I find it hard to remember foreign name - but Spanish is easier than Russian who seem to have at least three different names for the same person. I tried to learn Spanish once - I am very much a lover of words and Spanish words seem beautiful to me - the written word is of course different to the spoken one and yes - I do find that when spoken Spanish can become rapid it becomes unattractive. I think that is the same with most Latin languages. I find it difficult to watch some Italian series because of the flailing arms and manner of speech with the emphasis on the last but one syllable. (I find it hard to describe but I expect you know what I mean) The worst language in the world is Welsh (yes - don't forget now - I told you - I was only BORN in Wales - I do not identify myself as Welsh any more than I would identify myself as Chinese if I was born there) they sound as if they are "hawking" (do you have that expression? to draw phlegm from the throat in order to spit it out). Sorry - back to the plot. That girl - Pilar - she seems to be driven by hatred for black people whom she sees as invaders in her country - I can understand the fear - anger - hatred that drives her - but come on - "burn him" that is beyond comprehension. And she is the one who suggests it but wants other people to do the actual deed - so there is a cold calculation there - she is not caught up in the heat of the moment so much that she forgets her own best interests. Yes - the policeman Hector - is a bit stupid with his method of questioning - as you say - you don't approach a bunch of racist white teens and tell them you are looking for a black man in connection with a crime against a white woman. They are pushing the multiracial relationships agenda here as they do in most every advert and show in the UK. I didn't know the thing about the trigger finger - but it is being made obvious that Hector is in love with Marta (she could tell that by a look on his face in the wedding video that she had never noticed before - just goes to show how a woman can interpret a look in any way she pleases) and they will probably end up together. We can do without the shaking hand bit by the way. I haven't seen episode 2 yet - I will watch it tonight probably and get back to you on my thoughts about it. Don't worry - I have a habit of forgetting everything I have been told about it as I watch it!

Hawking, yes I know that term. I have not heard it in common usage for a long time though so I don't know if most Americans are familiar with it. Back when I was about 13 or so, some of us guys would compete against each other to see who could hawk up a 'quid' and spit it the farthest while we were waiting for the school bus in the morning. The girls thought it was gross. I am not sure if 'quid' was just a made up term. I heard some young people use the term 'loogie' for the phlegm that gets hawked up. Anyway...

Finger off the trigger. That is a basic rule of gun handling safety. I hate it when TV shows people using unsafe gun handling practices. Kids watch these TV cops and they learn to mimic them. Some others are "Never point the muzzle at anything you're not willing to see destroyed", and "Always assume any gun you handle is loaded", and "be certain of the target you're shooting and of what is behind it". You will notice that at gun ranges there is some kind of backstop which bullets cannot penetrate, usually a large berm or a hill if it is an outdoor range. (Deer hunters commonly put a stand up a tree so they are shooting downward; if they miss the deer or if the bullet passes through, it can only hit the ground.) These rules are drilled into anyone who is introduced to handling any type of firearm. It is irresponsible in the extreme for TV to teach people unsafe practices.

Hector, our hero in the story, has a flaw, as your creative writing rules tell us he must. He suffers from PTSD and had to undergo psych treatment. Yeah, I tire of the flashbacks also. This comes into play as the case progresses. And one of the ways the writers create problems for Hector is when his superiors begin to call for a quick resolution to the case. This is really a stretch. There may be political pressure on the police to solve high profile cases, but they don't threaten cops with the loss of their jobs if they don't solve a case quickly as they do in this one. I mean, there are lots of unsolved murders, cold cases. And this small police department doesn't exactly have a lot of resources. So we see the writers going over the top to create this problem, this pressure, on Hector.

Yes Hector and Marta harbor feelings for each other. And they will eventually hook up and become an item.

I am watching episode 5 now. People in this town have some secrets they want to protect. I won't say more than that about it so I don't spoil it. I looked at the episode descriptions and it seems it will take the full two seasons to reveal who the killer is. So far suspicion has landed on several people, some of whom have been eliminated. Yes, the race element is prominent in this show. I think it's presented in a better fashion than in most American shows. I find I am enjoying these foreign made series partly because they don't follow the cookie cutter approach we see from Hollywood.

