Why the Series Chewing Gum Falls Short of Expectations

The Teenage Series "Chewing Gum": A Reboot of the Genre or a Collection of Clichés?

The Russian series "Chewing Gum" (2024), which debuted on Premier, aspires to redefine the landscape of teen cinema. The management of this online streaming platform boldly declared that this project aims to be a catalyst for revitalizing a new series of youth shows. However, viewer feedback and critical reviews point to glaring issues: from a mundane storyline to questionable thematic explorations. Let’s dive into what attracts and repels the audience in this series.

Plot: Love, Stalking, and Tragedy

At the heart of the narrative is Galya Shalamova (played by Daria Balabanova), a girl hailing from a Moscow region orphanage who dreams of enrolling in VGIK and becoming a screenwriter. Her life is a whirlwind of drama: from an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Kirill (Anton Artemyev) to the impending release of her mother (Yulia Volkova) from prison, compounded by a complete lack of emotional support and genuine communication.

Galya unwittingly stumbles upon a stream of a popular blogger named Roma (Anton Rogachev), who is known online as Hans Schmueze. This young man, who comes from a wealthy family, seems to embody everything Galya has never known: freedom, ease, and carefreeness. Infatuated with Roma, she begins to weave naive fantasies about a joyous future together.

What begins as a romantic rendezvous quickly spirals into one-sided obsession for Galya. In her desire to impress, she fabricates tales about her life, while Roma treats the relationship as a mere trivial flirtation. His staged death as a prank becomes the tipping point for tragedy. Convinced of her beloved’s demise, Galya embarks on a quest to track down and punish his supposed "murderer."

Key Themes: Shallowness or Relevance?

The series tackles a variety of themes that should resonate with today’s youth. However, its execution leaves much to be desired.

1. Love and Stalking

Galya quickly morphs from a youthful dreamer into a stalker, with her behavior appearing less like earnest affection and more like a desperate obsession. Meanwhile, Roma's deception and manipulation illustrate a classic toxic dynamic.

2. Bullying and Toxic Environment

Abuse seeps into the series not only through Galya's relationship with Kirill but also in her broader interactions with the world around her. The mockery she faces in the orphanage, the lack of support, and the derision from the "golden youth" contribute to an overarching oppressive atmosphere.

3. Parent-Child Dynamics

Despite Roma's family being materially prosperous, they are emotionally disconnected and cold. His mother is mired in her own issues, while his father immerses himself in work, leaving his sick sister in the shadows. In contrast, Galya has no parental support whatsoever; her mother has just been released from prison, and her father is an unspecified absence.

4. The Influence of Social Media

Roma epitomizes the quintessential blogger who parades a fabricated existence, masking his true struggles behind a curated online persona. His entourage perpetuates this illusion, actively playing roles in their staged reality. While one would anticipate a deep dive into the impact of social media on youth, the series addresses this theme rather superficially.

Characters: Attempting to Showcase Ambiguity

The creators contend that their aim was to develop complex, flawed characters. Yet, the outcome is ambiguous at best.

• Galya elicits sympathy and concern, yet her obsession and actions can be off-putting. She often comes across more as a victim of her circumstances than as an independently driven individual.
• Roma is etched as a stereotypical rich kid: wealthy, callous, and frivolous. His antics, particularly the prank involving his "death," render him thoroughly unlikable.
• Kirill, for his part, appears as a caricature of a 90’s thug, his abusive nature immediately apparent from his initial scenes.

Direction: Clichés and Mediocrity

Directed by Alexander Tsoi, known for previously working on projects like "Difficult Teenagers" and "The Connector", "Chewing Gum" falls short of the bar set by the director's earlier endeavours.

1. Music and Visual Atmosphere

Like many domestic teenage dramas, "Chewing Gum" overflows with neon parties, montage sequences, and mediocre music. These elements serve more as background noise rather than lend any depth to the storytelling.

2. Dialogue and Script

With nine screenwriters involved in the project, the effort did not yield discernible improvements. The dialogue often feels forced, and character behavior can frequently lack logical coherence.

Criticism: What Dissapointed the Audience?

Many viewers and critics found themselves underwhelmed by "Chewing Gum".

• Clichés Over Originality: The plot is riddled with tropes—everything from neon parties to wealthy teenagers who see money as no object.
• Lack of Realism: Actors portraying adolescents appear significantly older than their characters, raising questions about authenticity.
• Absence of a Clear Line: The series attempts to juggle a surplus of themes, resulting in a lack of narrative cohesiveness.

Comparison with Other Projects

Audiences have repeatedly drawn parallels between "Chewing Gum" and other series such as "Euphoria" or "Sex Education". However, the level of drama, character development, and relevance of the issues in these other projects far surpasses that of "Chewing Gum."

Epilogue: Is It Worth Watching?

The series "Chewing Gum" serves as a quintessential example of a misguided attempt to create something fresh and relatable for a younger audience, but the outcome leaves much to be desired. With clichéd scenarios, lackluster dialogue, and superficial thematic development, it fails to distinct itself among its genre.

For those in search of lighthearted teen entertainment with a sprinkle of drama, "Chewing Gum" might seem appealing. However, viewers accustomed to richer, more intricate narratives may wish to look elsewhere.