There are a few things that make this worth watching, outside of the meta-quality that Zelensky actually became Ukraine's President and followed a similar destiny as his character.
The plot is simple enough and this episode is basically laying down the premise of the show: a young and unassuming history teacher is propelled at the presidency. From zero to hero, from rags to riches.
The acting is good. It remains sitcom level acting and scenes and setups are brief and comedic enough for that. But, there are also some sequences that show a bit of flair, like the opening scene with the oligarchs scheming from the shadows. Or the pivotal scene where Vasiliy has his bleeped-out rant.
The dialogue is better than it should be, and importantly it is funny. And, something I personally love, there is a touch of irreverential humour. Simply delicious. Obviously, since it shows a neophyte unprepared teacher out-smarting career politicians.
The characters are well defined, if a bit stereotypical, which is ok for TV. It could also be said of the editing, the sound design and the set design, which are very conventional. Nevertheless, it does not take anything away from this show. You have to acknowledge the fact that this is broad daytime TV. If you are expecting an eastern European House of Cards that is on you. It is a Ukrainian comedy sitcom, it was never intended to be of the calibre of House of Cards (that show is so far its own behind that it becomes unsufferable). Servant of the People is more in line with something like Veep or Parks and Rec. And most importantly it is low-key and sincere.
I am not Ukrainian, nor have I seen this on TV but I suspect that it is made to be seen between the news broadcast and a toothpaste commercial. That is to say, it does not need to be good nor does it had to be good. Yet, it is surprisingly good.
The plot is simple enough and this episode is basically laying down the premise of the show: a young and unassuming history teacher is propelled at the presidency. From zero to hero, from rags to riches.
The acting is good. It remains sitcom level acting and scenes and setups are brief and comedic enough for that. But, there are also some sequences that show a bit of flair, like the opening scene with the oligarchs scheming from the shadows. Or the pivotal scene where Vasiliy has his bleeped-out rant.
The dialogue is better than it should be, and importantly it is funny. And, something I personally love, there is a touch of irreverential humour. Simply delicious. Obviously, since it shows a neophyte unprepared teacher out-smarting career politicians.
The characters are well defined, if a bit stereotypical, which is ok for TV. It could also be said of the editing, the sound design and the set design, which are very conventional. Nevertheless, it does not take anything away from this show. You have to acknowledge the fact that this is broad daytime TV. If you are expecting an eastern European House of Cards that is on you. It is a Ukrainian comedy sitcom, it was never intended to be of the calibre of House of Cards (that show is so far its own behind that it becomes unsufferable). Servant of the People is more in line with something like Veep or Parks and Rec. And most importantly it is low-key and sincere.
I am not Ukrainian, nor have I seen this on TV but I suspect that it is made to be seen between the news broadcast and a toothpaste commercial. That is to say, it does not need to be good nor does it had to be good. Yet, it is surprisingly good.
