Directed by Erika Calmeyer, Netflix’s series Tore is a heartwarming tale of a boy who is satisfied with what he has, does not have any great ambition or goal and additionally shies away from taking responsibility of his life into his hands. The most striking thing about Tore is the way the protagonist, played by William Spetz, is depicted on screen. Tore is soft, vulnerable, and miles away from the stereotypical male figures that we are used to seeing on screen. For a film, nothing could be better than an actor who is involved in the creation of his character, because then they understand it fully and are able to bring out those nitty-gritties on screen effortlessly. There is an effortlessness in William Spetz’ writing and he has been able to create a very nuanced coming of age drama. The Netflix series is authentic in its approach; and we are excited to see more of William Spetz in the future. So, let’s find out what our protagonist was going through in his life, what kind of issues he was facing, and how he was able to overcome those obstacles.
Spoiler Alert
How Did Tore’s Life Turn Upside Down?
Tore was 27 years old, but he was still way too dependent on his father, which at times made the old man worry about what he would do once he was not there. He lacked any purpose in his life, and he didn’t care about anything, as if Bosse was going to take care of him forever. Had it been an Indian household, this conversation about moving out would have never arisen, as there is a stark difference between the culture of the Indian subcontinent and that of Western countries. In the West, moving out is considered an integral part of being independent, and that is why Bosse wanted his son to be less dependent on him and create his own identity. He wanted him to make mistakes and not shy away from the struggles of life because life was not always going to be rainbows and sunshine. But Tore was just not willing to do that, even after his best friend, Linn, came and told him that it was high time he should become more responsible. Bosse was the best father one could ask for, and more than that, he was a beautiful human being. Bosse had not only brought up his son to be an empathetic and kind man, but he had also taken care of Linn, who, after getting pregnant, had run away from her house when she was just 17 years old.
Tore worked at Arsta Funeral Home, and he didn’t have any ambitions of pursuing further studies or exploring other ventures. He was pretty happy with what he had, and sometimes, it felt like he just didn’t want to move out of his safe haven. Life is unpredictable, and Tore had no clue that the conversation he had with his father that day was the last time he would be able to talk to him. Bosse got hit by a garbage truck, and he succumbed to his injuries. Tore could not process it, so he left his father lying on the street and went inside to cater to the customers. Linn told him that she was calling an ambulance, but he pretended to have seen nothing. Tore could not process the trauma, and he was not ready to accept the fact that his father was not around now. Tore didn’t shed a single tear because he blocked his emotions and didn’t give himself the liberty to express his feelings and get rid of his grief. He shut that feeling of remorse somewhere deep inside his subconscious mind, hoping that he would be able to run away from it.
Why Did Viggo Decide Not To Meet Tore?
Tore was distraught, but he was constantly running from his own feelings. Tore always told his father that therapy wasn’t the solution but he was wrong. He was going to wreck his life, and at that moment in the Netflix series, he had no clue about it. Tore met a man named Viggo in a boat club, and he got intimate with him, even though deep down he knew he didn’t want to do that. After a point in time, Tore wanted to stop, but Viggo forced himself on him. Had it been any other person, they would have felt violated and never gone back to that person, but Tore was not in his sane mind. Tore wanted to get hurt and wanted to do everything that could make him forget the death of his father. So he once again went to Viggo the next time he visited the bar, and together with him, he did all sorts of psychedelics and completely lost control of himself.
Viggo had become Tore’s escape, and he started liking it when he was under the influence of drugs. But it was Viggo who put a stop to their rendezvous, as his sister made him realize that what he had done with Tore was not right. Viggo’s sister told him that Tore probably wanted to hurt himself. Viggo also realized that he had forced himself on Tore at their first meeting and it could be called molestation. Viggo didn’t have that kind of understanding, and once he realized what he had done, he felt extremely apologetic. Viggo loved Tore, and he didn’t want to be that person whom Tore called when he needed a distraction. Viggo realized that for Tore, he was just a meaningless hookup, and he decided that he would have to stop meeting him.
Did Tore And Erik End Up Together?
Tore was infatuated by Erik, who had recently started working at Gunvor’s flower shop. Tore wanted to ask Erik out, but he felt awkward to directly approach him, and Erik seemed a bit disinterested at times. Erik was going through his own issues in life, and that was why he seemed to be a bit occupied at times. He wanted to have a baby, but his partner was not sure about it, and Erik had made it very clear that if that was his stance, then he wouldn’t want to continue the relationship. Erik gave Tore a driving lesson, and both of them knew that it was just an excuse to spend some time together. Erik and Tore got intimate when, out of nowhere, the former partner arrived at his house, and that’s when Tore came to know about whatever was happening in his life. Erik was a good man, but things didn’t work out between him and Tore, as both of them were in very different phases of their respective lives, and had they decided to continue their relationship, it would have been for all the wrong reasons. Both of them were trying to get over one facet of their lives, and they needed some time with themselves to understand what they wanted from life and if they were ready for a relationship.
Was Tore Able To Confront His Past?
Tore did all sorts of things to run away from his own feelings, but that grief never seemed to leave him. He gave his dog, MJ, to another family and stopped talking to Linn altogether. He was pushing people away, and he was on a path of self-destruction. Luckily, he found some good people while on the run who, in a way, made him realize that whatever he was doing was not right. Tore met Shady Meat and Lo at the boat club, and with time, he got quite close to them. Tore was mad at Linn as she had done something bizarre, which had given him a scare. Linn pretended to be dead, as she wanted Tore to feel what she had felt when he had jumped from his balcony under the influence of drugs. Tore started panicking when he found Linn lying on the floor, and he knew that he would completely lose his mind if he lost another person who was close to him. Tore was infuriated when he realized what Linn was up to, and he stomped out of the room. Tore told Shady Meat and Lo that Linn was homophobic, and they went and threw eggs at her window. Shady Meat realized that Tore had lied to them, and she told him not to drag her and her partner into his personal issues.
After Tore found out that he couldn’t be with Erik, he completely lost his mind, and he realized how unfairly he had acted with everybody who had tried to help him. With nowhere to go, Tore once again turned towards Shady Meat, and she did something that somewhat brought his miserable life back on track. Shady Meat asked Tore to perform on stage in the boat club, and that unexpectedly had a positive impact on him. Tore, in his grief, didn’t realize what he had done, but now he wanted to make everything right. Tore went straight to Linn and asked her to bring back his dog, MJ. Tore had earlier asked the family, who had taken MJ, to return the dog to him, but they hadn’t agreed to do so. So, while Linn distracted them, Tore entered their house from the back door, and he took MJ with him. It was probably the first positive step that Tore took after the death of his father. He stopped resisting, and he decided that he would have to face his trauma and find a solution to it. He decided to cater to his mental health, and for the first time after a long while, he went to his father’s bedroom and let tears roll down his eyes. We hope that Tore will seek the help of an expert, not ruin his life and most importantly not push people like Linn, who were there for him unconditionally, ever again.
