiffel tower is. Cue Bård ringing a huge doorbell… I like how the real people are also portrayed gently but still with humour.

As a professional translator, I couldn’t stand the idea of Eve basing her analysis on Google translate, so here, have a translation of the interviews: http://tinyurl.com/StoriesFromNorway1 :D

Robin: Anna-Maija, you’re the best!!

Genres. Homages. Parodies. Tropes. Music. Vocals.  Let’s break this down, song by song. First:

HAMAR TOWN:

Anna-Maija: This is a classic musical opener song, where a character enthusiastically expresses his/her hopes and dreams, stars in their eyes, full of hope, energy and optimism. The riff in the beginning is almost identical to “Belle” from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”. The entire song to me has a 1990s musical feel, and the chorus also brings to mind the best Eurovision ballads of the 90s. One thing that makes the 90s sound is the way the guitar plays a melody in the background of the chorus.

In the end of the song we hear something that’s only possible (and typical) in musicals and opera: two or more people are “talking” simultaneously, but you can still make out what they say. The council people are singing the verse melody and Bård is singing the chorus melody.

Eve: Doesn’t Bård twirl himself around a lamp post, a la “Singin’ in the Rain”? I also thought the staccato "Beautiful, fantastical, affordable and magical" lyric was a musical theater standby, although sadly I can’t think of a particular song that does it.

Robin: “BELLE!!” That’s what it reminded me of - I’ve been trying to place that for days!! Musical theatre isn’t my strong suit, so it’s sometimes hard for me to make those connections. All I could think of was that it sounds like every other opening song I’ve ever heard.

TOR KRAFT:

Anna-Maija: The first song that came to my mind when I heard this was “Maniac” from “Flashdance”. The genre is quite clearly 80s disco, with both the keyboard sounds and microphone reverb true to the style.

I’m not sure why this genre was selected for “Tor Kraft” - could be that the 80s indulgence and megalomania best express the man whose small cup of coffee is the size of a bucket.

Robin: Agreed, “Tor Kraft” is clearly 80s disco, with the 70s funk style paired with the 80s electronic/synthesized sound. “Maniac” came to my mind also, as well as the 80s work of The Pointer Sisters, Dazz Band and EW&F.

The background vocals on this are so amazing I wanna cry (Ylvis, when are you going to hire me, dammit). I also really love that one random background vocalist doing ad libs. It reminds me of 80s bands like Simply Red & Culture Club, blue-eyed soul bands that used searing black gospel/R&B backing vocals and ad libs for “texture.”

I think the genre reflects Tor’s character. Disco started dying in the late 70s; the 80s version of disco was sort of a last-ditch hold on a rejected, disappearing genre that was being replaced by synthpop, hair metal, and new jack swing. I think they used 80s disco to reflect Tor as being out-of-touch.

Tor, like 80s disco, was holding on to times long gone, further shown by his use of an Etch-a-Sketch, using “gay” as an disparaging adjective, and barking out orders to his black servant/background singer. Those are social faux-pas that you have to be either shameless or clueless to commit in 2008 (I think Tor was a little of both). Just as he was out-of-touch with the times, Tor was completely out-of-touch with what Geir actually wanted and with what Hamar needed.

TANGO PROBLEMATIQUE:

Anna-Maija: Tango is a seductive genre. Here Geir Byberg is seduced by the contractors and maybe even just the idea of a fancy diving board. Just listen to the sexy “sign here, please” whispers - how could Geir resist that? The diving board seduces him with the voice of an exotic woman (with a very peculiar accent that to me doesn’t sound Argentinian, even though that’s what you would expect since tango comes from Argentina but anyway).

Many musicals have used tango (for example Rent and Chicago), but this tango most brings to mind “Roxanne” from the film “Moulin Rouge”. Bård even sounds a bit like Ewan McGregor when he sings his countermelody in the end. I actually think it’s one of his best vocals (although I wasn’t a fan of McGregor’s singing in Moulin Rouge).

Robin: Yours is an interesting perspective, Anna-Maija. I see this so differently! I don’t see Geir being seduced at all; to me, he had a simple dream and at no point did he seem enamored or caught up with what everyone was pushing at him. He always seemed uncomfortable.

Tango is seductive, for sure, but the tango is also a partner dance, with a leader and a follower. The way I see it, this tango got problematique (heh) because the leader, the deputy mayor, couldn’t actually lead. Instead, he followed when he should have been leading. He wasn’t seduced; he was overpowered.

