All For Love
Season 1 – (2020) – 69 Episodes
3 out of 5 paws
‘All For Love’ is a Columbian Netflix series about hope, love, desperation, and redemption – in other words, your basic telenovela. Joaquin Herrera returns from a three-year stint in the military as a mechanic to reunite with his mother and sister (Alba) and to help them maintain the family farm. Lauro, the biggest landowner in the area has always wanted to buy the Herrera family’s estate, but Joaquin keeps refusing. Lauro’s son, in a fit of rage, sets fire to the farm – resulting in the death of the mother – and kidnaps Alba. Joaquin tries to rescue Alba, but gets badly beaten and thrown into the river, left for dead. Cut to Bogota where Irene Romero, whose family owns a fruit stall in the Miracle Market, aspires to become a great singer and musician. Her dreams are aided by her father – a failed musician and hopeless alcoholic – and the other tenants of the market. Her mother, on the other hand, believes it to be a waste of time. Meanwhile Joaquin has survived the river, made it to Bogota, and is desperately searching for Alba. Joaquin and Irene meet in an internet café where she helps him try to search for Alba. Joaquin needs money to keep searching for Alba – he finds a job in a shady auto repair shop near the Miracle Market. Joaquin and Irene fall in love. Joaquin starts getting involved in organized crime. Irene, and her band The Miracles, keep getting successful in their search to win music competitions. Joaquin and Irene get married. However, Irene also gets involved in trying to shut down the local money lenders who are threatening the other members of the market. The local crime boss, Delio, decides to make an example of Irene and have her killed. Joaquin, in order to keep his wife alive, starts getting deeper and deeper involved in crime – which of course Irene has no idea of what he’s doing. Will Irene and The Miracles reach success? Will Joaquin get the family farm back and out of Delio’s gang? Is Irene’s and Joaquin’s marriage doomed? You will have to watch all 69 episodes to find out (I’m only on episode 13 so I don’t know either). ‘All For Love’ is a little bit cheesy, fairly predictable, lots of crazy plot lines (some work, some don’t), lots of singing, dancing, a fair bit of humor, deaths and staged fights – but I like it and it is binge worthy. Ana María Estupiñán -who plays Irene and was also the lead actress in another Columbian favorite, ‘La Nina’ – is once again outstanding in her role.
Alta Mar
2 Seasons – 16 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
3 out of 5 paws
Following the death of their father, sisters Eva and Carolina Villanueva travel on a luxury cruise ship travelling from Spain to Brazil in the 1940s. They become embroiled in investigating mysterious deaths that occur at sea. The plot is reminiscent of an Agatha Christie mystery – twists and turns, who murdered who, deep dark buried secrets, love triangles – that keep you guessing and intrigued. The acting is a little tongue in cheek and hard to take seriously, but I believe the series creators meant it to be this way. The plot is pretty convoluted, and has large gaps of credibility in it, but it is amusing and beautiful to look at. The fictional ship’s design was based fairly accurately on the original Queen Mary, but was filmed on set in a large film studio outside of Madrid. The second season takes off from where the first left off – in the middle of the ocean with a deranged attacker on board and the mysterious survivors of a shipwreck being rescued – with new characters and sub plots. The ending leaves open the possibility of a third season to come.
Alta Mar -Season 3
6 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
2 out of 5 paws
Season 3 starts off about a year and a half after the events in the first two seasons. Most of the familiar faces set sail on the Barbara de Braganza on a cruise to Veracruz, Mexico. An undercover agent engages the services of Eva to track down a mysterious passenger who may have brought a deadly virus onboard with him. Given Eva’s ties to those onboard, she’s recruited to track him down before it’s too late. There are lots of twists and turns; passengers’ and crews’ secrets are revealed. However, as the series is only six episodes long, the story line is too complicated, muddled, and doesn’t really make a lot of sense. There is an interesting twist - Doctor Ayala is the son of Inspector Ayala from ‘Gran Hotel’ and is played by the same actor – Pep Munoz. It’s beautifully filmed, and the interior sets of the Braganza are nicely done (supposedly based on the original Queen Mary) but in the end the series left me extremely disappointed.
Bank Under Siege
Season 1 (2024) Limited Series – 5 Episodes approx.. 40 minutes each
3 out of 5 paws
Bank Under Siege - TBA
Bitter Daisies
Season 1 – (2018) – 6 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
Rosa Vargas, an officer of the Spanish Guardia Civil, arrives in the Galician town of Murias to work on her first case. A young girl named Marta Labrada has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Marta may have left on her own, or she might be dead. Over the years 10 girls have disappeared in the area surrounding Murias – is Marta number 11? This is in, according to the local police, “a town where nothing ever happens”. The local police chief, Alberte, is retiring in 4 days – the deputy, Mauro, wants to keep things quiet. It turns out that Murias has many dark secrets, and Rosa sets out uncovering them throughout the series while hunting for a possible serial killer. And Rosa has a possible connection to the case – was her sister one of the disappeared girls? Bitter Daisies is short – only 6 episodes around 70 minutes each – but well written and acted, and is very reminiscent of the Belgian police thriller ‘The Break’.
Cocaine Coast
1 Season (2018) – 10 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
‘Cocaine Coast’ follows the rise of narcotics trafficking in Galicia, Spain over a 10-year period. Each episode covers 1 year – from 1981 to 1990 – and is loosely based on actual events. The series starts in 1990 with the police making raids and arresting all the major crime syndicate chiefs in the area - with the exception of the biggest – Sito. The series then cuts back to 1981 where Sito and his father are doing some illegal fishing overnight. While escaping from the customs patrol they inadvertently interrupt a landing of illegal American cigarettes by one of the local smuggling gangs which results in the loss of the merchandise valued at roughly 20 million pesetas (approx. $180 k ). The next day Sito is called in to explain himself to the local smuggling bigwig – Terito – who likes the way Sito drives a boat and tells him if he does a run for the gang he will offset his losses. Sito likes the excitement and does several more runs and eventually joins the tobacco smuggling cooperative as a partner. Sito and his partners run into problems storing their cash and decide to see if they can launder their money in Panama. Sito meets a beautiful young woman – Camilia – who introduces him to a drug lord who wants to enter the European market with cocaine. After a series of events Sito becomes super rich and powerful and wants the rest of the cooperative to start dealing in hash and cocaine instead of just tobacco. Terito is old school and thinks that narcotic smuggling will be too dangerous as it is riskier and will result in lengthy jail sentences if they are caught. The rest of the cooperative see no difference in what is in the packages being smuggled – tobacco or cocaine – but the immense amount of profit to be made from the latter. Terito is soon out voted and he retires leaving Sito as the head smuggler. ‘Cocaine Coast’ follows the rise and fall of the cocaine trade over the next 8 years – it is well scripted and acted and the beautiful scenery of Galicia is captured lovingly on film.
