The submarine's grounding is portrayed not as an act of war, but the result of a raucous, drunken party on board to celebrate a new father among the crew.
"If we do nothing, they win. If we do too much, we start a war." General: "Then do something… quiet." whiskey on the rocks s01e01
watches CIA photos of the sub. A young attaché asks if this is WWIII. Ruth: "No, darling. This is Tuesday in the Baltic." The submarine's grounding is portrayed not as an
Advisor: "Captain says… fishing accident, Comrade Premier." A young attaché asks if this is WWIII
The morning after, local fisherman brothers Gustav and Harry Jansson discover the stranded vessel. Their attempts to alert the authorities are initially met with skepticism; a receptionist for Prime Minister Thorbjörn Fälldin dismisses Gustav’s rambling phone call, prompting the brothers to contact the local press instead. As the news spreads, the episode establishes the global stakes:
President Ronald Reagan is shown as a warmongering "cowboy" practicing skeet shooting with targets featuring Leonid Brezhnev's face.