Geir lost control over the project quite early on, and was being dragged in all kinds of directions by everyone involved; architects, project managers, engineers. I think that’s why Geir is dragged off screen behind the dancers, unwillingly following them; by the time he actually tried fighting for Hamar, singing out in desperation, fighting to lead, it was too late.

Musically...holy crow, Bård Ylvisåker. I think that’s the most powerful and strong I’ve ever heard Bård sing. The pleading and desperation that came across in his voice was unreal.

Anna-Maija:  I don’t think we’ve heard Bård sing this high in full voice before, only falsetto. It’s very impressive! Your tango theory makes sense too, Robin.

SINK THE TOWER:

Anna-Maija: Another classic theatre song genre - the fight song, the most famous of which is probably “Can You Hear The People Sing” from “Les Miserables”. However, this fight song reminds me more of “The Mob Song” from, again, “Beauty and the Beast”, with people having dialogue within the song. The main ingredients of your basic fight song are military drums and staccato strings.

Side note: another fan mentioned a Norwegian musical called Which Witch, which ( :D ) apparently had a similar scene. I got interested and did some research. The show did a brief run in the West End in London, and I managed to find a full recording of a performance from 1992 on YouTube. And… let’s just say that I can see why this musical was voted the second worst show in the history of the West End! :D

Robin: What I like most about this song is the dissonance between the music and what’s actually happening by the end of the song. The military drums are supposed to denote purpose, drive, determination, all of which is present in the Riot Coordinator and the mob at the beginning of the song. They are determined to call Geir fat, microwave his cat and cover the diving tower in poop.

By the end of the song, though, the drums are still marching on, but everyone’s determination and commitment has waned. I love how they turned that song on its head that way. Freakin Lars, man.

ALSO - I have to give a shout out to @ihavesomanynotes, who brought this to my attention: the first singer that addresses the Riot Coordinator is lip-syncing to Bård Ylvisåker faking a baritone.

BYBERG’S LAMENT

Anna-Maija: It’s time for the lamenting ballad! It starts with the classic theatre song chord progression trick, where the dominant chord is minor instead of major. It gives the song a very wistful and bittersweet feeling. If you listen to “Someday I’ll Fly Away” from “Moulin Rouge”, you’ll notice the same trick in the beginning of the song.

In this kind of a song especially, the emotion and the acting is more important than singing “correctly” or sounding great, and Bård really goes almost overbård (HA!) with his sniffing and weeping. Which is great.

This song also sounds very 90s. In tone it brings to mind “Lament” from “Evita”, especially the bit where the music stops and Bård sings the last word a cappella and starts weeping. BUT! There is light in the darkest night and God appears like Mufasa in “The Lion King”! The characters speak on top of music - a much used trope in musical theatre, also for example in that scene in “Lion King”. The God in the cloud also reminded me of this scene from the Monty Python film “Holy Grail”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ42IMu7HIQ

Robin: The boys have played with this trope before, with “Ka Kan Eg Gi Deg” in Ylvis III.  At the end of that song, Vegard can’t sing the last word because of his “tears” (about not getting to talk about building legislation). Geir Byberg could have used some building legislation.

Eve: Robin, I almost spat out my tea at that last sentence. LOL!!! I think nobody has mentioned Phantom of the Opera yet, so I’ll mention here that Byberg’s Lament reminded me of Gerard Butler’s Phantom singing “He was bound to love you/When he heard you sing/Christine…” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cstkOZXuVuo) Byberg’s story took a much lighter turn, though.

Robin: Sidenote: I googled Byberg today, and it turns out he’s part of the Christian Democratic Party in Norway. So I guess that’s why he’s getting divine advice from the Most High Himself. Also, “there will be biscuits there” makes me giggle every time.

Anna-Maija: Haha, I fully believe that’s where Ylvis got their inspiration for divine intervention! Vegard ex machina! Anyway, I just came to add that Bård’s loud vibrato note at the end of this song demonstrates what I don’t like in Hugh Jackman’s singing style (in “Les Miserables” for example)!

WE’RE ALL TO BLAME

Anna-Maija: This is a combination of different musical genres, made up a bit like the Finale song of Monty Python’s “Spamalot”, another parody musical. First we get something that sounds like Stephen Sondheim wrote it, like“Sweeney Todd”, with the lower class British accents and the lady with the hag voice, and speech-like singing. The song starts building up slowly. First Byberg is confessing, and the melody goes in minor. Then more people start to take the blame, hope rises and the melody turns to major. The song turns into a more playful tune that brings to mind classic musicals from the 50s and 60s. In the end we get a classic musical ending number of a 40s/50s musical with a full orchestra, repeating some themes from previous songs, in this case “Hamar Town”.