4 seasons – 60 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
Gran Hotel
Gran Hotel (English: Grand Hotel) is a Spanish drama television series directed by Carlos Sedes and first aired in Spain on 11 October 2011. The series, filmed at the Palacio de la Magdalena in Santander, is set in an early 20th century aristocratic hotel during the reign of King Alfonso XIII and is centered on the mysteries that involve the owner's family and the hotel servants. The events take place in 1906–1907 in Spain, near a fictional town called Cantaloa. A young man, Julio Olmedo, arrives at the luxurious Grand Hotel in order to visit his sister Cristina, who works there as a maid . Julio is told by Andres, a waiter, that Cristina was fired for theft a month before, a story Julio doesn’t believe. He is convinced something happened to her at the hotel and he is determined to find out what happened. He takes a job there as a waiter under the name Julio Espinosa to investigate his sister's disappearance. He soon finds an ally in Alicia Alarcón, one of the daughters of the hotel's owner Doña Teresa, Alicia is being forced to marry hotel manager Diego Murquía (Pedro Alonso – also in Money Heist) , a shadowy character with secrets of his own. Alicia is also suspicious of things happening at the hotel, her father having died a year ago under mysterious circumstances. Other members of the family include Alicia’s brother, Javier (Elroy Azorin – also in Alta Mar), and her sister Sofia, who is married to Alfonso, a Spanish marquis. Together Julio, Alicia, and Andres work to uncover the secrets of the Gran Hotel. Love, murder, blackmail, kidnapping – Gran Hotel has it all. I liked it – it comes across as a telenovela, but it’s highly entertaining, and very reminiscent of Downton Abbey (but in my view, even better) and has been remade into about 8 other countries’ versions. At first I didn’t see how the plot could be sustained over 60 episodes, but it works nicely, lots of subplots, twists, and lots of humor (some of it unintentional, but still funny). It does suffer a bit from doing historical period pieces in that events (and inventions featured) in the series happen before they actually did, but that’s just me being picky – I found the same with Downton and Titanic.
Green Frontier
Season 1 (2020) - 8 Episodes –
Spanish with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
‘Green Frontier’ was the first Columbian Netflix Originals series to be filmed. However ‘Wild District’ was put into production and available on Netflix first. Both series are about as different as you can get – WD takes place mainly in Bogota and is about the reintegration of FARC guerillas into society; and GF is a murder mystery taking place in the depths of the Amazon jungle on the border of Columbia and Brazil. Four women missionaries are found dead deep in the jungle – one was shot and the others killed by arrows. Government agent Helena Poveda is sent to investigate. She joins up with Reynaldo Bueno – a member of the local law enforcement. While investigating the area Helena and Reynaldo discover a fifth murdered woman – Ushe -in an indigenous cemetery – dressed in a missionary outfit, hanging by her hands – and with her heart cut out. Helena and Reynaldo try to get Ushe’s body back to the right tribe so that she can undergo a proper funeral. Unbeknownst to them they are being watched by another native – Yua. That’s when the series gets a little strange. Through a series of flashbacks going back eighty years we learn that Ushe and Yua are the eternal guardians of the jungle – and that as civilization (and illegal loggers) move in, the old ways of the natives are disappearing. And Helena is tied into the mystery – her mother was burned to death 20 years before in the same area, but not before handing her daughter (Helena) to her friend Ushe – who looked exactly the same back then. And Reynaldo belongs to the local tribe – although he was kicked out years before – and his grandmother – who is in her eighties - turns out to be the younger sister of Ushe who was lost to the tribe 60 years before. Helena and Reynaldo try to solve the murders despite the lack of interest by the local authorities and the hostility of the local tribes. ‘Green Frontier’ is a slow burn mystery mixing murder and mysticism – it’s a little slow at first and a little hard to follow with all the flashbacks – but it is excellently acted and beautifully filmed. It was shot on location - in Leticia, Columbia which borders Brazil and Peru – and has many local indigenous actors involved.
Ingobernable
Season 1 - 16 Episodes – approx. 40 minutes each
Spanish and English with English Subtitles
3 out of 5 paws
Ingobernable is a Mexican thriller that follows the First Lady of the country, Emilia Urquiza, after a violent fight with her husband, President Diego Nava, that leaves him dead and her the target of a national manhunt. Did she kill him? We don’t know - but she insists that she didn’t. With a couple of well-spaced blackouts we move from her violently pushing him out towards the balcony; him bouncing off a car roof several floors below (conveniently splashing the Secretary of State with blood); and her waking up on the balcony with a gun in her hand. Does Emilia stick around to aid with the investigation? Well, no – believing that she is being framed for the murder of her husband, she escapes from the hotel; shoots a secret service agent; and performs surgery on herself to remove a tracking device embedded in her leg. And that’s only in the first two episodes. The rest of the series is about proving her innocence … along with some rather shady individuals , her father (who of course is the richest man in Mexico) , her children (about as spoiled as you can get), and anyone else that the script writers decided to include on the spur of the moment. It’s Telenovela at it’s best … lots of excitement, romance, and action … and if you don’t pick apart the plot … highly enjoyable. Kate del Castillo, who plays Emilia, was also the lead in ‘Queen of the South’ – this brought her notoriety in real life as ‘El Chapo’ Guzman became infatuated with her and may have had an affair with her.
La Nina
Season 1 (2016) – 83 episodes approx. 45 minutes each
4 out of 5 paws
La Niña is a series from Colombia, based on true stories about children abducted from their families and forced to fight as soldiers – either as paramilitary or guerilla. Names have been changed but the story is based on true events. The main character is the girl Belky. Belky is taken away from her family at an early age (maybe 8 / 9 years old) by guerillas when she volunteers to take the place of her sick brother who has epilepsy. She is captured by government troops when she is around 15 and sent to a reformatory to be reintegrated into society. Through a series of flashbacks we are shown the horrors and dangers that Belky (Alias Sara) under went while she was with the guerillas. Belky has never had a proper education, never seen a movie, doesn’t know how to adapt to society in an urban setting. Her case worker – Dr. Tatiana – and a priest at the reformatory recognize her intelligence and natural knowledge of medicine. With their help Belky will attempt to finish her schooling (elementary and high school) and ultimately reach her goal of attending university and becoming a doctor. However, there are many obstacles in her path; ex-guerillas are after her; government army officers are after her; her reunification with her family is endangered by her past and they have to relocate and hide in Bogota from the family farm. The series (all 83 episodes in one season!! ) is engaging and believable – and based on true events. La Nina is an eye opener on Columbian politics and corruption in the late ‘90’s and early ‘00’s.
