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‘The Romanoffs’ explores lineage, identity

Stories follow those who believe they descend from czar

By Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times
Published: October 19, 2018, 6:00am

Lineage and how it informs the way we see ourselves is a recurring theme in Amazon Prime’s new anthology drama, “The Romanoffs.”

The eight-part series, which premiered Friday with two episodes, consists of stories revolving around people who believe they are descendants of the Romanov family. It was the last dynasty to rule Russia before the czar and his family were executed in 1918 by Bolshevik troops, but lore around possible survivors and their descendants lives on.

“The Romanoffs,” which employs a new cast for each episode, dramatizes this obsession with the Romanovs’ bloody demise in a globe-hopping series of 80-minute stories shot across three continents.

The streaming anthology is the first major television series from “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner since ad man Don Draper went out with that indelible Coke jingle in 2015. The multiple Emmy winner produces, writes and directs here, pulling in exceptional talent from his hit AMC series such as Christina Hendricks and John Slattery and other notable names like Diane Lane, Marthe Keller and Amanda Peet.

The first three episodes made available for review are set in the present, eloquently written and feature strong performances from an ensemble cast. But “The Romanoffs” asks a lot of viewers, with far-flung narratives that lack tonal consistency from episode to episode.

Premiere episode “The Violet Hour” is set in Paris and tells a deeply moving story steeped in the realities of aging and the changing demographics of Europe. Anushka (Keller) is a widow who lives alone in a huge, stately flat passed down from generation to generation. She believes herself to be a descendant of the Russian royal family but identifies as a true Parisian. She’s haughty and harbors disdain for immigrants infiltrating her beautiful city. But they’re the folks who take care of her, employed through an agency by her American nephew Greg (Aaron Eckhart). He lives nearby, but his girlfriend and auntie hate each other.

Anushka fires the help — a Pole, a Russian — one after another until Hajar (Ines Melab) comes along. She’s a Muslim of North African descent and has skin the color of “cafe au lait,” according to Anushka.

The exchanges between them about race and pride in one’s culture are priceless. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Anushka tells Hajar about a family member who died young. When the empathetic Hajar tries to comfort her, the widow snaps back.

“I know it’s hard for you people to understand, because you have so many babies, but we are connected to each other,” she says of her own family bonds. “We have a lineage. We don’t just meet like two dogs in the street.”

The anthology’s second episode is set in America, and it opens in couples therapy with Michael (Corey Stoll) and Shelly (Kerry Bishe) trying to mend a marriage that’s past the point of no return. The rest of the episode is spent on the not very interesting narrative about the mediocre Michael, who’s the Romanov descendant here, hoping to land a hot woman he meets during jury duty. His pursuit of her is slow, tedious and frankly creepy.

Do we really need to see another dude fantasy scenario when there are other stories here to tell?

As a drama, “The Romanoffs'” early episodes are a mixed bag. But as commentary on the current obsession with genealogy and where we came from, it’s worth the watch.

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