The basic premise is that 11 young people wake up in a bunker not knowing how they got there. None of them know one another. They have several weeks of food and running water, along with electricity. They're locked in and work on trying to get out, which eventually they do. They find their home city in ruin with the dead everywhere. The home city: Moscow, Russia! Yes, this is a Russian version of post apocalypse story.
There is a young medical student, a Russian nationalist, a computer hacker, a Kazakhstani artist, a high end escort, and others.
What I love about it is the presumptions that are both there and missing that you would see in an American style of show. I'll go over a few of them.
Once they leave they have several encounters with other folks, some hostile, some not. When they are being bullied by folks in uniform and others you never hear anything similar to, "...Blah blah blah blah... MY RIGHTS!" Not once do they mention rights or anything close to it. I know I'd hear it with young Americans but these Russians never mention it once.
Another thing is that there is a guy that is a bit overweight. He is occasionally referred to by several people as "fatty" or "fatso." Not once is there any shock or indignation about these derogatory comments. No outrage by others. Even they guy that is overweight doesn't say, "Don't call me that." It's just accepted and the dialog moves on.
The escort isn't looked down on. She isn't looked up to but she isn't held up to ridicule in any way.
When someone gets sick and becomes a burden several, not just one, but several folks are for just letting him die and not wasting resources. Only the young medical student is extremely vocal about helping. The rest will help, but it isn't like an American show where the "tough / callous guy" stands alone on his island being portrayed as a big meanie. Here, the culture accepts more of letting the weak die off.
When they do capture someone and the Russian nationalist decides to physically motivate them for information (ie. beat it out of them) there is some resistance again, but not everyone. He is allowed to pound the captive for a bit until others interfere.
I mention these issues because it is cool to see how we live inside a cultural bubble that doesn't allow someone to be called "fatso" or to treat an escort as an equal. My only big complaint with the show is that you can tell the translator is probably Russian because some of the translations don't quite fit. You can understand it but it doesn't read as a native American speaker would say things.
Just thought I'd share.
Regards,
Doug
PS - I've always loved post apocalypse stories and shows so I am very biased here.
There is a young medical student, a Russian nationalist, a computer hacker, a Kazakhstani artist, a high end escort, and others.
What I love about it is the presumptions that are both there and missing that you would see in an American style of show. I'll go over a few of them.
Once they leave they have several encounters with other folks, some hostile, some not. When they are being bullied by folks in uniform and others you never hear anything similar to, "...Blah blah blah blah... MY RIGHTS!" Not once do they mention rights or anything close to it. I know I'd hear it with young Americans but these Russians never mention it once.
Another thing is that there is a guy that is a bit overweight. He is occasionally referred to by several people as "fatty" or "fatso." Not once is there any shock or indignation about these derogatory comments. No outrage by others. Even they guy that is overweight doesn't say, "Don't call me that." It's just accepted and the dialog moves on.
The escort isn't looked down on. She isn't looked up to but she isn't held up to ridicule in any way.
When someone gets sick and becomes a burden several, not just one, but several folks are for just letting him die and not wasting resources. Only the young medical student is extremely vocal about helping. The rest will help, but it isn't like an American show where the "tough / callous guy" stands alone on his island being portrayed as a big meanie. Here, the culture accepts more of letting the weak die off.
When they do capture someone and the Russian nationalist decides to physically motivate them for information (ie. beat it out of them) there is some resistance again, but not everyone. He is allowed to pound the captive for a bit until others interfere.
I mention these issues because it is cool to see how we live inside a cultural bubble that doesn't allow someone to be called "fatso" or to treat an escort as an equal. My only big complaint with the show is that you can tell the translator is probably Russian because some of the translations don't quite fit. You can understand it but it doesn't read as a native American speaker would say things.
Just thought I'd share.
Regards,
Doug
PS - I've always loved post apocalypse stories and shows so I am very biased here.
