The Hunt for Salamander (Otdel Izdirvane)

I always enjoy searching streaming channels for international programming. As more and more content from countries other than western English language offerings becomes available, and you don't mind subtitles,one can stumble across some really great series. And this is one of them. Set in Bulgaria and if you know anything about they're history you'd be thinking former soviet bloc, poor,country, how good could this be, e.g. Writing,acting,cinematography,production, etc. And the answer is first rate by any standards. The actors are excellent as is the writing, the story pulls you in and builds to its climax,while not boring you with needless dialog,that some series use to fill out episodes. The intricate plot could easily read like something you would get in a n in depth current news story. This is a really good local production that stands up to anything I've seen in this genre.

It's an absolute tragedy that there were only thirteen episodes and that Season Two was never commissioned. It's been three years now so any prospects for the next season are hopeless. This is made worse by the fact that a second season was clearly envisaged because of the major cliffhangers at the end of episode thirteen.

The programmes were enhanced by having actors who looked like real people and not models. As they dealt with their lives and work, being so ordinary made the storylines far more interesting.

The plots were intricate, involving state actors, international crime and personal tragedy. I guessed a couple of twists but in general the script led us through turns of events that, although logical, couldn't be predicted.

I so liked this and wanted more.

One of the things I like the best about Eastern European series is the actors. Unlike westerners, they aren't always picture perfect people -- they are real, gritty, talk tough, and are more authentic. I wasn't sure about this series because the cinematography seemed dark and deary but it fits the narrative perfectly. The characters simply grow on a person ... some I disliked in the beginning and continued to dislike all the way through Episode 13. Not because of poor acting but brilliant acting that made them an unlikable character. Seeing Bulgaria and the surrounding areas was fascinating. About the tenth episode, I started to wonder if one man was the evil person everyone was searching for ... he was! But, there are still more evil characters that need to be discovered. Sub-titled in English.