Swedish drama Agent Hamilton first came to us with quiet confidence, overshadowed by the likes of such hit series as French spy thriller, The Bureau. But now, it is time to put Carl Hamilton, played by Norwegian actor Jakob Oftebro, front and centre.
Agent Hamilton adapts the Carl Hamilton novels by Swedish author Jan Guillou. Our man is an elite US Navy Seals-trained secret service agent, and in season 1, he was brought home from the US to help diffuse a series of cyber attacks orchestrated to bring about a new Cold War, and made plenty of friends and enemies along the way.
Now, we welcome season 2, and it’s a generous offering. Two episodes cover off a complete storyline, so over the eight episodes we’re in effect given four mini seasons. We’ll take it!
Agent Hamilton, while not presenting undercover agents, could still be fairly called The Bureau-esque in premise: Swedish secret service agents take on classified missions in international territories, and mostly can’t reveal their activities onshore. To say their personal lives suffer as a result is a gross understatement.
Also like The Bureau, former agent now Commander Carl Hamilton has confidence to burn, but his ego is firmly in check. His stubbly everyman exterior and calm, cool and collected approach to his wildly dangerous day job in which he adeptly thumps or executes combatants, conceal deep waters running within, ramping up his attractiveness exponentially (a la Mathieu Kassovitz as The Bureau’s Guillaume/Paul/Malotru).
Jakob Oftebro as the titular Hamilton is somewhat more unassuming, though. Oftebro somehow manages to be relatable despite his very long list of handy skills in taking whatever drastic action is required, yet barely breaking a sweat in the process.
Nina Zanjani as Kristin Ek with Jakob Oftebro as Carl Hamilton in season 2 of ‘Agent Hamilton’. Source: Johannes Andersson/Beta Film
In season 1, we got to know Carl through his childhood grief from losing his little brother, and how that pain manifests in his unwavering dedication to his missions. It’s present in the way he seems completely unaffected by the violence he’s required to enact as part of his day job, the calmness under immense pressure, the rich use of precious minutes to save a life, oftentimes his own.
It’s there in the way he’s trained to hold his breath under water and keep his equilibrium when thrown into wildly precarious predicaments. We adore him for it. For funnelling his grief and pain into this work that we need people to perform but wouldn’t come close to being able to do ourselves. He’s our hero and we’re proud of him, thankful for him.
The quietly confident and skilful Hamilton (Jakob Oftebro). Source: Johannes Andersson/Beta Film
So when, at the start of season 2, we see him in love, we cheer for the future he envisions with his new partner Lykke (Felice Jankell) by his side. But how on earth can their relationship survive the storm of necessary secrecy, at Carl’s having to pause his personal life and take off at a moment’s notice? Not to mention the possibility that he may never come back. The life of a commander is not exactly the ‘Honey, I’m home’ kind.
Here’s a brief rundown of the four stories of season 2.
Story 1 – episodes 1 and 2 – ‘Reset’
Kristin (Nina Zanjani) with Jacques Conrad (Xavier Le-maître). Source: Johannes Andersson/Beta Film
Story 2 – episodes 3 and 4 – ‘Need to Know’
Sent to investigate potential espionage involving a space project, Hamilton ends up discovering some dirty deals back down on Earth, as top secret weapons materials are going missing, putting the European Parliament in Brussels under threat of attack.
Domagoj Mrkonjic as Frano Xenakis, who appears in episodes 3 and 4. Source: Johannes Andersson/Beta Film
Story 3 – episodes 5 and 6 – ‘Shadow World’
Involving international arms dealing and extremely sensitive research on the production of biological weapons, the stakes are ramped up good and high in this mission to save a large population from an explosive demise.
Story 4 – episodes 7 and 8 – ‘The Reckoning’
Hamilton’s mission here is to investigate the murder by unknown assassins of a Swedish diplomat in Europe. Hamilton soon finds himself in danger, rescued by a woman belonging to a militant group of environmental activists. He dives undercover to track down the killers and figure out how one of Europe’s largest oil refineries is involved in the bloody mess.
While the four stories are stand-alone, the threads of constancy alongside Hamilton are Kristin and Birger (Jörgen Thorsson), who provides the rock solid tech support we can only dream about.
Kristin is cool as a cucumber as always, but we’re able to chip away her exterior to reveal the depth of pain she’s feeling too. And Birger is promoted, his tech prowess making him as indispensable as ever this season. He’s given a little more time on the field too, which unsettles him, to say the least. While it’s odd seeing him outside and shoulders back, rather than crouched over in a dark room in front of multiple screens, it’s heartening to see him push through his clear discomfort to get the job done, endearing him to us even more.
Another running theme is the benefit of international cooperation. Here, we again meet agents from all over Europe and the US, working together to keep our world on an even keel, albeit having to wade through a mire of figuring out who is trustworthy.
The rock solid Birger (Jörgen Thorsson). Source: Johannes Andersson/Beta Film
In an interview about season 1, the benefit of filming on location and having the finger somewhat uncannily on the pulse of real events. Those elements add layers of authenticity to Hamilton, the oft-adapted character from the novels by Jan Guillou and the modern-day environment he inhabits in this TV version.
With its new look mini movie-style offering, season 2 promises even more than the scintillating first season. Agent Hamilton might not have the open adoration wisely afforded to The Bureau but it certainly deserves it.
Or dive into season 2:
