Il principio del piacere

This depicts a reality that stunted anglocentrics will find confusing, many of whom forget that most people don't have English as a first language and that most people have "an accent" when they speak our tongue. If nothing else, it's such a relief to hear and see how all those non-anglophones, a majority of the world's population, communicate and solve problems, resorting occasionally to English ("with an accent" -of course and 110% better than my Czech!- ) as a llngua franca. This is part of the reality in the drama. To dub it all or to put it all in one language, or with references to only of the three national cultures involved, with their different histories, different policing issues, etc., might make it more palatable to US-Americans used the cultural babyfood of Hollywood but it would totally deny what the story is all about.

Well, so many different venues, vast areas, the cast representing Slavs mostly, but still with different attitudes (Ukraine vs. EU, above all). And it budget was not too generous, I suppose... The outcome is a rather suspense thriller series, with interesting main theme, plus some by-lines pleasantly confusing (well, sometimes too excessively, but this is not a big issue). The final outcome could have been more sophisticated, but then - realism is also a good quality vis-a-vis crime series.

The performers are all good and pleasant as well, knowing how to be in teamwork (although many of them are big stars in their countries and even internationally known, e.g. Karel Roden). The latter and Malgorzata Buczkowska were the ones excelling for me a bit, but as mentioned - it is a pleasant cooperation of 4 Central-European countries.

I have read that Season 2 might follow - please count me in as a part of audience then :)

I'm enjoying the series, but the characters spend a lot of time speaking in English.

Their accents are so bad that I can't understand what they're saying, and of course the subtitles disappear for the English language dialogue...

I confess that I was very impressed by this series. Events happen at an accelerated pace, and if the plot is complex, the solutions are always unexpected. Top-notch music, neat photography. One of the best crime series I've ever seen. Ready to watch a second time. The actors are excellent, and convincing to the extreme. A precise image of what the former communist countries have become: a paradise for the mafia, arms trafficking, corruption, prostitution and crimes. A gloomy series as is the reality for many people in Ukraine, Poland and the Czech Republic. Highly recommended

I watched to the end but didn't really enjoy the series. Terrible dialogue and accents ruined it for me and the plot was hard to follow.

Time again I wouldn't bother.