“The Surgeon” – a new series from IVI and START

On its poster, the series boldly claims to be “The most anticipated series of the year,” having won the corresponding nomination at the Pilot festival.

The season has just ended. Did it live up to the expectations, or was the award premature? Let’s take a closer look. But first, a small digression.

When I started writing, I caught myself thinking that reviewing Russian TV series is a thankless and time-consuming task. Dozens of them are released every month, and keeping up is impossible. Sure, major premieres get media coverage, but each streaming platform rolls out its own lineup, while TV channels produce content tailored to their audiences. Not a stream. A river.

I recall an interview with Valery Todorovsky back in 2021, where he spoke about the future of online platforms. All of his predictions came true: streaming services have gone from pure distributors of content to its full-scale producers.

I can’t say how “anticipated” The Surgeon really was, but I personally liked the show. A solid detective story that keeps you tense until the very last scene. It doesn’t quite reach the level of Outsourced — my personal project of the year — but I can recommend it without hesitation.

Ilya Ermolov — actor and director — is recognized not only by professionals but also by audiences. His series The Goldmine, where he served as director, entered the KinoPoisk Top 250 by audience ratings. Although perhaps that had something to do with the script by my favorite Sergey Minaev.

Sergey Gilev is one of the leading actors in today’s cinema, rarely absent from any decent project. A good actor, though unfortunately often cast in fairly similar roles. Here, his character is a surgeon drawn into illegal organ transplants and accused of murdering his journalist lover. After breaking out of prison, he tries to clear his name. If only it were that simple.

Alongside Gilev, the cast includes stars of the Russian TV scene, each with at least 30 credits to their name: Marina Vorozhishcheva (The Goldmine, The Librarian, Offline), Vilma Kutaviciute (Stepfather, The Negotiator), Evgeny Sannikov (The Librarian, Chelyuskin), Rostislav Bershauer (The Goldmine, Your Honor).

The writers also couldn’t resist today’s trendy theme of national identity — a topic some ride to build careers. But again, the audience doesn’t see just one perspective. There are good and bad characters, and there are those who, under the guise of noble intentions, are ready to grind their compatriots into mince. Literally.

Overall, my co-watcher Oks and I got the impression that the show doesn’t have any purely positive characters. Everyone carries their sins, secrets, personal motives, and not always straightforward ways of achieving their goals.

Special mention goes to the title track “Morali” by the band 3333. I’m sure it will find its way into many playlists, at least temporarily.

Will there be a second season? The plot of the first is logically complete but also leaves the door open for continuation. Ratings and reviews will decide. And for now, they look quite good.