3rd Episode was very Twilight Zone-ish. Expected Rod Serling to appear or voiceover - until the stark reality of the ending. Totally surprised but made sense with what overpassionate obsessed people were trying to achieve without taking into account the psychological and physical cost. For me it was well done with great acting and storytelling. Kudos to Ms Hendricks for carrying the bulk and making us believe right alongside her.
204 Reviews
No Relevance to the Romanovs
jarez-139429 November 2018
This series is a bit entertaining. The earliest episodes were good while the fourth was very lame and the fifth only a bit better. These stories could have been made without any links to the Russian imperial family as do not have any relevance at all. The acting is very good. I think the Romanovs reference was made as a selling point. Anyhow, this series is still interesting and hope the next episodes are of better quality.
Wonderful!
mpf10116 October 2018
Very Good Cast, and Intriguing Concept
Tail_End_Charlie17 October 2018
This show has been worthwhile... each episode has a unique plot, and the series is joined by a thread -- exploring the lives of people who are ancestors of the Romanoffs. The production design and song choice are quite effective in each episode.
Episode 1 was quite strong, especially the work of Marthe Keller.
Episode 2 was good, but the writing did not seem as dynamic. That said, the cast was fitting.
Episode 5 threw me for a loop... the actors' delivery fell flat, and the storyline felt deflated.
Episode 7 was crisply written, with palpable chemistry from the excellent cast. The plot delivers genuine tension and suspense.
Finally, I found Episode 8 to be riveting, well-written, and the cast was outstanding.
Episode 1 was quite strong, especially the work of Marthe Keller.
Episode 2 was good, but the writing did not seem as dynamic. That said, the cast was fitting.
Episode 5 threw me for a loop... the actors' delivery fell flat, and the storyline felt deflated.
Episode 7 was crisply written, with palpable chemistry from the excellent cast. The plot delivers genuine tension and suspense.
Finally, I found Episode 8 to be riveting, well-written, and the cast was outstanding.
Exactly what it's supposed to be: entertaining )))
trace13est14 October 2018
First, let's get the basics out of the way. Regarding the production values of this series (disclaimer, folks; I've only seen episode one, "The Violet Hour"), everything is at a very high level, so your senses won't be disappointed. It is a feast for the eyes, particularly as Paris and the amazing apartment in which most of the story is set shine beautifully. The storyline is compelling, if a little unrealistic at times (the ease with which an apparently devout young Muslim woman finds herself having a one-night stand comes to mind...not to say it's impossible, just that it's a bit of a stretch). However, as with most films, too much reality would get in the way of being able to tell the story properly in the first place. Remember, this is a TV movie, not a documentary. We are supposed to be carried away; in that sense, I think this episode accomplishes its job admirably. The acting is first rate, making the characters believable and interesting (all the cast are wonderful, especially Marthe Keller as Anushka and Inès Melab as Hajar). Despite what a few lemon-sucking nay-sayers write here, you won't be disappointed with The Romanoffs. It's definitely worth seeing.
Episode 8 was my favorite
rhood134724 November 2018
Each episode of this anthology follows a family that claims an affiliation with the Romanoffs / Romanovs. The final episode was my favorite. The actors were fantastic (and it had a huge twist that I didn't see coming). Don't starts this series expecting each episode to tie together - they do relate in the loosest of terms... but not really. And that's part of what makes the series so good.
Beautiful
jaimemedina-3628813 October 2018
Why the negativity?
chrismonkee17 October 2018
I'm no big fan of the Amazon productions to date, Netflix for me.
But this is good. Is it the foreign language and subtitles that is driving the bad reviews? This is intelligent, witty, sophisticated entertainment for reasonably intelligent people.
But this is good. Is it the foreign language and subtitles that is driving the bad reviews? This is intelligent, witty, sophisticated entertainment for reasonably intelligent people.
Unpredictable, strange, riveting show
Newyorking28 November 2018
I chanced upon this show while looking for quality TV and it did not disappoint. I am sad that it only has one season. It features some of my favorite cast members. The series is about the current descendants of Romanoffs. Each episode has a new story and cast but there are subtle connections between the characters. The writing and acting keep you totally riveted. There is some suspense too. I loved every single episode and highly recommend this show for quality TV. My husband likes more action with sunshine and roses so didn't enjoy it as much but I was glued to my screen. Watch it!!
It's Good But...
jakep322 October 2018
Short comments on every stand-alone episode.
Odd_Adoxographer20 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
First, you have to remember that the episodes and not connected and can be watched in any order. Second, the Romanoffs have nothing to do with the show, usually they're just the main character's ancestors, that's it. Third, these are mostly just 'slice of life' stories and, well, they're not all good.
