If you’ve heard anything about Billionaire Island on Netflix, thoughts of the Roy children in Succession may pop into your mind. This new Norwegian series starring an ensemble cast of relatively unknown actors in the United Staes focuses on the battle between two families for the right to an essential monopoly over the salmon industry in Nordic Europe. Several reviews published online have drawn comparisons to HBO’s iconic corporate drama, and the idea of egotistical, wealthy business people fighting for a bigger share of the fish pie than they deserve also feels somewhat familiar.
Is Billionaire Island really going to scratch that Succession itch, though? Those who think the series can fill those gigantic dramatic shoes may find themselves on the receiving end of Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) favorite phrase: “Fuck off!”
Just because both shows are set in the corporate world doesn’t mean they share DNA. Billionaire Island and Succession both begin with the death or near death of an important financial shareholder and decision-maker. The fallout of that event goes in different directions, though. If you remember what happened after Logan Roy’s stroke in the pilot, the mogul’s children and associates turn the show into a free-for-all war to decide who will take over Waystar Royco.
In Billionaire Island, one of Meyer Fjordbruk’s biggest financial assets passes away in the first episode. This makes the company weak, and rival fishing conglomerate Marlax tries to pounce on this opening. The head of Marlax is Julie Lange (Trine Wiggen), a ruthless businesswoman who believes it’s her company’s destiny to incorporate Meyer Fjordbruk into the portfolio of assets. Marlax has all of the power, and Meyer Fjordbruk tries its best to hold off impending domination.
The source of stress in these series comes from very different places. Succession is ripe with drama, controversy, and family trauma. Because the conflict is internal, it allows creator Jesse Armstrong and his writers to surgically dissect the source of the problems within the Roy clan and how they all interacted. The business of Succession is rudimentary and superficial. The psychology of paternal abuse, sibling jealousy, and grief intertwine to make the show one of history’s most complicated family sagas.
Billionaire Island’s story of corporate rivalry just isn’t as fascinating as a family civil war in Succession. Even the best storyboarders and actors can’t make that happen. Most of us will never own a large company, but all of us have a story about how our parents affected our lives either positively or negatively. There is nothing to engage the audience with the drama in Billionaire Island. It’s unrelatable.
One could look to other shows set in the business world such as Suits, Industry, or Billions for a comparison to Billionaire Island, and the Scandinavian salmon series still falters. Those stories also feature plenty of interpersonal conflicts, backstabbing, and three-dimensional characters to make for a fun watch.
When there are so many recent shows that have similar premises, the only way to stand out is to have top-tier writing, acting, and storytelling. Billionaire Island comes up looking lackluster in all three of these qualifiers. A cast that is way too large takes away screen time from the few characters that have intriguing traits. The dialogue doesn’t have anywhere close to the zip of Succession’s (although not many shows ever have). An influx of side storylines (one character is trying to become a successful actor, another is having an affair with the boss’s daughter) distract from the only unique eye-catcher in the series: the salmon industry.
For those who think Billionaire Island will provide a look into the way salmon fishing works or how it dominates Norway’s economy, you may find that reading a Wikipedia article about the subject will be more entertaining and informative than what’s presented in this show. The salmon industry is conferred in a minimal way that only serves as a backdrop for the business drama between the leaders of the two companies. Leaning into this niche genre could have helped Billionaire Island hook new viewers and gain their trust once they see the program has a firm grasp of the aquatic arena. Instead, most will be bored before gleaning anything new about angling-adjacent practices and their ilk.
All six episodes of Billionaire Island are available to stream on Netflix now.
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