La Reina Del Sur
Season 1 (2011) - 63 Episodes approx. 42 minutes each - Spanish and English with English Subtitles
Season 2 (2019) - 60 Episodes approx. 42 minutes each – Spanish and English with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
This is the story of the rise to power of a Mexican woman, Teresa Mendoza, in the world of international drug trafficking. Teresa starts the series as a young woman in love with a drug-running pilot, Guero, employed by the Mexican cartels. When the cartel execute her boyfriend, Teresa flees Mexico, as she believes, rightly, that they want to execute her as well due to her knowledge of Guero’s business. She finally escapes to Spain where she is given a choice where to start a new life – Galicia in the north west of Spain, where it’s cold and rainy – or down in southern Spain, where it is always sunny and warm. Teresa picks the south, being unaware that south, in this case, means the autonomous Spanish city of Melilla in Northern Africa. She is offered a job in a bar, Yamila, as an accountant. Yamila is a cover for drug and human trafficking and prostitution. Through no fault of her own, Teresa – now known as ‘La Mexicana’ - is once again immersed in the world of narcotics trafficking due to falling in love with a ships pilot and smuggler, The Gallego, and for a second time, she suffers the death of a beloved man. After several blows, Teresa decides to take the reins of her destiny and becomes the head of her own organization. This was done with the help of a woman she met in prison, who decided to share her fortune with Teresa. Through strategic alliances and a strong sense for business, Teresa begins to control an intercontinental drug distribution business. However, her great success always seems to be accompanied by a high personal price. Telenovela at it’s best, ‘La Reina Del Sur’ was created and filmed back in 2011 (63 episodes) and gained a large following. Kate De Castilla is great as Teresa; the show was beautifully filmed on location in Culiacan Mexico, San Diego, Spain, and Morocco; and the story line – while occasionally weak – is highly entertaining. An American version ‘Queen of the South’ started in 2016 – now with 4 seasons – but is no where as enjoyable to watch – I stopped after the first two episodes. (The Americans also did a remake of ‘Gran Hotel’ – again, poorly done). I especially enjoyed the scenery of Melilla, Spain – a place I first learned of in another great Spanish Netflix series, ‘Morocco, Love in the Time of War’. I have only watched the first 20 episodes of Season 1 – which I have enjoyed immensely – and will probably binge watch the next 43 – and I am looking forward to Season 2 (done 8 years later – 60 episodes) and ahead to Season 3 – due to start filming in 2021.
La Reina Del Sur
Season 2 (2019) - 60 Episodes approx. 42 minutes each – Spanish and English with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
The second season of La Reina del Sur follows the life of Teresa Mendoza eight years after the events of the first season finale. Relocated under the DEA Witness Protection Program, Teresa ( now known as Maria Dante) now lives an idyllic life in Italian Tuscany with her daughter Sofia. Sofia is kidnapped in the first episode – with action scenes reminiscent of ‘Mission Impossible’ or ‘The Bourne Identity’. In order to retrieve Sofia, Teresa is forced to go back to the underworld and reintroduce herself into drug trafficking. Epifanio – the former presidential candidate and cartel leader whom Teresa helped to put into jail 8 years earlier – has been released and cleared of all charges and is running for president again. To take down his rival, Epifanio wants Teresa to eliminate the drug cartel led by Zurdo Villa who is supporting the other candidate. To save her daughter, Teresa needs to confront her old enemies once more and face her past that she tried to leave behind. There are many plots and sub-plots which are a little confusing – there are 60 episodes in Season 2 and it wasn’t until episode 45 or so that the plot started to make sense. Who is behind the kidnapping – the Mexicans, the DEA, the Galicians, or Sofia’s grandmother? Why is Batman – whose family was killed by Epifanio’s nephew in Season 1 – still working for Epifanio? Why was Oleg – the leader of the Russian Cartel in Spain – recalled by the Russian President to Russia? Who is Alejandro – Epifanio’s chief of staff – really working for? Who is Kira / Manuela – the sister of the DEA agent Francisca – working for, and how did she become a trained Ninja assassin in only 5 years? Did they really need gypsies and / or galicians in the show? The show is confusing but beautiful to look at; the action scenes are outstanding ( and Kate De Castilla did all of her own stunts), and if you don’t try to make sense of the storyline – highly entertaining and binge worthy. Telemundo – who produced Seasons 1 and 2 – have given the green light for Season 3 to start filming in 2021.
Locked Up (Vis-à-vis)
Season 1 (2015) – 11 Episodes – approx. 1hr each.
Season 2 (2016) – 11 Episodes – approx. 1hr each.
Season 3 (2018) – 8 Episodes – approx. 48 minutes each.
Season 4 (2018) – 8 Episodes – approx. 48 minutes each.
Season 5 ‘Oasis’ (2020) – 8 Episodes – approx. 48 minutes each.
