The sniffer

This is an 8 episode crime series filmed in Russia, with leads no one has ever seen before. Very interesting premise, that of a uniquely gifted man with an extremely acute sense of smell, more like a wild animal than a human, and which leads him to try to solve violent crimes by smelling various trace scents left at the crime scenes, and on suspects and victims. This he does under the solid direction of his good friend, a dedicated police colonel, and a confirmed bachelor and playboy.

The stereotypical Eastern European cynical sarcasm was at full boil at all times in the Sniffer, with him seen calmly disdaining and insulting almost everyone around him as he arrogantly helps the colonel work through difficult crime solving. An added bonus to me was the fine depiction of a modern Russian city, and how similar the location city(Kiev)was to the rest of the 1st world.

Great and creative use was made of wispy smoke imagery that formed from the scents the Sniffer smelled at crime scenes, smoky visions of what really happened there. That effect added greatly to the series' overall production values. Also, the show co-starred who I think is the most beautiful female actor in film, the gorgeous doctor love interest of the Sniffer. What an incredible beauty, and very classy.

Weak point...white subtitles that were often poorly translated, and so often not enough time on screen was allowed for the viewer to thoroughly read them, and the words were often obscured by the background colors.

I liked this series for its glimpse of a modern Russian city, for the unique story premise, for the good acting, and for its style of storytelling that was more realistic than today's American crime story TV. I also liked that each episode was a complete story where the crime was solved.

And, of course, I liked it for the gorgeous lady doctor. Hope to see more episodes of this show, and of her. Wow. Even Trump would surely give her an 11.

Great idea and I don't see it as entirely impossible, though possibly only with some kind of enhancement to the body. Being a writer myself, I see more possibilities with the idea than I've seen so far in the show, but then I've only watched four episodes so far. The Sniffer would be able to smell disease in humans like some dogs apparently can. Not only could he use his talent to solve crimes, he could work for doctors and quickly tell what a person has, such as diabetes, kidney disease or various cancers and metabolic imbalances. The show could go in that direction too and turn him into a super House. The guy who plays the main character is perfect, his expressions subtle and though the character is a bit of a snob or maybe it's just that he's too sensitive for normal social life, the actor makes him very likable, at least to me.

Despite the blatant workplace sexual harassment and sexy medical examiners showing up to a crime scene to investigate a body in a short mini-skirt and high heals, the show has some depth and entertainment to it. The acting from some is mediocre, and great from others, like the lead character. Due to the subtitles, not a show you can just relax on your couch and watch.

The lead actor is convincing as a man with a preternatural sense of smell. His extra-sensory nose is beyond phenomenal as a human sense organ, and he uses it as a positive skill to solve crimes. His ex-wife is gorgeous but she goes a bit over the top to portray a witch with a capital B. Hopefully, she will tone down her "acting" in her next films.

In the opening scene, "the Sniffer" detects an ominous-looking man who boarded the plane has a bomb hidden in his arm cast. The Sniffer tells the flight attendant to alert the pilot Captain, etc...

I wondered how the man with the bomb in his arm cast got past security? Wouldn't the X-ray machines and walk thru's have detected the explosive device?...and arrest him for "packing heat?"(how did he even get on board the plane?) The red sports sedan the Sniffer drives is hot. It looks like it's a newer model Mustang.

The film was made in the Ukraine and shows a lot of local color in Kiev, its capitol city. Entertaining, clever film.

The premise to the story is original and the actors do really pull it off. This is not the average crime show, the investigations and crime stories on every show are refreshing and there is real humour to the police force.

The main actor is the attraction to the whole show, his relationships to all the other characters are very funny, there is not a single line that he doesn't deliver with a straight face.

This show never gets gory or violent and still stays entertaining - which is why I think it deserves an 8/10.