Merlí

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.

Having lived in Catalonia for some time many years ago I was automatically drawn to Merlí.

To say that I was pleased, or that it is well-done, would be gross understatements! Truly... "Merlí" is indeed a dazzling gem! Anything lacking due to financial constraints is made-up for fifty times over in so many ways – particularly in the compelling performances of the actors, one can't help but feel what they are portraying!

The show deals with quite a broad spectrum of unique and sensitive topics- a number of which are often considered taboo in certain areas- but I really enjoy the thoughtful and creative way in which they are handled and beautifully woven into the story and philosophical discourse themes in such a natural, believable & organic way.

I especially enjoy the many on-location shoots and cinematic views featuring Barcelona and the local area which are very beautiful and picturesque.

Aside from the normal frustration about the poor decisions of the characters now and then; the reservation I do have about "Merlí" is the prolific use of profanity throughout the dialogue. While it doesn't bother me, I can imagine that especially for a native Spanish speakers it could detract from one's enjoyment- because such words always have so much more emotional gravity for native speakers.

Language barrier is certainly somewhat of an issue for me- my Spanish is limited (and much more focused on American dialects/pronunciations) and I only have some peripheral familiarity of Catalan vocabulary lingering from my time there. My proficiency in Italian has proved rather helpful before I managed to locate English subtitles. The acting is so fantastic that the most important emotions & concepts are clearly understood. I finally collected English subtitles for all of the episodes now- although they seem to vary significantly in tone, accuracy, quality and style, etc. But they beat nothing all of the place! And I'm anxious to re-watch what I've seen and finish watching the currently available episodes with the translated dialogue.

Virtually all of the original dialogue spoken during filming is Catalan; which is not just a regional, colloquial dialect of Spanish. It is a bonafide, unique language with an instantly recognizably different phonology, and very distinct vocabulary & literature going as far back as Castilian Spanish. In fact Catalan was the official (commercial/governmental) and common spoken language for most of what is now Spain for many centuries; and linguistically it has more in common with Franco-Italo romance languages than it does with Spanish or Portuguese. Currently its use is mostly limited to Catalonia & Valencia where it holds equal legal status as Spanish and nearly everyone is bilingual. This explains how such a seamless Spanish language audio track was also recorded by all the original actors. I watched the first season in Spanish, but have only been able to find the original Catalan version of second season.

This show is a very enjoyable, the characters are very easy to connect with and get attached to. If you have free time and you need something good to watch, I recommend this show for you.

Sadly it's not in English, it's in (Catalan?). So if you speak English(or anything else) you'll need to find subbing for the show.

Overall, this show does a good job and developing it's characters and plot. It is a bit rushed and all over the place, but it is one of the best shows I have watched in awhile, possible one of the best shows I have ever watched. If you decide to watch this I hope you can enjoy it as much as I have.

One of my favorite television shows. Recently, I've been getting into shows from foreign countries. I happened to come upon this on Netflix after watching "Elite" and binged the first season in a weekend.

Merli is philosophy teacher who moves in with his mother and comes to teach at his son's school. There he builds unforgettable connections with the students as well as their parents and staff, beginning to help mend the broken lives and relationships that surround him. He isn't without his faults though; he's brash, brutally honest and a bit of a playboy. And he learns that sometimes just meaning well isn't enough.

This show is full of heartbreaking moments and moments that'll fill you with joy. Unfortunately Netflix only offers the first season and the last two seasons are hard to find on the internet but don't let this dissuade you. This is definitely something to watch if you're in the mood for a feel good show that teaches lessons of life and philosophy. Don't let the subtitles dissuade you either; if you're not a fan of foreign shows, you might miss out on this gem, which would be a travesty in many ways. Merli is worth the watch because it's the sort of show that will resonate it your heart long after you've finished it. Don't miss out on it!

I'd bet that if a commensurate TV series like Merli (Merlin) was in a more familiar European language or an American TV series, it would be a huge hit. It is in Catalan, a language spoken by about 10,000,000 people, most in Barcelona and its surrounding area. The concept is ingenious, but there are lots of ingenious concepts. What makes this a great show is that the realization of the concept is wonderful. Don't take my word for it. The series has already been optioned in the U.S., France, and other countries. A non-conforming high school philosophy teacher (philosophy in high school?) brings classroom learning to life, but also becomes a central agent of change in the lives of his students, their parents, and the other teachers. Life changing is not always positive. Merli is not a do-gooder. He is clever, deceptive, even desperate at times, but he knows who he is, and knows how the world works. The entire cast is terrific. The scripts are so smoothly written that the actors seems to just ease into the action. There is rarely a wrong note in the series. It's nothing like American TV shows about high school students that portray them as brats or goof balls or stereotypes. It's available with English subtitles. If you know a Romance language, you will probably catch some of the dialogue. Catalan seems a mix of Spanish, French and Italian. I am waiting for season two to be available. I binge watched the first season in four days.