5 to 3 out of 5 paws
‘Locked Up’ (‘Vis-à-Vis’ in Spanish) is a drama television series that takes place primarily in a Spanish women’s prison. Initially it focuses on Macarena Ferriero – a young woman sent to jail awaiting trial for embezzlement and other fiscal offenses. Macarena is very naïve – her boss / lover enticed her into committing the acts that got her arrested – and now she is thrown into a prison inhabited by murderers, drug dealers, and pretty much the scum of society. And they all want to prey on the newbie. On her first night in jail she becomes an unsuspecting witness to the murder of one of her cellmates who years before robbed an armoured vehicle of 9 million euros. The money has never been recovered but Macarena finds a clue to its whereabouts – and engages her family members to help find and use part of it to use as bail until her court appearance. Unfortunately, other prisoners (including Zulema – one of the nastiest female crooks of all time) find out that Macarena knows where the money is buried – and they want it for themselves; badly. The first two seasons follow Macarena and her family, and her enemies on the search for the treasure. The situation snowballs throughout – everything that could go wrong, does – and gets increasingly worse. Macarena goes from being an innocent dupe to being a hardened criminal. The next two seasons follow some of the characters being moved to an even worse prison that is being controlled by a vicious gang of Chinese prisoners who are staging an escape with millions of euros involved. Season 5 is a reunification of Macarena and Zulema – years after being released from prison – planning an elaborate heist; from the biggest Mexican cartel boss – not exactly a great career move. The first two seasons were extremely well acted and scripted; Seasons 3 and 4 were darker (if you can believe it) than the first two – and seem to have lost the tension and drama (except for the finale, which is excellent) – maybe because Netflix took over these episodes; and Season 5 is fairly strange and disjointed – it keeps jumping from present to multiple past instances of the heist. It becomes pretty confusing as you know kind of what happened but not how they got there. ‘Vis-à-vis’ received excellent reviews overall – people compared it to ‘Orange Is The New Black’, but it’s much darker and better acted – and is as exciting and addictive as ‘Money Heist’ (and the same creator / director as well). Even though it bogged down a bit in Seasons 3,4, and 5 I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Ingobernable
Season 2 - 12 Episodes – approx. 42 minutes each
Spanish and English with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
Season 2 takes off where Season 1 left off. Soldiers are invading an apartment where Emilia is holed up (supposedly) and when they drag her out to the street she admits that she killed Diego Nava. Then it flashes back to 2 days previous showing how she ended up there. Then follows several torture scenes (rather graphic) that shows how the military (?) got her to confess and how they tried to get the names of the barrio’s leaders. The military stages a coup under the leadership of General Almado. The president, Jose Barquet, refuses to give in to the military. Ana, his chief of staff, turns out to be a CIA agent. The military invade the barrios, causing hundreds of deaths. A mysterious woman has had Maria, Emilia’s daughter, kidnapped. Emilia’s father turns out to be involved with the groups – CIA, DEA, Military, and others, responsible for Diego Nava’s death. There are lots of plots and sub plots, twists and turns – nobody really appears to be who they say they are – and this makes for an exciting, action packed series, that I am enjoying much more than Season 1. Season 1 was political drama – Season 2 is war.
Monarca
Season 1 (2019) – 10 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
Fausto Carranza has been in charge of the Monarca corporation for many years; it’s a family-owned conglomerate that started making tequila 100 years ago but now owns hotels, a construction company and other businesses. Fausto has built Monarca over the years and has had his differences with the government and the cartel Having recently had a heart attack, Fausto wants to clean things up. And he wants to find his successor - his eldest son Joaquin is corrupt and in the pocket of government officials; Andres is in charge of the hotel division, but he is weak - and harbouring a gay love affair; his daughter Ana Maria is strong, but has been away from the family for years and only recently returned. However, before a successor can be named, Fausto is horribly assassinated and it is up to his wife to determine who will take the reins as CEO of Monarca. Lots of violent action, sub-plots, and Machiavellian trickery follow in a well done and well acted series. Season 2 TBA.
3 Seasons (2017 - 2018) - 32 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
Season 4 (2020) – 8 Episodes - Spanish with English Subtitles
5 out of 5 paws
Money Heist (Casa de Papel)
The TV show portrays attempted robberies on the Royal Mint and the Bank of Spain by a group of code-named robbers, as they battle with hostages on the inside, and the police on the outside. Artfully guided by a mysterious man called "The Professor", a group of robbers: Tokyo, Rio, Berlin, Nairobi, Denver, Moscow, Oslo, and Helsinki invade the Royal Mint of Spain in red jumpsuits and Salvador Dalí masks and take hold of 67 hostages during the robbery. They are soon surrounded by the police and appear to be trapped, but are they? The police investigator Raquel Murillo is put in charge of the case, but she remains completely unaware that the mastermind behind the heist is manipulating her and her team in order to pull off the biggest heist of all time - to print and escape with 2.4 billion euros. Original, well written and acted, this suspenseful crime drama will have you on the edge of your seats waiting for the next thrilling plot twist or revelation.
Season 3
Season 2 ended after the completion of the heist of the Royal Mint with the team splitting up to avoid getting caught by the police. The professor has given them one specific rule – do not contact each other unless it’s an emergency. Rio breaks this rule a little early by trying to contact Tokyo and gets caught by the police. Tokyo frantically gets the team to reunite to save him. The Professor uses an old plan dreamt up by Berlin (his late brother, killed in season 2) and Berlin’s friend, Palermo. New members are added to the team – Marseille, Bogota, and Stockholm (formerly Monica, Denver’s new girlfriend). The plan is to rob The Bank of Spain – state secrets that are embarrassing to the government are used to successfully rescue Rio – and as a bonus, try to steal 140 tons of gold. There are many exciting twists and turns throughout the series and it ends on a cliff hanger. Nairobi gets shot after being lured towards the window in hopes of seeing her son. Raquel, the former police superintendent, now known as Lisbon, much in love with the Professor gets captured by cops while on the run and Sierra, the new interrogation expert, makes Lisbon’s capture appear to be an execution. Which the Professor, who hears the gun shots, believes. With a team stuck in the Bank to save, a Dali-masked revolution outside, Nairobi possibly dying, and the increasing tension amongst the robbers, will the crew survive another money heist?
Season 4
Money Heist Part 4 begins where Part 3 left off. There is a short recap showing Lisbon being supposedly executed, the Professor mad with grief, and Nairobi being desperately pushed into surgery to remove the sniper’s bullet from her chest. The Professor is surrounded by hundreds of police in the forest but is able to escape with the help of Marseilles, the former soldier who is the gang’s outside contact. The Professor still believes Lisbon to be dead, but she is being interrogated by Sierra back in the command tent at the bank. Back in the bank, half of the gang are trying to save Nairobi, the other half trying to smelt the gold bars down. Rio is dealing with his break-up with Tokyo and his trauma from being tortured by the police. Denver has his own trauma from his break-up with Stockholm and tends to have bouts of rage. Palermo and Tokyo are about to have a power struggle – with Palermo losing and ending tied up. Tokyo relies on her gut instincts to continue with the bank heist, but the plans start to fall apart when Gandia, the banks’ security chief, gets loose and starts hunting down the gang. All the plans appear to be going wrong, people are getting shot, blown up and nearly executed. The cops aided by Sierra are quickly gaining on the crew, The Professor is losing his self-control. As he says, this is no longer a money heist – it’s now a war.
