Opiniones de usuarios

The title "Sea of Plastic" refers to the vast white tarps that make up the myriad of greenhouses in the fictional city of Campoamargo, which translates to "bitter land". The area used to be little more than desert until these structures made it one of the most profitable farming communities in Europe. But that type of development is never without cost. All this plastic produce requires labor which means an influx of immigrants and rising racial animosity from the locals. All these male workers leads to the development of shady secondary industries like strip-clubs and prostitution. Then there are the few savvy businessmen that take advantage of every aspect of this new economy, becoming the new oligarchs, and certify it by acquiring their own blonde Russian trophy wives. It's this stew of resentment that is set to boil when a ghastly murder occurs. Ainhoa, the mayor's daughter, wasn't just beheaded but completely exsanguinated so that her blood could be released from the sprinkler system in one of the ubiquitous vegetable tents. Such a gruesome opening scene makes the viewer think that this is the beginning of a grisly series of serial killings, or that this will be a thoroughly morbid crime-noir. Yet the show doesn't deliver on the dark tone that it opens with and instead unfolds as a colorful, brightly lit, casual who-done-it. At times resembling a high-rent telenovela. But to be fair this series is less about the murder and about the community that it took place in.

Heading the investigation is Héctor Tarancón a veteran detective who is just barely containing his PTSD after recently returning from combat in: Afghanistan? Yes dear reader, I did look it up. Spain actually contributed as many as fourteen hundred troops to the ISAF, and even suffered 102 casualties. However most of those were do to aircraft incidents, including the 62 who died in a plane crash on their way home. Unsurprisingly that is not what haunts Héctor. His nightmares are occupied by a confusing combat incident in which his best friend Pablo died, but of course not before he could implore his buddy to take care of his widow and child. Now he has returned home to wrestle with that military cliché while solving a high-profile murder. Considering the fact that the victim's father is the Chief of Police you'd think that this investigation would merit untold amounts of manpower and pressure, but Héctor is allowed to conduct his case in a routine manner with only a few detectives. One of them is Lola Requena, shunned in her own community because becoming a member of the Civilian Guard is unforgivable to her clan of gypsies. Yet another sub-set of this uneasy mixture of people that grows more agitated whenever the evidence points one way.

Usually in a series like this there is no shortage of suspects because so many people had reason to want the victim dead. Yet it seems that Ainhoa was liked by everyone and any suggestion that one segment may have been involved in her death leads to a rash physical conflict among groups. Between these tribal confrontations and a murderer knocking out anyone who gets close to the truth, there is no point in the series in which one character isn't nursing a wound. But it is in these fractures of the community where the story really emerges as the different groups learn to appreciate each others common humanity. Ironically enough the character that achieves the most growth is the one with a swastika tattooed on his chest. Initially he was enraged that his ex-girlfriend Ainhoa was dating a black migrant from Guinea. But the circumstances of the drama constantly force these two to deal with each other, and what he thought was her betrayal can actually be an endorsement of his character. Watching these flawed but earnest young adults evolve into their societal roles with a compassion lacking in the previous generation is a rewarding series of its own. So much so that you sometimes forget that the show is about catching a murderer. It's in combining the two stories that the series falls short. The moving human drama doesn't quite fit in between the criminal procedure and suspect of the moment formula. In combining the two it dampens both stories and drags on too long. Every episode lasts a confounding 70 minutes which leaves you anticipating the end even more than the plot twist. That being said there is more good than bad in the show and it did hold my attention enough to watch the entire season, I just don't think I'll be watching the second one.

(On the off chance that anyone from Netflix reads this, the English language subtitles could use a second pass. There are multiple incorrect translations and misapplied pronouns.)

Season 1... The series (on Netflix) takes place in a totally unique setting: a sea of plastic--an area on the coast of Spain where various entrepeneurs have created acres of greenhouses for growing crops. Some big owners have plenty of cash invested, and running the day-to-day requires a foreman and day labourers. There's quite a competition amongst the Spanish nationals, the colored folk, and the local Gypsies for the daily work.

When the story begins, a young lady is standing in an eery part of the 'sea' late at night waiting for a date (this can't miss), when she is grabbed & brutally murdered. The next 12 episodes are driven by the need to solve this homicide, under the direction of super-cop Hector, oh he of muscular build, dimpled chin, and roughly-trimmed short beard. Hector is a former commando type who served in Afghanistan, where he lost his best friend, Pablo. Pablo's wife, Marta still lives in town, and Hector was always nuts about her. So begins an on-again off-again relationship that you will find annoying. My wife & I didn't find Marta all that attractive- she is the aging mom of a bratty 12-year old boy.

