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A S K Y O R I G I N A L P R O D U C T I O N

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Contents

3 Introduction

Interviews:4 Dennis Quaid6 Faye Dorn, Patrick Spence, Trevor Hopkins, Susie Liggat7 Ken Stott8 Sofie Gråbøl10 Richard Dormer11 Robert Sheehan12 Kieron Hawkes13 Parminder Nagra14 Mia Jexen & Alexandra Moen16 Sienna Guillory17 Luke Treadaway18 Björn Hlynur Haraldsson

19 Episode synopses22 Contacts

Fortitude season two starts on Sky Atlantic and online streaming service NOW TV in January. All 10 episodes will be available to watch on Sky Box Sets from the same date. Season one of Fortitude is available on Sky Box Sets now.

Ways to watch

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“Life is hard in Fortitude”: Creator and writer Simon Donald is all too aware of the tumultuous journey his characters have been on, and things aren’t about to let up any time soon as Sky Atlantic’s heart-stopping thriller returns for a second season.

As we rejoin the island, the residents have overcome the parasites that tore their peaceful community apart. But their respite from chaos is set to be short lived, with the mainland cutting off funding and supplies, and Dan and Eric absent from a threadbare police force, just as Fortitude is rocked by another mysterious death.

Show creator Donald explains how he approached a second season set nine weeks after the shocking events of the first: “Rather than a fresh start, where everybody’s all washed and scrubbed ready for a new adventure, we were looking for the right place to come into a story that still had a lot of consequences in play from the world we’d just left. We wanted there to be mysteries that had grown out of the first season that had to be addressed. The turmoil that the parasites created has died down, but the reverberations are still consuming various characters.”

While continuing the stories of Fortitude’s existing ensemble, season two

Introduction with creator and writer Simon Donald

also introduces some new faces, with Dennis Quaid and Michelle Fairley among several big additions to the cast. Quaid plays Michael Lennox, a fisherman in search of a lucrative King Crab catch to bring in some desperately needed money for him and his ailing wife Freya (Fairley).

“Dennis is such a loveable presence on camera,” says Donald. “He’s warm and funny and the viewer wants to spend time with him, those qualities are very useful – you can play with them, you can play against them. What’s interesting about the Fortitude creative process is the casting and the creation of the characters happen very close together. I had two scripts finished when we cast Dennis, so I started writing with him in my head around episode three. I was actually watching his performance when we were writing the final episodes. Richard Dormer’s performance also changed the way I wrote Dan very early on and it made the character much more interesting.”

Back on the island, Freya becomes entangled with a new arrival, Vladek, played by Robert Sheehan, another fresh addition to Fortitude’s brilliant cast. Season two also introduces Parminder Nagra’s driven Dr Khatri and Ken Stott’s bureaucratic government official Erling Munk, who butts heads with Governor Odegard. Simon recalls that Stott was an early first choice to play the role, which

brings a new dimension to the story: “I’d worked with Ken in the theatre 25 years ago and he’s evolved into a spectacularly good actor, but for Munk he brought a presence I hadn’t really seen him do before, which was a sort of toad-like malignancy. He relished doing it and he absolutely goes for it without vanity and that’s just terrific fun to write for. Actors giving you something naked and not vain is to be treasured and Ken was just loathsome, in the best possible way. He was a big flavour that we hadn’t had before.”

The gripping and intricate mysteries of Fortitude’s maiden outing made it Sky Atlantic’s most successful original commission to date and Donald and the team got a thrill from keeping fans on their toes. “It was fun watching people guess where it was going, realising it had taken a bit of a turn and enjoying that ride. The fact the show was not committing itself to one genre and to see people enjoying that was thrilling, because that was something we were deliberately attempting to pull off.

“We were also very pleased that the key plot points we’d hoped would be shocking

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and frightening and exhilarating worked when we got to them – things like the attack that Shirley makes on her mother in the sitting room… That was originally with a teaspoon, until the director said: ‘It’s just going to bend, get a fork!’”

In season two, viewers can look forward to some similarly full-blooded moments. “In episode nine we went for broke. It’s powerful and visceral and shocking and I think it’s really moving. This show feels like it has to take you somewhere really strong and confrontational, it’s that kind of world, and that episode goes somewhere that I don’t think any British show has gone.” Donald recalls an early meeting with Sky’s head of drama, Anne Mensah: “She said what we’re trying to do with Sky Atlantic is create an environment where writers bring the thing they love best but are pretty sure nobody’s ever going to make. It’s an unbelievable opportunity to create a world that is part of reality but also imaginatively, completely its own place and have it brought to life with fantastic actors. Anne said she wanted it to be ‘unfettered’ and that’s a great licence to be given. That hasn’t often been part of any brief I’ve had in British television before.”

There’ll certainly be plenty to shock, surprise and delight upon our return to Fortitude, as a compelling new mystery unfolds in the series’ unmistakable bold and original style.

