Vlad Kadoni, a television host and former participant of the show Battle of Psychics, stated on Instagram that he has not watched the series The Boy’s Word and has no intention to view it. He indicated that his stance comes from a place of personal disengagement with the program rather than a claim about its quality, noting that he does not watch it and has no plans to start. Kadoni’s comments were shared amid a broader public discussion about the reception and impact of the show in online spaces [Kadoni on Instagram].
Kadoni argued that the series received especially glowing reviews because a large portion of the target audience did not experience the period it portrays firsthand. He pointed to the chaos, lawlessness, and extreme marginality that characterized the 1990s as a backdrop for many of the dramatic moments depicted in the program. For Kadoni, this context helps explain why the show feels compelling to viewers who did not live through that era, yet it also raises questions about how accurately those experiences are represented and remembered [Kadoni on Instagram].
Reflecting on the narrative and its portrayal, Kadoni suggested that a segment of the audience from the “meeting” era seemed to be fixated on power dynamics rather than a forward-looking vision for youth. He described the period as one where power plays were often conducted with severe consequences, including violence. Kadoni conveyed that the era’s real stakes included risk to personal safety and a sense that everyday freedoms could suddenly vanish, underscoring the emotional weight carried by those who lived through it [Kadoni on Instagram].
According to Kadoni, he does not view the series as a direct danger to younger viewers. Instead, he contends that the program serves as a lens that reveals gaps in historical knowledge among younger generations. He implies that while the show may spark interest in certain historical episodes, it also highlights how much young audiences may not know about the broader social and political forces at work during those times. Kadoni’s view centers on education through media, urging viewers to approach the material with critical awareness [Kadoni on Instagram].
Kadoni added that the public conversation around The Boy’s Word includes a wide range of opinions. He criticized the way some episodes and scenes are interpreted, suggesting that the series captures only fragments of real events and emotions from the era. His takeaway is that the show’s reception is influenced by what is remembered, what is forgotten, and how storytelling choices shape collective memory. He also warned that popular interpretations can oversimplify complex historical moments, leaving viewers with a skewed sense of what happened and why it mattered [Kadoni on Instagram].
In December, another prominent public figure, Olga Buzova, weighed in on The Boy’s Word, questioning whether the series encourages criminal behavior. Buzova argued that adults can recognize that criminal activity among the gang members in the show does not lead to positive outcomes for the protagonists. Her critique centers on the moral and social implications conveyed by the narrative and how viewers, especially younger ones, might interpret such dynamics when they see them dramatized on screen [Buzova commentary].
Previously, Sergei Garmash drew a comparison between The Boy’s Promise and Dostoevsky’s Demons, inviting viewers to examine the series through a literary lens and consider how classic works of literature offer frameworks for understanding power, morality, and human motivation. This comparison signals a broader trend in which contemporary television drama is read alongside historical and literary references to illuminate themes of influence, ideology, and personal responsibility [Garmash comparison].