Launching this Friday, the Spanish series ‘Unseen’ stands out as one of the exceptional international crime narratives in recent times — tightly-woven, visually stunning, and robust yet stylish. The intrigue unfolds in a quiet Spanish town that is home to a U.S. Air Force base, and the timing is Holy Week, contributing to an escalating sense of gravity and looming turmoil.
‘Unseen,’ bilingual in Spanish and English, and inclusive of subtitles, revolves around two detectives and their dual investigations — one domestic, the other international. The Spanish detective Lucía, portrayed by Maribel Verdú, juggles her role in a complex familial structure, which includes a recalcitrant teenage daughter and a declining mother-in-law, while her phone is incessantly buzzing. Her cases encompass a disturbingly ceremonial suicide and the revelation of an upcoming drug trafficking operation.
Complicating her situation is the addition of Magaly, enacted by Mariela Garriga, a senior Investigator from the U.S. military. She arrives on the scene with an assignment to locate an unaccounted airman linked to a possible intelligence leak. As with many modern crime thrillers, significant progress in the narrative, including the climax, occurs against the backdrop of unique local celebrations. For ‘Unseen’, it is the Nazarene processions, where certain participants don tall, sharp hoods, while others bear an enormous wooden float, festooned with candles and religious figures.
‘Unseen’ teems with Catholic symbolism, and the characters undergo intense spiritual experiences, some induced by sobriety, others facilitated by drugs. A moment of wry humor occurs when a character, with an air of resignation, declares ‘Let’s go do some penance,’ while preparing to meet his in-laws.
Visually, the show is a feast for the eyes, characterized by its vivid, sunny setting, and impressive attention to minutiae; the brands of cars people drive, their unique strides, the manner in which they adjust their hair after doffing a headgear, collectively creating a rich tableau. Despite its serious subject matter, ‘Unseen’ carries an undercurrent of vitality and comic relief.
Many series portray high-functioning female characters with an idiosyncratic fondness for junk food. However, ‘Unseen’ takes this notion further, exploring the harsh reality of eating disorders. The show excels in the detailed rendering of minor characters, crafting them with distinct traits and empathy, inciting an urge to extend the mystery for the simple joy of spending more time with this ensemble.
Spanning eight episodes, this series offers an enthralling and satisfying viewing experience, strikingly devoid of the oppressive melancholy that abundant crime dramas often mistake for depth.