1. I am alive (Estoy vivo) - a serial maniac is operating in Madrid. He was dubbed "Midnight Butcher". Andres Vargas, an experienced homicide detective, is in charge of the case.
One late evening he was summoned to work; the Butcher brutally killed another girl. However, this time the killer failed to escape unnoticed. His car was spotted, and the police had a chance to capture the sadist. During the pursuit of the criminal Andres died. His soul was caught at the "crossing" (a bridge between two plans of being, where he was met by a guide; he must deliver the soul of the deceased to the place of "being". During the "farewell" it turned out that there was a Maaalyusen mistake, and Andres should not have died today). He is urgently sent to his superiors.
Madam Chairman proposes to bring Andres back to earth and start his life from scratch. As you have understood, such a generous proposal always has a huge but not two. First, while he wandered through the "crossing", in the earthly world, five years passed, and Andres' body has long been devoted to the ground, so he can only return to the body of another person (or as he is called - a jacket. From now on, his name will be Manuel Marquez. And secondly, he cannot tell anyone that he is Andres Vargos. By breaking this rule, he will immediately die an agonizing death.
In his new appearance, Manuel Andrés returns to the work of a policeman and is appointed as his partner...his eldest daughter Susannah.
Immediately warn, despite the serious intentions of a maniac to cut out half the female population of Madrid, the series I'm alive - it's a girlish melodramatic detective on the verge of a soap opera. I'm serious. It's such "flamboyant nonsense" (in a good way), it's something.
From the point of view of "the features of Spanish cinema", all as the Spaniards love: large, friendly families, a true friendship, jealousy, emotions are off the charts, hot señoritas do not give a descent to their seniors, without the love triangles do not do without the eternal, irrepressible desire of characters to talk to each other.
I'm alive - a relaxed series for rest because you're sure in advance that everything in the series will end well. And here to look/not to look - here I leave a choice for you.
2. 13 Commandments (13 Geboden) - The body of a 17-year-old Muslim woman with her throat cut is found in an abandoned house. The autopsy showed that the girl was pregnant. The police decided it was a religious murder and detained the victim's uncle who arrived in town the same day she was killed. The detectives are sure that he was the one who slit his niece's throat. However, the police do not have any evidence or proof and, having frozen him for a couple of hours at the station, the suspect was released. The same evening, the uncle was found at the construction site. Someone set him on fire and then...put him out. And on the wall, they painted one of the Ten Commandments. The case was entrusted to an experienced detective Peter Deverint and his new partner Vicky Degrave.
The title of the series 13 commandments I think many people have quite a fair question - where did they come from three more? If you were ready to throw tomatoes at the creators of the series for blasphemy, take your time. I assure you, the Ten Commandments in the series, everything is as it should be. It's just that at some point the commandments ended, and the murders continued, so the investigator assumed that the killer continues his bloody mission, based on some personal dogmas and canons. And then, who would have allowed the Belgians to sweep away their own skin in the current realities of tolerance? To hurt the feelings of believers? They will be crucified without trial or investigation.
Of course, many people have an association with the film Seven (1995) when they say "commandment" and "detective". But the Belgians are incredible tricks, can "familiar" ideas to present in a completely different light. To tell the story in such a way that you involuntarily forget about some "associations". Good guys.
To my great amazement, the tandem of Peter and Vicky was organic and very soulful. Wise old man and young, clever partner, it's not a couple of strange "freaks" (as it's customary), but Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in Belgian manner.
Ehhhhhh, there were some disadvantages. That's why the show was dragged on like this? Even by all canons of "leisurely European cinema", all, well, very slowly. I understand I wanted to do beautifully:
"13 commandments - 13 episodes. It's a pity, nobody explained to them that sometimes "the excellent is the enemy of the good".
A couple of episodes away, and it would be a completely different movie. And so the Belgians had to fertilize the plot with a fair amount of drama, loaded with problems fathers - children, wives - husbands, bosses - subordinates. I can not say that this is bad, but somehow too much unnecessary information). Although, in some places, it was unrealistically pitiful for Inspector Peter. A man got caught between the "hammer and anvil". The wife and her uncle's daughter were eating teaspoons all over their brains...tin!
But that's not even the main drawback. The creators raised the veil early and lit up the bad boy. From that moment the plot began to lose pretty much all the bonuses, which earned up to. And on the other hand, the main promise of the writers becomes clear. Alas, I can not discuss this topic in more detail - without a spoiler will not work. So you will have to look at it.
For what I love European series, for their ambiguity. What are the disadvantages for me, for another viewer huge fat pluses. European detectives they are.
Therefore, we look at the 13 commandments and find our pros and cons.