Merlí

Nothing, and I mean nothing, has ever messed me up like this brilliant show did, and the best thing about that is that among all the sad moments, there were a lot of really powerful happy moments that brought forth just as much if not more tears. I can't even begin to describe how important this show is, and I'm not sure if it's even possible to put it properly in words. Throughout the show, we see the evolution of each character, Merlí included, partly thanks to Merlí's amazing advice and their own initiative. The suffering and success faced by these characters is all explainable in some way or form, so When his teachings of philosophy go beyond the classroom and the characters apply these ideas to their own lives and relationships, the beauty of having a teacher who actually cares about connecting with their students in a non-superficial way really hit me. Each character that came and went left their mark, but their loss never felt out of place or useless. This show had me feeling nostalgic for characters and memories I've only been aware of for a few days, had me loving each and every one of the characters because an actual effort was made by the writers and actors to make them understandable, and had me sobbing at how absurdly perfect some moments were. This was beautifully written, beautifully filmed, beautifully acted, and powerful in its subtlety. Watch. This. Show. Watch it, fall in love with it, gain an interest in philosophy, pay attention, and allow yourself to really *think*. 10/10!

For such a gem to exists, one expects this quality from the powers of Hollywood or European origins. But for this to come out of a region in the corner of Europe and from dialectical language, not per se a primary color like English, French or Italian is truly fantastic. Its a beautiful language. I found myself glued to the screen. As a well read and also written author in an architectural genre, I am unfortunately not bi lingual, like many Americans. Catalonian culture brings for me the richness of Antonio Gaudi and art nouveau, but a great connection to the arts. The episodes in this series are named after famous philosophers from history but the plots and character development are well thought out. There-in lives a synonymity of philosophizing, the explanations of each icon like Plato and Aristotle, flowing together. Their theories of life meld with complex character development in a low budget production that doesn't feel that way at all or isn't made obvious. Each character seems to be as developed as the TOS Star Trek characters of Roddenberry. The symbolism of the Owl that appears in each episode speaks words of wisdom at the right time in the flow of the themes imagery and music. But the messages about acceptance and the balance of a carefree liberal approach to life compared to the staunch conservative values and boundaries illuminates the important things in life, our own universal loneliness and how each individual is important to the other. It shows us our strengths and weaknesses and how to recognize each. This is very well done. As an architect, photographer painter and author, I think this series promotes art as holistic and a necessary presence to balance the technical qualities of our everyday life. Form follows function and this show dares to mix the sacred with the profane with much tact and subtle nuance. Bravo Peter Lagomarsino, Satellite Beach FL USA

No reviews to date? Seriously? One supposes that is mainly because it speaks a language (Catalán) with which relatively few Europeans or Americans are familiar. Yet it appears regularly on YouTube with Spanish and even on occasion badly translated English subtitles. No excuses, however. A splendidly scripted, acted, and filmed TV series like this deserves better attention.

The narrative centers on a teacher and his philosophy class in a contemporary Barcelona high school. Each episode follows the teacher's life both at home and in the context of how he interacts with a specific set of acquaintances drawn from that milieu. No punches are pulled where the tone and depth of such relationships are concerned; fine and coarse language intermingle freely, as do sexual tensions involving all the characters.

But the most surprising aspect to me is how thoroughly expert and technically adept an obviously low budget film from a region lying at the northern extremity of its EU country succeeds in every way at generating a first-class production. I like everything about it: the musical track, the use of lighting, the camera work, and the direction. It is equally startling to discover in a minor TV series actors of all ages and kinds delivering top performances. Any language barrier fades away, almost as if it were a silent film with subtitles barely visible.

Now in its second season, this one should be a "must see" for the avid film fan.

I happened to come across this while searching my ROKU for shows. I forget how or why this came across but, I don't know if I can add anything of value, that has not, already been stated. Being, that some, of my ancestors came from Spain and Portugal,I at first, wasn't sure where this was filmed at. At the 10th episode, I figured it out at the end of the shows credits. That prompted me, be inquisitive, to find out more about the Catalan language. I speak English, being in the US, and I do know some German. What confuses me is, there were words that dang near sounded like German. In fact, the use of a German umlaut in the Catalan language confuses me. Is this punctuation correct? I even see not only does a character in the show, have the last name of Grau (grey in German), two the actors also have German last names. Those two being Grösser and Franz. Can anyone explain this being that this part of Spain is in the Eastern section. I do see, when searching the Frence influences as well. My ancestors would have spoken Portuguese and/or proper Spanish. That aside, I think one, pays more attention to foreign TV/shows when it's not a language you understand. Yes, some the English translations/subs are not the best but, the characters do a terrific job with emotions and characters that one can understand. I wish MORE people, would see this show. I wish more people in general would take away these life seasons and take them to heart. You can't watch this show and not get emotional. Europe has always been a head of the US in social "graces". This is a prime example. I don't have to know what the actor/s are always saying, when you can FEEL the emotions. When you've been in similar circumstances as these characters portray, it pulls the heart strings! THIS...IS A MUST SEE show! Thank you to all who make this show what it is!

At first when i accidentally saw a thumbnail in a video sharing website about two young-good-looking boys looking at each other (probably in love) i thought it's going to be a soap opera cliché contained young gay story who are closeted, with its typical conflicts. I was wrong. Merlí is a 'rich' soap opera, whenever i watch the episodes it feels like i'm taking a class, studying Philosophy, and it is actually teach us about it indeed. Almost everything about this series is super, the directing, the acting, the soundtracks, plot, you name it. I really hope they will be released officially with English subtitle, but you may not be worried if you understand Spanish or Catalan because you can watch them in TV3's website. In summary, Merlí is a classy soap opera which highly recommended to watch. Salutació!