Best For: Fans of “problem characters”; Gangster sympathizers; Comedic drama-philes
Lilyhammer is your next best binge. The story centres around Frank Tagliano, an infamous New York mobster turned confidential informant. Tagliano enters witness protection and begins a new life in the small town of Lillehammer, Norway. However, he finds it difficult to turn over a new leaf and leave his gangster tendencies behind, so he starts corrupting the pleasant town.
With three fantastic seasons of 40–50-minute episodes, the show has enough content to make it worth your while, but is short enough to finish in a weekend or two. Starring Steven Van Zandt, Lilyhammer almost felt like an unofficial sequel to The Sopranos.
Lilyhammer employs a balance of humour and dark storytelling. This balance makes it easy to consume quickly; it isn’t heavy enough to bring you down, nor light enough to get boring or repetitive. It has plenty of twists that keep you thinking, but it isn’t so action-packed that you can’t relax while watching it. The characters are loveable, hate-able, and sometimes both. The writing and direction are stellar — it feels like you’re there with Tagliano, in the biting cold of Norway. It’s the perfect show to binge, but you’ll definitely want to grab a blanket, and maybe some cocoa.
Lilyhammer is available on Netflix and Prime Video.
