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"Episode 2"
Season 1, Episode 2
Pernille and Theis 1x02
Air date January 14, 2007
Written by Søren Sveistrup (Head writer)
Per Daumiller &
Torleif Hoppe &
Søren Sveistrup (Screenplay)
Directed by Birger Larsen
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"Episode 1"
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"Episode 3"

"Episode 2" is the second episode of the first season. It premiered on January 14, 2007. Søren Sveistrup is the series head writer and the screenplay for this episode was written by Per Daumiller & Torleif Hoppe & Søren Sveistrup. The episode was directed by Birger Larsen.

Plot[]

Synopsis[]

DCI Sarah Lund agrees to remain in Copenhagen for a week longer than planned to lead the investigation into the murder of Nanna Birk Larsen. Questioning Troels Hartmann's campaign reveals that the person assigned to drive the car where her body was discovered is a known criminal and temp worker, John Lynge. He escapes from campaign headquarters but they track him to the apartment buildling of a christian volunteer he met through prison. The Birk Larsens are forced to break the news of Nanna's death to their sons when it becomes public. Hartmann is concerned at the political fallout of being connected to the death and pushes to issue a preemptive statement of willingness to co-operate with the police.

Summary[]

Monday 3 November[]

Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Sarah Lund works through the night having discovered the body of murder victim Nanna Birk Larsen. She still plans to move to Sweden, despite having missed her flight. Her son Mark is staying with her mother. Lund's replacement Jan Meyer works along side her as they assess the scene. Chief Superintendent Erik Buchard also attends the scene and his detectives update him on their findings; Nanna was bound using plastic restraints and appears to have been raped.

Meyer and Lund have Nanna's parents, Theis Birk Larsen and Pernille Birk Larsen identify her body and question them about her movements prior to her disappearance. The report that she attended her college halloween party on the Friday night and had planned to stay with her friend Lisa while they were out of town for the weekend. Their main initial lead is that the car where Nanna's body was concealed is a rental vehicle that was in use by the election campaign of Mayoral candidate Troels Hartmann. They do not inform the family of this but do learn from them that Nanna had no particular political views or affiliations. They plan to search Nanna's room and ask the family not to disturb it. Theis asks them to say that they will catch the killer. Lund says they will do everything they can while Meyer affirms the statement directly. Lund later criticizes Meyer for making the promise and he says that he works to his own rules.

The detectives call Hartmann's campaign office and arrange to question him along with his campaign manager Morten Weber and his adviser Rie Skovgaard. Hartmann asks his lover Skovgaard to keep their involvement with the investigation private on their way in. Lund tries to determine who was last to drive the rental car. Meyer is frustrated when Weber is unable to answer the question and insists that he attempt to find out immediately. Skovgaard says that their rental cars are primarily used to deliver campaign materials such as leaflets and posters. Weber is angry when they cannot be specific about when material was taken to Frederiksholm College and Hartmann explains that they are trying to cooperate but do not have all of the information the police want instantly available. They deny a direct connection between Nanna and the campaign. The campaign secretary is away in Oslo and Weber recommends that they contact their volunteer manager Rikke Nielsen. Meyer chastises Weber for not having already contacted her. Lund sends him to update Buchard so that she can continue the questioning without him. Lund gets directions to a carpark where Nielsen is likely to be co-ordinating volunteers. As she goes to leave the politicians ask her about issuing a statement stating that they are co-operating with the investigation to preempt negative press. Lund instructs them to hold off until she gives her permission, wanting to keep the details of the investigation out of the press. Once they are alone Hartmann questions Skovgaard about the possibility of a leak from their office, reporting the warning he received from their former fundraiser the previous day and she says that it is unlikely but agrees to investigate.

Lund finds Nielsen at the parking garage and begins to question her about the assignments of her drivers. She is distracted by the strange behavior of one of the campaign workers, who tries to cover his face. The man tries to escape using one of the campaign vehicles and Lund and Meyer give chase. Lund takes the stairs while Meyer sprints after the vehicle within the parking structure. The fugitive takes the car up to the roof of the building and climbs down a fire escape, losing the detectives.

Tuesday 4 November[]

The Birk Larsen attempt to maintain a semblance of normality. Theis reports for work, surprising his best friend Vagn Skærbæk who had expected to have to manage the firm in his absence. Vagn asks about the investigation and Theis reports that the police know nothing so far. Pernille sends her sons to school with her sister Charlotte, who has been looking after them. Theis and Pernille plan to tell their sons at 14:00. Charlotte is more demonstratively upset than either of them; they are trying to be strong for their sons.

