Totems

I really enjoyed this eight part series set around the Cold War in 1965. I thought the characters were well portrayed were very believable, each episode was very exciting.

Stumbled across this well written, well acted and well filmed thriller and ended up watching it back to back and feeling sad at the end since it had finished. The story is not a typical Cold War US/UK vs USSR drama by way of the French angle and there are multiple storylines that twist and turn very cleverly. The characterisation is superb so you end up attached to the players liking their good points and understanding their flaws and their emotions. I particularly liked the mixed European dialogue and despite not being a French speaker was in no way put off and could easily follow the story. The attention to detail in the scenes cannot be questioned. I am a car fan and every street scene in Paris, Prague, Moscow was filled with exactly the right vehicles. The fashions and house/office interiors were spot on. I also loved the airport and the mid 60s commercial flight scenes. There are some classic cliff hangers that in pre-streaming days would you have had your desperate for next week's episode as well as other familiar techniques to keep the tension and intrigue going but at no time was it cheesy. Well worth watching. Congratulations to all who put this together. I was very well entertained.

It's a curious thing that the series is not as well known as it is, since it seems to me so excellent. Virtually all the acting is genuine and quality, and it combines in a masterful way both action and depth. The twists and turns in the plot line kept you on your toes but also made you think, and the difficult scenarios in which the characters are placed in their decisions in the same gave one pause. Honestly, to really understand what actually happened in the latter part of the series I would have to go back and rewatch a few episodes.

I do have to say, however, that Larry's French is abominable!

I am on episode 5 and this is perhaps one of the 3 best new shows this year. Episode 1 was a bit slow but from episode 2, it gets much better. I am a fan of spy novels and shows and this is really satisfying. The actors are great especially Lambert Wilson, Niels Schneider, Vera Kolesnikova and José Garcia.

What ? Three weeks in and no review yet ? I'll be the first then. I am absolutely loving this show, the subject, the time period, the story, the history, the characters, the excellent international cast, the whole production. I saw this is made by the same people who made acclaimed series The Bureau (Le bureau des légendes) which I'm dying to see ! Those people are obviously talented! My only gripe : I have to wait for a week to see each new episode! I hope I can see the end before WW3...

Feb. 21, 2022.