Pratik Handore
Netflix’s ‘FUBAR’ is an action-comedy series created by Nick Santora and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role. The spy-thriller series follows CIA Agent Luke Brunner, who is on the verge of retirement when he learns that his daughter, Emma Brunner, is also working for the agency on a dangerous mission. As the narrative progresses, Luke and Emma chase a dangerous criminal known as Boro Polonia. The father and daughter’s search leads to the country of Sardovia, where exciting and explosive action unfolds. Naturally, viewers must wonder if Sardovia is based on a real country. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Sardovia Is a Fictional Country
In ‘FUBAR,’ CIA Special Agent Luke Brunner (Arnold Schwarzenegger) learns that his daughter, Emma (Monica Barbaro of ‘Top Gun: Maverick‘), is also a CIA agent. Moreover, Emma is working undercover on a mission in Guyana to stop influential arms dealer Boro Polonia (Gabriel Luna of ‘The Last of Us‘) from selling a nuclear weapon. However, Luke and Emma’s inability to work together allows Boro to escape countless times. He goes off the radar and continues to further his evil plot.
In the seventh episode, titled ‘Urine Luck,’ Luke’s boss Dot (Barbara Eve Harris) reveals that Boro has sought asylum in Sardovia, where he continues to run his operation. From the data collected from his right-hand man, Cain’s phone, the CIA locates Boro hiding at a molten nuclear reactor in the country. As a result, Luke and his team are sent on a mission to neutralize Boro while he is in Sardovia and end his operation. During the finale, a final showdown between Luke, Emma, and Boro takes place in Sardovia.
Sardovia is not a real country but a fictional one. In the seventh episode, it is stated that the country shares its boundaries with Azerbaijan. Thus, Sarovida is an Eastern European country. Furthermore, it is also stated that Sardovia has a communist regime and does not ally itself with the United States. Therefore, the CIA has no agents or informers on the country’s soil. Sardovia’s communist regime seemingly implies that the fictional country stems from the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s fall. Boro’s alliance with Russia, which leads him to Sardovia, also seems to confirm the same.
The fictional country of Sardovia is first mentioned in the action-drama series ‘Scorpion’ (stylized as ‘</SCORPION>’). Its name crops up in the sixteenth episode of season 3, titled ‘Keep It in Check, Mate.’ However, this version of the fictional country is located near Belarus. Moreover, it has a dictatorial regime. Thus, the Sardovia in ‘FUBAR’ differs from that in ‘Scorpion.’ Interestingly, both shows are created by Nick Santora, explaining Sardovia’s existence in two fictional universes. Moreover, using a fictional country as a backdrop for a nuclear weapons-related plot thread allows ‘FUBAR’ to avoid any controversies stemming from the negative portrayal of any real Eastern European country and its relations with the United States.
Read More: FUBAR Meaning, Explained
