ABBA

ABBA is invoked by Peter as an example of a musical group that gives shape to his hope of rebuilding life with Eva. The reference turns the idea of a band into a model for a couple: a team need not be broken apart, and a shared future may still be possible.

Reference in Peter’s Plan

Peter imagines that Eva will return and that they will leave De Zonnepolder. He is considering quitting his job and proposing that they go abroad together, set up something of their own, and revive their earlier dream of running a beach café. His plan is not yet a decision they have made; it is the future he intends to offer her.

The Band as a Model of Togetherness

In support of that hope, Peter names ABBA alongside Guns N' Roses, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles. The sequence presents bands as examples of collective identity and persistence, reinforcing his claim that a good team should not be separated. ABBA’s significance here lies in that comparison, rather than in any account of the group’s history or music: Peter uses the name to make his imagined reconciliation feel possible.