Borgen is back – the menopausal power surge and the glory
Borgen is back and 10 years down the line the main character Birgitte Nyborg (played brilliantly by Sidse Babette Knudsen) is 53. In the latest series, Nyborg who was Denmark’s first woman prime minister in the first three seasons, is now the foreign minister – responsible for environmental issues and the consequences of an oil discovery in Greenland. I’ve only watched a few episodes but it’s shaping up nicely; a successful woman in her 50s occupying a position of power, bring it on.
Nyborg is going through menopause – experiencing hot flushes, she’s constantly trying to cool herself down and is shown leaving a meeting to splash herself with cold water in the bathroom. Perhaps it’s hormone-related brain fog but I’m not sure I’ve seen menopause addressed in a serious TV drama before (?) Though we did have vaginal dryness on Grace & Frankie… During an appointment with her doctor, Nyborg runs through her menopausal symptoms, mood swings, hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, sudden irregular heartbeat, adding, ‘ I can’t keep changing my shirt three times a day, I’m the foreign minister.’
Thankfully, there are more women in power today than when Borgen first aired between 2010 and 2013 ( originally on the BBC, it’s now on Netflix). Knudsen is 53 and looks visibly older, in a good, realistic way. She has based the menopause storyline on her own experience, telling Time, ‘We talked about how to show that she has menopause because that’s what happens to women at a certain age and they live with it. I thought it was just another tool in the box of showing a whole person.’
At Hay Festival this weekend, Nicola Sturgeon joked that she could relate to the fictional character, ‘Now she’s a 50-something menopausal woman, angry at the world.’
Read the full Time magazine feature HERE.
Discussion (15 Comments)
Mrs Tonia says:
I totally agree with this analysis and opinions. I watched the initial series with pleasure, rewatched the final series during pandaemic. And just completed the newest Netflix series. Best to watch cumulatively so one gets attached to the characters and issues.
Helen Rose says:
Fantastic series. My Danish sister-in-law got me into the original – Sidse Babette Knudsen is fabulous! Brilliant to see a woman in her 50’s so beautifully portrayed – including the impacts of menopause. Men should watch this if only to understand women in their prime.
Yvonne says:
Not familiar with Borgen. Should look it up. I can sum up menopause in one word : HELL!. My doctor told me at the onset of menopause that he wouldn’t recommend HRT due to the fact that cancerous cells were found in fibroids that had to be removed. If possible I would highly recommend that women have HRT. I realize that this isn’t a post about menopause but when I saw the word menopause, it highly triggered me. Would you consider having a post about menopause or have you already cover that topic? I feel very much alone as women I meet don’t want to discuss it. It’s still a taboo subject. A man that I was getting to know, after learning that I was in my mid sixties told me that he wasn’t interesting in dating a menopausal women even though he was only a couple years younger than me. I said Good Riddance. Sorry about the rambling and maybe I chose the wrong platform to vent. Alison, I love your blog and your posts are so interesting. Always looking forward to reading you.
Hello Yvonne, No need to apologise and well done for saying good riddance to the ignoramus. I do talk about menopause from time to time – if you scroll down to the bottom of the home page you’ll see all the different That’s Not My Age categories and menopause is under ‘ Health & Beauty’. I’m trying to line up a podcast on menopause, so watch this space.
Cindy from Canada says:
Hi Yvonne – I went through menopause, without the use of HRT. I didn’t have any debilitating symptoms except for the odd hot flash and weight gain which is now under control. Health topics can be uncomfortable to discuss as well as being a private thing for some people. There may be support groups regarding menopause in your area.
Ruth says:
I love everything about this series and about the two women at its centre – Ms Nyborg – and journalist Katrine Fonsmark. The menopausal scenes were well handled but what’s struck me in this new series is their relationship with younger colleagues – something I deal with on a daily basis. How they navigate power and integrity as women. Brilliant stuff.
Theresa LaSalle says:
I freaking love this show….I saw the first three seasons..so glad to see it back.
I went Copenhagen several years and then came back and found this series…OMG…and I actually visited the Parliament there…and the Danish people were the kindest…took a while to warm up..but when they did they did…of all my travels (not a whole lot but enough)…they are the kindest of all the people I have met.
Cara Pickens Noble says:
I finished all eight episodes of “Borgen” and am disappointed. Is this what powerful women are like? You are either a conniving, humourless, striving (rhymes with witch) who uses her own family for political advancement or you are too overwhelmed (cannot handle the pressure) and have a nervous breakdown?
Why not use women like Françoise Lagarde or Ursula von der Leyen’s career as a template?
Tremendously disappointing!I already finished the menopause season I’m counting the minutes for the next season. Will have beautiful personal growth for her son and her. This is a magnificent series please produce the next season.
Dina McDermott says:
I watched Season Three and loved it! Now I’m going back to watch One and Two again! Love her character and the storylines!
Philippa 
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Wonderful series, and I’ve just finished the lastest season. Complex portrayal of women, as the TIME article says – but that’s what we want, isn’t it? The good and the bad, the strengths and the vulnerabilities, the principles and the betrayals. And Sidse Babett Knudsen is magnificent. She shows her age, the character is clearly suffering in menopause, she’s got family problems as well as political ones, but she’s a fighter, she strategises. Unmissable.