The crime drama 'The Word of a Boy' is enjoying a new wave of popularity three years after its release — this time on TikTok and Instagram, where users have begun comparing themselves to Svetlana Mikhailovna, the mother of the main character, played by actress Yulia Aleksandrova, according to infohub.kz.
One clip in particular has gone viral: the mother of the main character, nicknamed 'Palto' (The Coat), walks down a snowy street with a completely blank stare. Many viewers saw themselves in the character, especially during the winter season.
Other users are applying the clip's plot to their own everyday situations: for example, when they have to drag themselves to work or school, come home after a hard day, or simply go out with no desire to do so.
Another popular clip shows the character having a nervous breakdown at a police station.
It is not exactly clear why a fragment from a series that came out three years ago has become popular. Perhaps it is due to the first cold snaps and the approach of winter, when many people find the character's state especially relatable. However, the clip comes from a rather sad storyline.
Warning: spoilers ahead for those who have not yet seen 'The Word of a Boy: Blood on the Asphalt'.
Throughout the series, Svetlana tries to protect her son Andrei from the influence of street gangs, but she herself gets drawn into stories connected to them. After losing money and a hat in a shell game, she receives a stolen hat from her son's acquaintances, who pass it off as the one that was returned.
After learning the truth from a police officer, Svetlana suffers a nervous breakdown and is admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
Recall that 'The Word of a Boy' is a 2023 series directed by Zhora Kryzhovnikov, based on Robert Garaev's book 'The Word of a Boy: Criminal Tatarstan of the 1970s–2010s'. Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle published a review of the project, which even faced attempts at being banned for its harshness.