The Romanoffs

3rd Episode was very Twilight Zone-ish. Expected Rod Serling to appear or voiceover - until the stark reality of the ending. Totally surprised but made sense with what overpassionate obsessed people were trying to achieve without taking into account the psychological and physical cost. For me it was well done with great acting and storytelling. Kudos to Ms Hendricks for carrying the bulk and making us believe right alongside her.

Interesting anthology but it's so loosely based on the Romanovs as to make no difference to the plot. Not sure why they positioned the series this way, but it's really more of a distraction than anything.

Each episode of this anthology follows a family that claims an affiliation with the Romanoffs / Romanovs. The final episode was my favorite. The actors were fantastic (and it had a huge twist that I didn't see coming). Don't starts this series expecting each episode to tie together - they do relate in the loosest of terms... but not really. And that's part of what makes the series so good.

First, let's get the basics out of the way. Regarding the production values of this series (disclaimer, folks; I've only seen episode one, "The Violet Hour"), everything is at a very high level, so your senses won't be disappointed. It is a feast for the eyes, particularly as Paris and the amazing apartment in which most of the story is set shine beautifully. The storyline is compelling, if a little unrealistic at times (the ease with which an apparently devout young Muslim woman finds herself having a one-night stand comes to mind...not to say it's impossible, just that it's a bit of a stretch). However, as with most films, too much reality would get in the way of being able to tell the story properly in the first place. Remember, this is a TV movie, not a documentary. We are supposed to be carried away; in that sense, I think this episode accomplishes its job admirably. The acting is first rate, making the characters believable and interesting (all the cast are wonderful, especially Marthe Keller as Anushka and Inès Melab as Hajar). Despite what a few lemon-sucking nay-sayers write here, you won't be disappointed with The Romanoffs. It's definitely worth seeing.

I feel sorry for the haters. This was totally delightful. For those who didn't get it, tant pis. Mathew Wiener, I thank you for yet another lovely evening.