A besúgó

This Hungarian TV series set in the Cold War era is a powerful, well-crafted drama that draws in from the very first episode. With top-tier acting and a richly detailed setting, it offers a surprisingly emotional and authentic experience. The story explores the lives of university students caught between youthful passion, political unrest, and the heavy hand of the communist regime.

One of the biggest strengths of the series is its realism. The characters are multidimensional, having both flaws and virtues, making them feel incredibly human. The romantic subplot, especially the innocent love between young students, is portrayed with sensitivity and believability. The series also does an excellent job recreating the atmosphere of 1980s Hungary, with great attention to period details-costumes, music, and even everyday objects all seem authentic.

That said, not everything is perfect. The plot somehow loses momentum in the second half, becoming predictable and filled with clichés. A few moments, like the naming of the university, may seem minor, but they break the immersion for those who actually lived through that era (as did I, in a different country though). Moreover, some secret police officers were apparently portrayed too simplistically.

Despite these flaws, the series stands out for its boldness in tackling sensitive political topics and offering a rare Eastern European perspective. The writing may falter at times, but the emotional weight, stellar performances, and beautiful visuals make up for it.

Whether you're a fan of historical dramas, Eastern European cinema, or simply looking for a well-acted, thought-provoking show, this one is definitely worth watching. It's not just a story-it can be a journey back in time... For me, it was also my first introduction to a modern Hungarian TV series.

Maybe you have to have lived in Eastern Europe in the socializm (or in Hungary in the past 12 years) to fully understand this, but if you do, you'll enjoy it like hell. Exactly like hell.

Overall excellent show, great acting and directing.

The secret police members are depicted a little too primitive. Most of them, who managed informants were much more sophisticated, did not need physical force to threaten their subjects. They found something to blackmail you just like in the movies. Very often multiple people were recruited to report about each cell and that way they had a quick sense if some did not report everything.

For me the biggest flaw is the naming of the school the students attending. In Hungarian they call it " Gazdasági Egyetem".

Nobody, I mean nobody called that school gazdasági egyetem. Its name was Közgazdaságtudományi Egyetem and everyone referred to it using its shortened name "Közgáz". This is quite a big flaw, for someone who was a university student in Budapest in the mid 80s this makes the show somewhat unauthentic. They could have used this in the original language version and for the foreign subtitles the " school of economy" would have worked.

But I can hardly wait the next episode, very well written and all the props are truly authentic! Great job!

Very good work, you get drowned into the movie, like a time travel experience, so realistic. You can catch some parallels between then and now, seems that history is repeating itself time by time.

Surprisingly I was Hooked from the very first minute. Great cast, plot and really good production. Despite very active show season, this one is one of the best this year. Highly recommended:)