Duas Covas

I've been resident in Spain for several years now and have visited both Nerja and Frigiliana so this new three-part Netflix thriller set in and around both these adjacent pretty towns was of particular interest to me. Taking its title from Confucius's cryptic saying, the plot of this Spanish-language production revolves around the disappearance of two young girls on what at first seems to be a typical night out at the local carnival. But when one of them is soon discovered dead, her body found in a bag at sea, evidence of her rape and murder changes the nature of the investigation, while still begging the question as to where the other teenager is.

Two years pass and on the second anniversary of the murder and disappearance an updated television investigation sparks new interest and hopefully new leads in the case. Step forward the main protagonist of the programme, the missing girl's devoted grandmother, a piano teacher who doted on the girl. She it is who turns into a Spanish Miss Marple, especially when she discovers that a key witness is actually one of her own students, although the lesson she teaches him is of a more deadly nature and very un-Marple like.

Even more determined now to get to the bottom of things, she hooks up with the revengeful father of the girl who was killed, who turns out to be a ruthless crime boss. With many a twist and turn ahead of them, one in particular meting out summary justice to an especially inane daytime TV host (yay!), both separately and together, the pair gradually unravel the mystery of what happened that fateful night and finally learn what happened to granny's granddaughter Veronica, before arriving at a cliff-hangjng, indeed cliff-busting conclusion.

As stated earlier, I enjoyed the depiction of the local settings as well as the fact that the story was condensed into three rather than the usual six, eight or ten to which these stories often run.

The story however I found to be somewhat contrived and clichéd, borrowing too much from too many previous major and TV movies, not to mention TV series dealing with similar subjects. Whilst I appreciated the occasional touches of black humour, for me there were too many identifiable moving parts and coincidental plot points for the programme to really cohere.

Tapping into the recent trend of popular dramas ("Mobland", "The Thursday Murder Club") featuring older actors in major roles this rather conventionally shot and acted production nevertheless made for pleasant if hardly compelling viewing.

Well, some are good actors, but the story changes without any sense, way too unrealistic, and at times a bit ridiculous. It feels like the writers kept adding random twists just to stretch the plot, without any real depth or coherence. Instead of being entertaining, it ends up confusing and almost laughable.

Very bad.

For me was a waste of time.

It's really bad show.

Absolutely ridiculous plot, the acting is bad, even with some very good spanish actors. Very disappointed. It's messed up in three episodes of nothing.

There are so many very good spanish series, even on Netflix, this show definitely is not one of them. Just skip it.

This sets a new standard in terms of the maximum number of episodes a series can have! With a mere 3 episodes, this limited series offers a very interesting thrilling storyline with impressive execution. It's a story of a grandmother to know the truth n take revenge when her closest teen granddaughter goes missing all of a sudden. It conveys when you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. Shortest, dramatic, non exhausting series! Originally a Spanish series dubbed in Hindi n English as well. Available in Netflix, my ratings 8/10!

It's rare that I find a series this underwhelming. "Weak" is the perfect word for the storyline-it meanders without purpose, relying on tired tropes instead of building something compelling. The plot isn't just predictable; it's on rails, moving from one obvious point to the next with no deviation or intrigue.

There are no memorable moments, no shocking reveals, and no tension. The writers played it far too safe, resulting in a show that is utterly forgettable and, frankly, boring. If you're looking for something with exciting twists and a strong narrative, look elsewhere. This is not it.