“It goes somewhere I don’t think any British show has”

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What convinced you to join Fortitude for season two?Season one. It was a very easy yes to begin with. I wanted to be a part of this cast and a part of this world. It’s the kind of show that I like to watch.

What aspect of the story grabbed you? It’s a great mystery, and also it utilises several genres – or you think it’s going to – in a way. It’s a slow burn in terms of what will be revealed – sometimes the audience knows before the characters. You get involved with the characters, and where their interior stories are going.

Tell us a little about your character, Michael.He’s a fisherman by trade. I guess he’s an ex-pat from the US. He’s been here for quite a long time, enough time to marry a girl and have kids. His wife is going through health problems which is life changing for everyone and it is his mission to save the love of his life.

Was it that family aspect of the character which drew you to him?Yeah, it’s a huge part of it. And also, he’s a man whose entire identity has been shattered, he has to rebuild and hold on to those things which are most dear to him. There’s an art to the character, he has great challenges. And then really it’s the

Dennis Quaid Michael Lennox

rest of the cast because it’s truly an ensemble piece. Everyone puts their ego aside and really works together. Reminds me of when I first started out to tell you the truth. Keeps fire in your belly.

You play a central role in this season. What was it like working with that cast in that location?Everybody was already settled into their characters by the time I got there, and everyone was so welcoming. And working with Sofie [Gråbøl] was just ➜

ABOUT MICHAELMichael is the patriarch of the Lennox family and stepfather to Ingrid. New to our story, but not new to the town, the Lennoxes have been in Fortitude ever since local girl Freya married Michael nearly 20 years ago. Michael is a fisherman, and lately he has been struggling to make ends meet thanks to the quotas and regulations imposed on Fortitude. Despite this, he is intent on landing every Arctic fisherman’s dream: King Crab, worth hundreds of thousands for a big catch. His quest is made all the more desperate as he struggles to come to terms with the diagnosis his wife has recently received. Freya is going to die – but it doesn’t stop Michael from trying anything to find a cure.

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extraordinary. She is such a great actress, so subtle. Working with an international cast like this was a unique thing for me as well.

The location must have been a challenge, just the temperature and the environment…Well, I guess. But for some reason I just love Iceland. In fact, I’m playing a fisherman, so I worked it so I could go out on the Arctic Sea for research. How many times do you have a chance to do that? It was just glorious. And when it came time to shoot, of course, we’re out there on the Arctic Sea and I’m piloting the boat, the entire crew was on there, and I think I was the only one who didn’t get seasick, which may speak to my piloting skills. Just getting to work could be daunting. We had to take what they call a Super Jeep every day, and it was a wild ride.

Of course, you have had some prior experience shooting in the Arctic.I’d been there in the 80s for Enemy Mine: we shot six weeks there, then they shut it down and fired the director. Then we moved to Munich and shot it indoors.

… And you lived through a second Ice Age in The Day After Tomorrow.Well we shot that indoors as well! It was 3° below outside of Montreal, snow piled high, but we shot it indoors.

So did you feel prepared for a frozen shoot?Yeah, I just love the outdoors to begin with. I love being in locations like that.

It’s just one of the most fascinating, exotic places. I say that Iceland is like Hawaii in the Arctic.

You’ve had a long and storied career. How does the experience of filming Fortitude rank among your highlights?Well certainly I feel like it’s the best thing I’ve done on television so far. It’s the most memorable and I had a really great time. I’m so proud to be a part of it.

The journey from film to television with what is happening with TV storytelling today must be pretty interesting?It used to be quite a wide gap for actors who were doing film. They didn’t really want to do television because of the care and quality of the writing and production. But these days, starting about five years ago, that’s all changed, and the writers started coming to television, and the actors have followed suit. It’s the new independent film, only hopefully following a 50-hour format over five seasons. It gives them a great chance to unfold a character and do some very interesting work.

The events of the new season may dictate this, but given the opportunity would you be open for another season of Fortitude?I’d be willing to start next week in fact. Sky is really positioned very well, because one of the attractions of coming to do Fortitude was, as well as the great story and great script, to be in another market. It’s becoming more international in the States – not as much as it has been over here in Europe – but you have shows which

are subtitled and yet a lot of people are watching these days.

So you were attracted by the opportunity of working in a foreign market – what made you want to work with Sky in particular?The language helped. But also Sky has the ability to do things right with budgets and with production and experience. Television is fast becoming a true international market in real time, I think. I want to be part of that, and Sky is in the best position to do that as a link between the States and Europe.

I feel like it’s the best thing I’ve done on television. I’m so proud to be a part of it

Are you someone that binge watches?Yeah, once I get on a show I like to watch it all the way through and ignore anything else that’s going on.

