NEW YORK (OSV News) — In 2004, actor Ewan McGregor co-created a longform documentary TV series chronicling the adventures he and his close friend Charley Boorman experienced while on an epic multi continent motorcycle journey. Called “Long Way Round,” it launched a franchise, each installment of which has shared the first two words of its title.
All 10 roughly hour-long episodes of the latest sequel, “Long Way Home,” are currently streaming on Apple TV+. This fourth iteration follows the duo of pals as they ride around northern Europe, traveling through the type of natural scenery that creates the perfect cinematic backdrop for a filmed road trip.
Their starting point this time is McGregor’s home in Scotland. From there, over the course of the five episodes reviewed, they travel to the Netherlands, Germany and all three Scandinavian nations. After reaching Norway’s Lofoten archipelago, they temporarily ditch the bikes for a plane ride to the Arctic Circle.
With 50-year-old vintage European motorcycles their vehicles of choice for this outing and with their helmets miked for conversation, McGregor and Boorman maintain a generally lighthearted tone, with the former’s characteristic dry delivery and sometimes self-deprecating humor helping to keep the mood a sunny one.
This is apt given the off-beat, eccentric character of some of the incidents they record. These include their introduction to the obscure Dutch sport of “far leaping,” for instance, in which competitors pole vault over a narrow body of water, and their visit to a Danish pub run by an avid equestrian who allows friends to bring their horses right up to the bar.
Given the terrain they’re covering, it’s perhaps unsurprising that McGregor and Boorman also take time out to enjoy a sauna. The flash of rear nudity included in this scene, however, restricts the appropriate viewership for the program.
The show has its more serious moments as well. On a ferry trip through a misty Norwegian fjord, for example, McGregor muses, “I really get a lot out of seeing how beautiful the world is.” He also shows appreciation for several of the people he and Boorman encounter along the way.
A highlight for viewers of faith comes when the pair visits Norway’s 12th-century Lom Stave Church where carved dragons inspired by Viking mythology serve as gargoyles aloft rooftop perches. “Such a pretty place,” Boorman observes, standing in the central nave surrounded by the ingenious structure’s free-standing wooden columns and frescoed walls.
Boorman then offers a few words in remembrance of his sister, who died when she was just 36 years old. Lamenting that the busyness of life makes it difficult to recall the dead, he says, “When I do these trips with Ewan, we always have time to think, and it’s nice to think about your friends that aren’t here.”
Bowing his head and waving his hand toward the altar, Boorman quietly adds, “To my little sister. I love you.”
The “Long Way” series deserves credit for the success with which it has mined both such heartfelt interludes and the enjoyable banter between its principals over the past 20 years, showcasing their bond with unforced authenticity. The ongoing cultivation of their camaraderie is a pleasure to watch.