A small, remote island, a series of murders, a detective, and a number of bourgeois suspects (yes, and the maid): sound familiar? If so, then you already know what to look for in this new niche, 4-A short series from Spain: A (very) good old murder mystery. But does all the evidence point to good monitoring?

Jose Coronado (Innocent, snow girl) brings his polished, decades-old chops to the title character of Benjamin Basil, an aging Spanish actor, who once claimed fame as Sherlock Holmes in a series of Conan Doyle film adaptations. Out of Hollywood and barely sober, he follows producer friend Fonseca (Gonzalo de Castro), to discuss a possible new role on his boat… and ends up on the island of Santa Agueda, off the coast of Majorca, in a remote establishment run by a polite, serious person. Mrs Auslander (Maribel Verdoux). There, he must indulge the abrasive personality of Fonseca and his new star girlfriend Vicky (Cristina Covanni), and meets aspiring crime novelist Francisco Fuxa (Martinho Rivas). But after a stormy night, a body is discovered hanging by a rope. What is believed to be a suicide, through some notes from Benjamin, soon turns out to be a murder, with no one safe at the hotel. Let the games begin…

To somewhat enjoy the 4-episode mini-series The final problemone must buy into the idea of ​​the veteran actor who has played the role of Sherlock Holmes dozens of times in a complete way. This means, as preparation, mastering the powerful and almost superhuman observational senses of the legendary detective, and applying them to gain some powerful conclusions and knowledge about anyone he meets. This is the main development of the project: “It’s not Holmes, he’s played him many times in the movies!” But it seems that the authors of this adaptation of the best-selling book (Alberto Macias, Carlos Molinero and Marisol Farey) Not Intending to Play on the Meta Side : Basil is Holmesian in his behavior and findings, and the hotel soon relies on his undeniable skills to shed light on the events on the island as the police are late in arriving (of course). Nothing Really Goes Down with Vanity: Basil does not use his status to stroke his actor’s ego, or be ridiculed or rejected by the other characters. instead of, The final problem The mystery section plays frustratingly straight. On the platform that brought us the sequels to Knives outThis is definitely an option.

Image credit: Netflix

Part of the fun of these mysteries, in movies or series, is piecing together a tapestry of characters who play the suspect and sometimes (but not always) screw it up. Sadly, even with all his screen time, Watson to Basil’s Sherlock barely registers: while Foxá does eventually raise fears or suspicions toward our amateur sleuths, the character isn’t dual or sympathetic enough to carry his weight. Victim Elisa Mander’s best friend, the wealthy widow Adela Figueroa, is somewhat better: Maria Valverde She plays the ice queen with abandon and a sense of raw intelligence. For now, the show occasionally shows glimpses of the genre’s wit and self-awareness, but it’s bogged down badly by the glacial pace. Even when everyone becomes a suspect, like all good mysteries revolving around one location, the sense of suspense or paranoia never reaches momentum.

Image credit: Netflix

Even when it becomes clear that the criminal mastermind may or may not be taking a page from Conan Doyle lore, the series and its characters remain poker-faced for the longest time; The task becomes even more difficult when you have to play with the results and conclusions yourself at home, only to discover that it is really no different from an old-fashioned game an idea. Perhaps the biggest disappointment The final problem It is that he barely allows us to see behind the curtain of his characters until the end (a conclusion that may itself be questionable). Regardless of the handling of Basil’s sobriety, there is no spark to this mystery, just some coldness.

If you like The final problemHe watches

Glass Onions: A Knives Mystery

Accommodation

Judgment

He doesn’t hold up as a whodunit, and barely gets any attention as a part of the Sherlock Holmes novel/variation. It’s basic: the solution to The final problem is that it should just be skipped.