Casa de Papel (Money Heist)
Season 5 - 10 Episodes – approx. 50 minutes each
5 out of 5 paws
It’s here, it’s finished, and it’s phenomenal. Casa de Papel Season 5. As the Professor said at the end of Season 4 – ‘It’s no longer a heist, it’s war!’. Nairobi is dead, Lisbon is in the mint with the rest of the gang (minus the Professor and Marseilles), The Professor has been taken prisoner by Sierra – and Coronel Tamayo has called in the army’s special forces to invade the building. This means that hostages may be killed because of collateral damage. Take no prisoners – kill every one involved. Although there are many flashbacks to how this all got started the action is fast paced, incredible fire fights, many plot twist and turns – and a spectacular finish. … And unfortunately, deaths of favorite (and unfavorite) characters. The acting is superb, the cinematography outstanding, the script well-developed. … And although Netflix said this was the final Season there was a little hook left in at the end that says this might not be so! Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao …
Morocco – Love In The Time of War
Season 1 (2017) – 10 Episodes – Spanish and English with English Subtitles
Season 2 - TBD
4 out of 5 paws
The Rif War took place 1911 through 1925 in the North African territory of Rif between Spain and the Berber tribesmen of the Atlas Mountains. The rebels are resisting being ruled by Spain in Northern Morocco. ‘Morocco – Love In The Time of War’ takes place in the city of Melilla in 1921 right after the disastrous battle of Annual in which the Spaniards suffered major casualties. During the conflict, Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain sends a group of nurse trainees from Madrid's upper class to open a hospital in the city of Melilla to help Spanish soldiers who have been injured in the battle. The women find friendship and romance while saving the lives of the soldiers on the front lines. The team of nurses are led by the Duchess of Victoria, who also serves as the head nurse of the hospital. They are joined by Julia, a young lady who is searching for her brother Pedro and her fiancé Andres who have gone missing during the battle. Although the main story line is about untrained nurses being thrust head long into treating casualties, there are many sub-plots concerning each of the main characters. The series is beautifully shot and the acting well done – another exciting romantic period drama from Spain, much like ‘Gran Hotel’ (in which Amaia Salamanca – who plays Julia – also starred in). The series was extremely well received in Spain and on Netflix Global and there will hopefully be a Season 2 starting in 2020.
Narcos Mexico
Season 1 – 10 Episodes – Spanish and English with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
Season 2 – 10 Episodes – Spanish and English with English Subtitles
2 out of 5 paws
Witness the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s under the leadership of Félix Gallardo as he tries to unify traffickers across Mexico in order to build an empire. He has a dream – with the drug trade in the Caribbean / Bahamas shut down – Felix wants the Columbian Cartels shipping through the Honduras and Mexico. He expands the marijuana grow ops on a large scale and then starts shipping cocaine by air. The DEA start to get involved when they learn that the Mexican government has been bought off and corrupted. DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Michael Peña) moves his wife and young son from California to Guadalajara to take on a new post. He quickly learns that his assignment will be more challenging than he ever could have imagined. As Kiki garners intelligence on Félix and becomes more entangled in his mission, a tragic chain of events unfold, affecting the drug trade and the war against it for years to come. The series is loosely based on real events.
Narcos Mexico Season 2
Season 2 starts off with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) spearheading Operation Leyenda – a task force created to bring the killers of DEA Agent Kiki Carmena to justice. Walt Breslin the DEA AIC ( Agent In Charge) and his team of mixed Americans agents and Mexicans (for the most part convicted criminals) start off by kidnapping the doctor and torturer involved in the killing. Meanwhile, Felix Gallardo – the head of the first Mexican cartel (originally the Guadalajara cartel) has problems of his own. The Columbians aren’t paying for their cocaine shipments, an earthquake has disrupted his distribution system, and other plaza patrons – the Arellano brothers in Tijuana, and Acosta in Juarez - are in almost open rebellion. Oh, and he’s promised the Columbians that he can deliver 70 (yes, 70) tons of cocaine on time – or else he, and everyone else will be killed. And there is an election going on – if the PRI party doesn’t get re-elected, Gallardo’s head will be on the chopping block. Season 1, which ended with the killing and torture of Kiki Carmena, was extremely well done – with the exception of the background narration, which was sarcastic, anti-Mexican, and just plain irritating. Turns out Season 1’s narrator is Walt Breslin – and is just as irritating. I found Season 2 to be a let down and very disappointing – too many story lines that were based on conjecture that had no real reason for being in the show; very wooden acting – come on, Diego Luna as Felix spends most of his time pouting or staring mindlessly into space; Scott McNairy as Breslin running around in circles and not really achieving anything; various cartel bosses who ran around, basically being portrayed as buffoons (Arellano brothers and El Chapo specifically). The main problem is that there was really little factual information about that time during the cartels came together under one leader and it looks like the script writers ended up inventing most of the storyline themselves – and it really, really isn’t that good. So, it looks like Season 2 was only created to be a lead in for season 3 – which will probably be about the rise of El Chapo – and hopefully they will get a better actor to portray him.
Pablo Escobar Patron Del Mal
Season 1 (2012) – 74 Episodes approx. 45 minutes each
3 out of 5 paws
‘Pablo Escobar’ was one of the first Columbian produced series to gain international attention. Without the show ‘Narcos’ would probably never have been created – and ‘Pablo’, told from the Columbian perspective – is far better, in the opinion of many – than ‘Narcos’ told from the American viewpoint. The series starts with Escobar – in 1994 – shortly before being surrounded and executed by the police. Then, through a series of flashbacks we go back to his early life and how he became one of the greatest drug lords of all time. The acting for the most part is well done – the exception being Andres Parra who plays Escobar; he comes across at first as a little cartoonish, but soon settles in to character. The cinematography is excellent and covers a lot of the Columbian countryside. 74 episodes is a little long to watch, but it is fascinating to see how Escobar came to power – and so quickly fell from it as well.
Perdita
Season 1 (2020) – 11 Episodes approx. 48 minute each
5 out of 5 paws
‘Perdida’ begins with a man, Antonio, in a hotel room in Bogota Columbia packing for an airplane journey back to his home in Valencia, Spain. He swallows some capsules and heads out to the airport to fly home. At the airport he goes, almost deliberately, to the suspicious travellers screening checkpoint. Alarms go off, and after a brief chase he is captured and sent to jail for attempting to smuggle 1.5 Kilos of cocaine. Once in jail, he deliberately picks a fight with another inmate in order to be sent to the worst prison in Bogota – La Bresca. Why is Antonio doing this? Through a series of flashbacks to 13 years before we learn that Antonio’s and his wife, Inma, 5-year-old daughter – Soledad – was kidnapped off a beach in Spain and has been missing ever since. Antonio, after all this time, has found evidence that the man who kidnapped Soledad is serving time in La Bresca and he is willing to go to jail to track down the kidnapper. The prison is violent – and in the middle of a gang war – what are Antonio’s chances of getting next to Cruz – the kidnapper – and finding out what happened to his daughter? ‘Perdita’ is brilliant – there are so many subplots (which eventually all come together) – and the characters are so well developed; Antonio – searching for his daughter; Angelita – the Public Defender assigned to defend Antonio; Inma – Antonio’s ex-wife desperately hoping to find her daughter and husband; the crime boss and his wife – who appear to have a connection to the kidnapping; the prison inmates – trying to stay alive in the most brutal of all prisons; everyone has a story – and they all seem destined to come together to find out what happened 13 years ago. ‘Perdida’ is one of the best Spanish series on Netflix – and definitely binge-worthy. There’s a possibility that there might be a Season 2, and if there is – I’ll be watching it.