Robin: I am learning so much from you!!  I laughed at that part in the beginning where the girl with the hypernasal voice and exaggerated Cockney-meets-The-Bronx accent sings, “Someone needs to go!”, and everyone just looks at her like “WTF is that voice?” I’ve heard that a lot in musical ensemble numbers (don’t ask me which ones) and I love how they lampshaded it.

I really like how the military marching beat kicks in for the two bars that Mr Riot Coordinator sings. I love that in musicals, when the character’s musical motif shows up in every song he’s in. “Hamilton” does that A LOT (e.g. A-lex-AN-der HA-milton, Aaron Burr - sir, Eliiiiiiiza) and it’s awesome.

Also, I LOVE the ending reprise of Hamar Town.The harmonies on that reprise just make me wanna cry.

1 - What was your favourite moment?

Robin: Can my favourite moment just be Bård? I mean, I’ve watched this episode four times, and I just can’t pick a single moment because I just love everything that he did so much. I’m sticking with that. Bård is my favourite moment. He was marvellous as Geir.

Eve: One of my favorite things about Ylvis is when they veer off track or take things in a completely unexpected (and usually ridiculous) direction, so my favorite moment in this episode was when "Sink the Tower" suddenly switched from a protest song to a song dithering about scheduling. Watching Vegard deflate slightly while still trying to keep the protest spirits up was also fantastic. I also loved when the backup singers appeared out of nowhere in "Tor Kraft", and the way they kept following him around in such a tiny cramped space.

Robin: “Watching Vegard deflate slightly” - YES, that was brilliant! It was so subtle but so real. Vegard nailed this too!

Anna-Maija: The fact that they made a musical. The whole thing. My life is complete. For now, until they make their next thing.

2 - What were the funniest moments for you?

Eve: Oh gosh, I had several laugh-out-loud moments, which delighted me. Most of them were in the Riot Coordinator song, classic Ylvis WTF lyrics: “Can those morons even count?” and “We’ll tell the mayor that he’s fat/And then microwave his cat.” I also laughed when the song abruptly changed (“Excuse me, Mr. Riot Coordinator…”) and at Vegard awkwardly dragging away his podium at the end. Vegard as God repeating “Press conference” in that deep, booming voice also got me.

Robin: I almost died at “you have forgotten who you are!” That got a big belly laugh from me; I could not stop laughing at Vegard/God/Mufasa. I had another belly laugh when God casually brushed his hair away from his face while declaring how rich Norway is - how silly is that?! I also laughed a lot at Vegard dragging his soapbox away, that was pretty funny.

Anna-Maija: I loved the running gag with the huge things in Tor Kraft’s house. First we see the doorbell, which is so weird, you don’t really think it’s a huge doorbell but maybe just some contraption Kraft has designed. But then you gradually realise he just likes big things and treats them like they’re the most normal thing in the world… I love absurd jokes like that.

3 - What did you think of Bard’s portrayal of Geir Byberg?

Robin: (Okay. Deep breath, Robin. Calm centre. No meltdown.) Bård played this role sooooo flawlessly. There was no hint of irony or self-awareness; Bård pretty much disappears into Geir and becomes a wonderfully sympathetic character. And man, the emotional range on that guy. From Geir’s enthusiasm and sincerity when proposing the diving board, to his uncertainty and beginning discomfort at Tor Kraft’s. You can see him gradually lose control, and he looks so lost. Even the way he responds to “God”, the inflections he chooses in his voice. Bård is perfection in this. This is his best performance yet.

Eve: Heartbreaking!! Robin warned me that he was going to make me feel for Geir Byberg, but that scene by the lake where he is crying, before God shows up and shows him the way, was horribly sad. And also funny in its overdramatization, and I wonder what Geir Byberg thinks of that. I also thought Bard did a great job of portraying Geir as being earnest and excited about the project, and agitated and nervous as things go horribly awry. His performance had an such a boyish innocence to it.

Anna-Maija: I also love how he played the character sincerely. How can Bård Ylvisåker turn into someone so ordinary? He was really the straight man in this episode, and Vegard got to play the more eccentric characters. The only time he breaks his realistic performance is when he gives a puzzled look to the camera while visiting Tor Kraft.

