Russian manchild in Norwegian luxury prison: Zoom calls with mobsters and sulky teens.
6.036 minSeason 4 • Episode 7
LatestYaroslav Kostrov, the boorish and quirky owner of a small transport company in Murmansk, by coincidence ends up in a Norwegian prison, where the comfort level resembles good hotels with all amenities and the Internet. But the only thing that connects Yarik with home is the Skype window, through which he will have to somehow get out of the circumstances, as well as resist the mafia, control his business, try not to lose his wife and raise children who refuse to be brought up by video.
Acting
Kharlamov's unhinged screen presence carries entire seasons.
Direction
Shulaev masters screenlife—Skype windows become entire worlds.
Writing
Dark Russian humor collides with Nordic welfare absurdity.
Creator
Mikhail Shulaev
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The show satirizes post-Soviet masculinity by trapping it in Scandinavian social democracy—Norwegian prison comfort becomes a threat to Russian 'toughness.'
Kharlamov, a massive Russian comedy star, filmed most scenes alone in a real studio apartment with multiple laptops running live feeds—method acting for the Zoom era.
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