Episode 1: 8/10 - This starts well enough. Takes place in France where a couple has trouble dealing with the man's aunt, they're waiting for her to die to inherit, but she won't die. I thought the episode was gutsy enough to show us a Muslim woman remove her hijab and sleep with a man out of wedlock, which is not something you often see to be honest. Obviously, though, that actress doesn't usually wear a hijab, or else she would never have done it. Anyway, entertaining.
Episode 2: 7/10 - Not as good as the first one, but still entertaining. A couple with marital problem deals with meeting other people while away from each other and where their loyalties lie. The man and the woman are clearly not on the same page and one wants out more than the other. A more comedic episode.
Episode 3: 9/10 - The best episode of the series. If you have to watch one, watch this one. It's almost horror-like, and coincidentally, has the most to do with the Romanoffs out of all the episodes. An American actress goes to the Netherlands (? - i think it was) to shoot a TV show about the Romanoffs and all sorts of weird stuff start happening, the characters around her also start to get progressively stranger. The end is slightly predictable but otherwise this was a great episode.
Episode 4: 5/10 - Blah! A woman with a secret fights with her daughter and wonders about her life and the weight of her secret. Nothing too interesting.
Episode 5: 2/10 - Moralizing! A true push-down-your-throat moral episode. It started with a "wait are they really going there?" premise which would have made it interesting. But nah, this is just typical PC stuff that's trying to pass a message forcefully. Also, no father in the 70s would ever speak to their kid that way just because they asked somebody if they were a boy or a girl. Ridiculous.
Episode 6: 5/10 - A woman travels the world with her son to try to find a cure for him. A journalist tries to expose a clinic for their shady practices. I didn't like the acting from the journalist in this one, felt wooden. The journalist and the woman meet in Mexico, obviously. I don't know, it was average. Nothing much happens.
Episode 7: 8/10 - A very strong episode about a couple going to Russia to adopt. What does it mean to adopt? Can you pick and choose what you get? How is it different than a biological kid? Very good conversations in this episode, although it really doesn't make you want to go to Russia.
Episode 8: 1/10 - Moralizing! Terrible! Cheer for the bad guy kind of episode, because "innocents deserve what they get for not being a minority". At one point in the episode the guy has a conversation with a transexual and says, "They call us trannies, poofs, queers, but we're stronger than all of them! Look at what we've gone through!" Yadda yadda yadda! Has nothing to do with the episode! Poor, poor, oppressed minority. How tough life must be as perfect people that are rejected by the majority! Ugh. I wish Matthew Weiner didn't shove his politics down our throats with his screenplays. Also, isn't Matthew Weiner a straight white male? Doesn't that automatically make his opinion 100% worthless? I mean, shut up and listen, right?
4 episodes out of 8 were good. Overall: 5/10
Episode 1: 8/10 - This starts well enough. Takes place in France where a couple has trouble dealing with the man's aunt, they're waiting for her to die to inherit, but she won't die. I thought the episode was gutsy enough to show us a Muslim woman remove her hijab and sleep with a man out of wedlock, which is not something you often see to be honest. Obviously, though, that actress doesn't usually wear a hijab, or else she would never have done it. Anyway, entertaining.
Episode 2: 7/10 - Not as good as the first one, but still entertaining. A couple with marital problem deals with meeting other people while away from each other and where their loyalties lie. The man and the woman are clearly not on the same page and one wants out more than the other. A more comedic episode.
Episode 3: 9/10 - The best episode of the series. If you have to watch one, watch this one. It's almost horror-like, and coincidentally, has the most to do with the Romanoffs out of all the episodes. An American actress goes to the Netherlands (? - i think it was) to shoot a TV show about the Romanoffs and all sorts of weird stuff start happening, the characters around her also start to get progressively stranger. The end is slightly predictable but otherwise this was a great episode.
Episode 4: 5/10 - Blah! A woman with a secret fights with her daughter and wonders about her life and the weight of her secret. Nothing too interesting.
Episode 5: 2/10 - Moralizing! A true push-down-your-throat moral episode. It started with a "wait are they really going there?" premise which would have made it interesting. But nah, this is just typical PC stuff that's trying to pass a message forcefully. Also, no father in the 70s would ever speak to their kid that way just because they asked somebody if they were a boy or a girl. Ridiculous.
Episode 6: 5/10 - A woman travels the world with her son to try to find a cure for him. A journalist tries to expose a clinic for their shady practices. I didn't like the acting from the journalist in this one, felt wooden. The journalist and the woman meet in Mexico, obviously. I don't know, it was average. Nothing much happens.
Episode 7: 8/10 - A very strong episode about a couple going to Russia to adopt. What does it mean to adopt? Can you pick and choose what you get? How is it different than a biological kid? Very good conversations in this episode, although it really doesn't make you want to go to Russia.
Episode 8: 1/10 - Moralizing! Terrible! Cheer for the bad guy kind of episode, because "innocents deserve what they get for not being a minority". At one point in the episode the guy has a conversation with a transexual and says, "They call us trannies, poofs, queers, but we're stronger than all of them! Look at what we've gone through!" Yadda yadda yadda! Has nothing to do with the episode! Poor, poor, oppressed minority. How tough life must be as perfect people that are rejected by the majority! Ugh. I wish Matthew Weiner didn't shove his politics down our throats with his screenplays. Also, isn't Matthew Weiner a straight white male? Doesn't that automatically make his opinion 100% worthless? I mean, shut up and listen, right?
4 episodes out of 8 were good. Overall: 5/10
The Romanovs - Alive and Well?
lorenrathert19 October 2018
Stunning cinematography, compelling storylines, old friends as actors make for a delightful series. The history may be tortured but the truthful elements abound. The more you bring to it, the more you get. Thank you Amazon
Great Casting
kesakb21 October 2018
Great Show
lsllouisa18 October 2018
I would like to see how all of the characters are connected or what would happen when they all meet. The only interesting part is, which member of the family are they connected to....does the event on the ship really exist and why wasn't that the first episode to show how all of them intertwine.
Good series but once a week?
aksarge12 October 2018
Dark humor, just my cuppa tea.
fredfriedland6 November 2018
Well crafted stories depicting the legacy of a deposed Russian Royal dynasty and its karmic repercussive threads that continue into the modern world. So richly layered and with a cast of the highest caliber. I found I need to watch them more than once to absorb the finer points.
A Fine Production
paul_bibby14 October 2018
This review is based on the 1st episode. I hope the rest of the series maintains the standard. That said, as the series is an anthology, each episode should be viewed individually.
If you like a witty, charming, well acted, beautifully shot drama produced with a style rarely found on TV then this is for you.
The characters are fully three dimensional and yet, due to the superb screenplay, the story moves along at a good pace.
I'd best describe Episode 1 as a classic French romantic contemporary drama with plenty of wonderful dialogue.
Anushka, the matriarch, played superbly by Marthe Keller, has some wonderful lines and indeed the whole episode revolves around her presence. Even when she's not in a scene her personality is hovering in the background.
I've found a few of Amazon's TV shows falling a bit short of the mark but this is right on the money. Of course, if you don't like light comedy dramas you probably won't like this. They often fall short of expectations. Either they have no drama or are too weak, comedically. This has sufficient elements of both to at least please this viewer.
If you like a witty, charming, well acted, beautifully shot drama produced with a style rarely found on TV then this is for you.
The characters are fully three dimensional and yet, due to the superb screenplay, the story moves along at a good pace.
I'd best describe Episode 1 as a classic French romantic contemporary drama with plenty of wonderful dialogue.
Anushka, the matriarch, played superbly by Marthe Keller, has some wonderful lines and indeed the whole episode revolves around her presence. Even when she's not in a scene her personality is hovering in the background.
I've found a few of Amazon's TV shows falling a bit short of the mark but this is right on the money. Of course, if you don't like light comedy dramas you probably won't like this. They often fall short of expectations. Either they have no drama or are too weak, comedically. This has sufficient elements of both to at least please this viewer.
Good modern dramas but Nothing to do with the Romanov
eddieo196912 October 2018
The Romanoffs ?
That is the question as the connection to the Romanoffs is so sparse as to be barely perceptible. We have a group of stories about people living a modern lives with all the ups and down you expect in a TV drama, I must state I have only watched the first two episodes . They are well made, well acted with good scripts. There is nothing wrong with the production, they are good modern day dramas. My issue is attempting to connect the dramas through the Russian royal family, as of the second drama ( there not really episodes) both stories could of been told equally well without having to use the name Romanov as a gimmic .
That is the question as the connection to the Romanoffs is so sparse as to be barely perceptible. We have a group of stories about people living a modern lives with all the ups and down you expect in a TV drama, I must state I have only watched the first two episodes . They are well made, well acted with good scripts. There is nothing wrong with the production, they are good modern day dramas. My issue is attempting to connect the dramas through the Russian royal family, as of the second drama ( there not really episodes) both stories could of been told equally well without having to use the name Romanov as a gimmic .
It's entertaining, has an estelar cast and outstanding acting.
ndrssegui13 October 2018
It's no mad men, but still, it's really entertaining and has an amazing cast and really good acting in it, the only flaw that I see is that it is quite predictable, but still, I'm loving it right now, though the stories don't really have a lot to do with the Romanovs, except that one of the characters in each episode is a ''descendant'' (in episode 2 they have that cruise, but it doesn't really add much to the story) of the Russian royal family. I definitely recommend it.
Matt Weiner must be paid by cigarette companies
michaelmote17 May 2019
When all that smoking happened in Mad Men, I attributed it to Weiner striving for authenticity in the 1960s. Now that I've watched two installments of The Romanovs, I know that he just uses cigarettes as a continuous distraction from the plot. Every character seems to smoke. I'm tired of this glorification of smoking, and I'll skip the remaining episodes. The first two weren't that ingesting anyway.
PAINFUL.
bams00722 October 2018
I'll do my best not to include any spoilers as everyone should have the opportunity to view and decide for themselves what they think of this series. First, I love quirky. Second, I love history. Third, I loved Mad Men like crazy. Fourth, OMG what an awesome cast! Here's the problem: The quirky isn't; it's just plain dumb. There's no other way to say it. It goes completely flat. Painfully so. History? You think you're gonna watch an actual cohesive story (and that never happens) that might at minimum tie into history, but from a character point of view, FEW if any in the three episodes I've watched, even acknowledge the context (leaving some things unsaid here so I don't add spoilers). While watching (in part because these are boring enough one's mind wanders), I find myself frequently distracted by the thought "the guy who gave us Mad Men wrote this crap"? And the cast, some great people are in this and I can't figure out if they are doing a good job or a terrible job because it's all just so... painful to watch. It's just awful. I feel like I'm being extremely generous giving four stars, but I'm doing so with a tiny bit of hpoe in my heart that after watching the first three episodes, maybe something amazing will happen with future episodes that will actually earn those stars. This show at this point certainly can't earn more stars from this viewer (who RARELY writes reviews). I think I feel sad for it.
A Very Entertaining Series
neutrinobelmondo13 October 2018
Great cast, entertaining series
elizabethcaroline5 November 2018
With a terrific line up of actors, and a different story each week, it has the appeal of Black Mirror, without being too dark. All the endings, except for the first episode, leave you a little hung out to dry. But, these mini-movies have well-developed, unique plots and amazing acting to keep me coming back week after week. Highly recommend for those who are bored of the same old thing. Are people being paid to write bad reviews for this show?
Missed Potential
JeanMarie208120 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
So far I have watched the first 2 episodes and attempted to watch the 3rd. The 1st episode has been the only one worth watching in my opinion, but I have to admit some bias as to why. I am a French-American, whose roots are in France. Therefore, I found the use of French and all the Parisian scenes in the 1st episode delightful. I also enjoyed Marthe Keller portrayal of Anushka. Anushka is a lovely, proud and strong woman and not just a spoiled, arrogant and aged aristocrat as one might assume if they fail to pay attention to key parts of the storyline as it plays out.
Anushka may be of privileged class, but she has also endured hardship as she experienced Nazi occupation of not only her beloved Paris, but also acted as a servant to the Nazis and quite likely suffered other atrocities at the hands of the Nazis. Anushka is proud of her heritage, maybe too much so, but this is all she really has as she suffers through loneliness in her latter years. That is at least until she meets Hajar, played by Inès Melab. Hajar has been hired by her nephew Greg and his girlfriend Sophie to work as a caretaker for the aging Anushka.
At first Anushka treats Hajar with utter contempt because of Hajar's differences. Hajar is a Muslim woman with dark olive skin and unfortunately Anushka falls into that human weakness of attacking and marginalizing that which they don't understand or is alien to them.
Hajar appears immune to Anushka's sharpe and insulting tongue and instead of reacting to Anushka's behavior treats Anushka with dignity and understanding of where Anushka's behavior is coming from which is a product of her generation, her loneliness and insecurities as well as being marginalized by her nephew and his girlfriend.
Over time Anushka slowly let's go of her prejudices and insecurities and comes to see Hajar as a lovely and caring human being resulting in Anushka changing her will and leaving her Parisian home to Hajar instead of her nephew. This infuriates Sopie who is already very much antagonistic to Anushka.
Greg, played by Aaron Eckhart, is Anushka's last living relative based on what is revealed in the episode is a lost man-child who seems somewhat of a shallow, parasitic character waiting on Anushka to die so that he can claim his inheritance. At times, his feelings for Anushka seems somewhat sincere, but these moments are fleeting as he abdicates his own independence and allows Sophie, who plays a entitled and parasitic woman-child, to manipulate him.
