Exploring the Depths of Season Three: Youth, Crime, and Music
Peace! Friendship! Chewing Gum! — Season Three: Reflecting on What’s Lived and What’s Experienced
Rating: 8 out of 10
Release Date: May 4, 2023
Director: Anton Fyodorov
Starring: Yegor Gubarev, Valentina Lyapina, Yuri Borisov, Nikita Pavlenko, Evgeny Tkachenko, Viktor Sukhorukov, among others.
The highly anticipated third season of Peace! Friendship! Chewing Gum! marks a compelling continuation of the beloved tale capturing the lives of teenagers during the 90s. Set against the backdrop of the summer of 1996, the characters are now two years older and face a fresh wave of challenges and trials.
Growing Up: A New Phase of Life
The main characters remain familiar yet each has noticeably evolved over the two-year gap:
- Sanka (Yegor Gubarev) has graduated from school and is now running a cassette stand. His life is embarking on a new journey that includes romantic entanglements with a new girlfriend.
- Vovka (Yegor Abramov) and Malaya (Polina Gukhman) have embraced parenthood, with Vovka diving into dubious schemes to support his new family.
- Ilya (Fedor Roshchin), once the quirky oddball, is now fixated on achieving physical perfection.
- Zhenya (Valentina Lyapina) arrives in town with her fiancé, catching her friends completely off guard.
Meanwhile, Sanka’s parents are embroiled in their own dramatic arcs: his mother finds herself behind bars due to financial crimes while his father clings to the hope that their lost soul, Vitalik (Arthur Beschastny), will somehow rescue them from their predicament, all the while skirting the edges of legality.
A Rich Criminal Undertone
The writers of the series unveil the criminal underbelly of the city of Tula, offering a fresh perspective. Though many key players in the crime scene perished at the end of the second season, new characters emerge, and some old faces presumed dead make surprising returns.
The comeback of Alik (Yuri Borisov) and Vitka (Nikita Pavlenko) stirs a palette of emotions; their “resurrection” appears more plausible this time yet still carries an air of melodrama. As ever, the teenagers find themselves at the heart of the action, unwittingly swept into the throes of criminal chaos.
The Soundtrack: The Soul of the Series
Music again plays a pivotal role, enhancing the storytelling with a unique ambiance. The soundtrack features:
- 90s hits, seamlessly immersing viewers in the era's atmosphere.
- Music by Mujus, evocative of the time's unease and inspiration.
- An album titled “Marine” by the band Mumiy Troll, which the series claims was released prior to its actual debut.
The musical accompaniment enriches the emotional landscape of the plotlines, embodying the spirit of change and instability characterizing the 90s.
Dynamics and Intrigue: What to Expect from the Third Season?
While the initial episodes of season three may seem leisurely compared to their predecessors, this pacing is merely a facade. Tension escalates with each scene until the familiar rapid tempo re-emerges.
The writers skillfully tread the line between absurdity and realism, compelling viewers to empathize with the characters despite their flaws and missteps. Will the series maintain its grip on suspense until the end? Or are we in for another whirlwind of events yet to unfold?
Ending: Reasons to Tune In
The third season of Peace! Friendship! Chewing Gum! continues to shine as one of the most vibrant examples of nostalgic cinema from the 90s. It brilliantly intertwines:
- Colorful characters that audiences have come to adore for their authenticity and charisma.
- A period atmosphere, meticulously portrayed through sets, music, and outfits.
- A plot that consistently keeps viewers on their toes, managing to retain a light-hearted vibe despite underlying tensions.
This season stands as another stride towards grasping that in the lives of the characters, there’s often ‘little lived, but much experienced.’ It’s a must-watch for anyone wanting to reconnect with the 90s or simply enjoy a high-quality Russian series.