Review by laduqesa

We are told in the IMDB résumé that André Shamanov is visiting this two-bit town to look up an old soldier colleague. I hadn't read the page before watching and we're not told until the end of episode four what he's doing there. This made for some disconcerting viewing. As far as I could work out, the town might have been in Karelia but why anyone should have gone there and stirred up a hornet's nest was a mystery and rather sloppy storytelling.

The whole premiss is perfectly unbelievable. Love at first sight between the rape victim Nastya and Shamanov, rescue by granddad, the maiming (but not killing) of dozens of cops.

Shamanov seems to have superhero powers of resistance to pain and bullets as well as a boundless capacity to get the better of his enemies. It's all completely absurd but it's fun and watchable.

I saw the lot within an evening and just forgot about all the holes and impossibilities I was watching. Just enjoy.