Saga Norén
 | This article may need clearer distinction between fact and fiction. (November 2015) |
| Saga Norén | |
|---|---|
| File:The Bridge season 2 Sofia Helin (8724852601).jpg | |
| First appearance | "Episode #1.1" |
| Last appearance | "Episode #3.10" |
| Created by | Hans Rosenfeldt |
| Portrayed by | Sofia Helin |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | Police investigator |
| Family | Unnamed father Marie-Louise (mother) Jennifer (sister, deceased) |
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Saga Norén is a fictional character and one of the protagonists of the Swedish/Danish TV Series The Bridge (Bron/Broen). She is played by Swedish actress Sofia Helin. Saga is introduced as a member of the Malmö County Police Department in the first episode of the series. Suggested, but never stated, to have Asperger's syndrome, she is portrayed as completely oblivious to social norms, but a brilliant and devoted police investigator. In the first two series, she develops an unlikely friendship with Danish cop Martin Rohde (played by Kim Bodnia), who is in many ways her complete opposite. In the third series she has another Danish detective Henrik Sabroe (played by Thure Lindhardt), as her partner.[1]
Concept and creation
Saga Norén was initially created to be a counterpart to the Danish character Martin Rohde, himself intended to be the opposite of the standard lead male detective in the crime genre. So as Rohde was envisioned as very social and friendly, Saga was written to be a woman completely lacking in social skills. Lead writer Hans Rosenfeldt has said that it was not the specific intention of the writers to create a character with Asperger's, but that this is how many viewers have come to interpret the character.[2]
While she is often seen as insensitive or rude to the characters around her, this is shown to not be intentional. She approaches everything directly and logically, and often is oblivious to the fact that her blunt demeanour sometimes offends others, while her inability to empathise with people around her makes her somewhat unsuited to questioning the recently bereaved relatives of victims, but she usually attempts to make amends when it is explained to her and is generally not a malicious person. She is shown to have emotions and does care about those close to her, like Martin or her boss Hans, but she expresses them differently. She rarely smiles - in fact, the only time she is seen to express any outward emotion is when the obviously painful subject of her sister, Jennifer comes up - she reacts with a violent rage when Martin mentions his research to her, and with hostility when she sees her mother. It is clear that, as is most commonly found in Asperger sufferers, this is not because of emotional detachment, but rather an inability to properly express herself [citation needed]. Although she rarely cries, she is occasionally seen to be on the verge of doing so when she becomes frustrated or upset. She does not like physical contact, and noticeably stiffens whenever someone shows her physical affection or simply touches her. The role earned Sofia Helin considerable fame, both at home and abroad.[3] The one individual she does become comparatively comfortable around is her investigation partner Henrik Sabroe, introduced in the third series of The Bridge, with whom she develops a deeply emotional bond.
Character background
Little is known about Saga's background at first, although in the second series, Martin looks into her family history, discovering that her sister Jennifer, was killed by her mother Marie-Louise, who suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy.[4] Saga has been estranged from her parents for twenty years, but in the third series, her mother appears at her apartment, telling her that her father is on his deathbed, and wishes to see her. Saga refuses, but Marie-Louise turns up at the police station with medical documents in tow, effectively absolving her of any blame of Jennifer's death, to which Saga is skeptical, and has the local mortician look at it.
Due to Saga's devotion to police work, she does not have many relationships, preferring one-night stands. In the second series, she developed a relationship with a man named Jakob, who moved in with her. However, her difficulty in sharing her space and lack of experience in relationships proves a strain, and he eventually breaks up with her by the end of the second series.
References
- ^ Dowell, Ben (21 November 2015). "The Bridge's Sofia Helin: my love/hate relationship with Saga Noren". The Radio Times. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ Briggs, Helen (7 March 2014). "Deconstructing Saga: Inside the mind of the TV detective". BBC News. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (15 February 2014). "Scandi crush: The Bridge's Sofia Helin". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- ^ Williams, Sally (28 November 2015). "The Bridge's Sofia Helin: 'Playing Saga is like a vice gripping my body'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 December 2015.