The Blood Lady

This show is in Russian and is not dubbed so I had to read.subtitles for 16 hours. Didn't matter in the long run. Watched the whole thing in three nights. Absolutely amazing scenery costumes photography and acting. Watched the whole thing in three nights. Absolutely amazing scenery costumes photography acting-based on a true story but with obviously a lot of embellishments and fiction to keep it going and tie all the loose ends together. Very dark, depressing, disturbing and violent with absolutely no humour involved at all but if you like fascinating historical dramas, this was fantastic. The only reason I did not give it a 10 was for for a couple of scenes Involving some of the neighbours and a bear that seemed pointless and the probable punishment of one if the only redeeming character in the whole series.

While very violent, I found this series interesting and engaging mostly as a look back at Russian history. It seemed to realistically portray both the banal cruelty to and disregard by the nobility of the serfs. As well as the vagaries of Court life. As described, the main character was a murderer, but the other characters also treated their serfs (or in the case of Catherine as players on a chessboard/toys), as less than human. As things, really-to use or laugh at. And, tellingly, to at times fear. And the poor serfs! These people lived hard, hopeless lives and were owned! That part I found both heartbreaking and fascinating. Though based on a true story, the psychological portrait of the Duchess and the family and in law issues were probably made up. With her alleged emotional scars obviously thrown in to illicit some pity on our part-if you can feel such for a killer! So those storylines were a bit melodramatic but who doesn't like a little melodrama once in a while? The acting, sets and costumes were great. So were cinematography and direction. If you like thrillers, period pieces and more sophisticated soap opera you'll like this. But be forewarned: the Duchess's unnecessary "discipline", rages and retribution ( all done violently) are relentless. This is not a feel good show. But it IS riveting.

"The Bloody Lady" tells the story of Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova, a Muscovite noblewoman who became known for her cruelty and the serial murders of her servants. She was granted amnesty by Catherine II (Ekaterina Alexeyeva Romanova) and lived as a recluse in a dungeon until she was 71 years old.

Starring Yulia Snigir as Darya Nikolayevna, "The Bloody Lady" is a super-production with beautiful photography and art direction. The story bares the hypocrisy and corruption of the Imperial Russian nobility at the times of Catherine the Great. With a confident and courageous directing, it contrasts with the empty and superficial productions from the West today. It's totally underrated, surely among the top 10 series I've seen on streaming.