Pasión de Gavilanes

Only talking about the original 2003 telenovela. The sequel can (and should) be skipped and it's totally fine. The story is introduced and told clearly with 4 distinctive arcs that make the plot easy to follow. The characters are well defined and the latter half of the story is amazingly well told and displayed. The villains are so hateable that you end up rooting for the protagonists even when they're not that likeable, but that's also good - no need for the clichéd superhero telenovela male protagonist (even though Juan Reyes sort of is that, but he does have a personality and his character has motivations). The setting is a bit generic (which is why many people wrongly believe this telenovela to be Mexican), and it may have needed a bit more fun - but overall it's great and a true testament to its own success. Season 2 deserves a separate not too friendly review.