Do you have any favourite box set series?Breaking Bad – that show really kicked it off for everybody. I ended up going back and watching The Sopranos again, and then there are Mad Men and Narcos. It’s a commitment to binge watch – but by doing it people get involved emotionally. It’s like a seduction. You get people involved, and then they’re with you.

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What’s the feeling in the town in season two?I suppose if you feel like you’ve gone through the worst, if you’ve had an illness or you’ve faced something very scary and you’ve overcome it, there’s a sense of relief and a bit more forward thinking, so when the curveballs come, which they do, that’s part of the shock factor.

Faye DornExecutive producer

Which genres do you think the new season touches on?Because I didn’t work on the first season, [watching it] as an audience member, it very much trod a line between the genre we expect with crime and then the question of: is this going to be supernatural? In the end, I think it was very clever that it wasn’t and it was rooted in real science, or real science of the future and events that might happen. This season we have upped the thriller element but also retained an element of the ‘other’, that’s not supernatural, but isn’t a straight crime thriller; there is something special there in the mix.

Will season two feature the same element of horror as season one?A great strength of the first season was the quite unique horror moments that Simon Donald created. For example, Shirley stabbing her mother in the stomach with a fork sticks in my mind. And the audiences of season two have those unique and iconic moments coming too. I won’t reveal anything, but yes, he’s definitely raised the bar this season with visual horror.

How graphic does the second season get?I have heard people say they have responded well to the operatic levels of violence and the epic scale of the show but I don’t think that’s what we have ever aimed for. The story this time around will involve high thrills and real danger and some nasty moments, but what it’s about is the emotional intensity of the characters’ journeys. Dan, Hildur, Michael and all of the others are put in situations you wouldn’t want to be in and I think what Simon loves doing is exploring how it feels to be exposed to a level of danger you can’t comprehend. How the characters respond to that is what makes the show so interesting.

What has Dennis Quaid brought to the series? Dennis plays a character who is full of heart, and Dennis himself is full of heart. He is basically the life and soul of the shoot most of the time. He takes us on journeys we wouldn’t usually go on.

Susie Liggat Producer

Trevor Hopkins Series producer

Patrick SpenceExecutive producer

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Who is Munk?He’s a government official. I think he’s probably got delusions of grandeur, or he’s certainly a man who had ambition, but he’s here in Fortitude and I think he’s in danger of letting his ambition run ahead of him.

What was it about the character that really chimed for you?I’m always attracted to the story of a character that is conflicting; when he is not what he seems. When a character is powerful and angry, I look for the opposite in order to give it a balance, because we’re all capable of anything. The girl or boy in the office all year round spends their time being very mild mannered and only at the office party at the end of the year, suddenly, she’s dancing on the table, he’s picking a fight with the rest of the office, but these are the things you don’t see for 364 days of the year. It’s that sort of thing that interests me in characters and Erling Munk has strange little foibles.

Where do you draw inspiration for Munk?We always draw on what we know. A writer writes what they know, if they don’t they really are in danger of showing themselves up to be not particularly good at what they do, and the same applies to acting. Over years you collect glimpses, stories that you can go back to.

I used to live in the City of London and you can see characters who are like Erling Munk, who think they’re really successful, who are very ugly, they have a very ugly personality. They are only out for themselves, a very unattractive quality, and that suits me because I think an actor should never be afraid. If you’re going to be a good actor, you should never be afraid of appearing ugly – even if

Ken Stott Erling Munk

I’m attracted to characters that are not what they seem, because we’re all capable of anything

ABOUT ERLINGA mid-ranking governmental functionary from the mainland, Erling has known Hildur Odegard for years. Following the events of season one, he has been at the forefront of the cuts to supplies and fuel subsidies, and Hildur has been fighting him tooth and nail. But when she finally takes action for the people of Fortitude, Erling must make a stand. It is no longer just Fortitude that is a problem but Governor Odegard too, and Erling will silence this troublesome town by any means necessary.

you’re as handsome as I am… that’s a joke.

Have you enjoyed being part of the series?Yes, I’ve had a great time doing this, I really have. It would be perfectly possible to lie and say it’s been great, absolutely marvellous, but it’s been really enjoyable because there’s a very earnest approach, which I adhere to, and I like frivolity.

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What sort of person do you think Odegard is?Hildur Odegard is the governor of Fortitude, so obviously she’s a power person. I would say she is very strong minded and not afraid to be dominant, but she’s also, to me, the mother of Fortitude. She’s very protective and loyal and wants what’s best for the town. But with all mothers, what’s best is subjective, isn’t it?

How did Odegard face up to the challenges of season one?She was, in season one – as in season two – under a lot of pressure, both privately and professionally. I know from my own life that if you’re really in a crisis you can actually only survive from moment to moment. So I think she struggled to do her best to keep the community together, to keep her own life together.

