[8][9] The series depicts a fictional near future in which, following a catastrophic hurricane attributed to global warming, Norway's newly-elected green party Ny Kraft Prime Minister has stopped the country's oil and gas production.

Russia, with support from the European Union, occupies Norway to restore its oil and gas production, in response to a Europe-wide energy crisis.

A catastrophic hurricane fueled by climate change devastates Norway, killing 700–800 people and causing untold physical and economic damage.

There, via video chat, EU Commissioner Pierre Anselme demands that he restart Norwegian oil production or face a full-scale invasion.

This cover story unravels as a series of events complicates Norwegian–Russian interactions over the ensuing months while Berg's political position disintegrates as he tries to avoid bloodshed and war.

At a ceremony on Constitution Day, a member of the Royal Guard named Stefan Christensen attempts to assassinate Russian ambassador Irina Sidorova, but is thwarted by Djupvik.

Djupvik assists in resolving the situation, and afterwards is assigned by Police Security Service chief Wenche Arnesen to work on protecting Russian officials.

They proceed to recruit Vold and a nationalist academic, Eivind Birkeland, and form the rebel group Free Norway (Fritt Norge).

Berg has in the meantime set up a caretaker government under the orders of the King of Norway after losing a no-confidence motion from his own party.

After her health deteriorates and she is told she can no longer work, Arnesen records and releases a video revealing her defection and claiming she is going into hiding as the leader of Free Norway.

Berg's replacement as prime minister, fellow party member Anders Knudsen, proves unable to handle the pressure and resigns.

French police arrest Berg, but Jérôme takes his case to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that his life would be at risk if he was extradited to Russia.

After her mother voices her despair at the continuing violence, Rygh offers the remaining insurgents amnesty in exchange for their turning in their weapons.

Vold agrees and announces the end of violent resistance, launching the Liberation Party as the peaceful political successor of Free Norway.

Berg uncovers corruption in the finances of French EU commissioner Anselme, and uses his wife's influence to pressure him to help the Norwegian cause.

After learning that Zoya has been blamed for the murder, Norum tries to turn herself in to the police, only to realise that the resistance agent works there and will not allow her to confess.

After being released, Berg arranges a voyage by sea to return to Norway, with a group of supportive Eastern European politicians aboard to denounce the Russian intervention.

He reluctantly agrees to ratify the peace treaty forged between Rygh and the Russian government, which entails resuming oil and gas production to Europe.

Hilde helps overturn the mass deportation of Russians, allowing them to return to Norway, but Lyubov is detained at the airport in Moscow.

Berg visits the headquarters of Njord, an environmental organisation run by Marie Elvestad which researches and develops renewable energy solutions.

After learning that the virus was developed by a Njord engineer and cannot be removed, he agrees to promote the construction of hydroelectric dams to power Europe renewably rather than with oil.

He also begin planning to convert Norway's offshore oil drilling platforms into wind power generators, and offers Elvestad the position of Climate Minister if he wins the upcoming election.

At a press conference at a hydroelectric plant, a journalist tells Berg that one of the contractors, Stellux, previously trained Russian oil workers.

While answering questions about his financial dealings at the airport in Norway, he is splashed in the face with acid by a man involved in the "#BrandThem" movement, which seeks to punish those perceived as profiteers and collaborators with the Russian occupation.

With a week remaining in the election campaign, Berg has a strong lead in the polls over Bjørnstad's Unified Party, which has become the primary opposition.

They flee into hiding while Berg stays behind, broadcasting a message claiming the blackouts will continue daily until Russia pays compensation for its carbon emissions.

[9] The series premiered on Pivot TV in the United States on 5 May 2016 and on the Canadian public television stations TVOntario and Knowledge Network.

[citation needed] The Daily Telegraph's cultural reviewer Gerard O'Donovan wrote of Occupied that the series' innovation more than made up for any lack of plausibility, citing the interesting historical, geopolitical interplay between Norway and Russia as fascinating.

"[28] Vyacheslav Pavlovsky [ru], the Russian ambassador to Norway, told Russian News Agency TASS, "It is certainly a shame that, in the year of the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II, the authors have seemingly forgotten the Soviet Army's heroic contribution to the liberation of northern Norway from Nazi occupiers, decided, in the worst traditions of the Cold War, to scare Norwegian spectators with the nonexistent threat from the east.

[33] Occupied also casts the integrity of Green politicians in a bad light, and portrays the European Union commissioners as devious and hypocritical.