El Ministerio del Tiempo/The Ministry of Time — Episode 7: Tiempo de venganza/Time of revenge

8th December, 2018.

Yep: I think we can call me Mr Odd … 

Although, if you haven’t already … ?

I’m not going to worry too much.

I’ve already got a lot to worry about, to be going on with … !

For starters, my Aunty Bella — the last member of my family on my father’s side — is in hospital, at the moment.

I’m hoping she’ll come out alive.

But am concerned: she’s in her eighties, after all.

~≈§≈~

He says … !

Other stuff to worry about … ?

Is tame by comparison.

Frankly?

The job situation is worrying: although it has to be said I’ve a potential interview on Tuesday: assuming I can get funding for the ticket from the Job Centre.

The third worry?

Is even more trivial by comparison.

I can hear my inner voice asking me about it, now.

“Paul?   How many times can you sit through Japan’s Tin Drum album?”



Well, I’m blowed if I know.

The worrying bit is admitting I think at myself.

Well, no-one’s going to do it for you … !

At any rate, and in amongst all the waffle?

In amongst all the waffle, twaddle and nattering … ?

I’ve seen another episode of El Ministerio del Tiempo/The Ministry of Time — of Series 1, so you know.

Yes: Amelia (Aura Garrido) does shout “¡Alonso!”

Wouldn’t you know it … ?

~≈§≈~

Episode 7 — Tiempo de venganza/Time of Revenge — opens in the year, 1960: showing us Irene (Cayetana Guillén Cuervo) … just as she’s about to jump from a building.

Being a heavily closet gay woman in Franco’s Spain, married to a man, and in a job where she’s seriously uncomfortable in?

Circumstances have her on the roof.

Only to be talked down by senior Ministerio operative, Armando Leiva (José Antonio Lobato).

He’s got a job offer: that’s guaranteed to get her out of her marriage.

Flashing forward to 2015?

Senior members of the Ministry are saddened to hear of Leiva’s death.

Although, in the years since 1960?   He’s tried gaining control of the Ministry: after Salvador Martí (Jaime Blanch), the undersecretary in charge of Spain’s most secret ministry, refused to let Arnando get medical treatment for his dying son.

That comes back to haunt Salvador.

As it turns out … Leiva has faked his own death.

And has cookery in mind.

He wants to serve up the coldest dish of them all: in making sure Queen Isabella 2nd closes the Ministry in 1844.

Salvador want’s his best team in on this job.

Amelia and Alonso (Nacho Fresneda) are ready to go.

Julián, on the other hands?

Seems to have gone missing in action.

There’s going to be trouble … 

~≈§≈~

Many moons ago, I was introduced to The Prisoner by some friends.

Watching it over the course of a few weeks?

We got to joking that McGoohan, as Number 6, seemed to yell “GET OUT!” at some poor soul at least once an episode.

Which — sort of — brings me to today, watching my seventh episode of El Ministerio Del Tiempo.

And noticing that Amelia (Aura Garrido) is doing something similar: yelling “¡Alonso!” in quite a few episodes!

We possibly have a thing going on!

Actually … ?

We sort of do … which is possibly unfortunate … 

I’ve noticed Amelia stands a lot of her time either yelling for or at Alonso … or getting chatted up!

Not that I’m surprised.

But it does seem a shame that — in this episode — she’s not getting the development she could.

Saying that?

When she does get a beefier situation, she shines: see Episode 4

Amelia seems to be better developed than Yas, in series eleven of Dr Who.


That’s not to say the episode is bad: it’s not, not by a long shot.
   It’s screamingly good.

What’s more?   Tiempo de venganza† seems to be geared not towards our main heroes: but to Irene.

In doing so?

In doing so, El Ministerio's Del Tiempo is showing us not just good sci-fi*, not only showing us the moral dilemmas its characters face … 

But also that it’s very good ensemble drama.

And that it’s prepared to let an older female character, as well as a younger one, grow some teeth.

You have to love it, don’t you … ?

*        Good — and cost effective, too.   Other SF series may have gone for flashy special effects, when ever characters go thought time.   May — as in Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica — had flashy effects … but doesn’t.   Julián and Amelia open the door … whilst Alonso just crosses himself …

†        In that regard?   It seems to be following Star Trek: The Next Generation: the writers were always careful to focus on one member of the cast, each episode.