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I will wait for you to watch a couple episodes. I just got another book by that high ranking Soviet Bloc communist intelligence officer and am starting to read it. Once he came over here and after he worked to make it safe for his daughter back in Romania, he began working on the Kennedy assassination, correlating what he knew with information available to him here in the west. Krushchev initially preferred JFK to Nixon who he thought would continue Eisenhower's hard line policies. So Soviet agents in the US worked to help JFK beat Nixon. But Kennedy didn't act as Krushchev thought he would. He opposed Soviet missiles in Cuba, and the biggest thing apparently was when Kennedy (halfway) authorized the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles. Cubans to this day will bend over to spit on a Kennedy half dollar on the ground rather than pick it up because JFK got cold feet once the operation was underway and he refused to send in air support for the invasion. This resulted in the deaths and capture of the Cuban exiles the CIA trained and sent over there. The CIA strongly disliked JFK for this and other reasons. I know for a fact that the intelligence communities hated JFK, or rather they had strong reasons to distrust him. I know that from second hand information, so heresay, but nonetheless It is fact.

Anyway, Krushchev decided to kill Kennedy. The Soviets had already recruited Oswald when he was stationed in Japan. He gave them information about the U2 spy plane which helped them shoot one down, so he was in good standing in the USSR. But the Soviets asked him to kill JFK and then come back to the USSR and trained him to do it. But then they changed their mind suddenly. The West Germans publicly tried a Soviet agent who assassinated two defectors in Germany. He was decorated by Krushchev personally for this mission. This showed the world that Krushchev was a political butcher. The stakes were too high. The Soviet plan was to avoid any connection to them because killing a US President might have started a nuclear war. So they sent word to Oswald to put the plan on hold. But Oswald was intent upon doing the job. He seemed to feel that if he pulled it off Krushchev would welcome him back to the USSR anyway. They tried to deprogram him but were not successful.

US intelligence had apparently picked up on Oswald. The CIA and Vice President Lyndon B Johnson hated JFK and wanted him dead. So they decided to use Oswald as a fall guy and use their own hitters to make sure they got JFK. For the same reasons, they didn't want a connection to the USSR but instead depicted Oswald as a crazed, lone, gunman. Nobody wanted a nuclear war.

I have only started the book but it looks really interesting. Pacepa looked at the American information and due to his extensive Soviet intelligence work he was able to detect telltale patterns in how Oswald was being handled and used. I am looking forward to reading what he has to say about all of that.

So I will be occupied while you catch up. Take your time, don't rush on my account.

That sounds like a very interesting book. There have been so many theories it's hard to find one that is completely convincing. I am on Ep 4 at the moment - just started it - the first thing I note in the first few moments is that they are interviewing Lola who is angry because they searched her brothers house without telling her. She would have to have recused herself from that investigation anyway so I don't know what her beef is. However - after spending the previous episodes pretty much unmade up and her hair just yanked back - at the interview she is in full slap (make-up) and her hair is down and perfectly coiffed!! I am getting sick and tired of people turning up at inopportune moments - every time Lola goes to talk with her mother - oops - her brother turns up - the same things are said over and over again. Every time Hector gets close to Marta - somebody interrupts them - last time it was her boyfriend Alvaro - who looks about fifteen years younger than she is. Marta acts all shocked when Hector says he has always loved her - but we have already seen her realise this with the wedding video. The car crash scene was laughable - go away - come back - go away - what nonsense but I suppose we had to have an excuse for Lucas to end up being attracted to a black woman - as I said - the whole world seems to be behind forcing us to accept multiracial relationships (I think this is because the powers that be know that white races are in decline - their birth rates simply cannot keep up with the black and yellow races - it is inevitable there will be no white races left within a couple of hundred years or so) So after being in an overturned car - Fara ends up with a tinsy winsy scratch on her shoulder which Lucas must treat or it will go septic - there is only one treat he is looking for. Naturally they are interrupted by her brother. Then we have Pilar watching them through the scope of a rifle. There is some sort of a party that Lucas goes to where the acting is beyond awful - teenagers "dancing" and "Having a good time" during which Pilar denounces Lucas as a traitor and they all set upon him - including Pilar. That woman takes volatile and violent to a new level of psychosis. Now Hector has found the crime scene and is whacked over the head with a shovel - he falls but gets up again to pursue the villain - after getting "the shakes" again the villain gets away and he collapses unconscious - after five minutes of pursuit. Somehow Salva turns up - goodness knows how he knew where to go because Hector never told him. They are piling on the threat of his dismissal which is pretty silly because we all know it aint gonna happen. Why do they do this? Oh well - I shall continue.