DCI Jan Meyer briefs the homicide team about their new suspect; John Lynge. He tells them that Lynge is a known criminal and asks them to question his neighbors and local businesses. Lynge is a 39 year old with a sister as his only living relative. DCI Sarah Lund speaks to her son about the delay in their move. Meyer also briefs his men about their victim Nanna Birk Larsen and asks them to study her life for further leads. Meyer reminds Lund that Chief Superintendent Erik Buchard wants to be briefed on their progress.

Meyer relays Lynge's criminal history to Buchard including sexual assault and a period of incarceration in a psychiatric prison beginning 1998. Buchard asks Meyer to give him privacy with Lund and Meyer reluctantly complies, not wanting to be out of the loop. Buchard convinces Lund to remain on the case for a further week by detailing the horrific experience of the victim. He reveals that Nanna was alive when the car went into the water and predicts that it took over twenty minutes for her to drown. He says that she was subjected to multiple rapes over several hours and was held captive in different locations prior to her death. He shows Lund that she was clutching a necklace when she died, so hard that her hand remained clenched. Lund stipulates that she must lead the investigation over Meyer. She explains the arrangement to Meyer and implores him to treat people with respect and lays out her preferences for driving; he chafes under her specificty.

Oliver attends class at Frederiksholm College. He tracks down Lisa to question her about the rumors that Nanna is dead. Lisa says that she does not know. As their Danish class begins Rama, their teacher, informs them that Nanna has been killed and gives them the rest of the day off. He offers counselling to any students who feel they need it but says that he is unable to answer specific questions about the death. He comforts a distraught Lisa while Oliver sneaks out of the class. Lund questions Lisa and she does not recognize a photograph of Lynge. Lisa claims that Nanna had not discussed staying with her and had hoped that she was staying with Oliver, her ex-boyfriend. Lisa relays spending Friday preparing a hall for the halloween party with Nanna. They got ready separately but went to the party together. Lisa says that Nanna seemed to enjoy the party but left suddenly without saying why. Lisa says that she does not recognize the necklace Nanna was holding. Meyer tells Lund that witnesses have reported Lynge delivering campaign posters to the school at 12:00 on Friday and shows her photos of the car at the college again in the evening.

Theis and Pernille pick the boys up from school as planned. They are warned against taking them home by Vagn when the police arrive to search Nanna's room. Instead they go to the park together and Theis asks Vagn to tell them when the police have finished.

Hartmann discusses Lynge's flight from the police with Rie Skovgaard. She says that Lynge was a temp who was not a member of the De Liberale. Skovgaard tells Hartmann that the press will accuse them of covering up the crime if they do not issue a statement soon. She fears that it will jeopardize their relationship with the Centre Party. Hartmann agrees to issue a press release but asks Skovgaard to contact the police first. He meets with Kirsten Eller from the Centre Party to discuss their alliance, he urges her to confirm her party's support before his evening debate with the Mayor. Lund visits the office to prevent the statement from being released, interrupting Hartmann's meeting. Hartmann agrees to hold off until Lynge is in custody. Lund is interrupted by a phone call from her boyfriend Bengt, who is still expecting her in Sweden. Hartmann returns to Eller and does not tell her about the case, instead claiming to be organizing a long service gift for a security guard named Elias. Hartmann monitors the news and is pleased that the press are reporting no leads. That evening Weber reports that Eller has agreed to the alliance. Hartmann is energized by the good news and heads off to his debate. He is deflated by a call from a reporter and asks Skovgaard to reach Lund.

The Birk Larsens arrive home and tell their sons about Nanna's death. The boys are uncomprehending and Theis says that it is as if their family has been struck by lightning, taking Nanna from them forever.

Meyer collects Lund from the Town Hall and reports that Lynge has been in touch with his sister; while they had her being watched he did not approach her until after their men had left. They go to question her themselves. She says that Lynge harassed her for money or her car and trashed her salon when she would not help. She says that she has disowned him and that her last contact with him was through prison volunteers from a christian association. Lund tasks Meyer with tracking the prison visitor while she leaves without stating her purpose. She visits her mother to discuss her looking after Mark for the rest of the week. Her mother is concerned that she is going to ruin her relationship with Bengt.

Lynge goes to the apartment building where the visitor lives but finds that she is not there. He takes her neighbor Tove Heiberg, a blind elderly woman, prisoner in her own home. Meyer gets the address of the visitor and arranges to take Lund there. Lynge forces his captive to tell him where she keeps her money. When the detectives arrive they question her about the visitors whereabouts. They recognize her fear despite her insistence that nothing is wrong. Lund calls for back up but Meyer refuses to wait. Lund explains that she does not carry a gun and they cannot cover the exits. Meyer ignores her and goes back into the building without her. Lund retrieves a gun from the glove compartment of the car.

Production[]

Cast[]

Starring

Guest starring

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