Saturday 16 February 2019

El Ministerio del Tiempo/The Ministry of Time — Series 2: Episode 3 — Tiempo de hidalgos/Time of hidalgos — A Review

16th February, 2019.


OK, ok … There’s actually three things I wanted to mention, right now.

The first?

While I’ve not upgraded to the Prime version, I do have the Spotify app on my iMac.

But there isn’t a version on my AppleTV.

Which I can cope with, frankly.

It means I can play you the soundtrack album for the film, Small Town Murder Songs.

Which is actually better than the film, I think.




It’s just a shame iTunes doesn’t have a facility to embed playlists: I’d’ve preferred a version from them … 

~≈§≈~

The next thing to mention … ?

Yes: the meagre savings I’ve used … ?

Have been spent on a few things.

DVDs and Blurays: which I wasn’t happy with.

And a whole pile of books: which, for the most part, I’m fine with.

The last of them … ?

The last of them, Dr Who and the Loch Ness Monster, in the original 1976, first edition, came today.

Funny old thing … it’s the book that got me reading.

When I was about eight — my nephew, Jude’s, age — my school ran what it called a book club.

A mail order book catalogue for school age kids, to try and get them reading.

My original copy went, long ago.

So frankly?   I’m glad to have another.

~≈§≈~

And finally … ?

The LAST thing I’m intent on mentioning … ?

Quite simply that I think I’m turning into what’s called a ministérico.

In other words?


Series 2, if you must know.

Episode three, as you’re asking … 

~≈§≈~

Episode 3 — Tiempo de hidalgos/Time of hidalgos — opens with the apparently Duke of York, and his chamberlain, meeting Miguel Cervantes (Pere Ponce) … and offering an extremely large bag of gold for his only copy of the as yet unpublished Don Quixote.*

It doesn’t take long for the news to reach the 21st Century’s branch of the Ministry … 

And for the Ministry’s leader — Salvador Martí (Jaime Blanch) — to call in his best team.

Amelia (Aura Garrido) and Alonso (Nacho Fresneda) are joined by newcomer, Pacino (Hugo Silva) … and ordered to make sure Don Quixote gets to the printers … 

With Amelia and Alonso having to deal with Cervantes, himself, Pacino … ?

Gets to hit the street … 

Only to find — by way of a friendly pickpocket, and a facial composite from Velazquez (Julián Villagrán) — that that the American Darrow Corporation … are up to their old tricks.

That’s … when things START … 

~≈§≈~

Now … good … ?

Oh, my word, yes!

El Ministerio del Tiempo is proving itself to be a series with both wit, and humour, and drama.

This episode, along, sees a heavily conflicted team come together by the end of the piece: coming together to rescue a heftily suicidal Cervantes from hanging him, and making sure he know how valued he is†.

Shows us the scheming going on behind the scenes.   Susanna Torres (Mar Saura), Salvador’s boss, is playing a game of her own: and had managed to spring Lola Mendieta (Natalia Millán) from the Ministry’s extremely secure gaol.

Extremely secure.   It’s an 11th century fort, in the outback … with genuine dungeons, and happy smiling guards happy to turn rapist …

Good?

Doesn’t start.

I know a few people who’ve said they heard it’s great.

It is: absolutely, El Ministerio del Tiempo is great: funny, tense, full of intrigue … 

And a much watch series.

However you find El Ministerio del Tiempo, you really need to find it … and watch it.

El Ministerio del Tiempo will repay the time …





*        If I’ve understood things correctly?   Don Quixote is generally considered to be the best book ever written: in whatever language you care to name.   What can I tell you?   Apart from pointing out the first book I bought myself, was Dr Who and the Loch Ness Monster.   However good Don Quixote is?   It doesn’t have the Loch Ness Monster.   17th Century literature needs more Nessie …

†        There’s a similar scene in Vincent and the Doctor.

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