After the triumph of the first part, Tina Kabitsi's saga The Oath turned the page and introduced a brand new story with a different cast but retaining exemplary characterization, an engaging plot, and memorable performances, the elements that made the previous installment a smashing success. Kabitsi provides a thorough account of the hellish journey of a man who is wrongly accused of a crime and in order to achieve redemption, he must unveil a huge conspiracy scheme that involves respected members of the upper echelons of Greek society. In the Q+A that was published on Tap the Line in 2023, the talented screenwriter gave her own take on the show: "Our hero is a modern Prometheus, a saint doctor who pays a heavy price for his struggle in favor of the common good. It is the vindication that comes as the result of a long-term fight." The Oath 2 echoes the Greek tragedy in many aspects and Filippos is the archetypical tragic hero who has to endure immense pain and overcome ethical conundrums dating back to ancient times to survive and achieve justice. His odyssey permeates a wide array of different milieus: the familiarity of the hospital as a working place; the warmth of his home; the dark pit of prison; the abandoned train station; the streets; and finally the courtroom.
Each new setting has its distinctive aroma: Filippos's house smells of hope; the prison's scent identifies with utter despair and solitude; the stuffy air in the deserted wagon emits stale sweat and vagrant tears; the air of the courtroom is inextricably linked with the intoxicating sense of impending freedom. The story spans several years and we see Filippos getting both older and wiser as a result of the three-act narrative structure which Kabitisi employs and handles with a soft touch. Filippos of Act 1 and Filippos of Act 3 have little in common, the hopeful and trustful man who strives to help a young immigrant girl and her little brother has now become a middle-aged disillusioned individual who now lives as a derelict and cannot distinguish the friend from foe. The protagonist lives the drama of realizing that people who were so close to him betrayed him in the most brutal of ways. However, it is his moral standing as an individual that forbids him to become as ruthless as his enemies.
The second cycle focuses once again on the environment of a hospital where the main protagonist, general surgeon Filippos Razis (Christos Loulis) works along with his team of medical experts that includes his close friends Rafail Analytis (Ioannis Papazisis) and Erietta Fotiadi (Lena Papaligoura). The story commences when one rainy night, Filippos spots a young immigrant girl as he exits the hospital's premises. He soon realizes that she is missing a kidney and the cut in her abdomen suggests an illegal surgery. Determined to find the truth, Filippos, with the precious help of Rafail, sets out to find out what happened and his long-standing suffering commences. The show's creators reveal the plot's events bit by bit, in a steady rhythm that is sometimes interrupted by an unforeseen twist, boosting the audience's engagement with the developments on screen.
Loulis delivers another solid performance in the demanding role of Filippos and proves an actor can be both prolific and selective. Thaleia Matika plays Maritina, Filipos's wife who is gradually transformed into a modern version of Penelope who has to fend off an aggressive suitor whose motives become revealed gradually. Panagos Ioakim is one of the show's assets, delightful in his rendition of Sirhan, the goon who is assigned by the top dogs to take care of the dirty business in order not to get blood in their hands. Ioakim's Sirhan is one of the most effective villains who ever appeared on Greek television. Vana Pefani is more than decent in her role of the hospital's director but her limited screen time doesn't allow her character to breathe and develop fully. Finally, Dimitra Vitta is a treat to watch but she proves that she is much more than a stunning woman in the role of Lena, an ambitious young doctor with Machiavelian tendencies. Her face and emerald green eyes will become etched on your memory and she is definitely a new name to add to your favorite actors list.
For those who would relish a comparative analysis between The Oath and The Oath 2, I must stress that it would be a mistake to examine the two shows in contrast as they have a large gap in the number of episodes, but, above all, each has a distinctive structure narrative-wise. What can be guaranteed is that all those who enjoyed the first part of Kabitsi's magnum opus will be thrilled to watch its successor.