Dobromir Dymecki has expressed his appreciation for the world that has been created for the Netflix satirical comedy, 1670. The 39-year-old actor, who plays the role of Bogdan in the series, mentioned in an interview that the sets weren't constructed with plywood, plasterboard, or a piece of wall pretending to be a cottage. He further added that in an open-air museum in Kolbuszowa (Museum of Folk Culture), several buildings were erected, which collectively created the village of Adamczycha, where the story is set. Because of all the physical labor, the sets looked "so authentic that you basically just had to enter that space and play." This love for the props, the sets, and the physical space is apparent in both seasons of the Netflix mockumentary, which unfolds in the late 17th century. I still remember that ambulance from the first season that had a chicken on the top as a siren. Such visual creativity is once again on full display in the second season. There is a neat platform connected to a lever, which, when pulled, causes the platform to rotate. A head strap equipped with two lit candles functions as a headlamp. An eye patch gets a heart sticker when a character goes on a date, and a sheet of paper with song lyrics scrolling on stage functions like a Teleprompter.
All this clearly indicates that the real heroes of 1670 are the production designers (Miroslaw Koncewicz) and set decorators (Kamila Grzybowska-Sosnowska, Zofia Lubinska). When 1670 made its debut on 13 December 2023, it took us by surprise. We were swept up by the beautiful, imaginative display of the production design, and Nils Croné's cinematography made the frames pop and dance. The show looked fresh. It also entertained with its dose of quirkiness, while keeping the characters appealing, amusing, and adorable. Everybody, from the main cast to the background actors, sent the series to comic heaven. With Season 2, unfortunately, the lightning doesn't strike again. The performances are fine, the sets are inventive, and the images are brightly colored. Yet, the new season doesn't explode — no funny bones are tickled. The scene where Jan Paweł Adamczewski (Bartłomiej Topa) takes the role of a translator should have had you in stitches. But the humor simply peters out, and there is no payoff for this event. The idea of a "Bogdan Bogdan Bogdan" party, at first, sounds hilarious, but the actual party offers no comic respite. Similarly, a "good priest, bad priest" bit sounds funny on paper, but on the screen, it feels meh.
That doesn't mean Season 2 is a complete failure. It has its share of chuckleworthy moments, such as a poem about ducks (bak bak bak), a bad pickup line that begins with the words "Were you crushed?", a warning delivered through the story of Jesus, and a dating ritual that resembles a matchmaking game. My favorites include a riddle from a forest nymph, a shocking reaction from a scarecrow, and a sports event involving a mother and her infant as participants. The one joke in which someone rubs their fingers to demand not money but salt, though, turns out to be both surprising and simple. If I have to put my finger on it, what the second season lacks is more such surprises. The gags come with a mechanical efficiency; they don't astonish or excite your senses. Moreover, the props felt new and sensational in the first season. This time, you go in knowing that more clever props will appear in the second season, which robs the experience of any sense of newness. However, what's worse is the addition of pathos, which turns a bland story into something utterly unbearable. 1670 Season 2 loses its energy whenever it treats itself seriously, and the way it calls attention to its artifice near the end feels more obtrusive than ingenious. The show is beginning to mature, aiming to branch out in new directions. The effort and intention are admirable — but alas, the execution this time is a major misfire.
Final Score- [4.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times