At the end of the 2000s, television entered the real golden era of television series production, which were almost inferior to rental movies, telling a longer and deeper story. Naturally, the sharp increase in the popularity of the television product made more stringent requirements for the development of history, characters and their development over several seasons. One of the most non-trivial domestic television films is the series “The Secret Sign”, which touches on the problem of involving teenagers in a religious group, the postulates of which are far from the canons of the dominant church. Due to the relevance of the problem addressed, the project was funded by the RF Ministry of Television and Radio Broadcasting.
Trilogy
The premiere of the first season of the television movie took place in April 2002 on the TNT channel, after which it was broadcast by other domestic television channels. The series was also released on videotapes. The main advantage of the first season was not only secret signs telling the main characters the direction of the investigation, but also strong emotions (and not always positive) of the audience during viewing and the unpredictability of the storyline.
Two years later, the second and third seasons of the series immediately went on air under the headings “The Return of the Master” and “Formula of Happiness”. There were also enough secret signs in them, but despite the intrigue, unlike the first part, they did not receive high ratings and were almost unnoticed by the media and the public.
The plot twists and turns
The events of the film “Secret Sign” take place in a town near Moscow, where strange things happen: teenage girls disappear one after another. Rumors are circulating about a maniac psychopath and rampant drug dealers. During this period, one of the main characters came to the town 16-year-old Oleg, along with his father, a former soldier. He, like many other peers, becomes involved in a sect, the participants of which, finding secret signs indicating the imminent coming of the Master, who calls himself God on earth, are waiting for the “beginning of a new life”. The mentor of the religious sect is also an informatics teacher Baev.
In connection with a series of mass deaths due to a strange combination of circumstances, investigator Zhogol arrives in the city from the regional prosecutor’s office. Together with the local law enforcement officer Alexei Skvortsov, they begin to unravel the tangle of mysterious incidents, the secret will nevertheless become apparent.
Russian "Twin Peaks"
Many viewers called the first season of the project a masterpiece of the domestic youth thriller, because for eight episodes the narrative combined the components of the most intriguing genres - mysticism, detective story and thriller. In general, all three seasons have a rather intricate plot, fully consistent with the detective drama. The narration immediately from the first episodes is full of secret signs that prompt the beholder, along with the detectives, to seek a solution to everything that happens. The intrigue persists until the final episodes, so the story is kept in suspense. At the climax, the authors introduce an unpredictable turn of events, dotting all the "And."
The project does not lose relevance
The undoubted advantage of the series is the acting work of young Yuri Moseychuk, Daria Semenova, Elizaveta Oliferova, Arthur Smolyaninov (Lyuty from the 9th company) and wise experience of performers: Yuri Lakhin, Alexander Belyavsky (impeccable in the guise of a priest), Marina Yakovleva. And, of course, it is impossible not to mention the professionalism of Sergey Varchuk and Vladimir Steklov.
All three seasons of the series “Secret Sign” touch upon various aspects of the life of adolescents and youth, conflicts between children and parents, and the search for oneself and one's place in life. The authors deliberately focus on the fact that youthful naivety, suggestibility, and all the ensuing from this, can lead to disastrous consequences. More than 15 years have passed since the premiere of the first season, but the sad trends in the teenage environment have remained almost unchanged, as well as the problems highlighted in the television movie.