by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Partnerships in television are a rare commodity. Like actors and directors with film studios, many TV showrunners or performers are loyal to a particular studio or streaming company. Ryan Murphy has had a lucrative partnership with FX for a long time. Mike Flanagan and Netflix had a really strong relationship until he jumped to Amazon. And Kate Winslet has greatly benefited from her relationship with HBO. Her performances in miniseriesMare of Easttown and Mildred Pierce garnered her critical acclaim and numerous awards.
The Regime is a pivot point in Winslet’s relationship with HBO.
The series follows Chancellor Elena Vernham (Winslet), the leader of an unnamed central European country. During a period of turmoil and isolation, Elena finds her rule threatened and turns to disgraced Colonel Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts) as one of her advisors. As their relationship turns more and more toxic, Elena becomes increasingly erratic with her decision-making and creates turmoil throughout Europe.
Russia is clearly an inspiration for The Regime. Due to the nature of the invasion of Ukraine and the isolationism they feel, The Regime plays off of these events to create a world similar to the current one we live in. Parallels between Elena’s decision-making and an autocratic dictator are stark. They both rule with emotions, are deeply mistrusting, and create chaos despite thinking they’re establishing order. The writers attempt to create satire for the world of The Regime to establish how ridiculous the people in this autocracy are. Unfortunately, the tone is so inconsistent that it’s hard to determine what the series is ultimately trying to say. This is probably the biggest criticism of the series, because if it had just picked a lane, it might have yielded a better result.
One aspect which continues to excel for HBO, though, is Winslet’s performances. She brings so much to the table as Elena. We see a vulnerable side of her that makes us empathize with her struggles (not often, but just enough). But the erratic and chaotic nature of her decision-making makes her so unlikable that it’s infuriating to know that she was put in a place of leadership. Elena surrounds herself with people who are all yes-men, but are looking to stab her in the back at any cost. Yet Elena puts on a façade where she appears to be in control, when she actually has no idea what she’s doing. Through all her faults, we wouldn’t get all of these different sides in the hands of a less skilled performer. Thankfully, Winslet is up to the challenge, and by far the best thing about this series.
The advisors and aids who Elena surrounds herself with are a strong collection of different performers. Starting with Herbert, he’s a psychotic and damaged individual who is exceedingly violent and loyal to a fault. He withstands a tremendous amount of pain inflicted on him by Elena, yet he stands by her at all costs. Their relationship is codependent, but there is a sweetness about them that cannot be denied. I was not expecting the endgame for these two characters, but I was floored by the chemistry between Winslet and Schoenaerts.
There’s only one character that can be considered good, and her name is Agnes (Andrea Riseborough). Elena deeply loves Agnes’ son, Oskar (Louie Mynett), but Agnes is powerless to stop the influence. She and Oskar are the only healthy relationship in this series, defined by a love that only a parent can give. Elena fluctuates in her relationship with Agnes, but Agnes never wavers on her loyalty to Elena. She knows that it’s the only way to protect her son, by being on Elena’s side. Her ending is tragic, and it goes to show that good people do not have always happy endings.
I had high expectations for The Regime, but unfortunately, the only thing it truly delivers on is Winslet’s performance. Other than that, the show is filled with despicable characters, a boring plot, and a tone that just doesn’t make sense. If it had picked being completely satirical or being dramatic and ruthless, The Regime would have been better. I’m hoping that Winslet’s next collaboration with HBO will be better than this one.
Rating: Low Side of Just Okay
The Regime is currently streaming on Max
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