‘Fortitude’ premiere react: We’re Not in Arendelle Anymore

The Arctic community of Fortitude may not be as idyllic, but you’re going to want to return.

Entertainment Weekly – January 30, 2015

By Sarene Leeds

This post contains details from the premiere of Fortitude, which aired Jan. 29.

“Everyone’s got a job, no one’s poor, so there’s no stealing, no crime. Everybody’s happy.” —Natalie Yelburton (Sienna Guillory), scientist and Fortitude resident.

There are many underlying themes to the chilling new drama Fortitude, which debuted on the little-known cable network Pivot Thursday night. Beware the lure of paradise seems to be the one that sticks out following the series’ two-hour premiere. It makes sense, considering that in addition to Fortitude’s large, Downton Abbey-esque cast, probably the most major character on the show is the Arctic landscape. The majestic glaciers (or, as so many of the British characters pronounce it, gla-SEE-ers) at every angle can indeed fool you into thinking that this secluded island in the middle of nowhere will provide the answers to all of life’s troubles—which is of course what attracted so many of Fortitude’s citizens to take up residence there. But Fortitude is a place full of secrets, and we’ve stumbled upon this not-so-Shangri-La at the absolute worst time: the moment of its very first murder.