4 - Vegard: Tor Kraft or Riot Coordinator?

Anna-Maija: While I’m a big fan of dark curls, enough is enough, Riot Vegard! “Seriously” though, both characters were clearly caricatures, even though Tor Kraft is a real person. I think I do prefer Kraft, because I just loved all the gags with oversized things as a representation of his megalomania. Even his name is so grandiose (Tor = Thor, Kraft = Power) and punchy - it would be suited to a Norwegian superhero! Also, Vegard is very cute as a geezer.

Eve: Riot Coordinator. As much as I like Tor's little hip thrust, and although I thought Vegard's choppy, perfectly-accented singing style there was fantastic, I think Vegard is perfectly suited to that march-to-battle intensity, and he did a good job showing the uncertain moments as well. And on a shallow note, that mullet-y hair and sideburns. I enjoyed those.

Robin: I gotta go with Tor Kraft. He is ADORABLE when he shows up to the press conference! Plus I love the difference between how Vegard plays Tor Kraft in all his pomposity at his house, and how he plays him all penitent and bashful at the press conference. Stellar work.

5 - What do you think of the opening vignette?

Eve: I REALLY love this. I was lucky enough to see it for the first time with another Ylvis fan who happened to be in town, which makes it extra special, but I find the music and visuals very compelling and I have a tendency to watch it 2-3 times before starting an episode. I love the stunning Norway scenery, the way the scenes change with the music, I love them doing their goofy IKMY-opener style dancing, and that one shot of them doing the arm moves through a break in snow-covered trees is a visual treat. But it’s the shot on the ferry that really takes my breath away -- the ferry moving, the snowy mountains in the background, the way the music ratchets up a notch and the brothers moving with the music and the ferry. It’s dizzying, in a wonderful way. Excuse me while I go watch it again....

Robin: I love this too!! First of all, I love the classical crossover music. I love how it starts off with this sort of ethereal sound, matching the vistas. Then the bass, the strings, and it becomes more and more melodic over the stunning scenery. I really, really love the ice caverns they were in. Then there’s the guys, and their simple yet intense dance (A+ Bård head tossing). I only wish there was more unobscured Bård solo dancing, and my obsession with symmetry can’t unsee Vegard’s malfunctioning right shoulder piping.

Anna-Maija: It’s beautiful and stunning! The music is so epic! I also love the scene on the ferry the most. I wish it was longer!

6 - What did you think of the storytelling?

Robin: I really like that they chose to tell a story in which there is no single villain. It’s easy, in politics, to make one person the fall guy. However, instead, Ylvis chose to make it clear that everyone had a hand in the mess. With Bård and everyone playing it straight with no winking to the camera, no one is the butt of the joke, and Geir’s sincerity takes center stage.

My other favourite thing was the motif of the diving board drawing. That little piece of paper grounded the whole story. I love that it was stuck next to Geir’s mirror, suggesting that the simplicity of that diving board partly reflects who Geir is, as well as what he wanted. When he brought it out all crumpled during “Byberg’s Lament,” it made Geir’s plight seem all the more tragic.

Eve: That is an excellent observation, about how they didn’t have a single villain. I liked how they handled the snowballing of the problem, starting with a bit of unease with Tor Kraft, to the siren call of the engineers, to the loud angry mob, building a crescendo to a peak after which Geir breaks down. And then his slow and tentative rebuild to sharing the blame and the community coming together for a happy ending. It was very well done. And honestly, I hope this episode brings Hamar a lot of tourist dollars to make up for the expense. :)

Robin: Hell, I wanna go to Hamar now and I can’t even swim, much less dive!

Anna-Maija: This is going a bit technical, but: the whole diving tower incident has the classic 3 act story structure. 1. Set up: Byberg suggests building a diving board to Hamar and the council agrees. 2. Confrontation - obstacles climaxing in a disaster: The costs keep rising, the townsfolk resist and finally a storm almost sinks the unfinished diving tower rising the costs to an ultimate high. Byberg is desperate. 3. Resolution: God appears to Byberg (ok this MAY not have happened in real life) and tells him what to do. He admits guilt, and so does everyone. A happy ending is wrapped up with footage from the opening of the new diving tower.

One of my favourite features of Ylvis’ comedy is that it’s so positive and gentle. They don’t need to trash people to be funny. Here again they make the people they portray very sympathetic, and I love how everyone takes the blame in the end.

