The Russians are coming…and so are the reviews, and they aren’t good! Michael Idov, a reviewer for nymag.com has offered his opinion on the show. He says while Russian Dolls was promoted as the next Jersey Shore, it’s more like “The Real Housewives of Kings County.”
Idov, who apparently was given the courtesy of a sneak preview of the series premiere, is not very complimentary in his criticism of the show. It’s already common knowledge that Diana dumps Paul, her Hispanic boyfriend, because he is not Russian. We have seen that in the clips of them at the restaurant. Also, much to my surprise, the reviewer says that we are not getting an accurate picture of the population of Brighton Beach, who he says are mostly elderly “Ukrainian Jews.”
He goes on to say that if the are marketing “ethnicity” they missed the mark on that too. What this cast has in common with the other reality shows and what predominates the show is “tackiness” not Russian culture. All the entrapments of a lavish lifestyle and a lot of money, not Russian customs or traditions, are at the core of the show.
Not a very promising start, according to reviewers. Read the entire review here: nymag.com
Picture credit: Lifetime
Uh oh, before Lifetime’s Russian Dolls even hit’s the airwaves, NY Daily News writer, Richard Huff, is giving it a bad review. I guess he had a preview to watch, courtesy of Lifetime, but he did the network no favors. First of all, he says Russian Dolls is being promoted as the next Jersey Shore…it’s no Jersey Shore. He says Jersey Shore is at least stupid, while Russian Dolls is “appalling!”
He goes on to say the cast, a mix of ages, is not at all likable and the show seems to be a imitation mix of other popular reality shows like Real Housewives and Mob Wives, but it’s definitely lacking their appeal.
The review goes on to mention some of the storylines of the different stars of the show, which gives us an idea of what we can expect to see throughout the season. But with every example the reviewer provides from the show, he has a criticism to make about it.
He even quotes Marina, who is disgusted with her mother in law’s talent contest and says, “It’s like never-ending torture,” as a way of describing his feelings regarding the premiere episode.
I read the review twice and he did have one positive thing to say about it. The show does focus on how Russian immigrants adapt to life in this country and he singles out a moment shared between Diana and her mother, as an example. I guess he owed Lifetime a little something for allowing him to watch the show and get a jump on all the other reviewers out there?
Read the entire review at: NY Daily News Review
Picture credit: Lifetime
