Exploring Season Three of ‘World! Friendship! Chewing Gum!’
Release Date: May 4, 2023
Director: Anton Fedorov
Rating: 8 out of 10
The series “World! Friendship! Chewing Gum!” has captured viewers' hearts for quite some time. It deftly balances the nostalgia for the tumultuous 90s with a captivating, multilayered storyline. The third season, which premiered on the streaming platform Premier, plunges us back into the ambiance of provincial Russia in the mid-90s, yet it does so through a lens of maturation experienced by its main characters.
Characters Grow Up, Complications Increase
The narrative once again centers around a lively group of friends. Even after the passing of two years, they find themselves enmeshed in a myriad of surprising situations. This new season travels back to the summer of 1996, a time that symbolically mirrors the onset of fresh chapters in the lives of these characters.
- Sanya (Egor Gubarev) has moved on from his school days and is now grappling with the complexities of adult life. His blossoming romance with a girl (Alexandra Khoromova) adds a sweet layer to the story, but he can't escape the mundane hardships—such as working in a kiosk selling tapes.
- Vovka (Egor Abramov) and Malaya (Polina Gukhman) are experiencing the joys and challenges of young parenthood. Vovka still exudes his typical cocky demeanor while trying to provide for his family, often resorting to dubious methods.
- Ilya (Fyodor Roshchin), a character with an unsettled internal world, is now captivated by physical self-improvement, which injects a dramatic touch to his persona.
- Zhenya (Valentina Lyapina) returns to her hometown not alone, but accompanied by her fiancé (Fyodor Fedotov), a revelation that catches her friends off guard.
Sanya's family dramas have also taken center stage, with his mother (Ksenia Katalymova) arrested for financial fraud and his father (Stepan Devonin) banking on help from a former associate who might not be what he seems.
The Criminal Tula: A Whirlwind of Events
The screenwriters, opting for directness, identify Tula as the central location. The city has undergone transformations following the events of the previous seasons: many key figures in the criminal underworld have met untimely ends, compelling the creators to introduce new characters and even "resurrect" some old ones.
Audiences can look forward to the surprising return of Alik (Yuri Borisov) and Vitka (Nikita Pavlenko), whose deaths in the last season appeared conclusive. This time around, the writers have made their survival more plausible, injecting the plot with intrigue and momentum.
Soundtrack: The Voice of an Era
The musical score remains one of the series' most pronounced strengths. The tracks by Mujus skillfully encapsulate the atmosphere full of hope amid anxiety characteristic of the era. Additionally, there are popular hits from the 90s that conjure up feelings of nostalgia. Notably, particular emphasis is placed on the album "Morskaya" by the band "Mumiy Troll," which, despite real-world chronology, is released a year early in the show.
A Slow Start or the Calm Before the Storm?
In contrast to the prior seasons, this third installment opens with a relatively slow-paced unfolding of events. Nonetheless, a sense of tension permeates the initial episodes. The question arises: will the creators maintain this tempo, or will they, as in previous seasons, launch the characters into a whirlwind of thrilling and perilous escapades?
Culmination
The third season of “World! Friendship! Chewing Gum!” is a remarkable continuation of a tale that explores the trials of growing up, the burden of choices, and the essence of the complicated 90s. Despite some contentious narrative decisions, this project stands as one of the finest representations of contemporary Russian cinematography. Its intrigue, dynamism, and emotional depth render it a must-watch for anyone who appreciates drama steeped in historical context.