Netflix's period drama The Doll, adapted from Bolesław Prus's 1890 Polish novel, has won over viewers with its romantic twists set in 1870s Warsaw under Russian Imperial rule. The series follows Stanisław Wokulski (Tomasz Schuchardt), a prosperous merchant, and his obsessive pursuit of Izabela Łęcka (Sandra Drzymalska), a beautiful aristocrat.
Fans Praise Acting and Costumes
One Rotten Tomatoes reviewer called the series "a masterclass in acting." An IMDb reviewer echoed the sentiment, writing: "The Doll has the most incredibly breath-taking costume design I have seen in any period piece. The person that designed and made the costumes must be absolutely dedicated to their craft."
The same reviewer added: "I am not familiar with the source material, but this show tells an incredibly detailed and heavy story of two powerful personalities at odds with each other. The casting is well/suited to the character portray. The acting is great and every actor delivers in their role."
A Reinterpretation, Not a Page-by-Page Transfer
Another fan described the series as "fantastic," while a further IMDb review noted: "An adaptation is not a school exam in fidelity. The 2026 Netflix series Lalka directed by Pawel Maslona, should be judged first as cinema and television: as direction, performance, rhythm, design, tone, and the choices it makes on screen."
The review continued: "Measuring it only against Boleslaw Prus's novel is a common reflex, especially in Poland, where the book is a cultural monument. That reflex is understandable. It is also a limited way to talk about a six-episode series that was never advertised as a page-by-page transfer."
The reviewer added: "Prus's Lalka is a vast, ironic, densely social novel of late-nineteenth-century Warsaw: class, money, stalled idealism, the merchant who cannot buy entry into a world that despises him, the aristocrat who is both object and agent."
Maslona's version is openly a reinterpretation, with official language describing it as a contemporary reading in which love mixes with obsession and social rank carries a price. The review noted that costumes, music, cutting, and the performances of Schuchardt and Drzymalska are part of that reading, and that any changes to the characters are directorial and writing choices, not errors.
The Doll is streaming now on Netflix.
