This Celebrity Couple Makes a Seductive Debut in ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’

One of entertainment’s hottest duos is back on TV together. Now, this show may not be The Kardashians, and they may not be as exciting as Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet, but, still! It’s worth noting that Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who tied the knot just two years ago, are now playing seductive lovers on A Gentleman in Moscow—the first time they’ve appeared together in a show since 2016’s third season of Fargo, where they first met.

The role is fitting for Winstead, too. In the second episode of the Showtime series, she appears as Anna Urbanova, a famous Russian film star. Anna checks into the Metropol Hotel in 1922, just a year after Alexander (McGregor) finds himself imprisoned in the joint, and takes an immediate liking to the Count, thus beginning their speedy romance sneaking around at the inn.

Anna enters the Metropol with a bang. The blonde bombshell slips off her coat and, thanks to a backless dress, almost looks topless from behind. (She’s not, perhaps to Alexander’s dismay.) Anna has brought two misbehaved hounds to the hotel who go wild in the dining room as Alexander chats over coffee with his little acquaintance Nina (Alexa Goodall). Anna apologizes for the dogs, but a starry-eyed Alexander pays it no mind—he’s smitten. The pair share some tantalizing eye contact—Sasha, the child you’re babysitting is right there—and return to their respective days.

Another guest at the Metropol has piqued Alexander’s interest: Mishka (Fehinti Balogun), an old friend of the Count’s and one of the leaders heading the resistance against Russian nobles in Moscow. Alexander is peeved to see Mishka—who spent summers at the Count’s family estate, living like a nobleman—standing up for such a charge. He wasn’t one who suffered under tyranny. But Mishka pulls back, revealing some sort of baggage between the two: “You were ashamed of me,” Mishka says, nearly spitting on his old pal as he storms off. We see a flashback of the pair riding horses together with an unknown woman in a later flashback.

Osip (Johnny Harris) the guard bombards Alexander’s hotel room with questions about Mishka. The pair were friends, no? Alexander is reticent about Mishka at first, suggesting that something came between the two of them. Later on, Osip informs Alexander that Mishka is the only reason why Alexander is still alive—Mishka fought the revolutionaries to keep his old friend around. Finally, Alexander comes clean about their beef. Mishka wanted to marry Alexander’s sister, but Alexander didn’t approve, as Mishka wasn’t of noble status in society. Makes sense why he’s joined this revolution front, doesn’t it?

Alexander confronts Mishka to thank him for saving his life. The Count also apologizes for the whole sister debacle, asking if Mishka believes she’d still be alive today, if Alex had allowed his friend to marry her. Mishka has no idea—he does know, however, that they’d both be dead if Mishka had married her. Everything happens for a reason. Alexander wants to spend more time with Mishka, but Mishka has done enough for his fair weather friend. The pair part.

We’ve got more farewells in Episode 2; I suspect we have a lot more to come, considering Alexander is stuck in this hotel while the world changes around him. Nina has to go back to school in the new year, so she plans a fun little outing for them to celebrate their last moments together. Unfortunately, at the same time, Alexander receives a promising invite from Anna, who wishes to meet him at the bar for drinks. After some huffing and puffing from Nina, who feels very betrayed by him, Alexander ends up ditching his little lady friend and going to see someone his own size.

Anna and Alexander meet in her room, which is far more luxurious than Alexander’s tiny guest quarters. The pair have many questions about the other. Alexander is confused as to why Anna left her home to be in the tumultuous state of Moscow; Anna is confused as to how Alexander is still alive. After a few rounds of asking these questions over and over, they both agree to remain mysterious to the other, and take matters into bed instead. Did Winstead and McGregor only sign onto this show so they could pull off some fun sex scenes? Maybe. Is it a good time? Also maybe. But Alexander isn’t the only man Anna is seeing—she appears to be sleeping around the hotel to win information from potential suitors. Knowledge is better than any kind of money.

Nina forgives Alexander by hugging it out on New Year’s Eve, her last day at the hotel. She leaves Alexander with a gift: The key that opens every room in the hotel. Alexander is stunned. Immediately, he opens a door that leads to the roof of the hotel, giving him his first look at the sky in around a year. After a vibrant New Year’s Eve party, a promising new relationship, and this opportunity, things are, for once, actually looking up for the Count.