TV series "Dog"

Lena's Lab:

A separate room filled with equipment. Microscopes, test tubes, reagents.
· Lena strictly monitors that Max doesn’t touch anything: “Get your hands off!” is her signature phrase.
· Here Lena conducts examinations, autopsies (in the next room) and analyses.

Interrogation room:

· No windows, just a table and a bench. Bare walls.
Here, Max and Leonidov "talk" to the detainees. Sometimes too harshly.

"Monkey House":

· A detention cell—bars and a bench. Not suitable for long-term detention.
Gnezdilov likes to “put” someone there as a warning, but usually he himself lets them out because “it’s not allowed.”

Chief's office (Gromov):

A separate room with blinds and a map of the area on the wall. Here, Gromov scolds his subordinates and decides who to send on missions. Roof:

Max's favorite spot for smoking and meditating. From here, he observes the area. Sometimes Dog comes up here.

Characteristics: The department is the "home" for the entire team. Here they argue, make up, drink coffee, and solve cases. The atmosphere is a mix of barracks, office, and family squabble. Gnezdilov constantly ruins everything, but that's precisely what makes the department "live."

Headquarters (police department)

Location: The department is located on the first floor of a typical administrative building. Entrance from the street is free, but through the duty station. Behind the department is a fence in the colors of the Ukrainian flag (as filming took place in Kyiv), although the city in the story is fictional—Ganalupa.

The general atmosphere is ascetic and institutional. Bare corridor walls are sparsely decorated with posters and orders. No chairs—the corridor is for passing only. Closed office doors create a sense of regimentation and isolation.

The operatives' office (the main location of the action):

· Several desks littered with folders, papers and mugs.
Max's desk is usually in the corner, close to the window. It's a mess, but Max knows where everything is.
Leonidov's desk is opposite. It's perfectly tidy, everything is lined up, and he wears a light shirt and tie—even in his office.
Gnezdilov's desk is in the busiest spot. It's always cluttered, but he never finds anything there. His coat and hat on the hanger are his signature look.
The sofa is old and sagging, leaning against the wall. Dog sleeps on it when he's waiting for Max. Gnezdilov constantly tries to shoo the dog away, but to no avail. Informants like Tolik also "wait" on the sofa while Max "works" with them.
· A filing cabinet stands by the entrance. Gnezdilov once found a pistol (not his own) in it, which led to an investigation.

Max's informant

Name: Tolik (last name not mentioned in the series)

Role: A small-time informant who constantly lurks around the area where Max works. He knows everyone and everything—who's doing what, who owes whom, who's hiding what.

Appearance: A man of indeterminate age (35-45), unshaven, always wearing the same shabby jacket. Fidgety, eyes darting. A typical "little underling"—neither fish nor fowl, but incredibly tenacious and resourceful.

Personality: Cowardly, but not stupid. He understands that Max is his only defense against more serious people, so he shares information, but always with caveats: "Max, you know, if anything happens, I didn't tell you anything." He constantly whines that "life is hard," yet manages to survive any predicament. He likes to lie for effect, but he's not lying about the main thing—he's afraid. Relationship with Max: Max dislikes him, but tolerates him because Tolik actually brings useful information. He constantly "intimidates" him—grabs him by the scruff of the neck, pins him against the wall, and demands: "Tell me what you know, or I'll turn you in to Gnezdilov." Tolik responds by babbling and "turning in" everyone he knows. The dog snorts contemptuously when he sees Tolik—he senses a weakling.

Role in the plot: Max often gets on the trail of criminals through Tolik. The informant reports on "shady dealings" in the area, new people, and those looking for weapons or selling stolen goods. Sometimes his information saves Max's life.

Weaknesses: He's afraid of physical pain and is terrified of Gnezdilov (who once almost shot him "as a warning"). He's willing to betray anyone for a drink or just to get them to leave him alone.

Catchphrases: "Max, come on, I'm one of them," "I didn't tell you anything, okay?", "Who knew it would turn out like this..."

