A Gentleman In Moscow – Episode 1 Recap & Review

A Master of Circumstance

A Gentleman in Moscow takes place in Russia, a country on the verge of massive change. The 1917 Revolution and the execution of the Royal Family have sent a ripple of change right the way across Russia overnight. During the following four years, the Leninists re-organize the country. The Tsarist aristocracy is eradicated and Russia once more belongs to her people.

We pick up episode 1 with our main character, Alexander Rostov, who watches as a kid is taken away by two guards, kicking and screaming down a hallway. The men return, and Rostov is brought before the people’s court and, specifically, a man named Vyshinsky.

The Count explains that for the last four years he’s been living in Suite 317 of the Metropol Hotel following his house being burned down. He doesn’t have an “occupation” per-se but his return to Russia has caused concerns with the court. Why is he back? After all, Rostov’s poem has been accused of calling revolutionary action. As a result, he’s thrown out.

He’s not killed though, despite the insistence from a few of the authorities, but instead Rostov is going to be on house arrest at that Hotel. If he sets foot outside the Metropol again, he’ll be shot dead.

We’re in Moscow 1921, and Rostov is escorted all the way to his suite, up on the third floor. Once there, he’s greeted by a strange man, the same one we saw briefly at the court meeting just now in the episode.

This is Osip, although we’re not actually told that rught now unless you put subtitles on! He’s there to show Rostov to his new quarters, which happens to be a secret room way up the floors. It has a window at least but it’s rather unhospitable and is basically a prison cell without the bars.

Osip repeats that he needs to stay in the hotel and here we see Rostov going about his daily routine. The water is grim, and there isn’t much room to move but the other guests in the hotel are surprised at how Rostov keeps his dignity and refuses to be beaten. This routine goes on through a big ol’ montage as we reach Day 47.

Here, Prince Nikolai Petrov arrives and explains that he’s been allowed to keep a room in the palace but he’s basically been cast out too. He’s a bit skittish although Rostov’s suggestion for having a drink after dinner is met with a thin smile. Whilst there, Rostov explains that he came back to Russia because he wanted to help his grandmother to safely on a ship over to England.

Nikolai also apologizes for Rostov losing his sister but explains that he actually knows someone who could provide papers to ensure safe transit for them to get out the country. Rostov is shocked by this and remains steadfast that Russia is his home and he’s not about to leave any time soon.

Things inside the hotel are turning a bit sour though, and this charge starts with a man threatening Rostov with the barber and slicing part of his moustache off. More curious is a little girl that shows up at the dinner table, Nina. She stands out with her bright yellow dress and has an inquisitive mind. She quizzes Rostov about his past.

After this, Rostov is told to see the hotel manager. In his office, the manager explains that some of the staff have continued to call him “Your Excellency” and other terms befitting of royalty. The manager believes this has “outlived its purpose” and suggests this stop sooner rather than later. After all, the hotel is a dangerous place and he could find himself in a rather unpleasant situation.

Rostov certainly takes this warning seriously. When the manager is asked to leave the office, Rostov is left alone and he checks behind the paintings and finds duelling pistols. This also ties into an earlier chat he had with Nina at the dinner table about his past. Now, throughout the episode we continue to see flashes of this, with the royal palace and an accident involving his family. However, we don’t see the full extent of this so presumably it’ll be explored in future episodes.

Back in the hotel, Rostov realizes the threat and decides to entertain Petrov’s idea of leaving, They’re going to need disguises and what better way to do that than dressing as a Red Army soldier. However, they’d have to leave behind all their belongings – which includes a particularly fond painting Rostov has of Helena. Rostov hands over some money to Nikolai and he gets to work putting this plan in motion.

Fast forward to day 65 and there’s still no Nikolai Petrov. However, Nina brings Rostov with her upstairs, where she boasts that she has a passkey that opens every door in the hotel. She shows him all the way down to the basement, where furnaces are burning and suggestively mentions how this would work wonders to destroy secret letters. There are also vents that allow them to spy on different rooms, and also the staff running the hotel.

Rostov sees a very different side to the hotel, and in the office he finds a letter that seemingly incriminates Petrov completely. The paper is written in Russian but there is a red stamp. And just like that, Petrov shows up two days later. Rostov explains in confidence that the authorities are rounding people up and putting them on trial. It doesn’t matter if they’re guilty or not, the people want blood and they’re more than happy to give it. Rostov explains that Petrov’s name is on a list. They don’t have weeks, as Petrov believes, and he encourages the Prince to go. Rostov can’t go because of Helena.

Before Petrov leaves, he hands over a note and explains it’ll give him safe passage. One of the waiters watches him from afar and we all but confirm that he’s a spy. Thankfully Rostov doesn’t take the travel documents himself. One of the soldiers approaches Petrov, smashes his violin to bits and takes him away. Outside, crawling in the snow, Nikolai Petrov is shot in the head. The gunshot reverberates inside the hotel as Osip approaches our protagonist. He quizzes the second set of travel documents and when he leaves, the episode comes to a close. 

The Episode Review

Gentleman in Moscow gets things off to an intriguing start, with an introduction to our protagonist, Count Alexander Rostov. It’s a pretty good set-up in truth, albeit one that’s a bit slow at times. However, the acting throughout is fantastic and there are flashes of tension and uneasiness that oozes through the screenplay, especially during those segments inside the hotel.

The dialogue is decent as well and the flashes to the past certainly hint that we’ve got more on the horizon for our characters. As someone who doesn’t know much about this period of history, the setting is part of the allure here and it’ll be interesting to see how the real history plays out in the backdrop of Rostov’s plight inside the hotel.

So far so good; this looks like it could be an intriguing miniseries.