Surviving Escobar
Season 1 (2017) – 60 Episodes approx. 45 minutes each
3 out of 5 paws
The series starts with Pablo Escobar Columbian drug cartel in decline – he’s surrounded on all sides and there is a massive manhunt looking for him. John Jairo Velasquez, Escobar’s lieutenant and right-hand man, is the ultimate hitman – he later confessed to 257 personal killings and was responsible for 3000 others. JJ (also known as Popeye) decides to turn himself in to authorities to have a reduced 7 years sentence. Shortly after beginning his sentence Escobar is killed by the police and JJ no longer has any protection. Every other section in prison is out to kill him – the paramilitaries, the guerillas, and the Valle drug cartel. His sentence is later changed to 30 years – although he only serves just over 23 due to deals with the authorities. ‘Surviving Escobar’ is the fictionalized story (written by him) of JJ’s stay in jail, his battle to survive, and an interesting perspective of Columbia’s drug problems and political corruption from 1992 to 2014. The acting is a little over the top in the early episodes – extreme telenovela and some annoying characters, especially the tv journalist and the detective Duran– but it settles down and I found it enjoyable to watch. JJ died in February 2020 at the age of 57.
Sky Rojo
Season 1 (2021) – 8 Episodes approx. 25 minutes each
Season 2 (2021) – TBA July
5 out of 5 paws
Sky Rojo is a Spanish action crime drama about three hookers, who after having a very bad day off (their first in fifteen months), end up fleeing from their pimp and his bloodthirsty henchmen. The series shows the brutal reality of prostitution and the psychological makeup of the participants on both sides. The hookers are Coral, Wendy, and Gina – all of them have stories of how they got involved in prostitution. On the other side you have Ramon – the owner of the nightclub / brothel – and Moises and Christian, two brothers who are indebted to Ramon and will do whatever he wants to exact revenge on the escapees. At first the girls are on the run – they think they are responsible for two accidental killings and that, rightly, the henchmen will be after them for revenge. Then the tables turn – the hunted become the hunters. Sky Rojo is dark, gritty, and action-packed – lots of brutality and murder – but has lots of humour as well and is incredibly well-acted. The series is filmed in its entirety on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) and was created by Alex Pina – who was also responsible for ‘Money Heist’ and ‘Locked Up’. When "Sky Rojo" first aired it was the most non-English show watched worldwide. At 25 minutes an episode it was easy for me to binge watch Season 1 in a day. I can’t wait until Season 2 starts in July.
The Cook of Castamar
Season 1 (2021) – limited series – 12 Episodes approx. 50 minutes each
4 out of 5 paws
The Cook of Castamar - TBA
The Good Bandit
Season 1 (2019) – 63 Episodes approx. 45 minutes each
4 out of 5 paws
“The Good Bandit” is a new Columbian narco-comedy (that has to be a new genre) series that has just debuted on Netflix. Emilio Ortega is a major drug lord in Bogota Columbia who at the beginning of the series is busted by the police and sent off to prison … for five years. Wrongfully convicted for murder he nonetheless has a pretty comfy life in jail – his own suite, parties, conjugal visits with his lawyer (not his wife) … the usual. However, while taking part in a soccer game, he has an accident. Although clinically dead, he has a religious experience. He promises his patron saint – St. Jude Thaddeus (patron of hopeless causes) that in exchange for returning to life he will, from now on, live a virtuous and honest life. Of course his friends, family, and the police don’t believe him. They suspect that he is planning a big narcotics job. Surprisingly, Ortega really, really wants to become a changed person. He is now broke, the family has to sell everything … his marriage suffers … almost everything that can go wrong – does. But Ortega believes by becoming a changed man his life … and that of his family will get better by him being honest. The first couple of shows are rather corny … but I found myself actually liking the character of Ortega. The acting is a little over the top … but the series is enjoyable to watch. And there is a rumour that there might be a Season 2.
The Great Heist
Season 1 (2020) – 6 Episodes approx. 45 minutes each
4 out of 5 paws
‘The Great Heist’ is a gripping Netflix series based on true events about the 1994 robbery of Columbia’s national bank. The six episodes cover the planning and execution and aftermath of the ‘Robo Del Seglo’ (Crime of the Century ) in which a well-organized gang of thieves make away with 24 billion Columbian Pesos (roughly $40 million U.S. in today’s dollars) which is still the greatest cash robbery of all time. The gang is led by ‘Chayo’ – a crooked jeweller – and his old friend ‘Molina’, who was seriously injured in a previous botched robbery about 5 years back. They recruit their old gang, a crooked financier, some corrupt cops – and with the help of Mafia money, put together a plan - that although ultimately successful, has so many setbacks that it takes 22 hours to complete instead of the expected 6. The first episode is rather slow, but the action rapidly takes off from there and is exciting to watch. Quite a few liberties were taken with the screen play from the actual events – the ringleader was actually the partner and right-hand man of Pablo Escobar; the robbery went off smoother; most of the money was never recovered – but ‘The Great Heist’ is well worth watching.