I lost track of how many times Hector told Marta "I promised Pablo I would take care of you". They really do repeat the same scenes multiple times with minor variations. I guess they want to make sure we get the message. The shaky hand from PTSD; it's a wonder he was cleared for duty when he can't pull his pistol without his hand going all wobbly. He pulls his gun and then - FLASHBACK, we're back in Afghanistan with broken scenes of the ambush in which Pablo died. Yeah I noticed several instances in which backup arrives "just in time"; it's like they have a GPS monitor on him, and maybe premonitions to give them a head start so they get there in time. That gypsy family is unbelievable. Lola has shamed the family by supporting law and order. How will they ever be able to face other gypsies when their daughter is a cop? It's like apostasy to a Muslim family. And have you seen Nacho, the 12 year old son of Marta do the smash and grab of those boots yet? Marta went nuts at the police department. How dare you arrest my boy for breaking the law? That is none of your business! Hector stood there stoically and let her walk out with him. He should have said "well since I am Chief of Police, it actually is my business to arrest people who break the law." But he is in love with her so he said nothing. Alvaro was her "until something better comes along" boyfriend, kind of wimpish I thought. Pilar should have been arrested along with all those who kidnapped and attempted to murder Kaled. Plus they assaulted a police officer. But instead they seemed to treat it as no harm no foul, just kids being kids. "Alright now, you kids break it up, and don't do this again or I will have to do something, maybe." You're right, that girl has major issues. Lucas "why did you try to kill Fara?" Pilar "I love you". Yes, Pilar does not handle disappointment in a socially acceptable fashion, to say the least. And Hector isn't exactly much better than Pilar when he justifies threatening to blow Juan Rueda's brains out for the same reason; he loves Marta. They may be right that he was cleared for duty a little too soon. But he is the lead character of the show so nothing serious will happen to him for that.

