The Plague

Spain had become an empire by the 1500's, the most powerful country in Europe at the time. A time of plague, the Inquisition, superstition, and hyper-religiosity. The plague struck terror in people because it killed so quickly and so many, with no known cause. People had an inkling of what infection might be, but without science, they turned to omens and to the supernatural. Solid acting, sets, costumes, locations, & CGI.

Sort of a middle ages who dun-nit. Super dark and gloomy, just how I imagine the 16th century to be. Good solid cast, acting and story line. The Spanish inquisition was very unpleasant if this is to be believed, and I am sure it is!

This Spanish series is set in sixteenth century Seville when an outbreak of the bubonic plague has caused the city to be closed; much to the consternation of merchants involved in trade with the Spanish colonies in the New World. If concerns about illness weren't enough there have been a series of murders; Mateo Núñez, a former soldier who has returned to Seville to find the son of a friend despite being condemned by the inquisition for printing heretical works, is told he will be spared if he investigates the crimes.

If you like your historical dramas sanitised with healthy looking characters then this isn't for you. Even without the omnipresent threat of the plague most of the story is set in dark, filthy back alleys where violence could lurk around any corner. I confess that I found the story a little confusing at times but as it reached its conclusion it really came together and we get a solid conclusion. There are some fairly disturbing scene; including the sight of people being burnt at the stake. The cast does an impressive job, making us believe in their characters. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of historical dramas that don't sugar-coat the past.

These comments are based on watching the series in Spanish with English subtitles.

Character development, cinematography, location, plot development, and realism ... can't see how it could be improved. You can almost smell the surroundings. Awesome and gruesome with a taste of the past so overlooked with nostalgic fondness. Not for the faint hearted.

Why is this serie not on the main streaming platforms ? It is an absolut masterpiece and should be avalaible everywhere. Dark historical drama, a spanish historical kind of The wire style investigation in Seville during black plague times. A must watch!