More than two years after the premiere of the first season of “Thaw”, we have new episodes of the series about Commissioner Katarzyna Zawieja, a police officer from Szczecin who cannot find a balance between work and private life. In the first part, we learned the story of her husband’s death, but it turns out that the creators did not tell us everything about him. The second season reveals more secrets of the heroine’s husband.
Blizzards at a crossroads in life in “Thaw”
Małgorzata Major: I thought that Zawieja would be in better mental condition after the time that has passed since the last meeting, and it turns out that she still hasn’t sorted out her life?
Katarzyna Wajda: A year and a half has passed since the end of the first season. That is, a lot and a little, depending on how each person works on themselves. If there were no new cases, there would be nothing to talk about. As Boguś says: [Bogumił Lipski, producent serialu „Odwilż” – przypis red.]After the thaw comes the flood. This season we are opening up to something new. Certain things happen beyond Zawieja’s control, which makes her return to her addictions. Her husband Wojtek’s story is unfolding and this case is something she cannot let go of. From Zawieja’s perspective, justice must be served. What she saw, what she discovered, what she learned about her husband, what led him to commit suicide, is so painful to her that she will do anything to confront the person who caused it.
Małgorzata Major: What else does Zawieja face in the second season of “Thaw”?
Katarzyna Wajda: The second thread is again motherhood and femininity. We are talking about human trafficking and here we also show that Zawieja is sensitive. She does not play a superwoman and a tough girl who says “fuck it” all the time. She “has” and wears her hair in a matchstick cut and bites her nails. She is feminine, but at the same time strong and stubborn. The fact that she has not dealt with her traumas, even though she is in family therapy, makes her life go back to the “old ways”.
The darkness of the Szczecin “Thaw”
Małgorzata Major: What else “triggers” the heroine in the new story?
Katarzyna Wajda: Another important thread is Zawieja’s feelings of guilt, as she unwillingly entered into cooperation with the Central Bureau of Investigation, someone died because of her, and now she faces the consequences. He tells Trepa: “Guilt is my specialty.”
Małgorzata Major: While watching the second season, I had the impression that the heroine was moving further and further away from her civilian life and that there was no return to “what was normal” for her.
Katarzyna Wajda: IN Zawiea’s self-destruction begins and she drowns. She seems to be following the path of her husband, Wojtek [w roli Wojtka wystąpił Wojciech Zieliński – przypis red.]. It seems that being addicted to a certain lifestyle and certain relationships (such as her relationship with her husband, who was toxic and heroin-dependent), Zawieja has become accustomed to operating in that mode. Now that she knows what happened and why her husband committed suicide, she has to work hard to learn to live differently.
“Defrost” after hours
Małgorzata Major: What will happen in your relationship with Trepa?
Katarzyna Wajda: Her relationship with Trepa is very interesting because he is “too good” for her. He is not under her control, he always has his own opinion and can predict how certain situations will end. He just has to leave her. The tragedy of this relationship is that even though there is love, neither of them can say what they feel. She cannot admit that she deserves love and he is afraid of rejection.
We show the brutal truth about inverted social roles After all, in TV series the role of Zawieja is usually played by a man and Trepa by a woman.
Małgorzata Major: Bartek Kotschedoff [wcielający się w postać Krzysztofa Trepy – przypis red.] He said he would like Trepa to become more active and voice his opinion. How will this affect the relationship between the two?
Katarzyna Wajda: Trepa’s character definitely needed this after the first season, where he mostly stays quiet and submissive to Zawieja’s antics, in the second season he sets boundaries and, you could say, explodes. In the construction of the roles we are consistent with Zawieja’s character and she will never become a homebody who cooks dinner, she will still get lost in work, but now Trepa confronts her with all this, and at some point she disappears.
Trepa, despite everything, is a strong support for her and, in addition, he allows her to make mistakes because he knows that they will be the best lesson for her. That is the beauty and strength of his character, I don’t think he lacks willpower, he remains calm in the most difficult moments and knows what to do. I think what Bartek would have wanted for his character happens in the second season, just like “Trepowy” with all his charm.
***
You can find our review of the series “Thaw”. here. New episodes will appear on Fridays on the Max platform. The entire season has six of them.
