Anna-detektiv

Sad that I made it all the way to the end of this lovely series and the last one ends with a huge cliffhanger! This is Nancy Drew with a Russian twist. Add in clairvoyancy and it's a captivating series. I've watched many Russian docu-dramas but most were history based. Both Sophia and Ekaterina were excellent. Can't wait for season two!

I'm obsessed with this show. This is a mystery murder-of-the-week show, but it's really about the relationship between the two main characters - Anna, a young woman who sees ghosts/spirits, and Yakov, the police detective. I also liked all of the other regular characters - Anna's family, the detective's assistant, the neighbor, the newspaper reporter, the police chief, etc. I don't know much about 19th century Russian life, but the show very effectively conveys a sense of a previous era. Also, I love Anna's beautiful dresses. She seems to have at least one new one each episode. I've watched all 56 episodes... more than once.

There are flaws, but I am so captivated by the good parts of this series that I don't care.

I loved, loved, loved this show! Granted, it took a while to get through all 56 episodes, but it was well worth it. There are some flaws in production, e.g., I noticed a couple of clips from scenes were reused in a few episodes, but I am sure that had to do with budget, rather than any lack of creativity. I, personally, did not find the age difference between Anna and Yakov hard to embrace for purposes of their budding romantic relationship. It makes sense for the period in which the series takes place. All the other areas in this production were superlative, from the sets/scenes, to the costumes, to the writing, and to the acting. I, too, searched the Internet for information about season two or three (?), and found a wonderful update on Dimitriy Frid's Facebook page. He indicated they had started filming again in early March, but discontinued a couple of weeks later, presumably due to the coronavirus. I hope they begin filming again as soon as the Russian "safer at home" orders are lifted. In any event, I rewatched all 56 episodes, fast forwarding through much of it. The ending was truly a gritty, suspenseful cliffhanger, and I am eagerly awaiting additional episodes for resolution of all the intrigue, subplots, and relationships. Specifically, what's up with Jean Lasalle and his last words / scene with Anna? What's up with Anton, and his last words spoken out of earshot of Anna? What's up with Dr. Miilts, and his relationships with Alice / others. What's up with the Prince and his duel / last scene with Anna? Most importantly, what's up with the 'matchless' Yakov Shtolman?

An interesting experience. My first foray into Russian TV, experienced hardcore, and I'm quite enjoying it (Russian speaking - a completely new language for me - with English subtitles that are sometimes awkward and in need of editing). The period costumes are beautiful, the set seems to be a well used location that reuses buildings and interiors as various and different places, as the script dictates, so it gives the filming a low budget feel. The acting of the titled lead was a little rough at the beginning, but she quickly got better as the series progressed, and she simply exudes charm and youthful beauty that is quite captivating for all who encounter her. The supporting performances were solid if striking a bit of a comedic tone and at times is very stylized and melodramatic which is reminiscent of the parlour dramas of the period it is depicting. The premise of a young woman who speaks to the dead to solve crimes (the obsession with Spiritualism in the 19th Century is well documented) matched by a seasoned (and romantically attractive) detective who comes to similar conclusions by astute investigative procedures, is rather unique and I liked it. At the centre of these mysteries is a romance which very much pulls the work together. I had the honour of entering the information for TVDb and subsequently TRAKT (sorry, I had no artwork) which brought to my attention what a Herculean endeavour this series must have been to perform, produce and broadcast. There were 56 episodes in this first series, all done in 2016, and broadcast, every week, sometimes twice a week and once with three unique episodes in a single week! Compare that to British series that have 4 to 10 episodes a year, or American network series that have 24 episodes. It must have been a completely exhausting (which might explain my next statement). There is a rumour of a second season coming out in 2018 (November) which would be welcomed by it's fans as the 56th episode very much layed the groundwork for new directions and some resolutions (we hope). Let's hope Amazon Prime carries it! I give the series a 7 (good) out of 10, and look forward to more ANNA-DETEKTIV, even if it takes a week to binge, as it did for Season One. {Mystery Romance Spiritualism}

The detective component is not very spelled out, because it's a show about a Man and a Woman, doomed by fate to meet each other. It will, in spite of any obstacles. The acting is extraordinary, and Dmitry Frid in the lead role of Shtallman - space! The series has captured and touched to the core, forced him to think about such feelings, which had long forgotten.The creators of the series managed to convey the atmosphere of the time, despite some historical inaccuracies. Must see!