In/between places: Connection and isolation in the bridge

Over recent years Scandinavian detective stories, both in print and on screen, have captivated audiences the world over. This phenomenon is known broadly as "Nordic Noir" and is characterised by bleak, gothic landscapes, twisting plotlines and obsessive and socially isolated protagonists who push themselves to solve the cases that no one else can. This paper will illustrate how Nordic Noir texts generally and The Bridge specifically deploy Gothic narrative tropes such as the uncanny, negative aesthetics and liminality. In particular I explore how the themes of connection and isolation are addressed within The Bridge. I argue that these themes are represented through the exploration of three literal and allegorical bridges: The Öresund Bridge connecting Sweden and Denmark, a bookend to the story arc of the series, an in/between place and the key visual image throughout the show; the Danish detective Martin Rohde as a bridge between his socially awkward Swedish colleague, Saga Norén, and the world; and the show's villain, known as both the Bridge Killer and the Truth Terrorist as the bridge between Martin Rohde and his son, August. Through using the notion of "the bridge" as an in/between space, The Bridge explores and (re)imagines connections in/between nations, estranged families and the isolated within the social world.