Wataha (2014– ) User Reviews

Polish Noir from HBO Europe

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 7/10 · 11 September 2016]

Set on the border between Ukraine and Poland we meet an elite team of Border Guards who try to stop traffickers from smuggling illegal immigrants across the border and also try to save some lives. Then on a night of celebration a bomb is set off, killing all but one of the team, This is Captain Viktor Rebrow.

He is badly injured but the pain caused from losing his friends and girl friend is harder to bear. With his life in free fall he goes back to work with the single purpose of tracking down those responsible for the murders. He also has a new team and the concomitant tensions that such a situation can bring. Worst of all there is a hotshot DA on his case – he is the sole survivor and so must be in on the whole thing – is her premise.

What unravels in the six episodes is truly entertaining. The acting is all high end and the feel of authenticity is held throughout. Animals feature heavily here – especially wolves – but there are scenes that some will find upsetting, so do be warned. Mixed with the spine of the story are many sub plots and the sort of things that you would expect from a Nordic Noir and it does not suffer in any way by that. This is original in most parts and had me gripped for nigh on every episode, but the ending may let some viewers down – to say why is a bit of a spoiler. That said I still really enjoyed this and hope HBO continue to make great television of this ilk.

The Border

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 13 July 2016]

This Polish series is centred on a group of Polish border guards who monitor the remote, heavily wooded border between Poland and the Ukraine. In the opening scenes a bomb rips a guard post; the only survivor appears to be series protagonist Wiktor Rebrow. A text message he received moments before the explosion leads investigators to suspect that he may have been involved. Wictor is determined to prove his innocence and discover who was really responsible for the murder of his friends. There are plenty of suspects as smuggling is rife in the area and any one of the smugglers could have targeted the border guards. As time progresses it also looks as though one or more of the guards could be in the pay of the smugglers and to make matters worse a serial killer has escaped from a Ukrainian asylum near the border.

This is a fairly six part series set on the EU's eastern border; the remote setting adds to the atmosphere; there is a real feeling that the guards are one their own there. The story is interesting with a few twists and shocks along the way. I was somewhat disappointed with the non-ending but was pleased to hear that a second season is either in production or will be soon. The cast do a solid job making the characters believable. Overall I'd recommend this to anybody looking for something a little different; just don't expect much to be resolved by the end of the sixth episode… hopefully it won't take too long for us to get season two.

These comments are based on watching the series in Polish with English subtitles.

A different view

[hopmah · 9/10 · 1 February 2021]

This production has proven enlightening, depicting the problems of border control between Poland and the Ukraine, along with many historical underlying differences between both nations, present prejudices, etc. It is a delight, as well as absolutely frightening. And best of all, it is very fast-paced, so no boring moments!

Hoping for more seasons

[flwilleboordse · 10/10 · 17 January 2020]

Currently one of the best TV shows out there, great story that could come directly from border control. No over the top American show, but one that makes you want more. Very authentic, great storyline, fast but with enough detail, great sceneries, best actors.

So lucky I ran into this TV show, seriously hoping for more to come.

Gripping and Heartbreaking Thriller Drama !!

[nonsensefans · 10/10 · 6 August 2020]

I loves watching foreign series, but how come I just found this amazing series now ? More people needs to watch this show, it's a Polish thriller and it's as good as Dark.. The cast are great especially the main actor Leszek Lichota who plays Wiktor Rebrow. All 3 seasons are very gripping and thrilling, you won't be bored..It was heartbreaking sometimes, how come every person around him died ? I'm writing cause I saw very few review and this show deserves a good watch..I really enjoyed it and hopes for more seasons to come.

The story is way too over-cooked

[mtrifonov · 7/10 · 9 March 2020]

Starting with the good staff: excellent cinematography, a nice cast and good sounds.

Being Bulgarian myself I did enjoyed listening to Polish.

Regretfully, the story is very inconsistent or as I see it over-cooked. Obviously they wanted to make it like a Hollywood thriller maybe to please more viewers but the result is that it is too predictable. For example: it was easy to guess that the police chief is a traitor even from the start of the series. I wanted to understand it so I made a list of the main characters with their motivations and what they do and they just don't add up in many times. But the bigger problem is that it is not a complete story but something like many stories that are just added to each other without any serious considerations. For example: how can you justify that a DA (district attorney) in a middle of investigation in clear self-defense to shoot somebody is worse that a wanted criminal who is under suspicion (or tried) for multiple homicides. It's very strange. Other very obvious example is start event with the mass murder of a dozen border policemen. I believe in such a case all of the Polish law-enforcement agencies would go in and make a very thorough investigation and not just send one young DA to deal with all of it. And many more examples like this.

