El pantano

Authentic and thrilling, first episode leaves you wanting to watch more episodes. Acting is great, good job for the casting crew.

Here is a short list of pros and cons, based on the first two episodes:

Pros: 1) The show has good, dark atmosphere which manages to save even the biggest fillers (especially in the second episode). 2) Mikac's crocodile jacket.

Cons: 1) 2D cliche characters that speak and act alike; and the unbelievable attempts of characterizations like when the protagonist is talking (with extremely bad Serbian accent) that he was born and raised in the projects (Belgrade) and was fighting the '90s wars. 2) The ever-lasting Achilles' heel of Serbian cinema - sound: which is particularly bad when the main character is mumbling his lines. 3) The music is so inadequate throughout the episodes, it seems that the soundtrack is from another show. I am sure that the ending song will be the ringtone of many mobile phones, but it just sounds cheap and "ad hoc". 4) The whole show is trying so bad to look like "True Detective" but with so little money and skill that the viewer is constantly reminded that he didn't get the real Barbie doll for Christmas, but an ugly Chinese copy instead.

I am very disappointed with this series. The action is inconsistent, the police investigation is secondary and completely unrelated. New data and characters appear over and over again, without excessive meaning. Actors wander around the frame, with no particularly pronounced acting skills. The greatest attention is paid to frequent and at the same time unnecessary sexual scenes. Swearing is common. I don't see what I would single out as positive. The check-out music song has some appeal, even though its rhythm is deja-vu. However, the lyrics are bizarre.

Very good music, especially the song "Dole u mraku". Poor sound recording, at some points I didn't understand dialogues.

Out of all the domestic TV series from last year, the one that left the biggest impression on me was Mocvara. It's not a series that deserves a 10 or a 9 raiting, like most of the domestic series. Each one has its flaws. But the spirit of Milena Markovic is felt throughout the entire season. That's why I give it an 8, and because of a few exceptional actors, including Goran Bogdan who needs to work on his language skills. But it's well-directed and well-conceived. I don't mind that it resembles numerous crime series. It has some authenticity and it held my attention, even in the weaker episodes.