The Romanoffs

:

Season 1
Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
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Critic Reviews

  1. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Oct 10, 2018
    75
    [“The Violet Hour”] takes some unexpected and some predictable turns along the way, but it’s ultimately an enjoyable, charming story. ... “The Royal We” is less involving than “The Violet Hour.” Shelly’s story proves more compelling than Michael’s and the Romanoff theme is more pronounced and bizarre. ... [The third episode is] the second best of the first three episodes made available for review.
  2. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    Oct 10, 2018
    75
    "The Violet Hour" is an elegant and surprising love story, while "The Royal We" is a sour disappointment. But the best news: A Matthew Weiner show is back on TV.
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Darren Franich
    Oct 3, 2018
    75
    The three Romanoffs episodes sent for review all run feature-length. Those episodes are sweet, beautiful to look at, very sincere, kinda dopey: neither armageddon nor second coming.
  5. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Emily VanDerWerff
    Oct 12, 2018
    70
    The most salient detail I can share about all of these episodes is that they’re all at least 15 minutes too long. ... Still, the qualities that made Mad Men so good are present here, if buried a bit beneath all the excess.
  6. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Oct 2, 2018
    70
    The first three suggest it can comfortably hold a wide range of stories and tones, albeit with flaws.
  7. Variety
    Reviewed by: Caroline Framke
    Oct 2, 2018
    70
    By layering his new series with the weighty significance of the Romanoff history, Weiner fuels that same narrative fire [as Mad Men]. Anushka’s insecure boasting, Michael’s restless longing for satisfaction on his own terms, and the strange and incisive take in the third episode (currently under embargo, but the best of the bunch) are areas in which Weiner excels. Even when they’re maddening--and they are more often than not--they feel startlingly, painfully real.
  8. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Erik Adams
    Oct 10, 2018
    67
    There’s something potent there, something fundamentally Weiner-esque. But it just doesn’t connect in these three episodes. And so the show mirrors its characters in yet another way: It falls short of those which came before it.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 33
  3. Negative: 8 out of 33
  1. johnbolling
    Oct 20, 2018
    9
    Having watched all three episodes, I know to expect the unexpected. I enjoy being taken to a different place each week with completelyHaving watched all three episodes, I know to expect the unexpected. I enjoy being taken to a different place each week with completely different stories and even genres. It's great to see these actors being given the chance to perform such distinct roles in just one episode. Rather than picking things apart, I am kind of just kicking back and enjoying. I recommend checking it out and viewing it on its own terms.… Full Review »
  2. Noirman
    Oct 14, 2018
    5
    The pacing for Ep. 1 of this show (The Violet Hour) seemed to be all over the place. As a stand alone piece (within an anthology) it did notThe pacing for Ep. 1 of this show (The Violet Hour) seemed to be all over the place. As a stand alone piece (within an anthology) it did not work and the ending seemed glib and way too cute, given what had come before.

    The wider intent of looking at contemporary global topics (e.g. immigration and cultural diversity) through the mangled DNA of the lost Romanov herd, also felt pretentious and way too forced. Only the presence of Marthe Keller kept me engaged through out. I suspect the problem might have been that no one could quite match her talents.

    I'll persevere i think for 2-3 more outings more but I expected a punchier kick off.    … Full Review »
  3. NikolayG
    Dec 9, 2018
    10
    I've watched 5 episodes so far. Each is a totally different story with different actors. The acting is great in all of them. The visuals areI've watched 5 episodes so far. Each is a totally different story with different actors. The acting is great in all of them. The visuals are beautiful in all except episode 4, which is the dog of all the episodes, and absolute pile of crap. The stories are mixed. In fact, this is the MOST MIXED QUALITY show I have ever watched in my life. There are great ones and really really awful ones. But if you have Amazon Prime just watch the best ones. No harm no foul. So I'm giving this series a 10 based on its strongest episodes. Just skip the others.

    Out of the first 5 episodes I've seen so far, episode 1 and episode 5 are the ones to watch. In fact, episode 5 should be required viewing for everyone in this sick day and age.

    As far as I'm concerned, on the other hand, 2, 3 and 4 are junk.

    You should definitely watch Episode 5, Bright and High Circle. You may or may not love Episode 1, The Violet Hour, as much as I did.

    The first episode's story was great. It was about a somewhat wealthy bigoted old woman dealing with the fact that she has been assigned a Muslim maid, as she also deals with her son's girlfriend who wants nothing more than for the old woman to die so that her boyfriend will inherit the old woman's apartment. Episode 5 was the best. But I don't want to give away anything and spoil it. It's about a bunch of rich families and their piano teacher. That's all I'll say.

    The second episode was about a man on jury duty who lusts after another juror. It was terrible. The third, about an actress acting in a mini-series about the Romanov family in Russia, was far beyond ridiculous. It reminded me of that old Michael Douglas movie called, The Game. The fourth is about an extremely selfish unlikeable 50-ish woman who seems to be upset that all the devious selfish things she's done in her life are not paying dividends, but that instead, she's miserable. Hard to care. Hard to watch. And to make matters worse for whatever reason, the visuals and camera work in the 4th episode are not particularly great. Just average.    … Full Review »
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