To the Lake

The series was a huge disappointment for me. It's a Russian series, so I thought I would finally get to see things from a different angle, but it turned out to be consciously pro-European. As if that wasn't enough, the pair of screenwriters bit off more than they could chew. They clearly didn’t know how to create enough suspense, so the whole story was really boring, made even worse by the unnecessary digressions. With the exception of both tigers, I found the rest of the characters unlikeable or downright annoying and I'm glad I said goodbye to them today. (12/03/2021)

I finished watching Season 1 a year and a half ago, and I was horrified to discover that I hadn't reviewed the series. I don't like to review shows that aren't fresh in my memory. This time I have to because I don't think I'd give it another go. I could do it, but I really don't feel like it. I was looking forward to this Russian series, only to find out that it's not actually all that Russian, or all that exquisite. The first season strongly reminded me of the later seasons of The Walking Dead – that is, the ones that I wasn't enjoying anymore because the story and logic went to hell. / Lesson learned: There is a little good in every bad. In this case, it was the song. (16/10/2022)

I turn on the TV - covid, check the internet - covid; I have had enough of this constant covid-ing, so I was thinking about what to put in the player to take a little break from it:-) And I hit the mark! I chose a Russian series, from which a special Netflix-like hybrid emerged in the very first episode; the creators are Russian but European Union-minded, so I can think about completely different things than how slow the vaccination is going here. (09/03/2021)

The first episode was quite decent, but by the second one, I couldn't shake off the feeling of déjà vu. It felt a bit too much like those typical American series where a motley crew of characters navigates through various dangers (insert any threat here) from point A to point B, encountering various adventures along the way, often with logic taking a backseat. (09/03/2021)

The show feels like something I've seen at least once before, echoing what put me off The Walking Dead. Each episode introduces a new, more or less trivial problem, leaving significant development on the back burner. Finally, in the third episode, we get some vodka, though by Russian standards, it was below average. (10/03/2021)

The trip of both the healthcare workers to get meds was a weak plotline from the screenwriters. Rescuing the stranded car didn't captivate me either. The only ones lifting my spirits were Polina and Mísha, who make me chuckle and occasionally hum 'Teach Me Tiger.' Although I must admit, the version by April Stevens is definitely better :-) (10/03/2021)

I was going to give it two stars because I couldn't care less about the fate of the cute little blonde boy, and the whole episode felt rather aimless to me. On top of that, the creators once again showed a complete disregard of logic... However, much to my surprise, I found myself quite entertained thanks to the character of the war veteran and the contents of his trunk. The ad hoc partisan squad had me chuckling, and I even found myself laughing out loud at times (though I doubt it was the creators' intention), so I added an extra star for breaking the boring monotony. (11/03/2021)

Last time I could at least laugh, but here? No 'Teach Me Tiger', no new partisan unit, no one driving out of the garage with a preserved T-34, just boredom. Flashbacks were probably meant to add depth to the characters, but I'm not really invested in them, so they fell flat. I can't remember the last time I watched the fate of a group of people without caring about how each one ends up. And that medical masterpiece (or rather the miracle of improvised science) at the end just topped it off. (11/03/2021)

The episode kept me more engaged compared to the previous one. However, the screenwriting duo struggles to create the right atmosphere or tension. If you've got even basic deductive skills, you'll realize that when several things or people disappear at once, there's likely a connection. (12/03/2021)

The series finale... well, let's face it, it was clearly setting up for the next season because the ending was as open as a careless tourist after stumbling upon a mother bear. It wasn't surprising, there was no real improvement, and at times I wondered if the screenwriters had been tripping on shrooms. (12/03/2021)