Audience-Alienating Premise: As being muchDarker and Edgier than most Lifetime works, it deals with the seedy underworld of human trafficking and offers a rather realistic portrayal of said world complete with aversion of Gory Discretion Shot and a ramped-up Anyone Can Die dynamic. That being said, it still is considered one of their better productions, even ending up with several Emmy and Golden Globes nominations and winning two Gemini Awards.
Complete Monster: Sergei Karpovich is the head of an extensive human trafficking ring where women are lured with promises of modeling or meeting Western husbands, before being they are kidnapped, raped and forced to prostitute themselves, and only have a life expectancy of about four years. For other ventures, Karpovich has children kidnapped to serve in child brothels. When one girl escapes due to a guard napping, a furious Karpovich fatally stabs the man in the throat with a pen, and when an ICE raid rescues a number of women, Karpovich has one murdered due to having used her as an accountant. If the women have any families, Karpovich uses their safety as leverage, including children. Representing the evils of human trafficking, Karpovich's only interest is his own profit.
Helena, who only wanted love and a better life for herself and her daughter ends up being sold into the world by someone she thought she could trust and then brutally murdered in the safe house she was being sheltered in.
Nadia, who already lost her mother and was facing a bleak future with her single father tried out to be a model and was thrown into the world and brutalized beyond her nightmares.
Ludmilla, whose circumstances are like Helena's, ends up with likely a death sentence due to contracting a STD and looking at a lose-lose situation where she could be killed regardless if she stayed in the States or to her home country.
Annie and Kate herself are more Iron Woobie, surviving their horrible ordeals with determination and a Blithe Spirit.
Annie's parents, and Nadia's father, for the horrific parental concerns they have to go through.
