El Ministerio del Tiempo/The Ministry of Time — Series 3: Episode 7 — Tiempo de censura/Time of censorship — A Review.

3rd June, 2019

Yes … it’s a rare day that I say the oddest of lines.

Today is one of them.

“I have a strap on,” is possibly one you’d not expect me to say.

But there’s a serious side, there.

The strap on is a thing that gets strapped and tapped on to my wrist: wired to a small rubber thimble with a built in laser.

The thing’s supposed to monitor my blood oxygen levels, overnight.

Here’s hoping I managed to keep the thing on: I tend to twitch, a bit … 

At any rate … ?

That’s ready to go when I hit the sack.

Tonight … ?

Tonight, there was one thing I had to do.

You’re right.

I caught another episode of El Ministerio del Tiempo/The Ministry of Time’s third series … 

~≈§≈~

Episode 7 — Tiempo de censura/Time of censorship — open with something of a shocker.

Irene (Cayetana Guillén Cuervo) has a flashback.

To 1961: before she was recruited into the Ministry, before before coming out as gay … 

And back when — before she attempted to jump off a building — she was being verbally abused by Mario: her husband.

The reason … ?



The reason is simple: Salvador (Jaime Blanch) has decided to pair her up with Pacino and Alonso (Hugo Silva, and Nacho Fresneda) for a mission in 1961.

The team … ?

Is going to have to make sure the famous film, Viridiana gets passed uncut.

This is Franco’s Spain, though.

The only way to make sure of it?

Is to make sure the one censor who’s causing issues gets bribed … 

With a suspiciously accurate football pools coupon … 

~≈§≈~

Now … it’s getting late: late … ahead of an early morning.

I have to take the gadget back to Basildon Hospital in the morning.

I think I can safely that that, whilst Tiempo de censura isn’t one of El Ministerio del Tiempo’s deeper episode, it does bring the programme’s humour to the fore.

Especially when you realise two things.

Exactly what films Pacino and the gang are trying tp sell to a bunch of 1960s film producers.

It possibly helps if you know what the letters ‘j’ — or ‘x’ — sound like, in various dialects of Spanish.

The second … ?



Simply that this is the second appearance of Spain’s finest filmmaker.

The last time?

Alonso thumped him …

Yep.

I’ll have more of THIS, please … !