Glória

In 1968 the Cold War is at its height with East and West vying for victory. As part of the propaganda war the Americans operate RARET, a broadcasting facility at Glória do Ribatejo in a remote corner of Portugal. At the time Portugal isn't democratic but has a fascist government. This government is staunchly anti-communist; largely due to their support those fighting for independence in Portugal's African colonies.

Centre of the story is João Vidal, a Portuguese engineer at RARET. He is the son of a government minister but we soon learn he was recruited by the Soviets while serving in Angola. When a translator is found dead shortly after an important tape that had been prepared for broadcast disappears James Wilson, the facility's American boss becomes concerned that the Communists have infiltrated the base. João's life is further complicated when he gets involved with a woman whose fiancé is serving in Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau).

I really enjoyed this Netflix series. It beautifully captures the '60s aesthetic and the feeling of Cold War paranoia. The story isn't rushed but doesn't feel too slow. Many characters are fairly ambiguous. Protagonists, including João, are shown to do things that most people would judge unacceptable. Events are shown in a fairly matter of fact way leaving viewers to decide the rights and wrongs of the various politics. There isn't a huge amount of action but what there is is well staged and exciting. The cast does a solid job bringing their characters to life; this includes both Portuguese and American actors. The finale leaves many questions unanswered so hopefully theer will be further seasons Overall a solid Cold War drama that is well worth watching if you are interested in the era and are looking for something a little different.

Honestly this show was way better than I expected... Totally believable !!!! Netflix and does it again... The acting was superb by the Portuguese crew as well as the Americans.

The story is absolutely compelling the Cold War scenario was fabulous on point, it reminded me a bit of The Americans which is also stunning show.

I highly recommend this show and I'm really looking forward to watching season two.

I admit that before seeing "Glória" I didn't have great expectations. The relationship with Portuguese cinema has not been easy and it is difficult to point out a title that made me change that relationship. But I've already made a post about these causes and it's not worth repeating now. Hence, when I learned that the first Portuguese series launched by Netflix in co-production with SPI and RTP was going to be produced, I didn't even give it much importance. However, the series debuted and what a satisfaction to have to "handle the paddle" because "Glória" of 2021 is nothing behind so many others that I've seen on Netflix. Including North Americans. Which doesn't imply that it's one of the best either, but it's precisely in the middle. The production and interpretation is at the level of the best that is done nowadays. The recreation of the time is very well done. And despite the recurrent trauma of the Colonial War being present again, the narrative and argument are very well structured. Seriously, I was surprised and finally, of the Portuguese series that I had the opportunity to see, this one created by Pedro Lopes is probably the most successful. A little in the same line of quality as the 2019 movie "A Herdade" he was also directed by Tiago Guedes, as well as this surprising "Glória".

Glória is the first show I ever "binged watched". The characters are so beautifully constructed and explored, each one revealing a necessary layer and direction to the story.

The entire plot is a succession of events that make you want to go back just to have that "ahhh" moment again. In the end it leaves you feeling that you could, no, should watch it again.

An amazing first to Portugal, can't wait for more.

Gloria is a slow burning espionage tv show which takes place in Portugal during the 1960's. By then it was still ruled by a fascist dictatorship and was mainly a county with a very outdated culture, a society where amongst the poorer people women had no liberty and even on higher society stratuses we could witness something similar . The story shows much of that culture and time, but it's also a very good espionage story , with crime, suspense, intrigue and some action.

Acting is appropriate, I wouldn't say it's superb , but it doesn't fall below par ... and the story is very engaging, I found myself very curious on knowing what would happen next . Yes, it's a bit on the slower pace but that's perfectly fine for me, a person who loved the slow paced True Detective show.

Gloria deserves some praise because it comes from a country of a very old movie culture which unfortunately was dominated by tedious and ethereal films during some decades . I hope this is the first of many Portuguese tv shows in Netflix because it doesn't fall short in any department when compared with similar shows from other countries .