In the final season, ‘Rita’ is in charge, for better and worse
Allow Rita to re-introduce herself!
Rita has always been a show about the maverick teacher it’s named after, and how she does what’s best for her students, even if it’s not in her own best interest. In the show’s final season, Rita is running a school and setting her own agenda. It’s refreshing for viewers who have followed Rita to see her take control, and equally exciting because there’s no guarantee she’ll succeed. With her professional life in her hands, the fiery teacher is now forced to come to terms with who she is.
Fights with superiors are a thing of the past: Rita is now in charge of students with her best friend Hjørdis (Lise Baastrup). During the time she spent revisiting her hometown and childhood last season Rita started working on herself and has never been better equipped to change her life, in all areas, for the better. While she’s wanted to be a boss, Rita realizes quickly that she doesn’t have cover for her antics from an administration and must face the consequences herself. The change in dynamic makes the season refreshing.
With the new normal, Rita and Hjorids face different challenges than before, and Dinesen and Baastrup do some of their best work as their characters face them. The new responsibilities in Rita’s life force her to examine her life and choices, circling back to where we began: Rita is a ‘bad teacher’ who does everything for her students. Whatever it took, even if it meant embarrassing her son, pissing off her partner/boss, or slapping a student’s parent in the face. Rita does this by introducing a variety of students (in addition to her young class, Rita will help a group of adults learn English) and delve into complex and darker subject matter, depression among them, than it ever has before.
As for Hjørdis, we see the former eager new teacher working with Rita and no longer chasing after her. After spending seasons trying to make herself part of Rita’s life, she finds herself in what seems like a permanent partnership at the new school. Becoming Rita’s best friend, one that is respected, is all Hjørdis has ever wanted, but she learns it comes with a different set of complications. From the start the bubbly new teacher has been a standout character, and now viewers get to see her becoming headmistresses, fulfilling her professional dreams. Deciding how her students should learn and fostering a supportive educational community is all she’s ever wanted. It’s satisfying to watch Hjørdis as the star of her own storyline, in this case about what it means to achieve your goals. Past the happiness to its impact on other parts of your life and the stress involved in succeeding. How it impacts her family, a painful moment from her past, and the fight to make her school great results in a great arc for Hjørdis and Baastrup’s best work.
A final season often means returning faces, and Rita is no different. Rita’s son Jeppe (Nikolaj Groth) is no longer the quiet closeted teen, but a young queer man who isn’t afraid to speak up. As an adult he is very aware of how unpredictable his mother is, but doesn’t discount how much she did as a single mom to raise her kids. Former rival Helle (Ellen Hillingsø), who fought with Rita at work, goes to her for help with Rasmus (Carsten Bjørnlund), a man they both love. Bringing these characters back illustrate both Rita’s growth and how much she impacted all their lives, even as they fought with her and pushed her away.
Not everyone on Rita gets as strong of a send-off as Rita and Hjørdis. Fans will be happy to see Helle and Rasmus again, but Helle, a complex, dynamic character, becomes the butt of a joke (one about her identity) to put Rasmus back in Rita’s orbit. The same is true for new character Jørgen, a student who ends up in Rita’s care. We’ve seen great stories about Rita and her students, but this young child is used as a test of Rita's ability to be responsible for someone else, a final test for the new and improved Rita.
As far as an end to the series, Rita does a good job closing the door. Rita is who she is; what she’s needed to learn over the past five seasons is where she fits — into her family, with a partner, into an education system (even if it’s one she creates), and into the world. At the end of the third season, Rita walks away from her school after saving it by accepting that she’s the problem. Sure, Rita is a maverick, but the people who have stuck around have done so for a reason. They have seen her for exactly who she is. Now, it’s Rita’s turn. To see herself, be honest about what she wants, and shape the life she wants for herself.
In the same way, she and Hjørdis shaped a school. They are both teachers, after all.
All 5 seasons of Rita are available on Netflix now.
