The series “Dyldy” was compared with “Fizruk”: now they only laugh at the macho

In the third season of the series “Dyldy”, the hero of Pavel Derevyanko, coach Kovalev, plunges even deeper into dense sexism. Sometimes his character involuntarily resembles a physical education teacher, the very one who was once played by Dmitry Nagiyev. “MK” took a closer look at the characters of popular TV shows and tried to understand which of them is still cooler.

How would you describe Kovalev?

– Insolent, rude, self-righteous narcissist, misogynist.

– Scientifically, this is hypercompensation of an inferiority complex.

– What complex terms for the word “goat”.

A dialogue between a psychologist (Maxim Lagashkin), with the help of which Kovalev is trying to return to work, and at the same time get out of the abyss of alcohol and fast food, where he plunged after an emotional breakdown, and the coach (Anastasia Stezhko) of the beach volleyball team very clearly indicates how to the hero Derevyanko people belong. Kovalev himself is also in no hurry to be kind, which is quite natural for a boorish coach who suddenly finds himself between a bespectacled psychologist and a feminist colleague.

It is unlikely that the creators of Dyld were inspired by the adventures of Foma in Fizruk, but wittingly or unwittingly, the main characters turned out to be somewhat similar. And this despite the fact that the former criminal decided Foma and the coach of the women’s team Kovalev are in many ways characters from different eras. Fizruk started in 2014, and at that time gender relations were not yet accompanied by psychological terms like an abuser. “Dyldy” is a series of the era of a new ethics, where heroes like Kovalev are initially in a disadvantaged position. And even when Derevyanko’s character seems to be improving, everyone understands that he cannot be trusted.

For Nagiyev, the role of a physical education teacher was a real gift. Foma is an absolutely Nagiev character, and it probably seemed to many that the actor hardly plays. In 2014, Nagiyev’s career already had dozens of comedies, including “Kitchen” with an exaggerated but very convincing cameo. But “Unforgiven” and “Chikatilo” have not happened yet, where the actor tried to prove himself in the territory of drama and thriller, for which he received a lot of unflattering reviews. In Fizruk, Nagiyev accelerates his comedic talent to maximum speed, while almost never overacting.

For Derevyanko, “Bold” is nothing more than just another comedy, by which one can hardly judge him as an actor. By the age of 46, Pavel has appeared in more than eight dozen films and TV shows, and one can say that he was abandoned by genre. Derevianko starred in Burnt by the Sun-2 and Hitler Kaput, The Brothers Karamazov and The Unscrupulous, The Thaw and House Arrest, The Great and The Nine Lives of Nestor Makhno. Against such a background, the adventures of coach Kovalev are clearly not marked either as masterpieces or as candidates for loud abuse and claims. If in some places it’s funny, then it’s not bad, no one hoped for more.

It is noteworthy that “Fizruk” before the premiere obviously did not cause increased excitement. At that time, pessimism about Russian TV shows was much thicker than now, so they were mostly waiting for another misunderstanding, but not the event of the season. However, in contrast to the average projects, Fizruk looked very perky, and sometimes teetered on the verge of a foul, which only fueled interest. A conflict between an experienced uncle and schoolchildren, Foma’s attempts to seduce the teacher, who clearly looks at the ridiculous physical education teacher with sympathetic sarcasm, plus a plot that allows the main character not only to joke, but gradually turn from a bullish macho into some kind of responsible and sometimes even noble man.

Derevianko’s character has much less growth prospects. Where Foma can at least cause damage to health and property, Coach Kovalev remains an infantile misunderstanding. And only stupidity does not allow him to accept the rules of the female world in which he found himself, and enjoy life in it.

However, there are interesting twists and turns in the storyline of the new season. It wasn’t too bad for Derevianko to play a mentor who is not in the best shape and a victim of fast food, and the new characters – a psychologist and a feminist trainer – clearly refreshed the overall landscape of the project. Fizruk fans should remember that the series ended after four seasons, with the final episodes already looking like some other project. The “Dyldy” project from the very beginning did not have enough stars from the sky, but so far there is no particular reason to say that the scriptwriters, director and actors have already run out of steam.

The evil and merciless physical teacher as a character can still be successful, but eight years after the premiere of the series with Nagiyev, such types are portrayed differently. It seems that now any hint of machismo cannot but be ridiculed, at least in comedies. Thomas was ready to fight against the world he did not understand. Kovalev is ready for a confrontation, except perhaps after a conversation with a psychologist. In general, the physical education teachers are now completely different, which may be why Nagiyev does not return to that role.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 28848 dated August 17, 2022

Newspaper headline:
Fizruk for Dylda