Episode plots center on these human stories, political navigation, and emotional bonds without modern identity politics or systemic oppression framing as the premise. However, the production employs prominent color-blind casting that places non-white actors in Russian roles, including Fehinti Balogun (Black, with dreadlocks) as Mishka, the Count's poet friend and Bolshevik, and Leah Harvey as Marina Samarova, a hotel staff member.

This choice clashes with the 1920s-1950s Moscow setting and has drawn widespread audience criticism for historical inaccuracy and DEI priorities. Creator statements emphasize fidelity to the book's character-driven narrative and expansions like Anna's arc, with no activist intent cited. Reception shows a clear critic-audience gap, with backlash targeting the casting as distracting and inauthentic while praising the core storytelling's restraint.