Below the Surface (TV series)

Below the Surface (Gidseltagningen) is a Danish action hostage thriller drama television series, written and directed by Kasper Barfoed, that was based upon an idea of Adam Price and Søren Sveistrup. The first eight-part series focuses on an act of terrorism committed on the Copenhagen Metro, where fifteen people are taken hostage. Former soldier Philip Nørgaard (Johannes Lassen), who is head of the PET Terror Task Force (TTF), tries to save the hostages with help from members of his elite team. TTF members are portrayed by Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Alexandre Willaume, Flemming Enevold, Esben Dalgaard Andersen, Peder Thomas Pedersen and Kenneth M. Christensen.

The basis for the series was adapted from a series of conversations between Barfoed and Danish photographer Daniel Rye, who lived as a hostage within the terrorist organisation of Islamic State in Syria for more than a year. In Germany, the series is known as Countdown Kopenhagen.

On 2 April 2017, the series premiered in Denmark on Kanal 5, and was released on DVD in Germany on 19 October 2017. In the United Kingdom, BBC4 broadcast the first four episodes during March 2018. The BBC pulled the series from their schedule for 24 March only following the terrorist attack in Carcassonne and continued on 31 March. The second season premiered on 26 March 2019 in Denmark. Lassen and his cast mates, except Ditlevsen, reprise their roles as TTF members, which deal with the Elsinore–Helsingborg ferry hijacking by four Islamic terrorists. Hijackers are after foreign fighter June al-Baqee (Yasmin Mahmoud) with Philip as a fellow passenger-hostage.

Plot summary
In Series 1, 15 people are held hostage in a subway train. A police terror taskforce led by former-Jaeger Corps soldier Philip Norgaard (Johannes Lassen) and Louise Falk (Sara Hjort Ditlevsen) is dispatched to rescue them. Meanwhile, reporter Naja Toft (Paprika Steen) acts as a go-between with the hostages and police. As the media frenzy takes hold, the country becomes divided on whether to negotiate with the terrorists or not.

In Series 2, anti-ISIS fighter June al-Baqee (Yasmin Mahmoud) is kidnapped after alerting Philip that Danish soldiers were killed in Syria. Despite being on leave from work, Philip follows June onto a Sweden-bound ferry, where her kidnappers take passengers and crew hostage. Philip contacts the taskforce and updates them on the situation. The criminals order the ferry to stop, when they learn police await them in Sweden. June escapes and hides on board, while Philip tries to find her before the kidnappers do.

Cast and characters

 * Johannes Lassen as Philip Nørgaard: Henning's son, former Jaeger Corps soldier, held hostage by Islamic forces, becomes head of Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET's) Terror Task Force (TTF); Louise's former love interest, becomes Beate's domestic partner
 * Alexandre Willaume as "SP" (Steen Per) Byager: TTF member, leads major investigations
 * Flemming Enevold as Hans Hejndorf: PET supervisor, takes over TTF leadership
 * Esben Dalgaard Andersen as Esben Garnov: TTF negotiator, later leader
 * Peder Thomas Pedersen as Simon Clausen: TTF member, generally works with SP
 * Kenneth M. Christensen as Daniel Cramer: TTF member, lead strike force squads
 * Kasper Leisner as Ebbe Moller: Ministry of Justice, minister's assistant, TTF liaison
 * Henning Jensen (actor) as Henning Nørgaard: Philip's father, former head of intelligence service

