Exploring Nostalgia and Growth in Season 3 of "Peace! Friendship! Chewing Gum!"
Release Date: May 4, 2023
Director: Anton Fyodorov
Rating: 8 out of 10
The series "Peace! Friendship! Chewing Gum!" has cemented its place in the hearts of audiences by deftly balancing nostalgia for the tumultuous 90s with an engaging, multi-layered narrative. With the long-awaited premiere of its third season on the online platform Premier, viewers are once again enveloped in the atmosphere of provincial Russia in the mid-90s, but through the lens of its main characters stepping into adulthood.
Characters Mature, Challenges Escalate
At the heart of the story is a restless group of friends who, despite two years having flown by, find themselves entangled in the most unexpected situations. Set during the summer of 1996, this new season symbolically marks a fresh chapter in the lives of the characters.
- Sanya (Egor Gubarev) has left the school days behind, navigating the rocky terrain of adult life. His budding romance with a girl (Alexandra Kromova) adds a sweetly emotional layer to the narrative, though it fails to shield him from the everyday struggles such as working in a cassette shop.
- Vovka (Egor Abramov) and Malaya (Polina Gukhman) have stepped into the shoes of young parents. Still embodying his typical self-assured attitude, Vovka is desperate to provide for his family, often resorting to dubious methods to do so.
- Ilya (Fedor Roshchin), a character with an unstable inner world, has now immersed himself in physical self-improvement, which lends a dramatic edge to his persona.
- Zhenya (Valentina Lyapina) returns to her hometown not alone, but with a fiancé (Fedor Fedotov), introducing an unexpected twist for her friends.
Sanya's family troubles come into sharper focus, marking a central narrative thread. His mother (Ksenia Katalymova) finds herself arrested for financial impropriety while his father (Stepan Devonin) hopes for help from a former partner who turns out to be quite different from what he initially thought.
Criminal Tula: A Whirlwind of Events
The screenplay boldly dispenses with veiled hints, placing Tula squarely in the spotlight as the setting. Following the dramatic events of the initial seasons, the city undergoes significant transformations: many key figures in the criminal underworld have perished, prompting the creators to introduce fresh characters and even "resurrect" some from the past.
Viewers can look forward to the surprising return of Alik (Yuri Borisov) and Vitka (Nikita Pavlenko), who appeared to meet their demise in the previous season. This time around, the writers have crafted a more believable explanation for their survival, infusing the narrative with added intrigue and dynamism.
Soundtrack: The Voice of an Era
The musical accompaniment continues to be one of the show’s strongest attributes. The compositions by Mujus brilliantly capture the ambivalent mood of an era filled with both dread and hope. The inclusion of 90s hits evokes a wave of nostalgia, with special attention given to the album "Morskaya" by the band "Mumiy Troll," which, despite the real historical timeline, is depicted as being released a year earlier.
A Slow Start or the Calm Before the Storm?
In contrast to its predecessors, the third season kick-starts with a relatively sluggish flow of events. However, tensions are palpable from the very first episodes. The question looms as to whether the creators can maintain this pace, or if they will, as usual, immerse the protagonists in a whirlwind of gripping and perilous adventures.
The third season of "Peace! Friendship! Chewing Gum!" stands as a high-quality continuation of the story concerning maturation, the complexities of choice, and the spirit of the challenging 90s. Despite some controversial narrative choices, the series remains one of the prime examples of modern Russian cinema. Intrigue, momentum, and emotional depth render this show a must-watch for anyone who appreciates drama steeped in historical context.