Where do we find her at the start of season two?When we meet her in season two, and this goes for a lot of the characters in Fortitude, things have changed a lot and it has definitely affected her. She suddenly finds herself in a place where the crisis is over, but there’s definitely a post-traumatic period where there is time to reflect, and in this new season, I would say, Hildur realises she’s not happy.

Tell us about the relationship she has with Erling Munk?She has known this person for 20 years, but it’s not a warm relationship. He is the person she is fighting in order to protect her community, because his task is to bring all the bad news about the government cutting down on support, on food supplies, on fuel supplies, so Hildur is very annoyed by this bureaucrat. Also she’s a woman who has a strong sense of freedom and of doing things her way – which is the best way. She’s not fond of the bureaucratic way of doing things that comes with politics. She’s not very diplomatic, I don’t think, and obviously Erling Munk is the embodiment of the bureaucracy and all the rules that must be followed. No, she’s not very keen on that. And what about with another new character, Michael Lennox?Michael Lennox, who is played by the lovely Dennis Quaid – so much fun to work with and to be with, he’s just brilliant. Michael Lennox is an old friend of Hildur, they’ve been friends for 20 years and I think he is the only person she really feels close to and confident with. They understand each other because they both find themselves in situations which are hard. There’s a loneliness that they share. I’m very glad she has ➜

Sofie GråbølHildur Odegard ABOUT HILDUR

Governor Odegard is struggling to hold her beloved town together as it recovers from the events of season one. Now sheriff-less, Fortitude is also facing crippling cuts at the hands of the Norwegian government. With the arrival of a new bureaucrat, Hildur finds herself not only losing grip of her town, but also her marriage, as husband Eric fails to be the person she and Fortitude need.

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Michael in this story. They start on a journey in season two. It’s a very beautiful relationship.

The show can get quite gruesome…Well Fortitude is definitely still a world of very, very dramatic brutal murders. I don’t think the audience will be let down this time. It’s so absurd sometimes when we sit in the make-up room in the morning, you have the actors in all the chairs and you say to the person next to you, “So what are you doing today? What scene?” And they say, “Oh, I’m eating a baby today, I think”. And I, oh, [claps] I love it. So you still have that, but also I think there are some very strong characters and nuanced personal stories. You get to know the characters better, it’s a tighter story this time, which I think really suits it.

Did you enjoy filming season two?Well, as with the first season, we have a great cast; we have a very rare ensemble feeling. We have some lovely new people entering our family: Dennis Quaid, Michelle Fairley, Ken Stott. We sometimes go to Iceland to shoot and all the actors stay in a hotel out in a remote place, which brings us very close together, in a lovely sense. We take long walks, we eat together – that also generates a strong sense of being a group and belonging, and it adds to the sense of place, because it’s very different from being in a studio in London having to imagine everything. When you’re put into that vast, beautiful, rough landscape it adds to the sense of what Fortitude is about.

You ask the person next to you about the scene they’re doing. And they say, “Oh, I’m eating a baby today, I think”. And I, oh, [claps] I love it

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What happened to Dan in the first season? We discovered he was a good man, but a flawed man. He did a bad thing for the right reasons and he had to shoot the one person in the world he loved the most. I think that broke his heart and his soul. I don’t want to give too much away, but after that he disappears to deal with his demons.

And how is the town doing after the events of the first season?At the beginning of season two Fortitude is kind of like a boat adrift. The town’s lost its sheriff, he’s disappeared. Eric is the new sheriff, another murder happens and we think, here we go again. But I think this time it’s even darker, faster and scarier, and there’s nowhere to hide.

How are the police coping?As best they can. I mean even if the FBI were here, the CIA, nobody could deal with this. This is something the human race has never seen before, this kind of pathogen, this disease in the community. So I think the police are doing a pretty good job but they don’t have a Dan Anderssen.

What was it like to be a part of some of the more graphic scenes?Some of the stuff was pretty terrifying and we were all having weird dreams about it,

because it gets under your skin all of that. We were getting the scripts and reading the stuff and going: this is incredible – how are they gonna do that?

Are you looking forward to people seeing this season?I think we’re all very excited about presenting this to the public because it’s something I’ve never seen before on television – it’s wholly original, scary, dark and funny. It develops from the first season and just takes it further.

Richard DormerDan Anderssen

ABOUT DANAs season two begins, Dan is missing, presumed dead. After shooting the woman he loved, our hero became consumed with guilt and disappeared into the wilderness, leaving Fortitude without a sheriff. As the weeks pass by, the town’s residents begin to wonder whether deputy Eric can fill his shoes. Then, suddenly, Dan reappears, a wild, broken ruin of a man.

What was the process of working on the costumes for Fortitude like?My particular interest on a daily basis was to make sure that no costume looked new. That everybody looked like they were under pressure and every piece looked as if it had been properly worn. So I hope that works. I’ve had a team of break-down artists working side by side with us all the way through – clever people, generally painters. They’re the best. You’ll see why it’s gone from a police uniform people would recognise to [laughs], I don’t know quite how to describe Dan’s look actually. Grace under pressure.

