Picture a time when the world was divided between East and West, when every move between nations could lead to disaster. Our story begins with a crisis – a Russian submarine has appeared where it shouldn’t be, right near a Swedish naval base. The Swedish military has found signs that this submarine might be carrying something terrifying: nuclear weapons. But that’s not even the strangest part – the submarine’s captain is completely drunk, unable to command his vessel.

This situation leads the Russian leadership to make a dangerous decision. They decide to replace the drunk captain with the submarine’s KGB officer, Lieutenant Tarasenko. It’s like switching players in the middle of a game, hoping nobody will notice. They dress Tarasenko in the captain’s uniform, making him look the part to fool the outside world.

The Swedish Prime Minister, Thorbjörn Fälldin, arrives at the naval base to handle this tricky situation. He’s trying to keep peace, but he’s got a problem: his own military commander, General Lagerkrantz, is eager for action. The General has even prepared a secret attack plan called Operation Matryoshka, going against direct orders to stay peaceful. When we see his soldiers practicing, they’re shouting “Kill! Kill! Kill!” – showing just how ready they are for a fight.

On television, we see the Russian ambassador making a formal apology to Sweden. She speaks carefully chosen words about how sorry Russia is for this “unfortunate circumstance.” But this public show hides what’s really happening behind the scenes. The ambassador and the Prime Minister are having secret conversations, using “sheep breeding” as a code for their real discussions. They’re trying to find a way out of this mess without losing face.

The story takes an even more complicated turn when we learn that Lieutenant Tarasenko, the fake captain, plans to leave Russia and stay in Sweden. This is called defecting, and it’s incredibly dangerous. The KGB doesn’t want to let him go – they even send agents to threaten the Swedish Foreign Secretary at a theater. But then American CIA agents show up, save the Foreign Secretary, and demand Tarasenko for themselves. It’s like watching a complicated dance where everyone wants to lead.

Meanwhile, the military situation gets worse and worse. NATO, led by America, doubles its fleet near the submarine. The Russian fleet is already there, watching and waiting. Now we have two powerful naval forces facing each other, like two storms about to clash. Everyone is nervous, wondering if someone will make the first move.

Back on the submarine, the real captain is locked up, shouting about mutiny. But nobody listens to him anymore – they’re too busy with their own plans and schemes. Lieutenant Tarasenko walks around in the captain’s uniform, playing his part in this dangerous game, while the crew follows his orders, believing him to be their real commander.

Just when things seem like they can’t get any more tense, the Prime Minister is woken up in the middle of the night with terrible news. Tarasenko, now in Swedish custody, has confirmed their worst fears: the submarine is carrying Uranium-238 – nuclear weapons. This isn’t just about a lost submarine anymore; it’s about a nuclear threat right next to Sweden.

The news gets even worse. NATO has doubled its fleet, facing off against the Soviet ships. The submarine’s captain has orders to blow up his vessel if anyone comes too close, and he’s already tried once. Nobody knows what General Lagerkrantz might do next – he’s already shown he doesn’t always follow orders. And most frightening of all, both the American President Reagan and Soviet leader Brezhnev seem ready for a fight.

The episode ends with everyone at a breaking point. We have a nuclear-armed submarine stuck in Swedish waters, two powerful fleets ready to fight, a captain threatening to blow everything up, and world leaders prepared for war. The Prime Minister, who started the day trying to keep peace, now finds himself at the center of what could become a nuclear disaster.

What’s fascinating about this ending is how it shows a small problem growing into something massive. Everything is connected: the drunk captain led to the fake captain plan, which led to the defection plot, which brought in the spies, which made everything more complicated. And underneath it all was the deadly secret of nuclear weapons, making every decision more dangerous.

The story leaves us wondering how anyone could solve this puzzle without making things explode. The Prime Minister needs to somehow make everyone happy – the Americans, the Russians, his own military, and various spy agencies – all while preventing a nuclear war. It’s like trying to untie a knot where pulling any string could make it tighter.

As the episode closes, we’re left with the Prime Minister’s worried face as he receives this terrible news in the middle of the night. He knows that every choice he makes could either save the day or start a war. The story reminds us how close the world sometimes came to disaster during the Cold War, when even a simple mistake like a submarine in the wrong place could threaten world peace. Sometimes there are no easy answers, only careful choices that must be made with wisdom and hope.

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