As to JFK, there has been so much propaganda and disinformation from both the KGB and the CIA and the US Congress that it is difficult to sift through the bullshit. You really have to vet your sources. I feel sure that my friend didn't tell me all he knew. But he knew about it before it happened, was not surprised or upset. That tells you something. Certain elite special forces at Ft. Bragg were aware and satisfied with how it went down in Dealy Plaza that day. Krushchev may have tried to put a halt to the Oswald operation and failed to reign him in, but I am dead certain that elements of the US intel. community picked Oswald as their fall guy. I don't know how much of the Soviet plan they were aware of, but they must have been apprised of his intentions somehow and realized that he would make the perfect patsy. He certainly deserved to go down for it. I think both sides wanted Oswald dead too. Nobody wanted the Soviet connection to possibly become public knowledge. One of the MANY women JFK was sleeping with was a spy from Germany. JFK was cautioned about this, but he didn't always listen to what he was told. Now I like JFK for many things, but he had some foibles and shortcomings. Ultimately I believe the deep state wanted him dead because he cost them enormous sums of money and they could not let him stop them stealing from the American people. When JFK switched America back to a constitutional money supply, money issued by the US Treasury instead of the Federal Reserve private banking cartel, those bankers instantly lost all the interest they were making from loaning the money they create out of thin air to the US Govt. After JFK died, the Federal Reserve once again began creating money by fiat and loaning it to the govt. at interest. Since the Federal Reserve was created in 1913 the value of the dollar has fallen to less than 1% of what it was before that. I don't know how many $ trillions they have taken from us. And they pay off our politicians handsomely. JFK tried to stop that theft, a bold and courageous move. I believe that is ultimately what cost him his life. Trump is in danger of the same thing happening to him because he also opposes the deep state. I hope and pray he survives and gets a second term. Anyway, there are many elements involved in his assassination. He had many enemies and you hear about them a lot. The mafia hated him because they helped him get elected but he didn't stop law enforcement from going after them. In fact he appointed his brother as Attorney General (talk about nepotism), and Bobby Kennedy was a vicious attack dog who hated the mob. So they had motive, and they supplied a shooter who was contracted by the CIA. He came into the country from Sicily and left again a couple of weeks after the shooting. The kill shot that blew JFK's brains out came from a storm drain located ahead of the limousine. In the full Zapruder film you can see the shot knock JFK's head backward when it hit him and you see the brain matter flying out the back of his head. They used an exploding bullet, so I was told. You can take a hollow point bullet and put some mercury fulminate in the hole capped by a plunger piece of metal so when it hits it explodes. He really had no chance that day. The mafia quietly brags that they took out Kennedy, and they did play a role, but many other players took part for it to come together. The player behind the scenes, the one who made sure you never heard about them, is the deep state.

I have always said the same thing - in the end - everything comes down to MONEY. I think JFK was good in some respects - bad in others - and stupid in others. He was like all rich and powerful people - they think their wealth and position makes them invulnerable. I am getting tired of the repetition of Afghanistan flashbacks and the inevitable guilty conscience. As you say - if Hector cannot be trusted to use a weapon in the field then he shouldn't be in the job. Why does a sergeant have the top job in that station anyway - shouldn't his rank be much higher? I am on ep 8 now - I wont say any more unless I spoil it for you. There is a scene in it which may remind you of the recent Epstein case - yet another example of people dying just as they intend to reveal vital information. And there is of course - a shock revelation of a trusted person being a baddie.

Ah, I have been reading but am back to watching again. I am beginning episode 6 now. Marta was shown with an angry expression choking Ainhoa in a secretly recorded video in a dressing room. Now she has denied to Hector that she ever had any issues with Ainhoa. Who knows what this is over, but it will probably be nothing to do with the killing. More likely, Alvaro took a liking to Ainhoa and Marta was being territorial and telling her to stay away from her man. That sort of thing.

Now I am wondering who gets suicided in jail. Could it be Lucas' perverted father? I will have to wait and see. He knows more than he is willing to divulge at the moment. update: Ha. I was right.

I don't know how the rank of Sargent works in Spain. They also called him the Chief of the Civil Guard, which is I think the same as saying police, but don't quote me on that. I would have thought he would be called the Captain or something. But I know nothing about their system.

Hector gets a little bit stressed and that hand starts shaking again. He's going to have to start hiding it somehow instead of holding it with his other hand; that looks weird. He could stick it in his pocket, but that might look like he was playing with himself. Maybe he could put it in his back pocket.

I'm getting a bit sick of Marta. She sure knows how to posture as a victim and act morally outraged. Her hooligan son breaks a storefront window and steals boots, and she gets angry that he was arrested. Hector asks her to come clean about choking Ainhoa and taking money form her account to pay off her debts, and she pretends he just accused her of murder and orders him to leave, and then puts on her shocked and insulted face. No matter how wrong she is, she can always rationalize a way to act shocked and morally outraged. But if lying and acting insulted and outraged doesn't work, if she can't make you feel guilty for something, she cries and tries to get sympathy. "Pablo is dead" boo hoo hoo. "You know what is the worst? Sometimes I feel like my life with him was a lie" she says. Hector should have told her, "well maybe if you didn't lie so much, your life with Pablo wouldn't have been a lie." That is cold, but I am getting fed up with Marta.

