Servo do Povo

Whoever ridiculed or doubted comedian Zelensky's ability to properly do the job of a president who's not fictional, might have had changed their mind after the recent events. And yes, it's a pretty accurate description of someone in the midst of a corrupt political system entangled with personal interests. Zelensky is genuinely funny and he's proven himself beyond the tv show too, from music to dancing. I'll never forget the video where he might as well pull off "All the single ladies", in leather and stillettos. Definitely have a look. And with the remarkable qualities he displayed recently, I bet Netflix will be streaming The Servant again. Don't be surprised if you see a film trailer with him either, I just wonder who'll play the leading man.

Watching the series while the war is raging in Ukraine and its lead is playing a larger than life role in tectonic real-world events is surreal. But the series is pretty good in its own right.

By now, everyone knows the premise: an honest high-school history teacher Vasyl Holoborodko becomes a president through a series of improbable events (at least, back then it would be deemed improbable...). He tries to get things done in a ridiculously corrupt system, despite the odds.

There are several aspects that set Servant of the People apart from numerous "outsider fixes the system" movies though. The makers are brave enough to avoid the usual "simple folks are saints" or "power corrupts" tropes. Many of these simple folk, when given a chance, steal as much (or more) than their predecessors. At one point, Holoborodko makes an impassionate speech about how the innocent and well-meaning children step by step turn into corrupt and indifferent "khokhols" littering and corrupting and sending their own children abroad because everything is already littered and corrupted.

(Speaking of which: the Netflix translation is, put it this way, sanitised. There are homophobic and nationalistic slurs used, even though in a context that is not necessarily homophobic or nationalistic.)

Holoborodko himself does not always win, and makes silly gaffes, sometimes with disastrous consequences. His decisions are not always wise, like assigning his less than bright childhood friend to become a foreign minister.

The rest of the presidential team is played by other members of Kvartal 95, the Monty Python-esque Ukrainian comedy troupe that was headed by Zelenskyy before his ascent to politics in real life. They are okayish but aren't that interesting except Yevhen Koshovy cast as a bumbling foreign minister.

Among the supporting cast, Stanislav Boklan as Yuriy Chuyko is a standout. He is very much a Ukrainian version of Sir Humphrey Appleby from Yes Minister / Yes Prime Minister, an experienced, cynical, and corrupt veteran of Ukrainian politics playing by corrupt rules.

The nameless three oligarchs are the weakest part. It's like Kvartal 95 spent 3 seconds thinking them through. They either eat super-high-fibre food, drink champagne, or play Monopoly. When they talk to their fixers and henchmen, it's always either while eating or playing Monopoly. It's like the super-rich are stuck in a weird Groundhog Day.

Interestingly enough, Russia is looming in the background but does not prominently feature in the series, even though it was already after Crimea and Donbas. (Apart from the famous "Putin Hublot" joke, the part when he yells "Putin got overthrown!" to gain attention, and the hilarious conversation with Ivan the Terrible.) The main beef of Holoborodko is with the corruption and the mentality perpetuating it, not with anyone else.

Common comedic tropes are there but executed well. There's a pretty good "Hangover"-inspired chapter, the mismatched couples like the minister of foreign affairs and his aide, and Holoborodko's own dysfunctional family.

The lack of knowledge about overseas kinda weirded me out (folks, masala chai is delicious, Indians comfortably deal with foreigners in their foreign terms, and not everyone is transgender in the Netherlands!), but these are very minor bits.

The underlying message is that the change is hard but not impossible. That there are, after all, principled and honest people who know what they're doing and try to get things done. And if Ukraine and Zelenskyy manage to pull through the hellish ordeal Ukraine is going through now, Sluga narodu will be one of the greatest stories ever told.

Slava Ukraini!

Pres. Zelenskyy's series (back on Netflix) is wonderful, and his history teacher who becomes President steps off the screen and into our hearts believably. He is just as charming with that beautiful voice and just as clearly the man his people elected and the heroic leader most of us have come to love. Strongly recommended: these are roughly half-hour episodes linked by bits and codas moving smoothly into the President becoming what he was born to be: And in real life, the time he was born for and the man we needed so much. Truly historical and also heartbreaking. Because now he must put his life on the line and save his country. The images of beautiful Ukraine now being destroyed are beyond painful, and valiant people we see everywhere in the film are now resistance fighters for democracy. Yes it has flaws in timing and predictability here and there, but I gave it the 10 not only because it is a fine series, but also because life imitated art and gave us this hero. This is an extraordinary accomplishment and moment in history. "Slava Ukraini!"

Watching it in 2022, I cannot sit back, relax and enjoy this surprisingly witty and funny series. It is like one of those movies that you have watched a 100 times and yet when you watch them for the 101th time, you hope and pray that the hero survives. Well, Zelensky became president and made his life hell. Nothing to do about that now. Let's hope and pray that he and his country survive.

Such a light-hearted comedy. I am a big fan of Parks and Rec (another top-rated political comedy) but Servant of the People has replaced it as my favorite in the genre. The show must have been pivotal in getting the main actor elected as president of Ukraine IRL in 2019.

The show gives great insight into Ukraine's pains and worries about the rampant corruption. I was born and raised in Ukraine and watching the show from the U.S. brings nostalgia and inspires hope that one day I can return into a truly free country.