The Minister (Ráðherrann) is an Icelandic political drama about Benedikt who just became Iceland’s new prime minister. Over the course of 8 episodes in Season 1, we witness how he ‘leads’ the country and the ways to make a change to things he believe is right.
I’ve got to say, I first heard of this show over on Reykjavik Grapevine and I was curious and yet willing to give it a shot. And the fact that it’s on SBS OnDemand made it more accessible for me to view it as… and I don’t know if you know… region lock is a pain in the ass.
First Impressions
Just the general plot description was interesting enough. I was talking about it with my friends as they know my interest in diving to Icelandic media (outside of LazyTown) and they commented this:
sounds like Mayor Meanswell let himself go
Funny they should say that since Benedikt is somewhat like a darker character in comparison to Milford. They both have similar hobbies in regards to planting and want to do go in politics.
Episode 1 is such a great opener as it shows what kind of politician Beneditkt wants to be. He formed a coalition and encourages Iceland to have fate in their leaders. Meanwhile, the opposition thinks he’s crazy but the fact that Iceland loves him means that they have to plot in the sidelines or else it will affect how the public view them or their party.
Also, I just found out that Ólafur Darri Ólafsson also starred in the Eurovision Song Contest: Story of Fire Saga as Neils Brongus – the head of RUV. So seeing the contrast of acting between his comedic and dramatic roles is quite fun to watch.
The General Gist
The first few episodes start off really well. It showcases how Benedikt wants to be a different type of prime minister. He wants to be a good man who can change the country. And the fact people like him as a leader, even begging him to break his promise of the ‘90% of the registered voter population must vote for him to take the position’.
But later on, we see him make some decisions that seem rash or just do things on his own without thinking about the law and its consequences. What first starts off as him trying to make change turns into a giant political fiasco with procedures and rules being broken.
Eventually, we go down the rabbit hole into Benedikt’s mentality and we slowly learn that he has Bipolar Disorder. From there, we see how his condition takes effect on his decision making and his life.
Eventually, he has to decide if he should hide his condition and still be prime minister or tell the truth. At the same time, he has to deal with his political opponents and the media trying to out him of his condition and end his career.
Politicians and the media
The show likes to ask you this – Who is more powerful? The media or the politicians? As the relationship between the two are seen throughout the show.
The first example is Benedikt and his wife Steinunn – who is like the Editor in Chief in one of Iceland’s media companies. Another is Hrefna – the PM’s aid and Ottar – a journalist. At first, it seems wholesome and that ‘nothing will go wrong’ but later on, you see the power balance and trust issues come into play.
The influence of family and loved ones
It’s not just the media/politician relationship dynamic that has got me interested but also the influence of family. You also have the influence of family members, who may either affect how you do politics in the country or just who to trust. Steinunn’s dad is in a political party opposed to Benedikt. Also, there is Benedikt’s dad who works for the church.
Usually in politics, you can’t be a politician if you or family members may cause conflicts of interest. And this also has to be disclosed by an independent body of power.
Discussion of political issues
Each episode also discusses various political issues that I assume relates to current Icelandic issues. Some of them are:
- State and Religion
- Environment
- Pork Barrelling
- Defamation
- Refugees
- Health Workers
- Currency (Euro vs Krona)
- European Union
Just to name a few….
If there is one thing I’d like to praise, it’s that this show made me understand what pork-barreling is in under 30 minutes. I say this because Gladys Berejiklian – The Premier of NSW – thinks that pork barrelling isn’t illegal!!! Hence me not fully understanding what it is. I got a small grasp on it as I did write an essay about it for university one time… and also FriendlyJordies but it’s just a general idea.
But anywho – I just enjoyed how they try to take on issues that a lot of people may be either be passionate about or is an actual issue in the country a theme each episode. The amount of pressure that Benedikt faces during his time as leader when facing these issues also made an impact on his mental condition and how the other politicians view his actions.
Grimur – A character to love or hate in The Minister
Grimur is really interesting as you can’t tell if you’re supposed to love or hate him. For starters, he cheated on Hrefna IN EPISODE 1. And him conspiring with Benedikt’s opposition just makes you want to hate on him more. And of course, there is a reason for him to do so. Benedikt made him speaker of the Alþing (Althing) rather than a minister and gave it to Eggert (literally Benedikt’s opposition).
But later on, you may think he wants to betray Benedikt and hurt Hrefna but he’s just doing whatever he can to obtain power and NOT hurt Hrefna and Benedikt. He even devised a plan to make sure that when Benedikt he doesn’t have to publicize his illness if Benedikt does give his power to him.
Overall… he’s doing whatever it takes to get power without hurting people.
Final Thoughts on The Minister
The main blurb of The Minister is ‘a politician who’s losing grip with reality‘. I don’t know if bipolar disorder counts but I’m not a mental health expert so I won’t comment on that. But the idea of a Prime Minister with a secret mental health condition that slowly comes to light as the show progresses is really fascinating and interesting to watch. You want to root for him, show that he can be a good person despite his condition. But in the end, he’ll need to choose what is right for the country.
This show is good in addressing political issues that are popular not only in Iceland but also in other parts of the world. It also showcases that not all things in politics can be done easily and there are rules and procedures. It’s basically a giant bowl of law vs ethics.
I recommend watching this show as you will be sucked in the rabbit hole of Benedikt’s political career and mental health. It tackles political issues in an interesting light and show that everything is easier said than done.
I hope there won’t be a 2nd season as season 1 on is one is just perfect. Add more to this and you’re just pushing it.
The Minister can be viewed on SBS OnDemand in Australia until 2022.
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