The story-telling and camera work are excellent. There's plenty of conflict between good guys and bad guys (and the Russian trophy wives--of the bad guys). Keep your hand on the FF button for the occasional 'makeout scene'. The ending is well-disguised. 9/10

Seaon 2.... Starts off more slowly than previous. A character presumed dead re-appears. A major player is killed off. There's more (needless) profanity in the English sub-titles over the next 12 episodes, and I think plot elements are repeated more so in this season. Nonetheless, if you can hang in there, we do get a solutuon to the murder that prompted the 13-parter originally. Several tawdry characters get it in the throat this season-- you won't cry over any of them. Hector survives to go on one of his brooding walks by the sea, alone again. Too bad--the best-looking single cop in mini-series history to NOT win a girlfriend. 7/10

Got hooked up. There's a lot of bad acting, but I liked the plot and the twists and really wanted to know who's the killer. Not bad TV and I'm becoming a fan of Spanish TV shows.

A totally likable police series from a country that has developed a tradition in the genre. Nice story, nice characters (a little too histrionic for my taste maybe), nice if slightly too long unravelling of the plot. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable-but not a great-series.

.. The episodes are WAY to long. A scene where a car drives away lasts forever, it could have been shortened down atleast 10-20 minutes per episode so us viewers don't have to fast forward those turtle scenes where nothing happens. When someone walks out the door, we get to see them walk. And we get to see the reaction to the one behind the door for the longest time.. Ugh. Can't believe how badly edited this is

With some nice twists. Outstanding performance from Federico Aguado!

From IMDB: - "A TV series recorded in the south of Spain which tells us about the murder of a girl called Ainhoa. Inspector Hector must find out who did it."

Two Series, 23 x two hour episodes. Set in a fictional town called 'CompoAmargo,' (roughly 'Bitter Town') where an uneasy group exists, mainly by working for a wealthy land and business owner, who grows crops under 'acres' of plastic tarpaulin.

Our hero 'Sergeant Hector' is in charge of his section of the towns Civil Guard and spends all his time investigating the murder of a local girl, and from there the plot deepens. Facts uncover a hidden secret going back two decades. It's a clever 'whodunnit' worthy of either Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie. The ending may either shock or surprise. Series Two introduces 'The Serb' and his human trafficking biz which Hector investigates also.

IF you are tired of watching 'Los Narchos' or TV series about drugs, then this well made detective Story is very much worth your time. In Spanish, with English subs. I give it 9/10.

So many crimes go unpunished make it very irritating. The Acting of the three lead Characters (Hector, Lola and Salva) is great, especially Hector. Season 2 was painful to watch, too slow. If it wasn't for the good acting, especially Hector I would have stopped watching.

Love this series pack with intense intrigue and suspense on a complex new reality of the Mediterranean Coast of Spain of the new Millenium.

From a plot outline, one might think this would be a terrific series. Unfortunately, it doesn't deliver on the potential: the performances are mostly one or two note affairs, and too many situations fly in the face not only of common police procedure, but even common sense. Example: a pre-teen boy walks into a police station with a loaded gun intent on killing a detective, who talks him down from it-but then allows the kid to simply to simply walk out of the station. On what planet would this kid not be on the ground and in handcuffs the second after the gun was out of his hands? Even the most compassionate response would be to detain the kid gently for a psychological evaluation. And this is just the one example that comes to mind.

I'm only half way through, but I'm ambivalent about continuing. The cinematography is excellent, I'm so in love with it. The story is good and has captured my attention. But, I'm watching on Netflix with subtitles (I don't know much Spanish). Half of them are missing! I'm only getting half of a conversation and I'm having to figure out the rest. Very frustrating! That's my only complaint so far.

Watching this series in Spanish with English subtitles which prepared me for my holiday during which we sailed past the mar de plastico! I really wish it didn't have to end as there were still some stories that could have continued eg Pilar, Lucas etc

The 2nd season is, maybe, too 'crowded' and, at times, 'over-the-top', but I have to say that Patrick Criado who plays Fernando is, by far, the unexpected 'surprise' of the series - in the 2nd season, his acting is 'giving you the creeps'.

Good God! How much time can be wasted in each episode? I kept wanting them to get on with the investigation, but there were several subplots that added nothing.

This team of detectives is one of the worst I have seen in that kind of crime series. There are so many twists and subplots that you get tired and want to finish it quickly. Most characters are violent and stupid, and eventually you don't care about the solution. Especially irritating is the permanent drama between Hector and his friend's wife. Also the way they all recover in five minutes from terrible injuries, or severe concussions is ludicrous. The only not too bad actor/actress is Nya de la Rubia who plays Lola. The other ones are close to awful. If you don't speak Spanish you will have to guess the dialogues, with white subtitles on white background. So, watchable, but not the top of Netflix.