A Polish attempt to remain local with the touch of Nordic noir

[BeneCumb · 7/10 · 21 July 2016]

It seems that my previous familiarisation with a Polish series was in previous century; that is why - when referred to Wataha - I was curious how the cinematography of a big European country had evolved and varied.

In general, I should say I am contented: performances are decent and realistic (although I found no performer to be fixed in my memory for the future), the plot has several twists, and one can get a good overview of life and people in a distant Polish border area. Besides, as for mood, background, camera-work and some characters, there are obvious references to similar Nordic crime series; well, it is not bad as such - as Nordic series deserve even more attention - but the result is a bit homespun, and the ending was not a good match to the prior thrilling events. The pace was a bit slow as well, but the breaks were often a prolongation of the obvious, rather than meaty accentuation of atmosphere or thrill. But, still, Wataha is a versatile creation for those fond of the mix of crime and conspiracy.

PS Season 2 is catchier, but still somewhat over-sophisticated, and the pace is uneven and includes too many side/supporting characters. Plus I surmised the real wrongdoer towards the end... The issue, however, in light of recent events, is still topical, and the depiction of beautiful nature is a pleasant supplement.

Ok, but

[lasseman59 · 7/10 · 4 May 2022]

Likes Polish series / movies But sometimes they get a little weird and embarrassing.

Wataha is good but sometimes it gets a little tiring A lot of time is spent filming when they smoke cigarettes, which means a lot in the context of the series.

Then a lot is filmed as one of the main roles Wiktor Rebrow is out walking in the woods and terrain.

He also does not seem to be that smart, but goes more on emotion and sudden whims.

Be smarter in the first season, feel strange development of that character in the series.

A good start, and then...

[hereisone · 26 December 2023]

As always with shows like this, the first season was great - interesting characters, coherent plot, good tension and organic stories. I enjoyed it very much, it was truly atmospheric.

And like always in shows that only planned to have the one season, in the very first episode of season 2 it all went downhill - the characters from the first season were retconned, the plot became incomprehensible and convoluted into losing all sense, the characters became generic nothings that I couldn't care less what happens to them, it's as if in the quest for escalation, they lost sight of the down to earth approach that made the first season good.

And as always in these instances, there was no need for graphic sexual violence to depict how bad the bad guys are, season one accomplished that perfectly.

I'm not going near the 3rd season, it's going to be more of the same nonsense.

Keeps my attention, but...

[GSK23 · 6/10 · 12 June 2023]

Okay, I'm only two episodes in, but it's good enough to keep watching. It's clearly trying for a larger audience (via HBO and taking cues from recent Nordic police shows) but remains very provincial. Also, they ain't breaking into America with an overabundance of tobacco use!

There's some plot holes and obvious plot points throughout that keep it from being anything but original. Still, the "exotic" setting of the Polish border makes it slightly more appealing for me (American born with Polish grandparents).

The lead character, Viktor, who looks like Bobcat Goldthwaite to me, is kinda slow and not a crack detective on any level. He's clearly motivated to solve this crime, but I'm never sure if he's actually the central character in this mystery or not. I guess we'll see as it unfolds.

The DA is cold, calculated and focused on finding out if Viktor is innocent or not. She's not really doing much onscreen so far; so I'm not sure if I should stop thinking about her or not. The rest of his new team is also nothing special, so I'm never sure where I should be focusing.

Definitely engaging, but also dull at times. I will definitely give it another episode or two in hopes it picks up a bit. Even if it doesn't, I could see myself finishing it-even at this pace!

Edit: Okay, now I'm halfway through season 2! It's still engaging as heck! But it's also confusing at times, as people's motives are unclear and actions related even more unfathomable. I often tell myself that it must be some cultural difference that I just can't quite grok from my sofa in America. But, then I think it just might not be written so great. Who knows?

The story this time is more focused on Prosecutor Dobosz. Yes, she still chain smokes as does everyone. It's quite amazing, actually! She also gets a topless sex scene for no reason at all!

This season is equally convoluted, but moves along just fine and is keeping my attention. Victor is living out in the woods trying to solve the mysteries of the first season; so he's more interesting this time around. The characters as a whole, however, come across as not the brightest out there in TV land. So that's either my entitled American perspective, or the show's creators are giving us an authentic view of border criminals. Who knows?