Series: The Doll (Lalka)
Episode: Season 1, Episode 3
Year: 2026
Country: Poland
Setting: 19th-century Warsaw
Based on: The Doll by Bolesław Prus
Stanisław Wokulski: Tomasz Schuchardt
Izabela Łęcka: Sandra Drzymalska
Ignacy Rzecki: Dariusz Chojnacki
Streaming: Netflix
In The Doll Season 1 Episode 3, Izabela turns to Wokulski for help when Zofia Dobska is arrested, while the Łęcki family’s financial crisis forces her into an increasingly calculated relationship with her wealthy admirer.
Izabela asks Wokulski for help
Zofia has been imprisoned in the Warsaw Citadel. Izabela wants to secure both her release and official recognition of the medical qualification she earned in Zurich, and asks Wokulski to use his connections with the Russian authorities.
Meanwhile, life in the Łęcki household is becoming increasingly precarious. The servants have gone a month without wages, while local shopkeepers are refusing the family further credit.
Izabela reluctantly accepts that Wokulski may offer their best hope. She tells Tomasz to repair his relationship with the merchant and ask him for money.
Wokulski builds his new empire
Wokulski is preparing an ambitious new department store, complete with expensive fittings, fashionable Parisian goods and electric lighting.
He also employs the dismissed Marianna. His obsession with Izabela becomes increasingly apparent when he questions Marianna about Izabela’s bedroom, clothes and personal tastes, hoping to recreate the luxurious world she prefers.
When Tomasz approaches him for money, however, Wokulski takes a harder line. He will no longer finance the Łęckis without security. If Tomasz wants his investment, he must mortgage his property.
Zofia is freed
Izabela continues campaigning for her friend. A titled aristocrat provides the guarantee necessary for Zofia’s temporary release, while Wokulski takes Izabela to a reception attended by influential Russian officials.
There they encounter the prejudices Zofia faces directly. A Russian magistrate openly mocks the idea of women practising medicine. Izabela is upset that Wokulski did not defend her during their meeting.
Nevertheless, Wokulski succeeds in helping to secure recognition of Zofia’s qualification with the help of a bribe to the official. The victory also gives Izabela material for her first published article in The Ivy, where she writes about her friend’s struggle to practise medicine.
Wokulski opens his new store
Wokulski’s spectacular new shop opens with Warsaw society in attendance. He publicly credits Izabela with inspiring him to think on a grander scale, while her article about Zofia receives attention of its own.
Baron Krzeszowski is less impressed. He mocks Izabela’s support for women’s emancipation and suggests that Wokulski simply bribed the Russian authorities to secure Zofia’s recognition.
Wokulski responds by challenging the Baron to a duel.
Watch the trailer
Where to watch
The Doll (Lalka) is available to stream on Netflix.
Languages (availability may vary by region):
The Doll is available on Netflix with the original Polish audio and English, German, French, Spanish and Ukrainian dubbing. Subtitle options include English, German, French, Spanish, Polish and Ukrainian
Historical background
The Warsaw Citadel
Tsar Nicholas I ordered the construction of the Warsaw Citadel following the failed November Uprising of 1830–31. It became a powerful symbol of Russian imperial control over Warsaw and was used to imprison political detainees.
The real woman who inspired Zofia Dobska
Zofia Dobska is inspired by Anna Tomaszewicz-Dobrska (1854–1918), a pioneering Polish doctor who studied medicine at the University of Zurich.
After returning to Warsaw, Tomaszewicz-Dobrska encountered considerable resistance to having her foreign medical qualification recognised. She eventually gained permission to practise and became particularly associated with obstetrics and women’s healthcare.
Zofia is a fictional character inspired by Tomaszewicz-Dobrska rather than a direct portrayal of her life.
Russian power in Warsaw
Izabela and Wokulski’s need to cultivate Russian officials reflects Warsaw’s political circumstances. The city was under Russian imperial rule, leaving important administrative decisions in the hands of institutions and officials representing the empire.
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Next: The Doll Season 1 Episode 4 recap
