Fury (Лютый) is a 2013 Russian detective drama set in Moscow. It stars Vladimir Epifantsev as Maxim Furin, a top cop who, although thought-dead for several years, returns to the city. It is available on Amazon Video and YouTube where both seasons are available to stream with English subtitles.
Synopsis of Fury (Mild Spoilers)
In the beginning of the series, Maxim Furin is shown to be a grizzled alcoholic with an abrasive temper. He appears disheveled and is impolite to those around him; a major source of humor for the show is Furin’s readiness to insult others. The first episode opens with him travelling to work at the police station, where he has been hired by his old friend to take up the position as head of the homicide department. He is characterized as a brash, abrasive man who does what he wants, but is also quickly established as one of the best detectives around.
Rounding out the cast are the other members of the homicide team: former team head and former friend of Max’s Victor Markin, the young and impulsive Zhenya Khatskevich, the bumbling Slavochka Kobelskiy, and the eager Marinka. They are supervised by Elena Rakova, the department head who personally hired Furin.
Each episode is a new case for the team to solve and there is an overarching background plot concerning Furin, Rakova, Markin, and a mysterious fourth character from their pasts. Much of the first season deals with the team’s reaction to Furin’s sudden appearance and takeover. Some characters, like Zhenya, do not like him and wish to see him gone. Others, like Marinka, admire him.
Analysis of the Series
For the technical aspects of the show, Fury does nothing new. The cinematography, soundtrack, and writing are standard fare for mystery serials beloved around the world. However, Furin’s personal music theme, a funky guitar rift, might prove to be an earworm! The show does not promise us anything more than a good mystery and good characters, and it delivers that well. If you seek more high-concept fare, look elsewhere.
The major appeal of the show is its characters. Fury is about people and their struggles. The old adage of “a book is good if you remember how it made you feel” can be applied to Fury. The plot details are, in the end, largely irrelevant, but the characters and the attachments we form with them are what truly matter.
This is done through seeing the team’s various personalities interact and over time and how they grow to respect and accept each other for who they are instead of how they would like each other to be. Furin himself becomes a better man by the end, even if he is still a little rough around the edges. But who says that is a bad thing?
Fury season one was directed by Stanislav Mareyev. It has an average of 3.9/5 stars out of Amazon Video customer reviews. It is recommended to those 16 years of age and older.
