El internado

Something evil is happening in the hidden passageways under the remote, exclusive Black Lagoon Boarding School. (You'd think the name would tip people off, wouldn't you?) A group of intrepid Spanish high schoolers risk their lives to investigate three decades' worth of mayhem.

The tone veers from suspense to sentimentality, from dramedy to melodrama. The plot twists are certainly complicated, to the point where they're a bit much after a while -- how much evildoing can possibly go on in one school? But as teen adventure serials go, it's pretty addictive.

A friend from Spain showed me a few episodes because he knows I like some of the actors in the cast: the wonderful Amparo Baró, formerly of "Siete vidas"; the versatile Luis Merlo, formerly of "Aquí no hay quien viva"; and singer/dancer/actress Natalia Millán, formerly of "Un paso adelante," who also starred on stage in the 2005-2006 Spanish revival of "Cabaret." The actors who play the kids, none of whom I'd heard of before, are also fantastic.

Nothing is as it seems at the school called "Laguna Negra". Mysteries, secret organizations, murders, love, passion, conflicts, need for justice, lies but most importantly the power of friendship and solidarity are the things that you will encounter if you watch "El Internado". With every new season we start to see a much bigger picture and conspiracy that reveals the true selves of each of the characters.

I have watched all of the episodes of El Internado and I must say it is a show worth watching. It is quite thrilling and dramatic, even funny at the right moments. The characters and story lines are very well developed and the plot twists are sometimes so unexpected that the viewer is never left with "oh, this episode was a waste of time".

The main story involves the lives of the sixteen-year-old Carolina, Ivan, Vicky, Julia, Roque and Marcos who accidentally start uncovering information about horrible crimes that have happened in the school years ago. Soon they find that their investigations endanger their lives but despite of their fear, they are too involved in the events to just return to their normal lives.

The school staff also has an important role in the story, one that reveals itself in time. The waves of secrets do not miss the children in the show as well – Marcos's curious five-year-old sister Paula and her best friend Evelyn who are always in the middle of a mischief. It is always a joy to watch those two girls find themselves into trouble!

My favorite actors from the series are Yon González who plays the arrogant and rebellious Ivan Noiret and Blanca Suárez (currently playing in the series "El Barco"), portraying the provocative and beautiful Julia Medina. The whole cast is incredible, though, and I hope to see more of them on screen.

Excellent, I just wish I could find it with English subtitles. My Spanish is limited and I'm sure I missed some of the subtleties.

That said it is still excellently written, acted and directed. With a plot that twists and turns.

Although based in a boarding school, the plot is suitable for adults.

A good drama, thriller, mystery and romance. Whoever you think is a goodie at the beginning is probably a baddie and vice versa. One of the episodes is entitled "everyone has secrets" something so true and the writers are not frightened to kill off characters. The final episode had me in tears.

Yes.... it's on Netflix and with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!! Well worth watching from the first episode. Great for binge watching. The plot merits such viewing, and being so addictive, you will find it hard to stop or take a break. The acting is superb from everybody. One has to sustain disbelief, not think too much about things: should one not be seeing more students? Should not the faculty be larger? Shouldn't there be more servants? Ultimately, these questions do not matter as suspense and intrigue is built with what one gets without need for extras. This is a very engaging series and very enjoyable to watch several episodes together.

Netflix has decided for some unknown reason to take El Internado off the air. To be fair they did give me adequate warning, but on Friday I still went to watch it as usual of an afternoon and found that it had disappeared. Sigh. I feel bereft.

Anyhow, in memory of this slyly addictive show, I will do a review in its honor. Now at the outset I must say that no one was more surprised than me that I was so hooked, but the fact remains that it was strangely well-written for such a ludicrous premise. That premise being that there is a boarding school (the eponymous El Internado de la Laguna Negra) somewhere in rural Spain which attracts the kids of that country's elite, but there are mysterious events afoot with an abundance of underground passages, missing children from the school's history as a former orphanage, and adults with plenty to hide.

There is skulduggery, for lack of a better word, in every episode with breathtakingly foolish actions and impossible coincidences galore. However, to offset all this is the genuine chemistry among the cast and the almost constant thread of humor that lends the proceedings some lifesaving levity. At the center are the group of teenagers, the principal and teachers, the administrator Jacinta, and two staff members, Maria the cleaner and Fermin the cook.(We are to believe there is but one cleaner in a school of 400 students, but that is just one lapse to overlook because you are too addicted.)

Full review at:http://devikamenon.blogspot.com/2016/07/watched-el- internado.html#more