Mary-Jane Rayner Costume

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What attracted you to the world of Fortitude?It was mainly the prospect of seeing Richard Dormer, topless, in the snow. You should see his chest hair, it’s pretty magnificent. It looks like an old wolf has laid down and died on his midriff. But when the part came around, I binge-watched the whole show over, like, a two-day period, and, you know, that’s a good sign – I was addicted to it. The scripts zing along at a great pace, and the most compelling thing, I thought, was the character of Vladek. As a show-off, naturally you’re always looking for the thing you think is going to be the most interesting in the project, so to be that thing is always very intriguing.

Who is Vladek?He’s an electrical engineer, but he comes to town seemingly with a mission.

He has an interesting look…He looks like an old Inuit lady – wearing moon boots. Why not try moon boots? His look is very much derived from the earth, everything he wears is of a practical nature.

Is season two just as graphic as season one?There’s quite a graphic naked shower scene involving my character – that was

fun to shoot. There is all of the gore and the horror which was in the first season – it’s back in spades, man.

What was it like joining an existing ensemble cast?It’s always slightly daunting to join a show after the core dynamic has been established, but it was lovely this season because there was lots of fresh meat, shall we say, so there’s a whole new dynamic. Being here in Iceland for weeks, you’re all thrown together and you have to be friends because if you’re not friends you’re lonely.

Is there a sense of achievement around the series?Among us, definitely, yes. What’s interesting about doing this show is that due to deadlines, or whatever, you’re getting scripts and scripts are changing and you are hurtling towards the climactic end. So at times when we’re creating this series we have no idea what is coming ahead, which is frustrating, but also quite exciting, because I suppose it’s quite like life. But I think we’ve done some interesting, really out-there, challenging things and I think people’s heads are going to be blown off when they see some of the

Robert Sheehan Vladek Klimov I think people’s

heads are going to be blown off when they see some of the mad, mad stuff we’ve put together in this season

ABOUT VLADEKAn electrical engineer and a new arrival in Fortitude.

mad, mad stuff we’ve put together in this season. The thing about being in this show is you can’t go into it half-assed. You have to take the material, which is incredibly risky dramatically, and elevate it, which takes balls. So that’s been the challenge and it’s been really nice because the vast amount of Vladek’s journey has been with the one director [Kieron Hawkes] and very personal, and that’s been a joy because I’ve been completely uninhibited in pushing the boundaries of the scenes. If you go into something like Fortitude half-cooked and not willing to show up then you’re at nothing really.

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How do you feel about this season?If you liked season one, which so many people did, this capitalises on all the things that were successful about it and takes them even further. There’s hopefully a warmth in some of the characters which you really, really invest in, and I don’t think it’s going to let anyone down who’s into it for the violence and horror. It gets faster and more pacey and more exciting as it goes on. It’s great.

Tell us about the new relationship between Munk and OdegardSofie and Ken Stott are just amazing. I mean they’re a thrill to work with firstly, but they really bounce off each other incredibly well. Munk’s a completely lost character, thinking he’s in control, but not really sure what he’s doing. Odegard obviously should be in control and she’s sort of been stepped down. I mean it’s such a thrill to watch those two people work and to be involved in anything they do.

And another new character, Vladek For me, Vladek is an innocent – out of his depth. He’s a fascinating, incredibly complex character who kind of does things that are for good, but are completely misguided and misjudged.

Kieron HawkesDirector Episodes 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10

What is it like shooting in such an unusual location?Anywhere you put a camera it’s incredible and dramatic and there is something foreboding about it. I hadn’t appreciated, I suppose, how difficult it was from a technical point of view, but the worse the conditions are to shoot in, the better it is for the show. Some of the stuff we shot with Dennis the other day on the tundra was horrific and that makes its way back into the characters, because that’s the environment they’re in and that’s what Fortitude is. It’s constrictive and claustrophobic – even in these open spaces, because of weather and conditions – and it’s cold, so it all starts informing each other.

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Who is Dr Khatri?She’s a very passionate, determined brilliant person in terms of science. I think that probably sways her more than what might be going on emotionally. She’s very focused on what she needs to do and achieve and she comes from having solved something like an Ebola crisis to wanting to help with what’s going on in this small town.

What did you see in your role that appealed to you?I only saw the first three scripts of this season before coming out to shoot and what actually spoke to me was the fact that I couldn’t tell exactly where she was going and I liked the prospect of playing somebody I didn’t know too much about before joining the series. I was just totally inspired by speaking to Simon Donald and wanted to come on board for the ride and see where he would take her.

What did you make of the world of Fortitude?Mad. I thought the world was just a little bit off the wall, which I loved for some reason. I don’t know if that says more about me – it just appealed to me.