In musicals, songs primarily have one of two jobs: they either further the action or they express the emotions or inner thoughts of characters. As for the songs in this episode, I would say that all songs bring the plot forward, with more focus on Byberg’s inner thoughts in Tango Problematique and Byberg’s Lament.

I just noticed that in the finale song, the room looks quite cold and gloomy, but once it’s evident that they’re all in this together, the sun starts shining. Subtle! I also love the 80s style freeze frame at the end of the song.

A Ylvis fan trip to Hamar - someone organise this please!

Robin: If we go to Hamar, you KNOW I’m getting on that diving board and singing at the top of my voice: “Hamaaaaaaar the thiiiiiiings I doooooooooo…”  This is now a new goal in life.

7 - Did you catch any callbacks to earlier work or Ylvis-specific in-jokes?

Eve: One thing I was particularly amused to see was the giant spoons in the Tor Kraft segment. Vegard posted a photo on Instagram a long time ago (April 17, 2014, if you’re counting) of himself trying to eat a sausage with giant utensils. Do they just collect weird stuff and then find a way to work it into their videos? Also, it’s not a coincidence that Tor Kraft’s doorbell looks like a boob (recalling the copper on the wall in “The Cabin”), is it? Also, Geir doing a funny little awkward Ylvis run as he rushes off to the press conference.

Robin: I didn’t notice any in-jokes (on 4 views), but I do think that they played this as straight as they could, and any overt references to their past work would have detracted from the story as they wanted to tell it.

Anna-Maija: I finally came up with one! The deadpan look Bård gives to the camera at Tor Kraft’s place is very similar to his reaction to Asian kissing techniques in “Language of Love”.

8 - Any critiques? Was there anything that didn’t work for you?

Robin: I’ve watched it three times looking for something to be negative about, but honestly, there wasn’t a single thing that didn’t work for me. These guys have outdone themselves. Christian, Lars, Bård, Vegard and Ole Martin; they’ve struck gold with this.

Eve: I threw in this question because the reviews I saw were dice 5 of 6 so I figured there must be something off somewhere. But I'm not thinking of any complaints off the top of my head. I wondered if the humor might be a bit diluted, because they're cramming six songs into a single episode and we're used to them pouring a lot of creativity into a single music video. Maybe the laugh-out-loud lines are a bit more spread out this way, but the production and attention to detail are as high as we've come to expect from Ylvis. Was it Roger Ebert who judged movies by "Does this work achieve what it set out to be?" In that sense, "Stories from Norway" is a resounding success.

Anna-Maija: Lipsync in “Bybergs Lament” was not perfect. The subtitles didn’t have proper punctuation. Yeah, it was pretty flawless...

9 - Bard’s facial hair - real or fake?

Eve: Oh, pfft, there’s no way that’s real.

Robin: Not unless the entire two years of planning this show included growing this beard.

Anna-Maija: :D :D Agreed!

10 - Which character had the best costuming/makeup job?

Eve: God. For sure. He looked majestic.

Robin: I gotta go with Tor Kraft. Those chubby cheeks on Vegard are just adoooooorable.

Anna-Maija: Vegard is going to be such a cute grandpa! I also loved how Kraft’s eyes went all white when he was channelling his idea on the Etch-A-Sketch.

Eve: That was CREEPY! Although I was amused at how he seemed kinda surprised that it had worked.

11 - Who was this episode’s MVP?

Eve: It’s really a tie. Bård’s multifaceted portrayal of Geir was a joy to watch, and he put the heart into the story, but Vegard stole every scene he was in. “Pressss confferrenccceeee.” I’m still laughing. It’s so good to have them back!! I do want to throw in an honorable mention for the other singers in “Sink the Tower”. That approving nod from the Bikram Yoga lately after “We will cover the tower in shit” makes me laugh every time.

Robin: The onscreen MVP is definitely Bård for his superlative acting, for bringing his best vocals, and for making me care about a Norwegian deputy mayor I’d never heard of before Monday. That said, the REAL MVP award should go to Ole Martin Hafsmo. Everything in this episode was executed flawlessly and you have to give props to the man for that. Also, his direction undoubtedly helped bring that stellar performance out of Bård.

Anna-Maija: I’m also finding it hard to choose one MVP. Both Bård and Vegard had their role(s) to play and they succeeded in their tasks. I’d like to add writer Christian Lochstoer and definitely composer Lars Devik to the MVP category. What a dream team those five guys make! OMG I almost forgot choreographer Thea Bay!