Personal life and apartments

Max Maximov: After losing his job and wife, he lives alone in an apartment that's gradually falling into disrepair. After returning to the police and the arrival of Dog, his life improves. He drives a red Chevrolet Silverado.

Lena and Leonidov: They live together as a married couple. Their marriage is complicated by Leonidov's jealousy and Lena's mother's interference.

Gnezdilov: Married to an extremely jealous woman, but he himself is fond of cheating. He lives with his mother, a "Yiddish mama."
Max and Dog: The central bond of the series. From the initial warm-up in the first season to a full-fledged partnership, Max considers Dog his best friend.

Love triangle: Max, Lena, and Leonidov. Max still loves Lena, Lena is partial to Max, and Leonidov is jealous.

Max and Gnezdilov: A constant rivalry. Max trolls Gnezdilov, but also keeps an eye on him due to his illness.

Gnezdilov and Dog: Mutual hatred. Gnezdilov yells at Dog, Dog bites his pants and finds evidence better than he does.

Vakhtang and Gnezdilov: Vakhtang trolls Gnezdilov at every opportunity

Nikolay Zharov

Role: Former department head, Max's father-in-law, Lena's father, Dog's owner.

Fate: Killed at the beginning of the series. Before his death, he sent Maximov a text message with the word "Rose." He named the dog after his best student, Max.
Zharova Sr. (Lena's mother)

Role: Evil mother-in-law.

Personality: She bullied Leonidov so much that he ran away to live with Max. Then she found them and "decided to raise them all, starting with Dog."

Colonel Gromov

Role: Chief of Heroes.

Feature: In the first, second and fourth seasons, he was played by three different actors, and they were completely different from each other.

Role: Forensic expert.

Personality: He appears in most episodes only to report the latest murder, earning Max the nickname "Death Messenger." He enjoys trolling Gnezdilov.

Relationships: With Gnezdilov—constant ridicule. In the trap scene, Gnezdilov shouted "LEOOOOOOOOOO!" and Vakhtang responded, "You said to stay put, but I'm afraid to move!"

Role: Police captain, operative, colleague of Max and Leonidov. Senior task force member.

Appearance: Posing appearance—coat and hat, trying to look like a "cool guy in a coat." Drives a black Mercedes W124, which is repeatedly destroyed during the series.

Personality: A typical dumb cop. Constantly ruins special operations and harasses Max. Hates Dog, because even a dog is a better investigator. He's a big fan of cheating, despite having an extremely jealous wife. He regularly gets punched in the face when trying to arrest him. He drives like a madman—he constantly crashes into things. Pick's disease: He suffers from Pick's disease, a rare, irreversible neurodegenerative disorder affecting the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Aphasia, a speech disorder, is added starting in the second season. He not only mixes up words, but also loses the ability to construct meaningful sentences. He's been serving since the 1990s; at first, he was an ordinary officer, but the disease developed later. He refused treatment.

Why he's still a captain: Gnezdilov has an uncle who's a general. As long as the bell works, his nephew remains in office, despite his complete incompetence. Tragedy only avoids Gnezdilov because Dog and Maxim are always keeping an eye on him.

Catchphrases: "I'm not your scumbag," "BITCH, PLEASE!" (the magic word from the "Avenger" episode), "You bastard, you bastard, you bitch, you scum, you flea-ridden bastard!" (shouts at Psu). Humorous moments: He competes for popularity on social media with Max's channel about Psu and loses badly. When someone tries to arrest him, he starts with a "cool boast" and 90% of the time gets punched in the face. In the episode with the trap, he demanded the "magic word" from Vakhtang, who was afraid to move.

Family: He has a Yiddish mama—at first, it seems that's why he grew up like this, but suddenly, in some places, she behaves more adequately than her son. An extremely jealous wife.

Role: Police major, operative. Max's best friend (immediately after Dog).

Appearance: "The Suit Guy"—always wears a neatly pressed suit, a light-colored shirt, and a well-chosen tie. Drives a black Dodge Durango.