The Inmate
Season 1 (2018) – 13 Episodes approx.. 48 minutes each
4 out of 5 paws
The ‘Inmate’ opens with a man surveying a murder scene in Mexico City – several bodies lie around an apartment – one of them the state governor’s son. He calls someone on the phone and says – “This isn’t right – this wasn’t how it was supposed to be”. The next fifteen minutes show the man – Dante Pardo -being chased by police – jumping between buildings, running down crowded streets – and eventually being caught and sent to ‘La Rotunda’, the worst maximum Mexican prison bordering the United States. Dante is led into the prison yard – filled with tattooed gang members, murderers, rapists; you basically have to fight for your life there in order to survive. Who is Dante – and how did he get into this situation? Through a series of flashbacks we learn that Dante is actually Lazaro Mendoza, a former special ops marine now working as a security guard for Texas judge John Morris. Morris’ daughter Linda has been kidnapped by a Mexican gang whose leader, Mariano Tavares, is the biggest prison boss in La Rotunda. Morris asks Lazaro to go to prison to find out what he can about the kidnapping. Okay, this is where it wears a little thin – ‘Sure boss, I’ve got nothing better to do than try to stay alive in a violent Mexican prison looking for your daughter’. I mean – ‘Come On, Really??’ It turns out that Morris was very supportive of Lazaro when Lazaro’s wife was dying of cancer – Lazaro believes he owes the judge a big one. Lazaro’s brother Porfirio and his wife have been looking after Lazaro’s son since the death of Lazaro’s wife. Porfirio will be Lazaro’s only contact outside La Rotunda – no one else is to know who Dante really is. Will Dante find out the whereabouts of Linda Morris? Will he survive the brutal surroundings of La Rotunda? Why was Linda Morris kidnapped in the first place? What is John Morris’ real connection with Tavares? ‘The Inmate’ offers a gritty horrifying overview of life in a Mexican prison - the gang wars, murders, drugs, corruption; they are all there. The acting is a little over the top (My favorite actor is David Chocarro (from 'La Reina Del Sur') who plays the corrupt prison warden Peniche) and there are big loopholes in the plot, but overall 'The Inmate' is an excellent series and there is a strong possibility of there being a Season 2.
The Mess You Leave Behind
Season 1 (2020) – 8 Episodes approx. 45 minutes each
4 out of 5 paws
“The Mess That You Leave Behind” is a mystery thriller, filmed in Galicia, that follows two timelines; a young woman, Raquel, who shortly after the death of her mother moves to Novaris in order to teach literature to high school students; and Viruca, who Raquel is replacing, apparently committed suicide three weeks before. Novaris, a small town where everyone knows everyone else, has many dark secrets – and through a series of flashbacks we follow the events that lead up to Viruca’s death. Meanwhile, Raquel receives death threats – on her first day teaching, no less – and rising hostility from her students that lead her to investigate whether Viruca’s death was in fact a suicide. There are lots of plot twists in this series that keep you guessing to the end, and though some of them are misleading, ‘TMYLB’ is a compelling binge worthy show to watch. The scenery of Galicia is beautifully filmed and the acting superb. The town of Novaris does not actually exist – the shooting locations are a composite of the towns and area of Ourense, Cambre, Oleiros, A Coruña, Celanova and Ribadavia
Unauthorized Living
Season 1 (2016) – 13 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
Season 2 (2016) – 13 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
Unauthorized living follows the life of Nemo Bandeira – he owns Open Sea, a large legitimate company that imports and exports fish, and is also a Drug Lord dealing with illegal activities such as includes murder, kidnapping, and racketeering. He runs the town of Oeste – a small town in Galicia in northeastern Spain. He owns the mayor, the local police, and most of the inhabitants of the town work in one of his factories. When the series opens, Nemo is celebrating his sixtieth birthday with his family – his wife Chon, his gay son Carlos, his daughter Nina – and other members of the town. There is also Mario – who Nemo unofficially adopted as a child, who is now the company lawyer; there is also Lara – Nemo’s illegitimate child from a woman he loved before he met Chon. He announces that he is planning on retiring soon and hasn’t decided who his successor will be. Nemo has been diagnosed with Alzheimer – which he goes to great lengths to hide from his family – and as the series progresses, so does the disease – making him forgetful and having lapses of memory. There are many flashbacks to Nemo’s youth that show his early loves and how he became the drug lord that he is today. The cinematography is excellent – the acting a little over the top – and the story line predictable – but I find highly enjoyable. Telenovela at it’s best.
Victim Number 8
Season 1 (2018) – 8 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
Season 2 – TBA
4 out of 5 paws
Another good Spanish thriller with a good story line and great acting. The series is mainly filmed in Bilbao, in the North Western Basque area of Spain. The first episode opens with a terrorist attack in Bilbao as a van drives into a crowd and kills 7 people and injures many more. The scene cuts back to a day earlier as a young couple, Omar and Edurne, discuss their relationship and their plans for the future. Omar hesitantly agrees to meet Edurne’s parents for the first time, uncomfortable that they may dislike due to having a Muslamic background . The next day Omar on his way home from work is approached by a suspicious vehicle. Hours later he still hasn’t shown up at Edurne’s parents house for dinner when news of the terrorist attack breaks out on tv. Was Omar involved in the attack? Is he a victim? The scene cuts over to the lead investigator assigned to the attack, Koro Olaegi - an eight-month pregnant woman – who runs into Gaizka, an acquaintance of hers, who has other serious family problems of his own. Gaizka was inside a bar when his brother Gorka, one of the victims, was run down by the van. Will Gorka live? No, and he becomes the 8th Victim around whom the storyline relates. Why is Koro heartbroken on hearing of his condition? Is Gaizka, who never liked his brother, involved with the attack? Towards the end of the first episode the van involved in the attack is shown speeding down a country road; Omar in the back with his hands restrained behind him; the two kidnappers in the front seats; when suddenly a wild boar runs across the road causing the van to crash. The van flips over, the back doors burst open, and Omar escapes into the woods pursued by one of the kidnappers. Omar eludes his captors and ends up in a small town and sees, in a television in a shop window, that he is now the most wanted terrorist in all of Spain. The series has lots of twists and turns; each episode ends on a cliff hanger or new revelation that makes you want to binge watch all 8 episodes. While the plot is not original, it is fresh enough and engaging to keep you enthralled. I read a review that said that after the first episode Victim Number 8 should be skipped – big mistake!! I recently finished watching all 8 episodes and each one kept me guessing as to what was going to happen. And the last one ended on a twist that opens up the possibility of a Season 2.
Who Killed Sara?
Season 1 (2021) – 8 Episodes approx. 45 minutes each
Season 2 (2021) – 8 Episodes approx. 45 minutes each
4 out of 5 paws
“Who Killed Sara?” is a Mexican Netflix series about revenge. The series opens up with a group of teenagers enjoying themselves on a lake in a power boat – laughing, drinking, loud music in the background. There are two sets of siblings – Rodolfo and Jose Maria; the sons of Cesar Lazcano, a powerful financier and cartel boss – and Alex and Sara; Alex is the Lazcano boys friend, Sara is Rodolfo’s girlfriend (and pregnant, but by who?). The teenagers want to try out a new parasail bought by Cesar; the Lazcano are forbidden to use it by their mother, but Sara volunteers to go up in it. As they zoom around the lake Sara notices that the shrouds are unravelling – she screams for the others to stop the boat, Rodolfo goes faster. The shrouds part, Sara plummets a couple of hundred feet into the lake and later dies in the hospital. The series fast forwards to a Mexican jail – Alex is being advised by his lawyer that he is being released early for good behavior from his thirty-year sentence; of which he has served eighteen years.
