New Nurses Season 2 ~ A Non-Spoiler Review

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Photo montage of scenes from New Nurses season 2. The central image is the poster for the show

🇩🇰 NEW NURSES SEASON 2 🇩🇰

New Nurses Season 2 (2019) is a Danish period drama series available on All4 Walter Presents U.K.; MHz & MHz Choice USA & Canada. 6 x 40 min episodes. In Danish with subtitles.

Premise:

“It’s 1953, the trial period is over, and the young men and women are now first-year nursing students with all the pressure and rewards that entails.” Radio Times

Cast:
Jens Jørn Spottag as Bent Neergaard
Anette Støvelbæk as Ruth Madsen
Molly Blixt Egelind as Anna Rosenfeld
Benedikte Hansen as Margrethe Lund
Jesper Groth as Bjørn Toft
Anna Stokholm as Lis Sommer
Thue Ersted Rasmussen as Christian Friis
Ulla Vejby as Else Andersen
Mikkel Hilgart as Peter Rømer
Katrine Greis-Rosenthal as Nina Neergaard
Jakob Ă…kerlind as Aksel Rasmussen
Kasper Dalsgaard as Ole Vestergaard

Crew:

Creator: Claudia Boderke, Lars Mering

Writers: Claudia Boderke, Lars Mering, Jesper Malmose, Bo Hr. Hansen, Kari Vidø

Directors: Roni Ezra, Lars Kaalund

Composer: Mikkel Maltha

Cinematographer: Jan Pallesen

Editors: Klaus Heinecke, Isabel Bernadette Brammer, Søren B. Ebbe, Morten Egholm, Lars Wissing

Production Design: Thomas Greve

Costume Design: Helle Nielsen

Notes:

Filmed at Skt Hans Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark

Poster for New Nurses season 2

Review:

I wrote a review of season one of New Nurses which I have linked at the bottom of this, so I will avoid unnecessary repetition as far as possible.

New Nurses season 2, is essentially a soap opera. Everything is set around the hospital and we only really see events in and around it. As with every good soap opera, there is a range of characters who develop over time and interact. It was unfortunate for me, as a viewer, that we lose the character that I found most interesting in season 1 fairly early on in season 2 and another never reappears.

Molly Blixt Egelind as Anna Rosenfeld (Left) in a scene from New Nurses season 2

It is also very much an episodic show with a “case” or two each episode that is focused upon along with longer story arcs involving the medical staff and very occasionally their patients.

Anna Stokholm as Lis Sommer (right) with Thue Ersted Rasmussen as Christian Friis (left) in a scene from New Nurses season 2

A disadvantage this show has, I think, is that there are only 6 short episodes (40 minutes is not long!) each season which seems to affect the arcs negatively because they tend to feel shortened and sometimes rushed. This also affects the way the “topic of the week” is tackled. The topics themselves do feel as if they were sitting on a list and ticked off as they are “done” as they are never returned to or expanded upon.

It is true that the prevailing attitudes and practices, both medical and social, can wind up the viewer (they certainly had that effect on me) but they have a tendency here to be quite heavy handily presented. There is also the very tricky issue of judging those in the past from our standpoint today… It can encourage a bit of riding on a very high horse morally and ethically.

The drama itself sometimes lacks real friction and not because the situations are not somewhat fraught but, again, because they are often resolved too quickly. I suppose what I am saying is that the writers could be a little crueller to their characters for longer. Am I waiting with bated breath (as with some shows) to see what on Earth is going to happen next? No, I am not and that is because I’m rather indifferent to the characters.

I have quite a few friends who are medical professionals and one thing these all have in common is a sense of humour because, let’s face it, the job itself can be pretty depressing at times. We do see some of the characters let their hair down and have a bit of fun (aside from being able to drink beer in breaks when working that is). However, and for me, this is a big negative for this show, is there is a marked lack of humour and a chance of a laugh sneaking out while watching.

New Nurses is a nice show, a perfectly nice show with good, solid performances throughout from the main regular cast and the patients etc. well made, very well-filmed with great costuming and sets, good acting and not too uncomfortable a watch. It has a decent amount of drama and “Oh!” moments from time to time. The music is perfectly in keeping and helps establish the tone.

At this point, the phrase “It’s not you, it’s me,” leaps to mind. There will be people who will love this because it is a nice show, sadly, perhaps, I am not one of them.

Awards:

7 nominations for S1-4

Trailer:

Link to a non-spoiler review of season 1:

New Nurses Season 1 ~ A Non-Spoiler Review

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