That gypsy family is too much. I know the writers will probably have them make up somehow and redeem themselves. But I keep thinking Lola should stand her ground on the law and bait them to attack her so she could have them arrested and jailed for assault. they do remind me of those radical Muslims who insist that they should be able to force their laws on the rest of us and tell our legal system to take a hike. They insist they have the right to murder their family members if they shame them by leaving the faith, or wearing makeup, or whatever. They scream they are willing to die for their cause. I say we should be willing to kill them for it.

What the hell is it with these writers? Are all the people in this town crazy? Luis' wife Lourdes went off on Lola because... I have no idea why. Luis confessed. LUIS did. Then when the team showed up to execute a search warrant Lourdes blamed it all on Lola. Of course. And why do people not tell off those psycho idiots and set them straight? Why do they listen to such nonsense and then stare off in sad contemplation, apparently feeling a little guilty?

I've been reading about the Soviet disinformation campaign Krushchev ordered after the assassination. He wanted to blame it all on factors inside the US. They painted Oswald as a tourist, someone they thought was a bit of a crazy fanatic, not the kind of person they would be looking for. But that wasn't true. He was exactly who they wanted: a radar operator at the Atsugi base in Japan, one of two bases which housed the then new U2 spy plane, and an ideological fellow traveler. Oswald wasn't ideal in one aspect. He had a chip on his shoulder and felt he was smarter than people thought he was, and often that he was smarter and more capable than his comrades. This made him hard to control. When he was told to stand down on the assassination mission he wouldn't listen, figuring that all would be fine when it was successful. But nobody wants a loose canon who cannot be trusted to follow orders. His going ahead with the attempt only ensured that they would kill him afterward because the standard operating procedure was to eliminate any ties back to the Soviet Union. I figure they had planned to kill him in any case, but for sure once he disobeyed orders and went ahead with the mission. He was a true believer, a useful idiot.

A good lie will use as much of the truth as possible, so long as that selection of truth is in agreement with your purpose. Thus the Soviets put out stories that the CIA had killed Kennedy (for various reasons), and that the Mafia was responsible (both points having truth to them). Having been tangentially connected to that world, and having flirted with joining it, I am fascinated by it. But I am glad I didn't go into it. I don't lie naturally or well at all. And that is dangerous in that world. My friend figured this out about me and never told me details or things I didn't have a need to know, things which could hurt me. Most of what he told me was stuff he conveyed to me without having really said anything, if that makes any sense. He also used his amnesia (which he had actually recovered from to a much greater extent than he had let on, I eventually learned) to tell me stories without names, dates, or places. He was a fascinating person, with much greater skills in many areas than me. In fact, you could count on one hand the number of people in the world who could do all he could do when he was in his prime. He was a better shot than most people I have ever heard of when he was in his wheelchair and couldn't use his fingers. I'm telling you, if I told the truth to you, you would have to believe I was lying to you. If I didn't know it, I would not believe it if someone told me. But I was better at some things than he was, a couple at least. I am happy with that.

I am going back to the show now. I'll write when I catch up.

It is amazing what writers portray people as doing - they don't have bolts on the inside of their doors - even the most luxurious apartments are child's play to break into (like Igors) I am not rich - but you would have a hard job breaking into my house - you could do it of course - if you were determined enough - but it wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't be silent. They also believe that all women undress in front of open windows - no drapes - and couples make love in front of these windows in full view of the street. Or on public beaches. I am getting very tired of Lucas - he is too fiery and too stupid for words. I love the way he has changed from a racist Nazi into the lover of a black woman - as Tommy Cooper (beloved British bumbling magician comic) would say "just like that". I loved the way Hector and Lola decided when Salva interviewed him and he got volatile and infuriated - oh - he's not the killer - he's too visceral. Oh right - let him go then! I am totally fed up with the gypsy conflict repetition - if they don't trust and will never forgive why invite them to your thirtieth birthday party - mind the menu was enough to put anybody off. What was it - soup and cake? Your friend sounds like an amazing human being - he cared a lot for you I think - he was careful not to put you in any danger and gave you good advice - you must miss him a lot. Some people in our lives are irreplaceable - he sounds like one of those people.