Alex is innocent – and out for revenge against the whole Lazcano family who he believes framed him for the death of Sara eighteen years before. But who killed Sara? Her boyfriend Rodolfo?; his father Cesar?; perhaps Rodolfo’s mother? “Who Killed Sara?” is an excellent mystery with lots of plot turns and new developments – it keeps you guessing to the end of Season 1, and you are still not sure. Sure, there are a few loopholes in the plot, but it’s another binge worthy show and thoroughly enjoyable. Season 2 aired the middle of May and promises to be just as exciting.
Wild District
Season 1 (2018) – 10 Episodes – Columbian
Spanish with English Subtitles
4 out of 5 paws
The series opens with Jhon Gomez, a former FARC guerilla, being moved through the reintegration process after the Columbian Peace Agreements. It’s been two months since he has turned himself in and no one seems to know anything about him. An intelligence officer, Caldera, while observing the second round of interrogation, is excited to secretly identify him as Jhon Jeiver (aka Yei Yei) , the member of an elite rebel unit trained from childhood to be experts in combat and terrorism. Through a series of flashbacks we learn that Yei Yei was taken from his family at the age of 13 and trained as a rebel soldier in the jungle. Another boy, Raul, was captured the same day as Jhon and eventually becomes the area’s vicious commander, Anibal. Jhon escapes the jungle 26 years later hoping to be reunited with his mother, Francisca, and his son, Mario – who he hasn’t seen since he left. There have been a series of assassinations of government officials, and Caldera convinces the investigating prosecutor, Daniela Leon, to have Jhon re-infiltrate his former group in order to find out who is behind the killings. Jhon is provided with a house for his family, and a job in a supermarket in order to pay the bills. If he doesn’t cooperate with Caldera and Leon he will be exposed to be the killer Yei Yei that was responsible for over 200 deaths while he was a rebel. Jhon has to prove his worth to Apache, another former commando, who with his team commits the assassinations being funded by a construction company wanting to overturn government deals. While Jhon is trying to infiltrate the group he is unknowingly being hunted down by Anibal, who want to extract revenge for his former friend deserting the group. Wild District is an interesting look at Columbian politics, crime, and the peace process that brought back former rebels into society. Yei Yei is a killer, one of the best commandos out there, yet he knows nothing about living in the city or what a normal social life should be like. His son has to give him dating tips (JJ never having been on a date), he’s unused to working a regular job, and watching him try to be friends with his son or start a relationship with a friendly nurse, Veronica, is somehow touching. There is lots of action (fairly violent) but also lots of humour in the series. It’s well filmed – gorgeous cinematography and scenes of Bogota and the jungle, and the acting is extremely well done.
Wild District
Season 2 (2019) – 10 Episodes – Columbian
Spanish with English Subtitles
Season 3 – TBD – Possibly November 2020
4 out of 5 paws
The second season opens with a scene that could be taken out of Mission Impossible – JJ is once again a hitman engaged on a rescue. JJ no longer works at the supermarket, having been taken on full-time by the intelligence agency; his son Mario has gone to the U.S. to be with his grandfather; his mother Veronica has gone back to the country side; and JJ and Veronica have just moved into a new house. Daniela Leon has decided to run for president of Columbia; Apache is on the run after losing his money and team in Season 1; and Caldera has uncovered an arms deal in Venezuela for the sale of 12 ground to air missiles. Caldera believes that the missiles will be used to disrupt the presidential elections – he wants Jhon to find and destroy them. Jhon embarks on a trip to Venezuela to find the missiles – this ends up going horribly wrong with Jhon being captured and tortured by the Venezuelan police. Daniela’s numbers are too low – if something isn’t done quickly she will be dropped off the presidential ballot after the first round. In comes Carmen, a political consultant, who starts turning Daniela’s campaign around quickly. However, journalists, political opponents, and even Daniela’s husband – Ramon – either start disappearing or end up dead. There is a mysterious assassin on the loose – where did he come from? After escaping Venezuela to get back to Bogota Jhon interrogates Anibal, now in prison, and determines that the assassin is Monsanto, another former elite commando hired to get Daniela elected; Carmen and her real bosses want to be able to control the government. Daniela gets rid of Carmen as she wants to run the campaign honestly and honorably. Good luck with that as Season 2 ends on a chilling note that sets up Season 3. Season 2 is faster, slicker while still showing a fascinating side of Columbian politics and maneuvering that most Americans and Canadians are unaware of. The cinematography has been enhanced with new scenery – lots of shots of Venezuela, the border with Columbia, and more of Bogota. JJ is a much stronger character and Daniela is very believable trying to be Columbia’s first transparent president. Definitely looking forward to Season 3 – possibly as soon as this November.
You Cannot Hide (No Te Puedes Esconder)
Season 1 (2020) – 10 Episodes – Spanish with English Subtitles
Season 2 - TBA
3 out of 5 paws
A missing, suspected kidnapped, person, the wife of a Mayoral candidate for Madrid, is found brutally murdered in an abandoned home. Did the candidate, who doesn’t appear to care, commit the murder? A nurse, Monica, who fled her husband's drug-trafficking past in Mexico with her daughter, Natalia, 3 years ago become linked with the murder through Natalia’s involvement with the campaign (and the candidate). A hitman, Daniel – a former police officer, who is hired to assassinate Monica - has a change of heart when she save his life during a terrorist attack in the center of Madrid. Natalia, trying to contact her mother after the attack, is kidnapped by Russian mobsters and thrown into the back of a van. Are they white slavers? Is this retaliation by the Mexican cartels for the murder of Monica’s husband? Daniel tries to help Monica find her missing daughter – but wait, is Monica’s boyfriend Alex – a famous photographer who likes to photograph scenes of the dead – involved in the kidnapping – or the candidate’s wife’s murder? Is Alex’s daughter, Eli (an adopted Chechen orphan) -who also works for the campaign and has a fling with the candidate – involved? Does any of this make sense? Does anybody care? Well, yes – I liked this a lot – it’s cheesy, telenovela at it’s best and keeps you guessing until the end.