The story takes an interesting twist as Greg and Sophie learn of the change of inheritance upon returning from holiday. Greg meets Hajar in an attempt to coerce her to reject Anushka's inheritance and that it is rightfully his. As the evening wears on Hajar and Greg wind up in bed which seems a bit perplexing. I am sure that there are many personal opinions on why Hajar ended up in bed with Greg having sex, although I suspect it had more to do with the writer/director allowing testosterone to dictate his creativity.
The story pretty much closes with the writer/director trying to save the storyline by closing it out with Greg discovering that Hajar is pregnant by him and he leaves Shopie for Hajar and ending with the appearance of Hajar, Greg and Anushka living happily ever after. Somewhat of a shallow ending, but typical.
I watched the 2nd episode, which had a few nice moments of Shelly on the cruise. However Michael was a completely despicable character. The story, if there was one, pretty much ends with Michael attempting to kill Shelly due to his own cowardliness to be his own person. Why not just divorce the woman? Why attempt to kill her? Again, seems to be a storyline produced by the writer/director allowing his testosterone to dictate the storyline.
I attempted to watch the 3rd episode, thinking this has to be better than the 2nd episode. However, after 20 minutes invested in watching the episode I finally turned it off. I decided not to waste any further time watching this episode.
Given the track record of this series thus far, it's unlikely that I will watch any further episodes. However, this is just my personal view and others may actually find further enjoyment in the series. Hopefully it will improve given it's budget.
Anushka may be of privileged class, but she has also endured hardship as she experienced Nazi occupation of not only her beloved Paris, but also acted as a servant to the Nazis and quite likely suffered other atrocities at the hands of the Nazis. Anushka is proud of her heritage, maybe too much so, but this is all she really has as she suffers through loneliness in her latter years. That is at least until she meets Hajar, played by Inès Melab. Hajar has been hired by her nephew Greg and his girlfriend Sophie to work as a caretaker for the aging Anushka.
At first Anushka treats Hajar with utter contempt because of Hajar's differences. Hajar is a Muslim woman with dark olive skin and unfortunately Anushka falls into that human weakness of attacking and marginalizing that which they don't understand or is alien to them.
Hajar appears immune to Anushka's sharpe and insulting tongue and instead of reacting to Anushka's behavior treats Anushka with dignity and understanding of where Anushka's behavior is coming from which is a product of her generation, her loneliness and insecurities as well as being marginalized by her nephew and his girlfriend.
Over time Anushka slowly let's go of her prejudices and insecurities and comes to see Hajar as a lovely and caring human being resulting in Anushka changing her will and leaving her Parisian home to Hajar instead of her nephew. This infuriates Sopie who is already very much antagonistic to Anushka.
Greg, played by Aaron Eckhart, is Anushka's last living relative based on what is revealed in the episode is a lost man-child who seems somewhat of a shallow, parasitic character waiting on Anushka to die so that he can claim his inheritance. At times, his feelings for Anushka seems somewhat sincere, but these moments are fleeting as he abdicates his own independence and allows Sophie, who plays a entitled and parasitic woman-child, to manipulate him.
The story takes an interesting twist as Greg and Sophie learn of the change of inheritance upon returning from holiday. Greg meets Hajar in an attempt to coerce her to reject Anushka's inheritance and that it is rightfully his. As the evening wears on Hajar and Greg wind up in bed which seems a bit perplexing. I am sure that there are many personal opinions on why Hajar ended up in bed with Greg having sex, although I suspect it had more to do with the writer/director allowing testosterone to dictate his creativity.
The story pretty much closes with the writer/director trying to save the storyline by closing it out with Greg discovering that Hajar is pregnant by him and he leaves Shopie for Hajar and ending with the appearance of Hajar, Greg and Anushka living happily ever after. Somewhat of a shallow ending, but typical.
I watched the 2nd episode, which had a few nice moments of Shelly on the cruise. However Michael was a completely despicable character. The story, if there was one, pretty much ends with Michael attempting to kill Shelly due to his own cowardliness to be his own person. Why not just divorce the woman? Why attempt to kill her? Again, seems to be a storyline produced by the writer/director allowing his testosterone to dictate the storyline.
I attempted to watch the 3rd episode, thinking this has to be better than the 2nd episode. However, after 20 minutes invested in watching the episode I finally turned it off. I decided not to waste any further time watching this episode.
Given the track record of this series thus far, it's unlikely that I will watch any further episodes. However, this is just my personal view and others may actually find further enjoyment in the series. Hopefully it will improve given it's budget.
See also
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