User Reviews

The first season of this Polish series opens in the mid-1980s with the discovery of two bodies in the forest near a minor city. One is a local senior communist official, the other a prostitute. The militia quickly make an arrest and the suspect confesses however veteran reporter Witold Wanycz has his doubts. His investigation, with the help of young editor Piotr Zarzycki, uncovers truths than others wish to keep hidden... putting them on a collision course with some very dangerous characters.

Twelve years pass before the second season starts; this means there have been major changes in Poland; most obviously the communist regime has fallen and it is now a democratic country. As the series starts the body of a boy has been discovered following a flood caused by a breeched levee. The flood has also exposed a cemetery where victims of a massacre that took place shortly after the war; few people want the truth about that incident to be revealed. Senior police officers accept that it was just a tragic accident; newly transferred Sgt Anna Jass looks at the case more closely and starts to wonder about how convenient the flood was for a new upmarket housing development. The story is picked up by Piotr, who is now editor in chief. Intertwined with this investigation we see flashbacks of what happened in the aftermath of the war and Witold's connection to it.

I really enjoyed this series. The first season nicely captured the feel of life under an oppressive regime where towing the party line mattered more than the truth. The central mystery is intriguing and doesn't always go in ways one might expect. The second season, which I enjoyed just as much, shows how many things may have changed but attitudes take longer to moderate. There are plenty of genuinely tense moments with real danger for many characters. One might think the series would be pretty grim but there are enough lighter moments to mitigate this. The cast does a really fine job; most obviously Andrzej Seweryn, Dawid Ogrodnik and Magdalena Rózczka as Witold, Piotr and Anna respectively. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of subtitled drama.

These comments are based on watching the series in Polish with English subtitles.

Had me drawn in, once I started watching I couldn't stop. Well written, and nicely paced, There's nothing dumb or not believable. The acting is outstanding, I'd love to see another season.

If you are watching from Neflix, ensure to watch from the beginning of each episode as for a certain reason Netflix skips the beginning as if it was a Recap and actually it gives key elements of the story. The subtitles are terrible. I usually prefer to watch in original language but I realized there was a lot of flaws, so I switched quickly to English audio and it was better.

I started watching it with low expectations and although the first episodes have some parts that seem unconnected or are hard to follow, the setting in an 80s communist Poland city and the good performance of the actors slowly help you to become more and more interested in the story. It is excellently shot, and it helps you to see a bit of what life was like in Eastern Europe in the 80s. Interesting, well made and only 5 episodes. Recommended!

Living in Czechoslovakia/The Czech Republic in the 1990s so much of this rang true as far as life in this part of the world at that time. I would say they got the architecture, decore, fashion, and the way people behaved and communicated down very well, it was so much like what was still around and what I was told about (though in a different country), I saw the remenents of it, this, I would guess, was was it was really like. It was also shot and acted very well. As far as the story goes, I don't get how so many reviewers complain of being confused. There were the usual multiple threads, suspects, and gaps in the story for the viewers or protagonists to fill in. People should watch a little more closely and accept the fact that not everything is laid out for you and that things tie up, or sometimes don't, in the end. In general there was nothing flashy, the impressive thing was the everyday detail and convincing human aspect, like I said, they kept it simple in that sense, and got it right. I would hope there will be another series.

I enjoyed the cinematography and dark 80s vibes, but the storyline left something to be desired. The scenes jumped around a lot and there were too many characters muddying the plot. The central mysteries resolution is interesting, but the final episode is chaotic. The dialogue looses flow with the translation.

Its a good and authentic story that is well played by the actors. It's grey, yes, but that's how life were back then.

A really well acted, if utterly depressing slice, of Poland from 40 years ago. It is not a good advert for the Police or Polish men in general (never mind Communist economics). Don't watch if you're feeling a bit glum, even if the story is well thought out.

1984 (a coincidental choice? I do not think 'tis so...). A fictitious voivodeship city in late-communist Poland (with its degenerate monoparty's power being behind almost anything that goes on there).

This bleak city, with its foresty and marshy surroundings, is a character of its own - it pulls you in, and does not want to let you go. Ever. Darkness is dwelling here - covering some of the ugliness but also feeding on the past and being constantly reinforced by the present, overshadowing the future and hope. Killing innocence.

An old, weary journalist, together(?) with his new, enthusiastic and idealistic colleague attempt to shed some light on the darkness. Will they be able to fully pierce through it? And should they bring out to plain view everything they manage to uncover...?

Good depiction of the bleak, Communist-dominated society of the early 1980s. Slow-moving and fails to resolve some plot details. We give it a 7.0, but would not recommend it.

This is top notch- not to be faulted on any front. Beautifully shot, wonderfully acted and directed. The storytelling is utterly impressive: each scene builds anticipation and you end up watching actively, with many mysteries, small and large, to solve. What is told and not told, what must be revealed and when- these are the crucial questions that only the best writers know how to convey. And aside from that, the revelation of a moment, a cultural ethos, is outstanding. At this point in tv watching we are spoiled by easy access to fanatstic tv and drama- but this then has ended up raising standards and expectations. There are a lot of very good shows out there - few that are excellent and outstanding. This is one of the outstanding ones.

First season 6/10, it's good but nothing special, although I recommend to watch this before season 2, which is reaaally good, BIG LIKE.