Personality: Intelligent, but at the same time "not the strongest character, but second only to Maximov in terms of coolness." He's henpecked. The sight of Lena next to Max triggers a fit of jealousy.

Past: He stole his best friend Max's wife. Despite this, they continue to work together and solve cases.

Role in the series: Often helps Max and Dog get out of trouble. In the episode "Hunt," he knew the truth about Max faking his death.

Role: Forensic expert, medical examiner. Max's ex-wife, Nikolai Zharov's daughter.

Appearance: A scandalous beauty. Maximov idolizes her, considering her "pretty, good-looking, kind, and thrifty."

Personality and love life: She left Max for Leonidov. Even after Lena's remarriage, Maxim continues to love her. Some footage suggests that Lena herself is also attracted to Maximov, which makes Leonidov jealous. Many fans dislike Lena for "bullying Max, who is in love with her, and not allowing him to date girls, even though she hasn't lived with him for a long time."

Relationship with mother: Lena's mother (Zharova Sr.) is a "wicked mother-in-law" who bullied Leonidov so much that he ran away to live with Max. Then Lena followed the same path. Zharova Sr. found them and "decided to raise everyone, starting with Dog."

Appearance and breed: German Shepherd, male. Smart as a human. The role was played by five dogs, with the main workload falling on Count (seasons 1-2) and Mukhtar (season 3 onwards).

Personality: Loyal, devoted, and intelligent. Like his owner, he hates Gnezdilov. He's unyielding and has his flaws, but he'll unconditionally sacrifice his life for his owner.

Past: Belonged to Nikolai Zharov, the former department head and Max's father-in-law. Zharov named the dog after his best student, also named Max. After Zharov's murder, Max finds the wounded dog at the crime scene and takes him home.

Skills: Follows a trail, finds clues (for example, Gnezdilov's pistol in a desk drawer). Animal instincts help solve the most complex cases.

Humorous moments: Numerous funny scenes involving Dog. In the episode "Bloody Wedding," he went to investigate the assassination attempt on Vakhtang wearing a bow tie.

Relationships with colleagues: With Dog, he's a full-fledged partner, having gone from just getting used to him to a complete understanding. With Leonidov, his relationship is complicated: he's a former friend who stole his wife, yet they continue to work together. With Gnezdilov, there's constant irritation and ridicule, but Max and Dog effectively look out for him, preventing him from making mistakes.

Skills: Proficient in combat techniques and can "beat anyone up so badly they'll be in trouble." Believes every crime has its own scent and uses Dog's nose for investigations.

Interesting details: He runs a social media channel about the Dog, which gains popularity—suspects recognize "the dog from the video where he ate carrots." In the episode "The Hunt," he faked his own death—the others ordered a coffin, and Gnezdilov stole the keys to his house and car.

Catchphrases: "Odd days"—an excuse for the bottle (even though he quit drinking). "Dog, come here!"—the beginning of an investigation.

Appearance and image: A rugged man with a short haircut and an athletic build. He wears simple clothes—jeans, jackets, and T-shirts. He drives a red Chevrolet Silverado with oversized wheels. On special occasions—for example, at the "Blood Wedding"—he wears a tuxedo.

Personality: Brave, courageous, straightforward, and stubborn. Prefers to do things his own way and often ignores others. He's cunning and humorous—he knows how to troll Gnezdilov with a straight face. He recognizes his mistakes and tries to correct them. He doesn't blame others in conflicts—after his divorce from Lena, he doesn't blame her or Leonidov, realizing that he himself acted incorrectly.

Past and personal life: A talented police officer with numerous crimes under his belt, he loses everything overnight: his job, his best friend, and his wife. His wife, Elena, leaves him for his best friend and colleague, Alexey Leonidov. Maxim begins drinking and nearly becomes an alcoholic. Fate gives him a second chance—an injured dog, which he takes in and nurses back to health.

Return to the police: After successfully solving a murder, Max returns to the police and quits drinking. Despite his divorce, he continues to have feelings for Lena and tries unsuccessfully to regain her affection.