The Swedish-language drama series
Beartown premiered overseas last year, and it’s coming to the United States this month, courtesy of HBO. The show centers on the intersection between power and responsibility in a small town, in which a star junior ice hockey player sexually assaults a woman who turned down his advances. This clearly won’t be a light and breezy viewing experience – instead, this snowy, bleak-looking Nordic drama appears to grapple with some serious and worthwhile topics including consent and culpability. Check out the trailer below.
Beartown Trailer
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen reports about prominent student athletes who have committed rape or sexual assault over the years, but unfortunately, it happens all-too-frequently. And sadly, justice can be elusive when sports are an important economic component of a society – whether it’s a university in the U.S. or a small town in Sweden.