Treufoc

This Catalan-language cop thriller from Spain just isn't ready for international prime time. I don't know the language, and even I can tell how amateurish the acting is. What begins as a run-of-the-mill serial killer mystery little by little morphs into full telenovela, with treacly romance and nonsensical plot twists. I can't believe there was more than one season of this not-so-hot mess.

I was reminded to write a review of this by an article in the Guardian newspaper about "xuetes" in Mallorca, known elsewhere in Spain as "conversos", Jews who had been forced to convert to Catholicism on pain of death or expulsion. Season Two delves into their history and the plotline mirrors their exclusion from society and dispossession up to the present day.

Throughout the seasons, a theme is present of a shadowy mafia-type group that secretly controls the Balearics and the efforts by some, working both within and outside of the law, to stop it.

I watched seasons one and two with professional subtitles but unfortunately season three only had machine-generated captions. Fortunately I speak some Spanish so could follow what was going on even when the subject pronouns were wrongly translated from Catalan. What was more difficult to deal with was that there were no subs when Spanish was being spoken. However I managed.

The series kept up its tension throughout and the plot, while fantastical, gripped the attention. The actors all did a good job with a decent script.

I'd recommend this.

If you enjoy police procedurals this one's got it all! A real thrill ride with many twists and turns.

Great acting, good writing, and captivating storylines. Well worth watching!