Subs
"Zmiennicy" is a grotesque comedy of absurdity and reality that masterfully blends slapstick, satire, and surrealism to expose the absurdities of life under communist rule in the People's Republic of Poland (PRL). The story follows Jacek Żytkiewicz, a taxi driver in Warsaw, and his mysterious new shift partner, Katarzyna Piórecka, who disguises herself as a man to get the job. The series is a comedy of the grotesque, filled with exaggerated characters, nonsensical bureaucracy, and surreal plot twists. It mocks the inefficiencies and contradictions of PRL institutions—from corrupt officials and inept police to bizarre workplace dynamics and social hypocrisy. Underneath the absurdity lies a thriller-like subplot: a drug trafficking operation smuggling heroin from Thailand to West Germany. This storyline, featuring shady sports officials, a Thai student, and a crooked firefighter, adds a layer of intrigue reminiscent of American crime dramas.
Cast spotlight
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Ep 1Contract Prices
Jacek and Mr. Stanisław take turns driving an old taxi, which the WPT management is soon planning to replace with a new one. Meanwhile, Krashan Bhamaradżanga, a student from Thailand studying in Warsaw, is having trouble with his creditors. At the airport, he meets President Kłusek, who gives him an address where he can find people willing to help. Elsewhere, firefighter Zenon Kuśmider is illegally selling gasoline to fuel stations—gasoline he bought from railway workers. He’s making a tidy profit from the scheme.
Ep 2The Last Course
After returning from his final shift, Stanisław begins repairing his battered old taxi. Suddenly, a statue of a mouse falls onto the car—having detached from a helicopter in flight. It’s a rough day for President Michalik as well: on his way to meet his lover, he falls into a sewer trench. Both men end up in the same hospital. Michalik’s wife, the daughter of a prominent party official, arranges top-tier care for her husband. However, a mix-up in patient records leads the nurses to confuse Michalik with Stanisław.
Ep 3The Scapegoat
Kasia is growing tired of her thankless job. Every day, she has to endure the exhausting company of President Koniuszko’s wife for several hours, and she’s also responsible for picking up their unruly son from school. During a company mushroom-picking trip, where several employees take part, everyone ends up drunk. Piórecka reaches her breaking point and quits. Meanwhile, Mr. Stanisław and President Michalik, both still in the hospital, become friends. Krashan turns to smuggling—bringing a whole bag of sausage stuffed with drugs into Poland.
Ep 4Classic Gender Logic
President Koniuszko makes Kasia an unusual offer: he persuades her to impersonate his son and take the driving exam on his behalf. Kasia initially agrees but soon backs out of the plan. However, she cleverly repurposes the idea—disguising herself and using Marian Koniuszko’s documents to get hired at WPT, the taxi company that previously rejected her solely because she was a woman. Before long, she becomes Jacek’s driving partner.
Ep 5Safari
Disguised as a man, Kasia begins her job at MPT. She quickly realizes that pretending to be Marian Koniuszko is far more difficult than she expected. This time, she and Jacek are tasked with driving the famous actor Rawicz to Kraków. The passenger must arrive on time to perform in a live broadcast of a Television Theater production.
Ep 6The Special Care Press
The so-called “special care press” is a weekly magazine that President Klusek’s associates buy in bulk. Hidden inside the newspaper bundles are drugs, which they smuggle to Germany for President Gonschorek. Delighted that the latest shipment arrived safely, Klusek spends the evening with a prostitute named Mariola—only to be completely robbed by her and left unable to pay Kasia for the taxi fare. Meanwhile, Kasia drives a young married couple who urgently need to make purchases to use up their newlywed credit. But with no washing machines, refrigerators, or vacuum cleaners available in stores, the desperate couple ends up buying a coffee set for fifty people
TVP
PL
