Sunday 17 March 2019

El Ministerio del Tiempo/The Ministry of Time — Series 2: Episode 13 — Cambio de tiempo/Change of time* — A Review.

16th March, 2019.


OK, OK … 

For any of you who’ve watched the intro video† in this post … ?

Yes: I held the tablet the wrong way around!

If I’d realised … ?

Well, I’d’ve probably done things differently.

Whatever way around the actual footage of my street is … ?

I’m glad I filmed it: as it’s given me a chance to toy with iMovie’s Picture in Picture filters.

OK … that video doesn’t look stunning …

But it was a first try …

~≈§≈~

At any rate … ?

Recording some footage of my street, in the bad weather … ?

Was something to do: in between sorting out laundry, cleaning, job hunting, madly texting people …

The usual stuff one does on a quiet Saturday.

That stuff … ?

Frankly includes a TV show.

As you know, I’ve been watching El Ministerio del Tiempo/The Ministry of Time for quite some time, now: finding it funny, dramatic, tense, emotional … anything a good series should be.

I’ve watched the last episode of Series 2, tonight.

Yes: Phwoh is entirely appropriate … !

~≈§≈~

Episode 13 — Cambio de tiempo/Change of time — opens on a a beach in England: just as as the Spanish Armada is coming to is coming to it’s fiery end …

Whilst the bad news is taken to Philip 2nd (Carlos Hipólito)?

He feels there’s one one thing he CAN do.

Find the (then) head of Spain’s ultra secret Ministry of Time …

And torture the poor soul until he tells his king exactly how to prevent Spain’s biggest defeat …

Meanwhile … ?



Meanwhile, Salvador (Jaime Blanch) has sent off Amelia, Alonso and Julián (Aura Garrido, Nacho Fresneda and Rodolfo Sancho.) on a critical mission: to make sure that Agustín de Argüelles (Victor Duplá) survives the Peninsular War, and writes the Spanish Constitution.

Only to return to the Ministry … to find Ernesto in charge, Irene married to a man, Salvador nowhere to be seen …

And Philip 2nd still in charged of a very different, very Orwellian, Spain …

~≈§≈~

Now, I was saying Phwoh was appropriate?

Dear Gods, was it ever!

For these first two series, El Ministerio del Tiempo has been a riveting watch.

Well thought out, acted and sympathetic characters, beautifully written scripts, well produced and directed episodes …

It’s possibly one of the best things I’ve seen on TV.

Tonight’s episode, Cambio de tiempo — the last in series two — is absolutely stunning.

The series regulars are great: I’m going to have give Juan Gea (Don Ernesto) and Cayetana Guillén Cuervo (Irene) a huge round of applause: as the pair did very well in playing both the regular, and alternative versions of their characters.

Nacho Fresneda and Rodolfo Sancho both did incredibly well: stuck in the drifts of time, facing the ghosts of their previous selves …

Aura Garrido, as Amelia?

Absolutely out did herself: carrying quite a bit of the episode … especially as she was placed opposite the equally amazing Carlos Hipólito as Phillip 2nd†.

As presented in this episode?

The King is one of the most sympathetic villain I’ve seen: his death was both redemptive, and a riveting moment I’d ever seen.

Cambio de tiempo?

Is that rare thing …

A powerful bit of TV.

If you haven’t watched El Ministerio del Tiempo?

This episode is a good reason to.






*        I don’t speak Spanish, I’m afraid.   But I’m wondering if Times Change be a better translation?   If anyone DOES speak Spanish, I’d love to hear …

†        Ahem!


‡        I knew the name, of course.   I’m aware of Britain’s history: and know Philip 2nd was married to Mary 1st of England.   Bloody Mary was one of the last two Tudor monarchs on the throne of England.   The last … was her younger half-sister, Elizabeth 1st.

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