It started off with promise, but sadly, gradually descended into a clichéd soap opera. 14 hours to come to a conclusion. I don't know if I can bring myself to watch the second series, knowing that it will probably follow a similar dragged out pattern.

Since I'm citing a Beatles song in the heading of this review I figured I might as well use a movie title, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" to help frame it. As to what is good, there are definitely some exciting scenes to help get you through a series in which there is a lot of rough sledding. I hope you don't mind the sight of blood, however, as the episodes are fairly drenched in it and it figures as an important element in general. Some of the acting is excellent, but some is unbearable, which we'll get to in the "bad" section. The cinematography is also admirable and may make you eager to visit southern Spain, the beautiful spot where all the nasty events of the series take place. And speaking of Spain, the show is an excellent way to practice the language of that beautiful country, although the rapidity with which some characters speak may make you question whether those Spanish classes you took did any good at all. The plot twists are also a plus. Personally, I have trouble following Perry Mason but even the most astute of viewers will probably be surprised how the story develops. Now perhaps I really shouldn't say there is any bad acting as all the actors are skilled and put their hearts into their characters. But what some viewers may find annoying, as I did, is the over the top melodrama, which not only detracts from the story but becomes repetitive, boring and depressing. The length of the first season could be cut by a good couple of hours with some further editing, especially of the histrionics. Also in the bad category are some aspects of the plot. But you said the plot was good, you may justifiably complain. Yes, I did. It is one of the highlights of the series; it holds our attention as we go from point A to Point B and finally come in for a landing at Z. The problem is that there are so many absurdities, coincidences and just plain ridiculous incidents that challenge our belief on the journey. I wrote down a nice list of them but in order not to tax your patience will mention just a couple, leaving out the characters' names so as not to risk spoiling anything: a man crosses the street with the intent to kill, carrying a gun in his hand the whole time, resulting in his being stopped. Couldn't he have put it in his pocket until he reached his potential victim? People search for a body with no clue as to where to start digging until a stray dog happens to pass by and start sniffing around. A daughter tells her mother her birthday is coming up and the mother expresses surprise. OK, that's enough. They don't make much sense out of context, anyway. You really have to be there. Finally, the ugly. There are many beastly people and by the end of the season you may be eager not to see their mugs anymore. I certainly felt that way and couldn't wait for the season to finish but found myself unable to quit because I just had to find out how it all ends. Which it finally did, and, dear viewer, I don't think you're going to like how it does.

I am not used to leave bad reviews but this show I found on Netflix was so disappointing that it really left me a sense of spiteful. It is just bad acting added over a bad direction. What an immense waste of time. The main character is a bad caricature of a bad ass cop, without any irony behind his rude and incomprehensible attitude. If I could, I would unwatch it.

To be honest, one of the worst series I ever watched. It's like it was created by that character from Mario Vargas Llosa's novel "Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter". But that novel is not at all dramatic. Everything is out of place in this series. 3 stars though because the actors are very handsome :)

Horrible acting, horrible police technical advisors

Series 1 starts very promisingly. Intriguing characters and crime. Brave observation of racism, a divided town and local corruption. However problems soon arise. First and foremost, the producers allow what could be a very good, gritty crime drama into an unabashed soap opera. One one hand your have the investigation, then endless ridiculous subplots too farcical and melodramatic to be believed. The saddest part of it is that some of the better actors are drawn into soap acting. What a shame because the crime plot is not at all bad. Finally, there is simply too much that beggars belief in terms of coincidences.

Car chases, sex scenes, long shots, all are being fast forwarded as I cant sit through endless minutes of useless filming - the episodes are long enough to get through.

The Sea of Plastic, I had never heard of, and maybe the rest of Europe should be made aware of it.

As for the acting and storylines, well, I'm almost at the end of Season 1 and can only stomach a couple of episodes at a time, but I'm chewing my hand off ! I need to continue or its been a complete waste of endless watching hours. The acting is terrible - mainly comprising of 'looks' at one another. Lola is guilty of this a lot and has no other expression. As detectives clearly her and Salvo have only one brain cell between them, continually asking Hector 'what do we do now?" - how on earth do these people become detectives ?????

The character of Marta is irritating, her only dialogue is "I love you" and "I want the truth, be honest with me, why didn't you tell me" then flouncing out of every scene she is in. Lucas is a drip and never explains anything - just looks stupid.

As for the others - all are a pretty unpleasant bunch, and apart from Fara none could be called attractive by any stretch of the imagination.