I Know Who You Are

I'm at a crossroads with this. I tuned in to hear some Spanish and got quite hooked on the story, as there was some real intrigue and the potential for a good yarn. However, I'm just over halfway through the series and it seems to have deteriorated into a 'whodunnit' with so many characters and possible motives being thrown at the audience, through its time shifts to before and after the crime, as to become quite tiresome. It's a shame, as there is much good about the show, not least some of the acting, which is excellent; but as others have pointed out, it badly needs an edit to condense it down to a more manageable duration. It takes real skill to draw out a story for as long as this without losing the audience's attention and in this viewer's case I'm not sure I care enough any longer to find out who did it. I've picked up a few handy Spanish colloquialisms on the ride so far, though, which I'll put to use on my next Iberian foray.

Loved the beginning, it would have made a great 8 episode serie. But for whatever reason, they decided to turn it into a 16 very long episodes. Especially the last 6 ones are sloppy, confusing. Come on, spit it out, stop beating around the bush!

And what about a change of clothes from time to time, dears? All the characters wear the same ones all over the show!

Last but not least, two characters made it much less enjoyable than it could have been:

Eva Duran, with her always sad angry face, sad angry eyes and sad angry hairdo, yelling all the time, just unbearable. And this ridiculous little bag she's carrying all the time, during trials, investigations, as well as this awful brown-ish coat,. She's supposed to be sooo hot. Well, she's sooo not. She's dull, insignificant, annoying.

And Marta Hess. Lo and behold, here comes the smartest one in the room (in every room, for that matter), walking like she owns the world, always a smirk on her face that makes you want to slap her. And yes, she's got a leather jacket, if you didn't notice it. Who casted that drag of an "actress"?

The problem with these kind of details (some would say), is that once you saw them, you can unsee them, and they spoil the fun big time.

The premise of "I Know Who You Are" is fascinating. A man is found wandering a few kilometers from the site of a car accident. He apparently suffers from amnesia, unable to say who he is or to recognize any of his family or friends. The wrinkle is that a passenger, his sister-in-law's stepdaughter, was apparently in the car as well, according to blood stains found on the seat, yet is nowhere to be found. What happened? Is this man really suffering from amnesia? And where is the missing young woman?

The series would have been perfect for 10-12 70-minute episodes but unfortunately drags on for 16. Just as the intrigue hits its peak, the storyline gets bogged down in too many plot twists and turns that take far too long to unravel. Although the final episode neatly wraps up the mystery, you have to plow through a number of episodes where the plot winds and wanders before you get to the conclusion.

Another aspect of the series that makes it tough to swallow is that there isn't a single likable character in the bunch. While the actors who play the leads are quite good at their craft, the characters they play are far from sympathetic.

Overall, I liked "I Know Who You Are" despite its flaws. The first eight or so episodes as well as the final episode are brilliantly done, and the cast is first-rate. While the series gets a bit too clever with all its plot twists, at least the ending is satisfying enough to merit a mildly positive (6 out of 10 stars) rating.

Really enjoyed the episoades, seen them all in one week, couldn t stop watching. Great job, actors, performing. Spain, keep up the good work!

From the beginning a story-line that draws you in and holds you spellbound. Later on, it does get complicated - if you're the kind that likes involved mystery plots then you'll love it.

It is a dark piece and it is true that one can't actually warm to many of the characters – even the victims usually have their dark side.

I like the skillful changes of pace throughout, you're never more than a short time away from the next gripping high point but there are plentiful pauses to help you assimilate what is going on.

I thought most characters were acted very well indeed. The main character Juan Elias played by Francesc Garrido I've seen described as "wooden" but I thought that this was actually a deliberate reflection of his inscrutable screen persona. As he is faced with more challenges later in the series I think you can really see the subtlety in how Francesc portrays him.

Like many I was very disappointed to be left hanging at the end of episode 10. I speak Spanish and soon discovered that in Spain there were another six episodes available. The story-line up to the last episode in the UK did not make it a natural moment to break the series.

In answer to previous questions I can confirm that if you purchase the box set of DVDs from Spain, with the title and packaging in Spanish – containing 6 DVDs you will get all episodes 1-16.

The UK version contains fewer CDs and 10 episodes. To be clear – the Spanish release does not, I repeat, does not have English subtitles. I found the dialogue and the plot a bit too fast to follow comfortably in Spanish as I am not a native speaker, but there are Spanish subtitles intended for the hard of hearing. I used these and it made all the difference. No difficulty in following the dialogue. I doubt that beginner or intermediate Spanish would suffice.

The 6 disc version is available on some Spanish websites with delivery to the UK. Or try ebay - search for 6DVD set Se Quien Eres.