KONTROLA 2018 Web Series Review

『Intersecting Timelines and the Complex Emotional Lines Between Two Women』

🎥 Series Overview

🎬 Title: KONTROLA (English title: Control, 2018–2022)
🌍 Country: 🇵🇱 Poland
🎞️ Genre: Romance / Drama / Female Narrative
🗓️ Production & Broadcast: ATM Grupa, 2018–2022, Total 4 Seasons
📢 Director: Natasza Parzymies
📺 Platform: Amazon Prime Video

👩‍💼 Cast:
Ewelina Pankowska – Majka
Adrianna Chlebicka – Natalia

🧩 Story Deep Dive (Spoilers)

✈️ Missed Chances, Magnetic Pull, and Growth

The core of KONTROLA revolves around Majka and Natalia — two women whose repeated reunions and separations form a fateful, cyclical romance. Their story goes beyond a simple love affair, delving into themes of timing, self-destructive patterns, and emotional maturity.

💙 Irresistible Attraction: “An Undying Chemistry”

The relationship between Majka and Natalia is built upon one of the strongest examples of on-screen chemistry throughout the series.

• Fateful Reunion: The series opens in the tense setting of an airport security checkpoint — a place symbolizing control and exposure. In the moment Natalia checks Majka, their suppressed emotions resurface, visually expressing a love that transcends time and space.

• Intimacy Amid Tension: Within the short episodic format, the director uses close-ups and subtle physical gestures to convey how deeply the two women are intertwined. Their exchanged glances, trembling hands, and unspoken words powerfully embody Natalia’s sentiment: “You’ll Always Be My Only Choice.”

🔄 Repeating the Cycle of Misalignment: The Curse of Bad Timing

Despite their undeniable love, Majka and Natalia are trapped in an endless loop of bad timing, a recurring motif that adds realism and depth to their relationship.

• Seasons 1 & 2 – Conflict with Current Partners: Both women are aware that their feelings persist, but their respective partners — Majka’s boyfriend and Natalia’s ex-girlfriend Paulina — stand in the way. Natalia hesitates to leave her stifling relationship with Paulina, while Majka, as a bisexual woman, explores other relationships yet continues to wait for Natalia.

• Self-Destructive Patterns: Majka’s past infidelity deeply wounded Natalia, and even after their reunion, this unresolved pain remains a barrier to trust and intimacy. They crave love yet reveal an immaturity in building a healthy relationship.

👶 Seasons 3 & 4 – New Realities and the Final Choice

The series doesn’t stop at their reunion — it confronts them with unforeseen real-world challenges that test the strength of their bond.

• The Reality of Pregnancy: When Majka unexpectedly becomes pregnant, the couple faces a profound difference in life values. Majka has always wanted to be a mother, while Natalia isn’t ready for that step, leading to another breakup. The storyline starkly reminds us that love alone isn’t enough.

• Growth and Sacrifice: In the final season, Majka struggles with grief over a friend’s death and the challenges of motherhood, while Natalia is now in a relationship with another woman, Sylwia. Yet, Natalia’s choice to help Majka during this time transcends romantic love — it reflects human responsibility and enduring connection. They finally begin to demonstrate mature, selfless affection.

👭 The Chronicle of an Uncontrollable Love

The love story of Majka and Natalia is a chronicle of emotions they tried — and failed — to control. Thanks to the two leads’ raw and nuanced performances, viewers experience their pain, joy, and the cycle of separation and reunion as if living it themselves.

Their love was never easy, yet they remain the most significant people in each other’s lives. KONTROLA transcends the boundaries of an LGBTQ+ romance, portraying how true love and self-growth intertwine along life’s unpredictable paths.

🚧 A Subtle Romance Between Control and Liberation

KONTROLA began as a short film project by director Natasza Parzymies while she was in film school. Despite being only two minutes long, the first episode went viral for its intense setup and refined direction.

🎥 The Aesthetics of a Web Series

One of the show’s most distinctive features is its short runtime per episode. Early episodes last only 2–6 minutes, yet they compress the emotional complexity of a full-length feature into those brief moments.

• Condensed Emotional Drama: The director deliberately minimizes dialogue, focusing on expressions, glances, and physical gestures to expose the characters’ inner worlds. The brevity of each scene heightens viewer immersion, allowing the chemistry between Majka and Natalia to shine.

• Nonlinear Narrative: The story unfolds through shifting timelines — moving between the present reunion and their past. Each season expands the narrative by showing how they met, loved, broke apart, and still fluctuate emotionally. This nonlinear structure mirrors the intensity and turbulence of their bond.

🌈 Poland’s Social Context and LGBTQ+ Message

KONTROLA carries unique cultural weight as a YouTube web series that gained immense popularity in Poland — a country known for its conservative stance on LGBTQ+ media.

• Social Context: Poland remains one of the most restrictive countries regarding LGBTQ+ representation. However, KONTROLA succeeds through a non-didactic narrative that avoids preaching, focusing instead on the universal emotions of love, loss, and reconnection.

This approach resonated even with viewers outside the queer community — many comments read, “I don’t usually support LGBTQ+ stories, but I love this show.” Through its universal themes of love, control, and choice, KONTROLA transcends cultural boundaries to create global empathy.

🎯 Personal Rating (Based on Preference)

💕 Romantic Scene Intensity: ♥♥♥
⭐ Overall Rating: ★★★★