Page - 179 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/01

Johannes’s female rival is independent, believes in shamanistic rituals, in the power of nature and in her own skills. Even though the lesbian sex scene has a somewhat voyeuristic character and appears to satisfy primarily a male gaze, its symbolic qual- ity unfolds through cross-cutting with a feast attended by the parish staff – due to various reasons set on Good Friday: scenes with the party getting out of control are contrasted with scenes of Liv and Elisabeth’s sexual encounter that – like the par- ty – becomes increasingly passionate, uncontrollable until … cross-cut … the par- ish’s garden is set on fire (as a climax) by accident. Johannes leaves the party early, and while looking for Elisabeth, sneaks into Liv’s room, where he finds both women naked and asleep. A broken man, he departs along the corridor accompanied by George Frideric Handel’s “Lascia ch’io pianga – mia crude sorte” (Let me weep over my cruel fate). This last scene from Season One connects the Passion of Christ at the very day on which it is commemorated with the experiences of Johannes, as stories of very human failure and loss. But although these parallels are obvious, the audience perceives Johannes not as a martyr but as a man who made wrong choices and now suffers as a result. Silently crying, this seemingly formidable man who has been outrivalled by a woman drowns in self-pity and drinks until he loses both con- sciousness and his self-esteem, whereas Elisabeth grows stronger and wins back her self-confidence because of Liv’s care. With Liv, the showrunners skilfully introduce a protagonist who as an outsider sheds light on a metalevel on well-known but still unresolved gender problems with- in contemporary Christian churches. The mystic but attractive “woman from the North” – a popular figure in Scandinavian saga literature – helps Elisabeth notice and overcome patriarchal structures and heteronormative worldviews that have been legitimised on religious grounds for too long. At a time when #MeToo debates are reaching the churches, Elisabeth’s emancipation can be read as an allegorical vision of future churches’ emancipation from old concepts and embrace of a new interpretation of biblical narratives that fits better with life today. Conclusion The first season of Herrens Veje ends with chaos, betrayal and even death – how the screenwriter will find a way out of this mess and who will keep his/her faith are intriguing narrative threads to be picked up in a second season. Herrens Veje is a drama series that – even though it sometimes tends towards pathos and exaggera- tion– dares to explore the delicate field of personal faith and its impact upon one’s actions and experiences. With its dense web of references to popular culture and many complex questions teased out in the plot, it not only is a perfect example of 178 | Natalie Fritz www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/1