This show in particular is quite repetitive, showing scenes which essentially play the same as previous scenes: Lola with her brother and father. She is dead to them. She is not family. And she doesn't act as though their position is unjust or unreasonable, she is compassionate and empathetic, and seems to perhaps feel a little guilty. We've seen that exchange a few times. And Hector with his minor anger issues, his PTSD induced hand shakes, and those damned flashbacks. By now I can see them coming ahead of time. It is a little bit funny in a way.

And Lucas too. When I see a character who gets overwhelmed by his emotions like that, I think of James Hayes from Glitch. Is this something they are teaching in acting classes now? I really do wonder about that. Is it supposed to engage the viewer more by some kind of empathetic response on our part? Also, why do so many shows feature characters and situations in which the most emotional person is depicted and treated as though they are in the right, or is the injured party, regardless of circumstances? It's like the histrionic Olympics. Whomever freaks out the most wins.

Lourdes! LOURDES!!!! She doesn't even make any sense! Luis confessed. Lola didn't have anything to do with that. Lourdes is as stupid as that gypsy clan. Or my ex-wife. Something goes wrong, blame Lola! If it rains, it is her fault. (I know how that feels.) Lola has been trying to help Luis however she can, but Lourdes needs to blame someone else. CampoaMargo seems to be the "town of irresponsible, blame shifting, criminals". And Lola even told that other cop that she let Lourdes down. How, exactly? Now Lourdes took a blow to the noggin and is in the hospital. Mr. black ski mask martial arts guy struck again.

I watched the show some last night and probably need to go back over some of it. I did repeat a couple of episodes. I really need to make myself just turn it off when I start feeling tired.

By the way, once we finish this show, I see Peaky Blinders has season 5 on netlix now.

My late friend and I were really different in some ways, but saw many things just alike. He first thought perhaps I was someone sent to become his friend, to look out for him or help him. He told me this eventually. He had me checked out and found out I was just someone he met. He was a C-5 quadriplegic but he had worked very hard on his rehab strengthening what he had left. He put his hands in hot water and stretched his fingers so the tendons would not tighten up and curl his fingers the way you see on most quadriplegics. He looked more like a paraplegic than a quad. He got return on his shoulders and biceps, but not his triceps to any degree. Mentally he wasn't disabled one bit. Every quadriplegic goes through a period when they are suicidal. Except him. Perhaps that was due to his partial amnesia to a large extent, but it was also due to his spirit and his mental toughness. He could have lived on welfare but chose to go back to work and he worked until retirement age. This actually hurt him when he needed help in his older years as they considered him not to be disabled as far as working goes. He tried to hide money from the government but they found out when he died and took most of it. He wanted to leave it to me. I enjoyed helping him however I could. After I moved away from Miami I used to make trips back down there to work on his place. I learned a lot from him. I couldn't get too depressed no matter how bad things got in my own life because I looked at him and how he managed to thrive despite his challenges and told myself "you have it so much better than he does, and he isn't depressed". He told me I was the best friend anyone could have, which was a nice thing to hear. It wasn't totally true of course. I know my own failings better than anyone. But I did try to come through for him when he needed help and nearly always did. I am better off for having known him.

