Sparta: troubled Russian detective investigates apparent teacher suicide and involvement of her class on VR game Sparta

https://youtu.be/RfZYFJsYmWo (no English subtitles on trailer)

Against my initial expectations, this, finally, turned out to be very good indeed. trajectory was;

Episode 1 - maybe not instantly gripping but worth continuing at least.

Episode 2 - definitely flagging; halfway through I left it, thinking would abandon. But I then went back to at least continue - and it really picked up. Subsequent episodes got better and better until the final tow were edge-of-the-seat stuff.

There was a grubbily realistic feel and look to the whole series. Light was harsh and unflattering and even those who were meant to be smart/attractive/elite-type still had some of these elements. And the grim settings always helped. Everything and everyone looked rather third-rate.

The story -centering on a group of very smart high-schoolers who fell under the spell of a charismatically evil leader - reminded me both of Unman, Wittering and Zigo and Secret History. (Tartt). There was a snake-like fascination in seeing how far the group would go and when/if they would be able to break the spell.

Very fine

Someone Has to Die: Sudsy Spanish drama in late-Franco Spain that falls, spectacularly, at the final fence

Suburra. Grippingly flamboyant picture of a spectacularly corrupt and decadent society.