Does Khatri walk a fine line in the way that she does things?I think for everybody else in Fortitude it

might be a fine line, but I think for Khatri it’s just trying to get to the heart of what’s going on. I think she sees the bigger picture and for her everybody else really isn’t seeing the bigger picture.

And what are your reflections on being a part of the series? I’ve honestly loved being a part of this world and more than anything just playing with the different actors that have been involved. I’ve enjoyed really being able to dig my teeth into something as an actor and I think it’s everything I thought it would be.

Parminder NagraDr Sarinda Khatri

ABOUT DR KHATRIA science prodigy, Dr Khatri studied medicine at Cambridge and has had a successful career with many prestigious institutions. After working on the ground during the Ebola outbreak, she took a position running her own lab at the Fortitude Arctic Research Centre, and is now making herself at home. Fortitude represents an unrivalled opportunity: a small isolated community with a captive population, in an environment undergoing upheaval due to pathogen activity. Driven by her ambition, and evidence of a scientific holy grail, she is willing to push medical and ethical boundaries in the name of science.

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How does Ingrid deal with her job as a police officer in Fortitude?I think when Ingrid chose to be a police officer in Fortitude it was because she liked to help people and look after everyone. She never expected she would have to pull a gun on her friends or search for a murderer among people she loves and cares for and that continues to be a huge dilemma because she also finds herself enjoying the job more and more. She’s very ambitious and nothing stops her, she will always try to do everything she can and I really love that about her.

And how has she responded to everything that has happened?With enthusiasm and optimism. She’s very spontaneous and sometimes a little too spontaneous – she doesn’t always think things through. She also sometimes doesn’t take the easiest way, but she’s so determined to solve the crime and to do a good job as quickly as she can that she acts before she thinks.

What does season two hold for her?Ingrid’s mum is very ill and I think her way of coping with that has been to focus on her job. So when aspects from her family life seem to be involved with the crime scene she finds it a lot harder to cope and to be professional. She’s still torn between loving her job as a police officer and loving the

What sort of turmoil did Petra face in the first season?Well she suddenly has to do autopsies on body, after body, after body, after body and she finds that very, very difficult. She starts to have some breathing issues and panic attacks and it’s hinted that she’s beginning to turn to the bottle to cope.

And where do we find her in season two?She’s basically very lonely. She hasn’t really got anyone in her personal life at the moment and hasn’t for a while and that’s a big issue for her.

Mia JexenIngrid Witrey

Alexandra MoenPetra Bergen

ABOUT INGRIDA member of Fortitude’s tiny police force, Ingrid is keen to regain a sense of normality, despite her boss being missing and her mother having been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Ingrid is all chewed up but she knows it’s her duty to make her mum feel loved and supported, and her role as a police officer is crucial to this. But with another horrendous death, Ingrid finds herself once again thrust into the investigation of a senseless and barbaric crime.

ABOUT PETRAPetra is another of the small number of cops in Fortitude, and after facing the horror of the parasitic wasp outbreak and being on the frontline of the gruesome autopsies, she has begun to break down. Haunted by the victims that made their way into her morgue, she now finds solace in drinking. But Petra also harbours a secret and is becoming fearful of what she may be complicit in… just as another body arrives on her slab.people she has to confront, but she’s very

focused and she’s doing her very best to always do the right things.

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RUNE LENNOXEDVIN ENDREThe teenage son of Freya and Michael has a lot to contend with. He has become difficult and absent, and Michael thinks this is typical of the boy. But although his parents haven’t told him the whole truth, Rune knows exactly what’s going on with his mum and he’s running away from it. And things become more complicated when Rune is implicated in the initial police investigation of the murder, and Ingrid has to deal with the possibility that her baby brother could be involved.

FREYA LENNOXMICHELLE FAIRLEY

Freya was born in Norway and has grown up on the edge of the Arctic. A pragmatic and strong woman, she has come to terms with her recent diagnosis and wants to live out her final months in peace with her family. Her husband, however, refuses to accept defeat and his obsession with finding a cure is beginning to drive them apart. When a stranger arrives, kind-hearted Freya offers him shelter, and something about him rekindles her hope. Maybe she could survive this after all…

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Who is Natalie?She’s a scientist. She’s very forthright and believes in telling the truth and doing the things that need to be done without much judgement or belly aching. She’s into science and sex essentially.

Where do we leave Natalie and Vincent in season one?They’ve been through this huge journey together and the closest analogy I can come up with is it’s like being war correspondents. We get too close to it all and it’s enormously bonding. What’s interesting, at the end of season one, is that Natalie begins to tread a very unstable border as a scientist. Vincent’s lying in a sort of plastic sealed hermetic healing zone where he’s not allowed to be in contact with other people because he might be contagious and she lies to him and says: you’re fine. That spearheads the beginning of a different dilemma at the start of season two.

