The Anatomy of Longing: Trion
When a ghost from his past suddenly reappears, Hugo, a literature professor in New York, is drawn back into memories he never fully left behind, returning to the years when he first arrived in Stockholm. Young, unsure and unaware that meeting Thora and August would change everything. Set between Stockholm and New York, the new series, Trion, is an exploration down memory lane. The show premiered on June 1st, and its shifting timelines tell a story about friendship, love and heartbreak.
As its name implies, the series focuses on a love triangle involving Hugo (Seth Manteus), August (Felix Sandman), and Thora (Rebecka Harper). Memory, longing, stories people cling to and the kind of love that lingers long after it should are central themes the series sinks its teeth into. “Unrequited love can be incredibly romantic,” says Manteus. “It does not depend on whether the other person loves you back. It is the feeling itself that becomes meaningful.” This idea aligns with his character’s belief that unreturned affection holds a unique beauty and tenderness. Sandman adds a different shade to this discussion – “Even in a relationship, there is something romantic about the chase. I love the idea of never taking anything for granted and still trying to charm the person you love.”Harper, who portrays Thora, is on the fence – “Romance isn’t always healthy. There’s something addictive about the kick — the insecurity, the not knowing. That’s the story of romance. True love is something else, but I haven’t fully grasped it yet.”
In one of the episodes, August points out that he sees himself as a romantic, Hugo as a realist and Thora as a cynic. Sandman recognises himself in August’s romantic streak, the part of him that chases feelings even when it turns complicated. Manteus leans toward the realist, steady but still drawn to the ache of longing. Harper is amused by the idea of being the cynic, though she admits she often approaches love with a kind of protective distance. Their answers echo the triangle at the centre of Trion, where romance, reason and self-preservation keep circling one another, each one shaping the way these characters love and lose.
Besides complicated romance, literature plays an important part in the series. It’s the reason Hugo moves to Stockholm, where he meets August and Thora, but also how he connects with Thora during their shared literature classes. Manteus and Harper share that passion with their characters; both grew up loving books. “I usually say my favourite book is Lolita, but I just finished East of Eden, and I wanted to stay in that world,” Harper says.
The series also touches on several sensitive topics, with some being harder to film. “There were a few days that were rougher than others. The therapy scenes for August were complicated and just hard,” Sandman says. But it’s not just him who needs to unwind after filming an emotionally difficult scene. “You need to cool down. If you leave the set too fast, I need a moment to land when I get home. I absorb a lot of emotion during the day, so I separate myself from it when I come home,” says the actor, with his co-stars echoing this feeling.
In the end, Trion isn’t just a story about three people and the choices that pull them together or push them apart. It’s about the moments that stay with us, the ones we return to long after life has moved on. The series lingers in that space where memory becomes its own kind of truth, where longing shapes the people we become. It’s gentle, aching, and quietly honest about the fact that some loves never really leave.
image courtesy Trion