I am not surprised that you doze off during this show - I do the same - I don't think we miss much because some episodes are just rehashes of the one preceding it. We have had a gay mention at last !!! I suppose that box was just so annoying left unticked. Lola's sister in law told her she thought she was gay because she looked a bit butch !! It is amazing how the villain is everywhere at once and waits around to be discovered and chased - do you suppose he knows just how inefficient the police force are and they wont catch him in a month of Sundays? I am on about Ep 10 now - and there is so much soap in this series it would keep you in washing powder for a year. Ainhoa has only been dead about a month and already Lucas has fallen in love with another woman and impregnated another. When he sees Pilar crouched over in pain and bleeding he takes her to the hospital - but - not to worry - the doctor says its only a bit of a dribble - she's fine!! That's ok then!! I don't know how far in you are - hope I haven't spoiled anything for you. The Afghan thing is dragging on and on and on and has become farcical. Marta continues to shilly shally between "we can never see each other again" one minute and then going to his apartment to jump his bones the next. She seems to have about fifty dresses in the same style but different fabrics - which are too young for her anyway. I notice these things because I used to make a lot of clothes for myself and my family in years gone by. Going back to the beginning - I wonder why it was claimed that Juan was poisoning his land - why would he do that as a tomato and olive grower - that is the source of his wealth. The whole plot is so muddled and elongated it's a strain trying to keep up with it. They should have dumped the whole race resentment element along with that dreadful dreadful man who plays Sergio - what were they thinking employing him? For a normal person to act as a mentally challenged person takes a huge amount of skill and restraint - he just acts like a spoiled toddler. Let me know where you are up to - I think I am getting to the end now.

I am halfway through episode 11 but I know I missed some big stuff. How did Fara get out of being deported? And I heard she married Lucas. I guess that was in episode 10 and I must have slept right through it. I missed the gay reference also. But I can see how some women might think that about her. She has taken a job that requires her to be physical like a man. She is kind of a large girl and somewhat athletic. I don't think she acts gay at all, but just those things I mentioned are enough to make some people wonder. I've heard girls suggest a girl is a lesbian based on the type of shoes she is wearing or the brand of shirt. I guess there are styles popular with lesbians, so perhaps there is a good reason to think that based on clothing. So maybe the clothes Lola wears as a cop seem sort of butch. Anyway, I missed that part too.

Talk to a cop and they will tell you that women give better descriptions of suspects than men do. A guy might say he was wearing a dark colored jacket, but a woman can tell you the style and type of fabric, and maybe the brand name. She will describe his height and weight more accurately. I don't know why that is. Well I suspect it has something to do with how we are socialized but it may be something more fundamental, something genetic. I don't mean there is a gene for clothes but something having to do with how we interact with people. I won't do a good job trying to explain that. But women tend to notice details men don't. Men can learn to notice them, but for women it comes more naturally.

something big happens in episode 11 regarding Pilar, her new beau, and Fara. Pilar has found herself in a real jam because her boyfriend is an idiot. Now I am wondering what they will decide to do.

The thing with the phone calls has an interesting development, which I think you've already seen. Some jihadist from Afghanistan thinks Pablo is alive and hiding and thinks Marta knows where he is. And he is in Spain now. Hector's captain friend wasn't supposed to tell him but did. Hector hasn't told Marta yet, and this is a huge mistake in my opinion. Nacho runs wild and he could be kidnapped or worse. When Marta finds out Hector didn't tell her or Nacho so they could take precautions, could make informed decisions, she will be rightly angry. That will be a change at least. Most of the time she is angrily yelling at people when she is at fault.

You're right, this is like a soap opera, but with a background murder mystery. The detective part is almost an afterthought, a background subplot. The show is a vehicle for lots and lots of drama. Agneska and her kept wives club act like a high school clique. Drama, drama, drama, and then some more. These people act so immature, with such volatile emotions, flipping from treacly, seductive stuff to almost violent angry outbursts in an instant. You didn't react the way I tried to manipulate you into acting? How DARE you? You'll be sorry!

