Muertos S.L.

The story begins with the sudden death of Gonzalo Torregrosa (Juan Miguel Bataller), the owner of a funeral home who did not establish who would succeed him in management, so the commercial director Dámaso (Carlos Areces) is considered the natural successor to run it. Until the widow Nieves (Ascen López) decides to take charge of the funeral home herself, and against all odds the septuagenarian woman decides to run the family business, which leads her to practice nepotism with her son-in-law Chemi (Diego Martín). Thus the clueless older lady is helped by her useless and enthusiastic son-in-law Chemi, who although he has never worked in her life, is supposedly an expert in Marketing, and all this against the daughters' desire to set up a gym. Meanwhile, Manuela (Adriana Torrebejano) is determined to make public the harassing practices of the deceased boss, trying to enlist the complicity of the receptionist Olivia (Aitziber Garmendia) and the tanatopractor Abel (Gerald B. Fillmore). Also working at the funeral home are the lazy Nino (Salva Reina), the semi-retired cremator Anselmo (Manolo Cal) and the intern Morales (Roque Ruiz). Many twisted and bizarre incidents happen, so the crematorium breaks and Chemi orders another one and to save costs they request that it be sent by Ali Expres, when it arrives they deposit it on the street; while Dámaso conspires and manipulates his colleagues against the new management . And the company will face competition from the 'Transitus funeral home' and its business expansion plan, and whose manager is a former worker (Amaia Salamanca) who is a competitor of Dámaso.

A decent ¨Sitcom¨ created by siblings Laura and Alberto Caballero that takes place in the day-to-day life of the 'Torregrosa funeral home', a family business on the brink of disaster that always manages to stay afloat. After the founder's death, his widow defies her expectations by taking over the funeral home against the plans of her right-hand man, facing competition, internal conflicts, and a 'me-too' case that threatens the company's legacy. Director Laura Caballero refers to the use of a different style for this series, incorporating resources such as 'zoom', treating it as an essential element of the narrative with which many of the reactions of the characters that are important to highlight the set pieces, while emphasizing customs and paying attention to those moments that we consider funniest and sometimes adopting the style of 'The Office' and other work comedies in a similar style. The series is agreeable thanks to its short duration of 30 minutes, which that's why it does not become heavy, something that the creators already experienced with success in 'Machos Alfa' and it seems that it will continue to be the usual format in the new projects of the Caballero brothers. The series takes advantage of black humor to introduce absurd elements around funeral services, such as when an abandoned lover decides to bury his girlfriend who has left him, a worker sleeping in a coffin, a deceased person who is too obese to fit in any coffin or a man's last wish is to be buried dressed as a clown. It is in these crazy situations that the creators find their best comedic moments, and feel most comfortable with these stunning events. Deploying the usual subplots of personal relationships that we have seen in other series by these showrunners. Nor does it avoid falling into some well-worn jokes, such as the one referring to the inclusive language, which was part of one of the main characters, and the heavy plot of the role played by Adriana Torrebajano, who is relentlessly determined to accuse the deceased owner, all of which is a bit repetitive. However, the character of Diego Martín is quite funny as the presumptuous and wise-cracking Chemi who believes that he does everything well and is really a fragrant bungler, so his mother makes him responsible for the non-existent marketing department, but who is actually a Horse of Troy introduced by her daughters, convinced that Chemi's lack of commercial capabilities will improve so that he can single-handedly sink the company and thus be able to sell it to the competition. The series has the advantage that the actors are comfortable because their best resources have been chosen, with a decent cast, being well led by Carlos Areces who usually plays this type of comedies very well.

The series is slight and simple with sympathetic humor, and is professionally created and directed by the Caballero brothers, along with Nando Abad, Julián Sastre, Araceli Álvarez de Sotomayor, Daniel Deorador and the eight episodes were acceptably directed by Laura Caballero. Previously they created the successful ¨La que se avecina¨, ¨Aqui no hay donde viva¨ and ¨Machos Alfa¨. Rating: 6/10. An acceptable and passable series that will entertain the usually long-suffering viewers.

Muertos, S. L. is not a comedy for everyone, but for those who enjoy dark humor, irony, and sharp dialogue, this series is an unexpected gem. The Caballero brothers once again prove their mastery in costumbrista comedy, but this time they take it to the extreme with a funeral home as the central setting. The concept itself is provocative enough, but what really makes it work is the fast-paced writing and the chemistry among the actors.

Carlos Areces is brilliant. His ability to deliver uncomfortable humor and say outrageous things with a completely straight face gives his character a unique charm. But he's not alone- the entire cast maintains an excellent level, making even the most absurd situations feel believable and ensuring that the gags land, even in the most surreal moments.

The series moves at a quick pace and achieves something that few comedies manage: balancing absurdity with sharp satire. Some episodes are weaker than others, but overall, Muertos, S. L. is one of those bold projects that eventually find their audience. It doesn't try to please everyone, and that makes it even more enjoyable.