What do you make of the horror elements in the series? I think it’s testament to our relationship with the characters that when these grotesque and macabre elements arise, they are truly shocking. I think as an audience we are so used to seeing blood and gore and stuff, it has to be very carefully and delicately rooted into a

Sienna Guillory Natalie Yelburton

human world that we can relate to. When a character who you feel you know well suddenly ends up in pieces, or being sliced and pulled and torn, that’s where the horror lies.

What are the advantages of a TV series over film?What’s great about a TV series is you do get to explore more than one character at

ABOUT NATALIEA leading research scientist, Natalie was key to dealing with the outbreak of parasitic wasps that threatened the town. She prevented the wasps from escaping into the population, blowing up her colleague Vincent in the process, and then surrendered to her feelings for him. She’s determined to wipe out the wasps, for the sake of the town and her relationship with Vincent, but she is fascinated by the secrets they may hold. Is she willing to sacrifice her new-found love for scientific gain?

once; you have room to bounce between these people and it’s not necessarily led by one character. What I really love about Fortitude is the ensemble element of it. And what I really love about season two is the fact we get to know people a little bit more – especially Ingrid who’s an amazing character – and just getting a bigger sense of the world that we live in really and how it can pull people apart when things go wrong.

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What state did we leave Vincent in at the end of season one?He was lying on a hospital bed, covered in burns and in a pretty bad way really. But with a bit of recovery time he’s managed to get out of hospital and get back in the lab and back working again.

What starts the drama again in season two?There’s a decapitation in the first episode so that’s a good way to kick things off, isn’t it?

What is it like having new characters and actors on the show?It’s been really nice. We were such a close bunch last time and it was such an amazing cast and it was really exciting to have new people, new friends to work with and hang out with. Dennis and all of them are just a lovely bunch of people, so we were really lucky.

Luke TreadawayVincent Rattery There’s a

decapitation in the first episode, so that’s a good way to kick things off, isn’t it?

ABOUT VINCENT After arriving in Fortitude as an expert on apex predators, Vincent solved the mystery of the parasitic wasps and put his life on the line to prevent a pandemic. Yet he is still plagued and traumatised by the deadly wasp attack, and his scars run deep. The only thing keeping him in Fortitude is how he feels about Natalie. But can he overcome the terror that still haunts him?

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Can you bring us up to date on the character of Eric?Someone told me before we started that he doesn’t really have ambitions, and I thought, OK, that’s interesting. He’s a part of the police force, his wife is the mayor and he’s all right with that. He was brought up in Fortitude, so I think he’s this small-town character who is just like part of the furniture, part of the landscape so to speak. At first, I was also told that he is a very nice guy. And the first scene I read in episode one was that he was sleeping with his wife’s best friend, so I thought, OK, that’s a good twist. So he was just struggling to get his marriage back on track and that continues into this season as well.

And how does the action kick start for Eric in season two?The first time we see him, I think he is in his element: alone, up in the mountains. He’s been there probably for a few weeks and I think that says a lot about the man that he can stay up in these mountains during the winter all by himself. I think he’s trying to get away from taking responsibility and maybe trying to not deal with his marriage as well. But this horrific beheading brings him back into town because Dan is missing and he has to take charge.

Björn Hlynur HaraldssonEric Odegard

What are the particular challenges for Eric and the police force?They really are so unprepared for what happens. We spoke about what sort of education and training they had to be in the police force in this town and I don’t think it’s that much. I think in the first season Eric was very happy to not be in charge, as I think he’s a little bit insecure about his job, because in a town where nothing happens, suddenly everything happens.

ABOUT ERIC Deputy sheriff of this tiny community, Eric has spent the past few weeks desperately searching for his friend and colleague, Dan. Rather than filling the missing man’s shoes, Eric is happier in the wilderness of the Arctic, where he can also hide from his problems with his wife, Hildur. But when Dan reappears, clearly unable to serve as sheriff, Eric must step up and lead an investigation into a crime just as horrifying as the last.

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Episode synopses

Episode 1 Episode 2

In 1942, a monstrous figure wreaks havoc just 60 miles north of Fortitude as a blood aurora burns in the sky. This same phenomenon flickers above present day Fortitude as the remote Arctic town struggles to find a sense of normality.

As Eric desperately searches for Dan, he and his strained police force attempt to keep law and order, while Governor Odegard grapples with an intrusive government figure. Down by the harbour,

As a mysterious figure roams across the Arctic tundra, Eric and Odegard consider Dan’s prognosis and what he may have been capable of during his absence.

The police follow their first lead and uncover the dark past of the beheading victim, but Ingrid discovers something that troubles her. Could someone she loves be involved?

Odegard meets with the Fortitude Arctic Research Centre’s newest member,

fisherman Michael Lennox receives some information that could change his fortunes and provide a glimmer of hope for his wife.