Fara got to stay in Spain because she married Lucas - she was abducted on her wedding day by that idiot friend of Pilar's - to be fair to Pilar she doesn't want to harm her but her bloke has now disappeared with Fara when Pilar takes Lucas to where they took her. I am bewildered by Kemal's question to the immigration authorities - why are you deporting her just because she doesn't have papers - she hasn't done anything wrong - what? I find it crazy that the whole lot of them are there without papers - how does that work? Yes - after two years the Jihadi's have not noticed that there has been no sign of Pablo and no communication - their intelligence services must be pretty poor - don't they read obituaries? If they were watching Marta surely they would have noticed that she is not exactly acting like a married woman and if she knew where Pablo was she would surely visit him at some point? I think that is a whole load of tripe - I don't think that Pablo was a druggie or a traitor at all - I think he was investigating the Captain who is the real traitor and who shot Pablo to keep him from finding out. Hector our Hero cannot be guilty of killing his best friend - that would always be a barrier between him and Marta and TRUE HAPPINESS. This is a soap - it must have a happy ending!!

I think you may be right about the Captain. He acted a little creepy once when he gave Marta something, almost like he would be expecting something from her at some point. "We help each other" he said, or something like that.

Why deport her just because she doesn't have papers? LOL, right. That is the theme of this show, isn't it? It's like when Marta told Hector it was no business of his if her son Nacho broke the law. "So what? I have to go to jail? For what? Just because I broke the law? You better watch yourself buddy or we will fire you and hire a different chief of the civil guard for our town. You're out of control! Arresting people. Who ever heard of such a thing? "... Anything short of murder and they don't think it should count.

And Lola found out her brother's prize horse had been stolen and she investigated and found the horse and returned it. But it was a scam and she ruined his plan to defraud the insurance company. Damn her. She really is the black sheep of that family. Or the white sheep in that family of black sheep. Anyway, they can't stand her, she disgusts them. What the hell is wrong with Lola? They talk to her like she is filth, they treat her like dirt on their shoes, and she keeps trying to make nice with them. "We're family". Get a clue Lola. They are incorrigible criminals and the only thing you have in common with them is DNA. She should let them go through the criminal justice system like everyone else.

Now it seems Marta is angry again. Hector just told her about the jihadist, that he is in Spain now and she could be in danger. But he will protect her. Marta says, oh I see, you promised Pablo you would. And you want to move in together. (It's sounds like she is saying "so you just want to move in with me so you can protect me. It's not because you care for me.") This woman has two settings: betrayed and outraged, or madly in love.

the crazy thing is that I am invested in this show now and I can't stop.

By the way, Lourdes is an awful woman. When Juan Rueda gets out and is exonerated I hope he dumps her on the side of the road

second comment:

Nobody in this show comes off looking very good.

Fernando Rueda has never liked his father. And his father does have a checkered past at best. But Fernando has turned out to be a smug, traitorous little shit who finds happiness in this own father's suffering. That isn't very attractive in a person. And why does he hate him? Because daddy never paid attention to his feelings. boo hoo. Once Juan Rueda's name is cleared of the murder, he should dump Fernando on the side of the road alongside of Lourdes. Let him see how well he gets by peddling his smug sarcasm.

When Hector went to check on Marta he asked where she had been, adding that he had been calling her. Marta replies smugly, "oh have you? I hadn't noticed." Marta got a text from someone telling her she had been set up, and if she wanted the truth about Pablo to meet at some crossroads at 5pm. Naturally she didn't tell Hector about it, and she will sneak off to go see some stranger at a secret meeting in a deserted location. And she knows that some radical jihadist has entered the country to track her down. Marta has displayed very few redeeming qualities up to this point. But this is a whole new level of stupidity and stubborness on her part. No doubt she will wind up in desperate straits and Hector will race off to save her again. But he really ought to let the jihadist remove her and her little shit of a deliquent son from the gene pool. That's evolution.

Why didn't Lucas call the cops? He didn't want his son born in jail. Why would Pilar go to jail? She didn't kidnap Fara. She told Lucas where to find her and tried to set her free. More stupidity. It's your wife's life at stake you moron. Why not put the entire police force on alert to help find her? Fara should divorce him and try to meet someone with a brain.

I know I am getting really critical of the people in this show, but these are some extremely stupid people.

I think you are tailgating me !! I have one episode to go of series one. A lot has happened in the penultimate episode - it has really sparked up - but I wont hint because there are some surprises you wont want knowing.