Steven Van Zandt plays a New York gangster who testifies against his Mafia boss, enters the Witness Protection Program, and demands an unusual assignment: he wants to be set up in the Norwegian small town of Lillehammer, which he calls Lilyhammer. That premise alone tells you what kind of show this is. It is a crime comedy-drama, and it knows exactly what it is doing from the first scene.
“Lilyhammer” premiered on Norwegian NRK1 on 25 January 2012, drawing a record audience of 998,000 viewers — one fifth of Norway’s population. Netflix launched the series in North America on 6 February 2012, making it “the first time Netflix offered exclusive content.” All eight episodes were available for streaming in full on the service from day one. The show ran for three seasons, ending with its final episode on 17 December 2014.
On 22 July 2015, Van Zandt posted on Twitter that the series had been cancelled. The following day, Netflix confirmed they were pulling out. The show never got a fourth season.
The Fixer’s New Life
Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano is a former underboss in a New York organized crime family. He enters the witness protection program and moves to Norway with a new identity. His American nickname follows him everywhere, and so does his instinct for trouble.
Tagliano’s demand for Lillehammer is the engine of the show. He wants a quiet life, away from the mob. What he gets is a town that does not understand him and a government that treats him like a project. The contrast between the fixer and the fixer-in-exile is the whole joke.
The Town That Calls Itself Lilyhammer
The series takes its title from Tagliano’s dog, Lily, who is killed in the first episode during an attempt on Tagliano’s life. The spelling also references how Tagliano and other Americans pronounce the town’s name. Lilyhammer is a nickname, a joke, and a warning. The show never lets you forget why the name fits.
The town itself is the star. It is isolated, small, and unprepared for a man with Tagliano’s history. The bureaucrats who run the welfare system treat him like a case file. The locals treat him like a curiosity. Only a few people see him as a threat.
A Cast Built Around Van Zandt
The supporting cast is built around Tagliano’s relationships in the town. Torgeir Lien is his friend and business partner, a former competitive ski-jumper who had aspirations during the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer. Johnny meets the now-unemployed Torgeir in a training program for job-seekers offered by the state welfare agency.
Roar Lien is a local taxi driver and Torgeir’s brother. Sigrid Haugli is a Norwegian language teacher who has recently moved back from Oslo with her young son to live with her father Sylfest Haugli on the family farm. Sigrid’s son Jonas Haugli rounds out the family unit.
Fridtjov Såheim plays NAV worker Jan Johansen, a social worker at the state welfare agency assigned to help Johnny adjust to life as an immigrant in Norway. Jan is a by-the-book bureaucratic stickler who particularly enjoys coming up with cultural activities to help acclimatize new immigrants to living in Norway.
“The first time Netflix offered exclusive content.”
The Biker Gang That Runs the Show
Roy “Fingern” Aass is the owner of a tattoo parlor and leader of a local outlaw biker gang involved in trafficking contraband as well as other illegal activities. Arne is a large and imposing member of Roy’s biker gang. Dag Solstad is an employee of the local office of the automobile authority who is assigned to be Johnny’s driving instructor.
It is of surprise to most of the locals that short and round Dag has a tall, beautiful wife, Yvonne Solstad. Lensmann Laila Hovland is the chief of police and Johnny’s next-door neighbor. She represents the law, and she watches him closely.
Comedy and Crime in the Same Frame
The show is a crime comedy-drama, and it earns both labels. The humor comes from Tagliano’s inability to fit in. He tries to start a business that fails spectacularly. He misunderstands local customs and gets into scrapes that would never happen in New York.
The crime side is darker. The attempt on Tagliano’s life in the first episode sets the tone. Roy’s biker gang is not friendly. The mob is not forgotten. Tagliano is still marked, even in a town that calls itself Lilyhammer.
The Sopranos Parallel
Van Zandt’s character Frank Tagliano draws parallels with his character Silvio Dante from the HBO series “The Sopranos.” They are meant to be different, but most traits are the same between the two. The comparison is useful because it shows how “Lilyhammer” is a spin-off of sorts, a chance for Van Zandt to play a version of a character he has played before.
The show does not waste time establishing the fixer’s background. You know everything you need to know about Tagliano within the first episode. He is loyal, clever, and completely out of his depth.
A Short Run, a Quick End
Three seasons is a modest run for a show of this scale. The cancellation came quickly. Van Zandt announced it on Twitter, and Netflix confirmed it the next day. The show did not get a slow death. It got a quick one, and the fans knew it was gone.
Our View of Lilyhammer
“Lilyhammer” is a sharp, funny, and occasionally dark show about a man who cannot escape his past, even when he tries to hide. It is a crime comedy-drama that respects both genres. The humor lands because the crime is real. The crime works because the comedy keeps the tension light.
The show is not perfect. The pacing can feel uneven in places, but the strongest moments belong to the lead performance and the supporting cast. The best episodes are strong enough to stand with the show’s best work.
The show also benefits from a strong lead performance from Van Zandt. He plays Tagliano with warmth and menace in equal measure. He is a fixer, and he fixes things with his mouth and his fists. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent, especially Steinar Sagen as Roar Lien and Marian Saastad Ottesen as Sigrid Haugli.
The Final Word
“Lilyhammer” is a show about a man who cannot stop being who he is. Tagliano tries to leave the mob behind, but the mob leaves a mark. The show is about the difficulty of starting over, and it is very funny about it.
It is a show worth watching for anyone who enjoys crime dramas with a sense of humor. It is a show worth remembering for anyone who cares about the history of streaming television. Netflix offered exclusive content for the first time with this show.
Score: 7.3 of 10.
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