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Fortitude Season 2 "isn't just Twin Peaks on ice" - SciFiNow

Fortitude Season 2 “isn’t just Twin Peaks on ice”

Returning star Sofie Gråbøl talks us through the changes for Fortitude Season 2

Wrap up warm for a frosty reception this January as Sky Atlantic heads back to chilly thriller Fortitude for a second season of shenanigans in the off-kilter community.

The first season saw a mammoth discovery (literally), an uncommonly cross polar bear, and a plague of wasps upset the formerly peaceful balance of the icy resort. What unpleasantness is next for Season 2?

Speaking with series star Sofie Gråbøl, who plays stern Governor Hildur Odegard, we ask her what’s ahead for the much-anticipated second series following the cataclysmic events of the first.

“The nice thing about Season 2 is that it really picks up. It’s certainly an ongoing story. The town is really destroyed, and the people in it are really destroyed – all of the positions they had and the certainty you get of their roles in the community. It seems everyone is a little bit stripped of who they were. And on top of the shock of the ending of the first season is that they are now pressured, and everyone’s starving really!”

Sounds fun. But what of the new character intake? Among the confirmed cast are former ER regular Parminder Nagra, original Misfits star Robert Sheehan, and Michelle Fairley (Game Of Thrones). We wonder how this fresh influx of actors has altered the dynamic of the ensemble show. “When you start a second season all of us original cast members get a little bit anxious about who’s entering our flock. You know, ‘Who are these people?’ You’re a little on your toes. But when we met everyone in Iceland at a very remote place, everyone was even lovelier than before!”

Sofie Gråbøl alongside series newcomer Dennis Quaid. ©Sky Atlantic 2016

Another addition to Fortitude’s population is everyone’s favourite Innerspace actor, Hollywood star Dennis Quaid, playing fisherman Michael Lennox. “He is the most generous actor,” Gråbøl enthuses. “He has such a presence and is so funny.”
With a sense of humour mentioned, we wonder if we’re finally going to see a softer side to her character. We’re not talking Walking Dead Governor levels of evil malice here, but so far she has shown to be pretty ruthless.

Sofie doesn’t agree. “I never considered her as ruthless really. She is obviously a person who has chosen power, and that always comes with a certain amount of cynicism. Deep down she is extremely loyal: the mother of the community. And sometimes a mother has to be hard to do what’s best. But this time she definitely reveals a big heart.”

Keeping tight-lipped about upcoming plot developments (“I’m not allowed to say anything, and I’m hopeless with secrets!”), Sofie responds to press descriptions of Fortitude as ‘Twin Peaks on ice’ with good grace. “I take that as a great compliment, but Fortitude very much has a tone of its own.”

With more snow-bound skulduggery than you can hurl a snowball at, Fortitude is well and truly back. If the first episode is anything to go by then you can definitely expect grisliness.

Fortitude: Season 2 will air on Sky Atlantic from 26 January 2017. For all the latest TV news, pick up the new issue of SciFiNow.