Welcome to Sweden – Välkommen Till Sverige

Welcome to Sweden - Season 1

Or as I like to call it, “Why Aren’t You Watching Welcome To Sweden?”

Also known by the working title “Wait, Amy Poehler has a brother?”

Yes.  There is another Poehler.  You may be asking yourself why it is that if Amy Poehler is everyone’s television best friend that you had absolutely no idea she had a brother.  Why has Amy been keeping him secret all this time?  Does that mean she is not really your best friend?  Did Tina know?

The simple explanation is that he’s a lawyer.  Yes, you read that right.  A lawyer.  More specifically an intellectual property lawyer.  And so is his wife, who happens to be Swedish.  He also got a Masters from Stockholm University and does stand-up.

The Poehler gene pool comes with a swim up bar and cabanas.

But seriously, why aren’t you watching Welcome to Sweden?  I know you aren’t because every time I mention it people look at me like I’ve asked them to pass the glögg.

Sure it jumps back and forth between English and subtitled Swedish mid conversation.  And yes, besides the cameos (which are fantastic) the only actor you’ll immediately recognize is Lena Olin.  And no, they aren’t going to hold your hand and explain to you why things are different in Sweden.  They just are.

Which is really the magic of the show.  The story is about love in a modern age.  Love in an age of globalization.  When you meet “the one” and you want to make it work, but then suddenly paperwork and government agencies get involved.  And one of the people has to decide to give up their comfort and jump into another life.

Welcome to Sweden deals with all those issues in the funny and awkward ways that actually happen.  And just like moving to a foreign country, the people around Bruce (Greg Poehler’s character) don’t slow down to cater to the American.  They just get on with it and Bruce has to figure things out himself.

So please, grab a bowl of pea soup (a dish served every Thursday in Sweden) and watch this show.

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