Meanwhile, Natalie and Vincent destroy all traces of the horror that once plagued the town and finally embrace their feelings for each other. But this fragile community will never be the same again, and what at first seems to be a careless snow-plough accident is soon revealed to be something else entirely.

Dr Khatri. An expert in viruses and pathogens, Khatri is ministering to a comatose Elena, despite local disapproval and someone lurking in the shadows.

Meanwhile, a reluctant Michael is called into action when the local school has an unexpected and dangerous visitor. Plus, Odegard is left reeling after some devastating news, just as Eric defies her expectations and heads off to find his suspect.

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Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6

The police pursue their suspect and attempt to lock down the investigation just as their sheriff miraculously disappears from his hospital bed. Meanwhile, Odegard receives a mysterious call from an old friend and recruits Michael to sail to the nearby town of Vukobejina.

Natalie and Vincent prepare for their latest field trip, but Vincent is still traumatised and sure there is something lurking in the wilderness. And just as the police think they have the case all sewn up, a mysterious figure and a fresh corpse turn everything upside down.

As the identity of the latest victim becomes apparent, Rune reveals the extent of his involvement in the case, much to Ingrid’s dismay.

Vincent and Natalie’s field trip takes a turn for the worse as they both come to terms with Vincent’s new condition and discover something terrifying out on the ice. Dan makes his speedy recovery known to the town and surprises a fearful Dr Khatri in her own home.

Then, determined to find out what Governor Munk is really up to, Odegard hatches a plan with Michael and discovers more than she bargained for.

As the town comes together to mourn its loss, an uninvited guest turns the wake into chaos. The police team are falling apart, but Eric, determined to prove himself, heads off in pursuit of the mysterious figure, who seems to know more than even the police.

Odegard receives an unusual package from her old friend in Vukobejina, a Russian film from 1942, which Michael believes could hold the key to curing Freya. Ingrid suspects that her mother may be hiding a fugitive and the latest police discovery proves too much for Munk, as he begins to fear the implications.

Meanwhile, Vincent is faced with a stark reality, as Natalie confesses she hasn’t been entirely truthful.

While Dr Khatri covers her tracks after her prisoner’s escape, Michael presents the research team with the Vukobejina film, but fails to get the reaction he was hoping for – he’s going to have to take matters into his own hands.

As Natalie attempts to clear the air with Vincent, our killer begins to feel the consequences of his actions. Meanwhile Odegard has returned to town armed with evidence against the corrupt Munk. As her accusations fall on deaf ears and Eric implodes, Odegard decides to confront Munk herself.

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Episode 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10

The investigation grinds to a halt as Eric flounders and Munk begins to buckle under the strain. With no leads and an absent sheriff, Ingrid and Petra are left to their own devices.

Michael’s determination pays off when he finally discovers the weather station, but Freya’s condition begins to deteriorate. Natalie’s suspicions towards Dr Khatri begin to grow, yet Vincent is unwilling to help. Frustrated, Natalie turns to another, but can they be trusted?

Meanwhile, as Ingrid and Petra brood in the Blue Fox, a terrible discovery is revealed which rips the heart out of the town. Fortitude will never be the same again.

As day breaks over Fortitude, both the town and the police are left reeling after the recent discovery and its tragic implications. As the horrific tale unfolds, Eric breaks, but some people aren’t convinced and Ingrid and Petra set out to seek the truth.

Dr Khatri is interested in a different revelation. Convinced she has found the scientific holy grail she risks everything to obtain this miraculous new subject. Meanwhile, with his hope for Freya lost, Michael returns home. But his trip may not have been for nothing, as Vincent soon takes an interest in the curious bundle brought back from the tundra.

And as suspicions are raised over Munk, Michael and Ingrid discover that Freya is missing…

The tables are turned as Dan finds himself at the mercy of the man he has hunted. Determined to find justice, Michael and Ingrid take the investigation into their own hands and a trail of deception begins to unfold.

Meanwhile, Natalie falls victim to Fortitude’s latest threat. Distraught and horrified, Vincent turns to the very woman Natalie fears most.

With the case closed, Dan and his team are left to clear up the mess. But when a gruesome discovery is called in, it becomes clear that Fortitude is now under threat from something of a very different nature.

Meanwhile, Dr Khatri obtains a new recruit in a last-ditch effort to complete her mission, while Munk welcomes outside help, but things are now beyond his control.

With the community restless and suspicions taking hold, the town is a powder keg, and all it will take is one person to ignite it. As armed strangers zone in on their target, and Michael tracks down his wife’s last hope, Vincent realises that the town is hurtling towards catastrophe.

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Contacts

Dominic Collettdominic.collett@sky.uk+44 7557 847339

Geraldine Jeffersgeraldine.jeffers@sky.uk

Stillshttps://seac.bskyb.com020 7032 4202stillsdepartment@sky.uk

Media Centrecorporate.sky.com/media-centre

For previews contact: isabel.moore@sky.uknicole.estwick@sky.uk