Whiskey on the Rocks ending explained: How was the conflict resolved? 

Whiskey on the Rocks is a satirical drama series directed by Bjorn Stein, based on a screenplay by Jonas Jonasson and Henrik Jansson-Schweizer. The series is inspired by the real geopolitical conflict that arose between the Soviet Union, Sweden, and the United States in 1981, escalating the tense situation at the height of the Cold War.

The story follows all parties involved when a soviet submarine containing nuclear warheads accidentally came ashore at the largest naval base in Sweden. In the finale, Lieutenant Tarasenko and his family were sent to the United States and the conflict was solved through diplomacy.

Whiskey on the Rocks began airing on SVT1 on December 25, 2024, before making its international debut on Hulu and Disney+ on January 22, 2025. The series features Rolf Lassgård, Elsa Saisio, Anders Mossling, Niklas Engdahl, Filip Berg and Adam Lundgren.

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Sweden averted a third World War in Whiskey on the Rocks

In 1981, when the world was divided by the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the world came to the brink of a nuclear conflict. The stage was set due to a Soviet submarine heading to Kaliningrad, accidentally coming ashore at the largest naval base in Sweden. During that time Sweden was a neutral country, so the presence of the Soviet submarine created a panic of aggression from the USSR.

The chaos and confusion started from a simple celebration of the birth of Lieutenant Tarasenko's child, one of the crew members on the submarine. The commander gave the crew permission to celebrate, however, this simple celebration led to mistakes that put the submarine near a Swedish village, where a fisherman spotted the giant vessel and reported it.

The news reached US President Ronald Reagan before the Swedish Prime Minister. Reagan was suspicious that the Soviets had launched an attack on Sweden to weaken NATO's hold in Scandinavian waters. On the other hand, the submarine crew reported technical damage in the vessel back to headquarters, hiding their mistake.

In reality, the submarine was on a secret mission, which was now sabotaged. If the headquarters finds out about the negligence, the crew will be sent to Siberia as punishment.

In the gripping finale of Whiskey on the Rocks, Sweden attempts to stop the two superpowers from starting a third World War. However, many powerful elements within Sweden, including Commander-in-Chief Borje Lagerkrantz, were adamant about using force against the Soviets. Prime Minister Thorbjorn Falldin controlled Borje while handling the pressure from both sides and successfully prevented the conflict from escalating.

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Tobbe stopped Borje from reaching Karlskrona in Whiskey on the Rocks

The Soviets had killed the commander-in-chief of Sweden, Borje Lagerkrantz's parents. So the conflict on the shore was like an opportunity for him to avenge them. While the Prime Minister had already started Operation Tow-out, to move the submarine out of their territory, he had to take care of Borje, who was planning an unauthorized attack.

Borje's trusted ally Hakan betrayed him and informed Prime Minister Thorbjorn about his intentions. Thorbjorn contacted his sheep farmer friend Tobbe to stop Borje by releasing his flock of sheep on his track. Tobbe gladly agreed because Borje had previously insulted sheep farmers.

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Ambassador Aleksandra Kosygina helped Dimitrij Tarasenko

Damitrij Tarasenko agreed to defect to the United States and Sweden in return for the safety of his wife and his newborn child. The CIA operatives had promised to get his family out of the Soviet Union and settle them in Russia.

Soviet Ambassador to Sweden, Aleksandra Kosygina was initially working with KGB Agent Yuri Andropov to help Tarasenko pose as the captain of the stranded submarine as a cover to prevent the Swede from stepping foot in the vessel. However, Aleksandra is revealed to be working with the Swede and the United States to help Tarasenko and his family.

Later, Aleksandra is seen talking with a KGB agent, who was only referred to as “Puppy” throughout the show, about installing the largest gas pipeline alongside Europe's coastline. In the finale of Whiskey on the Rocks, Yuri probably poisoned Soviet Secretary General Brezhnev to become the next Secretary-General and awarded Aleksandra a medal for her exemplary work as a diplomat.

The submarine was finally sent back into open waters, and its crew celebrated its release. Whiskey on the Rocks showed that diplomacy can solve every crisis, regardless of magnitude.

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Stay tuned for more news and updates about Whiskey on the Rocks and other films and TV shows on Hulu as the year unfolds.