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Bomba

Bomba

2013–2014Ended1 season8 episodesMidcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

1941. The life of Ivan Gouchkov, a student of Physics and Mechanics at the Leningrad Industry Institute, dramatically changes one day just before his spring exams when he comes to the attention of Major Lobanov, Head of Intelligence at the Leningrad Military District Command. Several months later, Main Intelligence Directorate receives information that the USA is developing a powerful nuclear weapon. Soviet Intelligence recruits Ivan and sends him to "Object X", a uranium enrichment plant in Nevada. To avoid suspicion, Ivan's appearance is changed, and he is given a new identity. He is turned into Stanley Liber, a marine cadet who had gone missing but who somehow has miraculously survived. Furthermore Ivan is to marry Sheila, Liber's fiancee.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Bomba?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Bomba to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Reception

Is Bomba worth watching?

Bomba's Midcredits score is the 21st percentile of all shows, from 47 ratings across 2 sources (very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional). 43% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

21st percentile

Better received than 21% of shows

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

14th percentile among Action20th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)34th
Approval (how many liked it)10th

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

67 /100

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

34th percentile of all shows

27th percentile among Action33rd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

Approval

How many liked it

43% liked it

10th percentile of all shows

7th percentile among Action10th percentile among 2010s
43% rated it 7–1057% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

4th percentile

46 ratings across platforms

1st percentile among Action7th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2013 · 1 episode

  • S1E1
    S1E1

    Episode 1

    Jan 1, 2013Finale

Watch experience

What is Bomba like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you bittersweet.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseMelancholicRomantic
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series treats its spy drama and historical setting with gravity and emotional weight, played straight.
The rideSustained tension from espionage and war, with periods of romantic warmth; the later suffering and search for loved ones give it a heavy, melancholic payoff.
StructureThe series follows a linear chronological timeline from recruitment through undercover mission to aftermath.
Episode formatThe synopsis describes a single story spanning from recruitment to postwar search, suggesting one continuous narrative across all 8 episodes.
Season formatThe show has one season and a concluded plot, making it a limited series.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
BittersweetThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves you reflecting on the cost of espionage and the blurred lines between duty and personal love.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% (this title) · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

6% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA Soviet student is recruited as a spy and assumes a false identity to infiltrate a US uranium plant.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfDeception
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% (this title) · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6% (this title)
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% (this title) · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Deception · 6% of showsRedemption · 3% of shows: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Isolation · 3% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe entire premise rests on Ivan's false identity and the lies required by espionage, while his eventual suffering and search ask whether he can earn back his true self.
StanceThe series examines deception and identity under the pressures of espionage and war, questioning what is lost when one's life is built on lies, without celebrating or condemning outright.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanRuralInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernFolkSupportive music · original score · Volodymyr Kripak
SettingLeningrad and Nevada during World War II, spanning a uranium enrichment plant and Soviet interiors
MusicLikely blends Soviet-era folk motifs with tense orchestral action cues for period authenticity.

Cast and crew

Who is in Bomba?

Cast

Olga Arntgolts
Aleksey Bardukov
as Ivan Guchkov
Boris Abramov
as Colonel counterintelligence
Andrey Panin
Anatoliy Kot
Olga Sutulova
Oleg Karpenko
as Twimmy
Ivan Doan
as Dzho Trayger
Michael Golodini
as Reporter
Stanislav Boklan

Crew

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