Borgen: what age is it for? 17, alone or with a parent
From 17, alone or with a parent.
Official US rating: TV-MA. In France, zinema would say 13.
Alone, or with you
The official US rating is TV-MA, and we never go below it. Alone from 17, and not before, even with an adult.
The sweet spot: around 17, when you start getting interested in politics and what it costs the people who do it. Why a sweet spot?
What it's about
40-year old political leader Birgitte Nyborg secures her party a landslide victory through her idealism and huge effort, then faces the biggest challenge of her life: how most effectively to use the newly won seats, and how far she is willing to go in order to gain as much influence as possible.
Why 17
- The official rating, firstRated TV-MA in the US (mature audiences only). zinema never goes below the country's rating: it explains it.rule
- Suicide, toldSeveral suicides are told over the seasons, including that of one main character's mother and that of a politician. Nothing is shown, but these deaths weigh on those left behind.
- Sex scenes between adultsAffairs and short sex scenes, without frontal nudity. In the first episode, a man dies suddenly in his mistress's bed, and his body is glimpsed.
- A family coming apartPower takes a heavy toll on the Prime Minister's private life: her marriage falls apart, and her teenage daughter goes through a severe anxiety crisis, all the way to a psychiatric hospital.
- A grown-up worldProstitution, war, scandals: the debates are those of real politics, with swearing, alcohol and cigarettes.
What the series brings
- A gripping look at how politics is made, from negotiations to the media.
- A heroine who must keep choosing between her convictions, her power and her family.
Watching it together
You might say beforehand that the series also deals with depression and suicide, and that the heroine's daughter goes through real distress.
at 17 and up
What did Birgitte have to sacrifice to stay in power, and was it worth it?
Season by season
the reading per season, episode by episode · expand
Season 1 · 10 episodes, 58 min on average · zinema reading 13, 12 with a parent · France 13 · the hardest
1 episode out of 3 at the top of the series. What's in each episode, without telling the story:
| Episode | What's in it |
|---|---|
| 1 · Decency in the Middle | Deaths told; frightening images; some swearing. |
| 2 · Count to 90 | Deaths told; frightening images; some swearing; alcohol. |
| 3 · The Art of the Possible | Deaths told. |
| 4 · 100 Days | Deaths told; some swearing; drugs mentioned. |
| 5 · Men Who Love Women | Some swearing. |
| 6 · State Visit | Deaths told; some swearing; alcohol. |
| 7 · See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil | Alcohol. |
| 8 · The Silly Season | Deaths told; alcohol. |
| 9 · Divide and Rule | Deaths told; lots of weapons; some swearing; drugs mentioned. |
| 10 · The First Tuesday in October | A quiet episode. |
Season 2 · 10 episodes, 58 min on average · zinema reading 10, 9 with a parent · France 10 · the gentlest
no episode at the top of the series. What's in each episode, without telling the story:
| Episode | What's in it |
|---|---|
| 1 · 89,000 Children | Deaths told; frightening images; some swearing; alcohol. |
| 2 · In Brussels No One Can Hear You Scream | Deaths told; frightening images; some swearing. |
| 3 · The Last Worker | Some swearing; alcohol. |
| 4 · Battle Ready | Deaths told; some swearing; alcohol. |
| 5 · Plant a Tree | Alcohol. |
| 6 · Them and Us | Alcohol. |
| 7 · What is Lost Inwardly Must Be Gained Outwardly (Part I) | Deaths told. |
| 8 · What is Lost Inwardly Must Be Gained Outwardly (Part II) | Deaths told; some swearing. |
| 9 · The Sanctity of Private Life | Some swearing. |
| 10 · An Extraordinary Remark | A quiet episode. |
Season 3 · 10 episodes, 59 min on average · zinema reading 10, 9 with a parent · France 10
no episode at the top of the series. What's in each episode, without telling the story:
| Episode | What's in it |
|---|---|
| 1 · A Child of Denmark | A quiet episode. |
| 2 · The Land is Built on Law | A quiet episode. |
| 3 · The Right Shade of Brown | Alcohol. |
| 4 · Their Loss… | Deaths told; frightening images; alcohol. |
| 5 · Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery | Frightening images; some swearing; drugs mentioned. |
| 6 · Sons of the Past | Deaths told. |
| 7 · The Fall | Deaths told. |
| 8 · If You Never Change Your Mind | Deaths told; frightening images; some swearing. |
| 9 · Sense and Sensibility | Deaths told. |
| 10 · The Election | A quiet episode. |
See the facts
For the same age, on zinema
- The Madison 17, 16 with a parent
- Suits 14
- The Good Wife 14
- Runner 13
The latest guides
- Un ours dans le Jura 13, 12 with a parent
- Lady Bird 17
- Vivre 13, 12 with a parent
- About Time 17
A zinema reading from October 2, 2026 · the 30 episodes of 3 seasons, watched one by one · the age by zinema's rules for the US and France, and a human reading · report an error · how this guide is made