The ranking would have been a seven if the first couple of episodes have not been overly complicated and rather difficult to get into. I'm glad I stuck to it as I enjoyed the rest very much.
Maybe it's a thing with Russian TV, but I was surprised to see that goodies get killed off. Most Western programmes try to avoid this.
The characterisations were good. The actors playing Berk (especially) and John exuded an air of menace and chill even though one was supposedly genuine and the other a charlatan. I say supposedly because John was careful not to follow the steps he encouraged his disciples to take.
We got a real feel for Russian life in that corruption reached to the top and powerful people were susceptible to money for favours. Then there were the jobsworths, who knew the correct courses of action but knew that it would all be a pain and that they would get into more trouble than it was worth.
There were only a couple of plot holes. The act of mercy at the end of episode seven was not really believable to me, especially as the person had had prior experience of sects and their leaders. I'm not quite sure either about the role of the finance supremo who seemed to be a sceptic from the beginning. Was he part of the deprogrammers? Later developments appeared to suggest he was not so I am unsure how he was accepted into the cult given his clear misgivings.
A special word for the young actress playing Kira. She had a tough part and carried it off really well. Lilya was a harrowing role too and it was performed extremely well.
I presume there will not be a season two after what happened in the final episode. If there were to be, however, I'd watch it.
Maybe it's a thing with Russian TV, but I was surprised to see that goodies get killed off. Most Western programmes try to avoid this.
The characterisations were good. The actors playing Berk (especially) and John exuded an air of menace and chill even though one was supposedly genuine and the other a charlatan. I say supposedly because John was careful not to follow the steps he encouraged his disciples to take.
We got a real feel for Russian life in that corruption reached to the top and powerful people were susceptible to money for favours. Then there were the jobsworths, who knew the correct courses of action but knew that it would all be a pain and that they would get into more trouble than it was worth.
There were only a couple of plot holes. The act of mercy at the end of episode seven was not really believable to me, especially as the person had had prior experience of sects and their leaders. I'm not quite sure either about the role of the finance supremo who seemed to be a sceptic from the beginning. Was he part of the deprogrammers? Later developments appeared to suggest he was not so I am unsure how he was accepted into the cult given his clear misgivings.
A special word for the young actress playing Kira. She had a tough part and carried it off really well. Lilya was a harrowing role too and it was performed extremely well.
I presume there will not be a season two after what happened in the final episode. If there were to be, however, I'd watch it.