In ‘Love & Anarchy’ season 2, Sofie tackles a new opportunity amidst a crisis and makes abrupt decisions while simultaneously excelling at her new job. It is currently streaming on Netflix.
Story
Sofie, after her divorce, tackles a new position at Lund & Lagerstedt. She buys a new apartment, which turns out to be too small to fit in her two children, which infuriates her ex-husband.
Things between her and Max seem to be going well as their relationship is hidden from the world.
Soon after, she receives a shocking news — her father committing suicide — and she comes to an abrupt decision about her relationship with Max.
As she struggles to cope with her father’s sudden death, Max gets into a relationship with Caroline. Meanwhile, Friedrich gets his own imprint and his first author is Vivianne Ivarsen, who later creates two flings within the office itself.
Denise’s backstory is developed and her sexuality is established early on in this season, which she is not completely in tune with. Due to her insecurities, Vivianne’s final book chapter infuriates her and she takes action against her.
Sofie soon deals with her grief and hallucinations and tries to win Max back, who dares her to do something different to make him believe she actually wants him.
Performances
Ida Engvoll, the protagonist – Sofie, displayed the role of a struggling mother with much passion as evident in her grieving scenes, while Björn Mosten – Max – subtly portrayed the role of the neighbourhood friend making the best use of his facial expressions.
Albeit their lack of chemistry, Ida and Björn played the role of a couple passionately with their body language, giving their characters the right amount of limelight.
Reine Brynolfsson, playing the role of Friedrich, accurately depicts the shift that his character goes through: beginning the series as the house’s stodgy old-guard to having softened around the edges.
Björn Kjellman – Ronny – portrays his vulnerability to go with the certain biographical detail, playing the comic relief in the web series.
Gizem Erdogan, who plays Denise, gets her deserving separate story away from the office, giving us her sensual and queer performance.
There seems to be a great unspoken chemistry between the actors themselves.
Positives
Love & Anarchy is especially good at capturing what makes the foundation for the best romantic comedies: the moments where a character has to decide to commit or back off.
It swings between genuine, chaotic playfulness and sincere, tearful emotion, making it more unpredictable and enjoyable.
Part of the thrill of Love & Anarchy is that the characters at the heart of it often seem surprised in the same way as it is portrayed to the viewers.
Negatives
Though the main plot builds on their relationship, the chemistry between the main characters — Max and Sofie — seems extremely superficial.
The sudden death of Sofie’s father appears to be a manipulative turn of events as the plot otherwise would not have much to be taken seriously.
Verdict
Love & Anarchy season 2 is conscious of the imbalances at play, given the age difference between Max and Sofie. Every new escalation of their feelings for each other goes hand in hand with a real sense of danger, even if the show does not always pause to let these potential consequences sink in.
It especially explores the other characters as well. The web series takes the formula it established in its first seasons and shakes it up, sending the show in an interesting new direction that keeps the spirit of its first season intact.
Rating: 3.5/5
Also Read: Love & Anarchy season 2 summary and ending explained