Series one

 * Sara Hjort Ditlevsen as Louise Falck: TTF member, Philip's former love interest, negotiator
 * Paprika Steen as Naja Toft: TV news reporter, becomes Jonas's love interest
 * Alba August as Marie Bendix: Aksel's daughter, trainee nurse, hostage
 * Jakob Oftebro as Alpha/Mark Hald: former Jaeger Corps soldier, fellow hostage with Philip; leads train hostage-takers; kills himself
 * Jacob Lohmann as Jonas/Ben: Jim's brother, hostage-taker's accomplice, poses as Leon's son
 * Dar Salim as Adel Rasul: karate instructor, hostage, killed by hostage-takers
 * Sus Wilkins as Denise Hansen: young mother, hostage
 * Lane Lind as Bodil Pedersen: retired teacher, hostage, killed by hostage-takers
 * Michael Asmussen as Joachim: wealthy businessman, hostage
 * Tommy Kenter as Leon: retired worker, diabetic, hostage
 * Anders Nyborg as Ricco: Leon's friend, hostage
 * Adnan Hasković as Bravo: hostage-taker, killed by TTF squad
 * Muhamed Hadžović as Charlie: hostage-taker, killed by TTF squad
 * Allan Hyde as Silas Jensen: disc jockey, hostage
 * Jesper Hyldegaard as Aksel Bendix: Marie's father
 * Cecilie Stenspil as Anne Gornstein: civiliam police chief
 * Henrik Prip as Palle Wulff: PET head, engineered Philip's false history
 * Hadi Ka-Koush as Ahmed Mahmoud: Afghan head guard, tortures Philip (only in flashbacks), believed killed in drone attack
 * Jens Sætter-Lassen as Sammy: serving soldier, former member of Mark and Jim's squad
 * Jesper Zuschlag as Jim: Ben's brother, held hostage with Philip and Mark, kills himself

Series two

 * Yasmin Mahmoud as June al-Baqee: convicted foreign fighter: fought ISIS in Syria; kidnapped by Yusuf's team
 * Ola Rapace as Yusuf a.k.a. Nikoloz Giorgadz: Georgian-born mercenary posing as a jihadist; leader of kidnappers, hostage-takers; hired by Anna
 * Ali Sivandi as Rami Hadad: Mahdi's older brother, kidnapper, hostage-taker
 * Søren Pilmark as Lars F. Bülow: Military Intelligence chief
 * Søren Malling as Thomas Hvalsø: Elsinore–Helsingborg line ferry captain
 * Anis Alobaidi as Mahdi Hadad: Rami's younger brother, Tahira's husband; kidnapper, hostage-taker
 * Helle Fagralid as Beate Seitsø: Asger's mother, Peter's love interest; psychologist, treats PTSD clients
 * Sebastian Bull as Hassan previously Frederick Sørensen: kidnapper, hostage-taker
 * Lise Risom Olsen as Anna Kasharina: Russian cultural attaché, actually Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) agent
 * Maibritt Saerens as Ine Frølich: minister, orders June's prosecution
 * Laura Christensen as Siri: ferry passenger, mother of baby Viola
 * Elsebeth Steentoft as Herdis Krabbe: befriended by June
 * Mads Riisom as Rene: Herdis's son-in-law
 * Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Nina Sloth: TTF communications officer, works for Esben
 * Bertil Smith as Asger Seitsø: Beate's son
 * Julie Grundtvig Wester as Kiki: Peter and Beate's friend
 * Kristian Halken as Olai: Kiki's dad, helps Peter renovate his boat
 * Frederik Christian Johansen as Lauge: Kiki's friend, IT specialist
 * Sandra El-Hussein as Tahira Hadad: Mahdi's wife
 * Ramadan Huseini as SVR-Chauffør (English: SVR-Chauffeur): SVR agent, Anna's chauffeur-assassin
 * Moussa Daibes as Abdul Bashir: Rami's imam
 * Bo Carlsson as Hindborg: taskforce IT specialist, works for Simon and SP
 * Zein Ali as Elias: Syria freedom fighter, worked with June, recorded video of Russians killing Danes
 * Sarah Boberg as Inga Hvalsø: Thomas's wife
 * Judith Rothenborg as Dagmar: passenger, hostage
 * Fadime Turan as Kantinemedarbejder (English: canteen employee)/Zeynep Bilgin: ferry's cook
 * Abud Mustafa as Rafiq Hussein: Abdul's henchman, Rami's associate
 * Jannie Faurschou as Marianne Seitsø: Beate's mother
 * Ditte Arnth as Dorthe: Herdis's daughter
 * Jakob Femerling Andersen as Sune: ferry passenger
 * Amany Turk as Junes Mor (English: June's mom)

Filming
The team responsible for filming the series attended the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, where the series was promoted prior to the broadcast of the first episode.