Was expecting something decent from reviews. Watched and ended up with more questions than before I watched it. Too many unanswered questions and why things happened. No ended

Mere minutes in, you will know exactly when and where you are. I thought there must be some phrase to describe that. It turns out, there is: Mise en scene. It drew me in immediately. I look forward to the remaining episodes. If you are a fan of the Red Riding series, you will probably enjoy this.

How many shows that you know manages to do that? You think first season was superb..then after streaming the second, you are pleasantly at awe that it's even better...I tell you wait till you stream the third.

Exquisite show that is very rewarding for meticulous viewer. It is like a mesmerizing wall tapestry where each intricate plot (motif) is woven with much perfection.

Sophisticated layout of interweaving plots all gracefully ties up...This Show cannot be rushed, fastforwarded or binged while multitasking..it deserves full attention of the viewer. Definitely gonna be a staple in my Archive of Lifetime Favorite Dramas to be Revisited.

Really good show overall, but the fact that he looked at that painting over and over and talked about it, almost showed it but never actually showed it drove me INSANE!

I agree with other viewers that the story is complex in excess and difficult to understand, Right after the third episode things seem to come out of the fog to paint a picture. Positive, the imagery was chosen carefully in line with the creepy dark times and places where all the events happened. A crime in a forest of Poland before the 80s unfolds the fierce cover up of the Communist regime. Two journalists begin to investigate and have to face the Justice and Police procedure wrongdoings in line with the political situation of Poland at that time.

This show was well paced with a steady flow and great buildup to the finale. Huge improvement to mainstream American tv. The soundtrack fits the show and no one associated with this show found it necessary to force their political beliefs in, disrupting a smooth story line. The acting was outstanding all around and it was well directed. Intense and suspenseful.

I've just finished watching all 3 seasons of this wonderful Polish drama on Netflix. I found it wonderful in so many ways. I've only read the positive reviews and would concur with their sentiments. The stories and threads intertwine beautifully but you must watch the series in order. I feel sorry for anyone who starts with series 3, they will probably wonder what the hell is going on, get confused and possibly stop watching.

A slow burner, but stick with it, you will not be disappointed. Set in a humdrum and drab small Polish backwater town which hides a million secrets going back as far as the 2nd world war, the various threads seemingly unrelated come together, and what originally may appear as confusing makes perfect sense several episodes later.

As an English speaker I started with the dubbed version, but as with virtually all non English speaking shows I found the dubbed version dreadful and annoying, and very quickly reverted back to the Polish original with subtitles. I find it concentrates the mind better and believe me you have to concentrate on the dialogue otherwise you will miss out on so many details. The stories flit between 1945, 1985, 1997, and 1999 so keep listening and reading! If you're one of those people without the patience to follow the storyline closely, or indeed need every little detail explaining and conveniently resolved each episode then this show is probably not for you.

This starts off with a twin murder as the prime event, and then becomes hopelessly muddled. The viewer has to struggle to understand sequence of events that follow as the dots are not in any way connected. The story progresses from scene to scene and you really have no understanding of who the characters are (new ones keep appearing) or what their connection to the story might be. It's as if no story board was used to get the necessary continuity. Even if you go back and rewatch previous episodes to try and understand what's happening or did you miss some vital clue in the story line....that doesn't help. The information is just not there. This leads to the viewer giving up, losing interest and not bothering to finish the season. It's a bit of a waste of time!

My one piece of advice is that you don't leave gaps of more than one day between episodes, especially if your memory isn't brilliant or you're prone to lapses of concentration. You WILL get hopelessly lost (I did). With that qualification out of the way, I thought it was well conceived and executed with no unnecessary gloss, which would have undermined the gritty atmosphere that the series evoked.

This is one of a small handful of movies I've seen in my life where the cinematography absolutely makes the show. From the very first minute until the end, everything (the cars, the people,, the houses, the clothing, the city and so on) are so darn depressing I felt like I was in the middle of it. I don't know who shot this film but whoever is a frickin' genius with his camera. A day after watching it< i'm still depressed. Netflix accidentally released this in perfect timing with the virus. I'm glad I live in Texas and not Poland.

If I'd only watched the first season, I'd have given it 8. All the reviews giving 7 or over, had something worthy to say. So read them. You really do need to watch Season 1. It provides necessary background for Season 2. Those who rated it less, simply didn't have the patience to watch series like this. The acting truly was exceptional, but it was Magdalena Rozczka's portrayal of Jass that made it for me. The last episode of Season 2, tied off many unanswered questions, beautifully. The last scene was particularly good. I do hope there's another season. I want to see what happens to the characters next. Does Witek finally discover what happened to Elsa Koepke? And Jass please don't go back to Warsaw.

The film has a well-developed plot, and so it's well-paced as well. The viewer discards old suspects in favor of new ones as each new episode unfolds. So, he/she is glued to the viewing chair otherwise he/she'll miss something important. This is how gripping the storytelling is. The love story of young Karol and Jystine is really tragic and you emphatize with them. It's entertaining to watch the tandem of Piotr (David Ogrodnik) and Witek (Andrzej Seweryn) because they are opposites in the quest for the truth: one does it enthusiastically, the other grudgingly. How the story ends is believable as it happens in real life. I was intrigued by the old lady in the opening credits. It was only in the final episode that I thought I knew who she is and why she's in it in the first place.