The Eastern Gate (Polish: Przesmyk, lit. ‘Corridor‘) is a Polish suspense thriller television series. The first season was released on Max on 31 January 2025.
Premise
Ewa Oginiec, a veteran Polish intelligence officer suffering from occupational burnout, is set to retire before learning that her lover, a fellow agent, has gone missing on an undercover assignment investigating Russian military activity in the region. She agrees to replace him in exchange for her superiors agreeing to help find him. The title refers to the Suwałki Gap, a strategic NATO area around the Polish-Lithuanian border.
Cast
- Lena Góra as Ewa Oginiec
- Bartłomiej Topa as Krzysztof Hałaj
- Andrzej Konopka as Zbigniew Lange
- Karol Pocheć as Skiner
- Ewelina Starejki as Helena Jankulowska
- Leszek Lichota as Tadeusz Lemański
- Kamila Urzędowska as Inka Nawrot
- Piotr Żurawski as Błażej
- Tomasz Ziętek as Jan Drawicz
- Eliza Rycembel as Maria Drawicz
- Alona Szostak as Tamara Sorokina
- Dariusz Chojnacki as Lieutenant Adamus
- Antoni Sztaba as Kaj
- Artur Paczesny as Olaf Klemensiewicz
- Dmytro Malkov as Skopincew
- Lidia Sadowa as Paulina Oginiec
- Michał Sikorski as Jasiek
- Zbigniew Stryj as Dedra-Łęcki
- Jan Englert as Minister
- Piotr Pacek as Michał
- Magdalena Walach as Maria Niedźwiecka
- Sergei Abolomov as Generał Kozłow
- Mirosław Zbrojewicz as Paweł Niedźwiecki
- Andrew Zhuravsky as Aleksiej Sorokin
Episodes
| No. | Title | Duration | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Episode One” | 48 min | 31 January 2025 |
| 2 | “Episode Two” | 54 min | 7 February 2025 |
| 3 | “Episode Three” | 43 min | 14 February 2025 |
| 4 | “Episode Four” | 41 min | 21 February 2025 |
| 5 | “Episode Five” | 50 min | 28 February 2025 |
| 6 | “Episode Six” | 50 min | 7 March 2025 |
Production
The first season was shot in and around Gliwice, Sosnowiec, Katowice, Kraków, Zakopane, and Warsaw.[1][2] Production on the second season began in early February 2026.[3]
Release
The series’ first promotional image was released in on 2 May 2024.[4] A teaser trailer was released on 24 October 2024.[5] The first season was released on 31 January 2025.[6] On 24 March 2025, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season.[7]
Accolades
| Award | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polish Film Awards | 2026 | Best TV Series | Nominated | [8] |
References
- ^ Jaraczewska, Katarzyna (31 January 2025). “Tajemnice “Przesmyku”. Filmowcy musieli udawać, że są na Białorusi i przejść specjalny trening…” Fakt (in Polish). Retrieved 30 March 2025.
- ^ Piotrowicz, Paweł (8 February 2025). “Reżyser “Przesmyku”: uczucie dyskomfortu towarzyszyło mi od samego początku”. Kultura Onet (in Polish). Retrieved 30 March 2025.
- ^ Balaga, Marta (2 April 2026). “HBO Max Spy Thriller ‘The Eastern Gate’ Readies for Second Season, Reveals First-Look Still: ‘The Stakes Are Even Higher’ (EXCLUSIVE)”. Variety. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ^ Sudario, Erielle (2 May 2024). “Lena Góra Journeys to ‘The Easterngate’ in First Image from New Series”. Collider. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Kozłowski, Piotr (25 October 2024). “Jan Englert szefem MSW. Nowy polski serial opowie o sytuacji na granicy z Białorusią”. Dziennik (in Polish). Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (6 December 2024). “Lena Góra-Led Max Series ‘The Eastern Gate’ Drops Premiere Date & First-Look Images”. Deadline. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Whittock, Jesse (24 March 2025). “Max Orders Season 2 Of Polish Breakout ‘The Eastern Gate’ & Outlines Slate Ambitions: “We Always Look For The Zeitgeist”“. Deadline. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
- ^ Salwa, Ola (12 March 2026). “Home Sweet Home scoops five Polish Eagles”. Cineuropa. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
