Episode 1: A Gentleman in Moscow show vs. book

#146: A Master of Circumstance

Hello, readers!

It’s here! This is easily my most highly anticipated media release of the year. I’ve been calling A Gentleman in Moscow my favorite book ever since reading it for the first time in 2020 (you can read my glowing review here) and it held up during my re-read earlier this month.

And now we have the first of an 8-episode limited series on Paramount+ with Showtime! What I want to do for every weekly episode is a list of what’s working (and what’s not) followed by a discussion of similarities and differences and why those changes work or don’t work. Let’s jump right in!

What’s Working

• Ewan McGregor. This guy is the Count! He may be an English gentleman in Moscow, but you know what? It works. He has the subtle charm and eye twinkle that I imagined Count Rostov to have while I was reading.

• The set. It looks amazing. So rich, so textured, I’m obsessed with how it is lit and photographed. The color palette and tones inside the hotel must work for this show to work so I’m glad nothing looks phony or fabricated.

• The music. Lovely, not overdone, perfect.

• Flashbacks. We don’t need to see Rostov as a boy or young man, seeing through his eyes with a filter works really well.

• The tone. It is striking an effective balance of weight and levity.

• The voice over. If you haven’t read the book, I won’t say who it is, but if you have read you know by the end of the episode. It’s a nice touch that isn’t overused.

What’s not working

• I got nothing so far, not even a nit to pick.

Spoiler warning for those who haven’t seen the show as we dive into the changes from the book. You’ve been warned!

*********Spoilers Ahead**********

Extended Roles for Osip and Nikolai

• The first thing that jumps out is that Osip, who is never named out loud (but is named in the subtitles) is being set up as the main antagonist. He attends the hearing at the beginning, escorts the Count to his new quarters, is present during a search and shakedown of the Count’s room, and is there at the end during Nikolai’s death. He threatens, intimidates, and is clearly out to get the Count.
  In the book, Osip shows up much later and while his motives may be mysterious or unclear at first, he is a friend to the Count throughout. I’m curious to see how this character will evolve over time. I like the change.

• In the episode, Prince Nikolai Petrov is a dear friend of the Count and plants a seed of escape. They speak throughout the episode in hushed voices about obtaining papers and getting out of Russia. The Count is even offered papers (pulled from the violin case in what I think is a nod to Casablanca). We see a possible means of escape via disguise (a terrible plan if you ask me). All this culminates in Rostov refusing the papers and Petrov refusing to run, resulting in his execution outside the hotel. It’s infuriating! You feel the Count’s pain and anger at the injustice of it all.
  Petrov has a tiny role in the book, appearing briefly as an acquaintance to the Count and then having his unfair treatment elaborated in a footnote. He was not killed, merely “given a Minus Six,” and that’s that. I like the expanded role they gave him and how it paints a dire situation for our hero.

We Have a Rat

The Bishop! Oh, he detests the Count from the start! Great introduction to the character with the plopping down of the plate and sloshing of the wine. He’s spying. He’s scheming. He’s a slick little twerp and I relish it!

Helena

This intrigues me the most. The set up is so good: The flashback to the funeral and Helena saying “Is it just us now?” Knowing that she was his only family growing up and that as a result of an ill-advised duel (because aren’t they all?), he ends up hurting her to the point that he can’t forgive himself. The line “She’d want you to live your life” and the Count responding “Perhaps I don’t deserve to” suggests there’s significant guilt there.

Also, he refuses to leave with Nikolai if he can’t bring Helena’s portrait - what’s up with that? There seems to be an emphasis on his possessions, but this one in particular. Osip mentioned that he can only take a select few and the rest become the property of the people. Nina saying “they’re just things” and the Count responding “All my memories exist within them.” Contrast this to the book where the Count himself says “a thing is just a thing” and he “expunged them from his heartache forever.” I might be reading into this too much, but I’m intrigued.

There is enough going on here that even as a book reader, I’m excited to see where it goes next.

Omissions

A few omissions I noticed but I’m not giving up hope on some of these:

• No one eyed general Kutuzov (yet).

• No clean shave, we are sticking with the mustache but without the wings.

• No Konstantin Konstantinovich and the “business of practicalities” (yet). I find the title of the episode, “A Master of Circumstances,” a bit odd considering the Count was beaten down considerably. I’m hoping the next episode introduces the Triumvirate, Anna, and some of the practicalities that help the Count master his circumstances.

Thanks for being here and going on this journey with me!

Kyle