After Franka's Death in M jak miłość, Paweł Zduński Won't Remain Single for Long

Following the high-profile departure of Dominika Kachlik and the tragic death of her character, Franka Zduńska, in the long-running Polish soap opera M jak miłość the plot isn't slowing down. Rafał Mroczek, who plays the grieving Paweł Zduński, revealed in numerous interviews that his character won't remain single for long. „Scenarzyści nie oszczędzają Pawła, który nie ma szczęścia w miłości, ale jego historia nie kończy się na stracie Franki. W jego życiu pojawi się nowa miłość.” (The writers aren't sparing Paweł, who has no luck in love, but his story doesn't end with the loss of Franka. A new love will appear in his life.) — Rafał Mroczek The actor also added that the pace of the introduced changes is surprising to him. „Podkręcono tempo akcji w 'M jak miłość'. Sam jestem zaskoczony niektórymi decyzjami scenarzystów.” (The pace of action in 'M jak miłość' has been ramped up. I myself am surprised by some of the writers' decisions.) — Rafał Mroczek This declaration indicates a clear intention by the creators to quickly close the mourning period for the popular character and introduce new, energizing love storylines to maintain viewer interest. The series has been produced by Telewizja Polska since late 2000 and is one of the longest-running Polish soap operas in history. Over more than twenty-five years of broadcast, hundreds of actors have appeared and disappeared from the cast, which is a natural process in such a long-running production requiring periodic renewal of characters and plot. However, the dynamic changes don't only concern Paweł's storyline. According to television announcements and media reports, in the upcoming episodes (including episodes 1911 and 1917), the drama of another couple will come to the forefront. The character Kinga, played by Katarzyna Cichopek, intends to leave her husband Piotrek and their children. This storyline is set to generate further conflicts, as it will be Kinga who later sends Piotrek to search for the missing Paweł, and her initial resentment will transform into rage directed against the Zduński family. Katarzyna Cichopek, like other actors, marked a certain stage of work on the series by publishing an enigmatic social media post titled 'Last Day,' which viewers and fans interpreted as an allusion to upcoming changes in her character's storyline.

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Reactions from other cast members to these abrupt changes vary. Michalina Sosna, who plays Kama, addressed the atmosphere after Dominika Kachlik's departure with considerable distance and professionalism. „Nie ma co płakać” (There's no point in crying) — Michalina Sosna – she said in an interview with 'Fakt,' emphasizing that such rotations are an inherent part of a long-running series' life. Her comment can be interpreted as a pragmatic approach to industry realities, where contracts end, and writers must continuously modify the plot. Despite this cool realism among professionals, the creators' decision to kill off Franka Zduńska still evokes lively, often negative reactions among the most engaged part of the online audience. For many fans, the character played by Kachlik was iconic, and her sudden removal from the plot was met with a wave of comments expressing regret and disappointment. This disparity between the internal, professional perspective of the crew and the emotional engagement of the audience is characteristic of long-running productions that become part of their viewers' daily lives.