TV Obsessive
White Lines
Jill: Escape to Ibiza anyone? Netflix’s new Álex Pina (Money Heist) creation, White Lines, is a ticket out of lockdown and into the world of sex, drugs, ‘90s-style raves, and a murder mystery. If you’re an English-speaker, be prepared for Spanish subtitles. Part of this show’s charm is that it doesn’t limit itself by language, allowing for natural discourse between characters in the languages they would really speak in every situation.
Episode 1 finds Zoe Walker (Laura Haddock) on Ibiza, the last place her charismatic, popular electronic music DJ brother, Axel (Tom Rhys Harries), was seen 20 years ago. Her brother’s body has just been discovered after a hard desert rain, and Zoe vows to stay and find out what happened to him.
Episode 1 also features the introduction of some of the most beautiful people on the planet, often scantily-clad and swimming, even more often neck-deep in orgies or regular old sex. Can’t blame them, these are truly amazing-looking people, and it would be a shame to limit their access to the gene pool.
Seriously. I cannot overstate the physical and emotional beauty of every single person on camera in this show. Every performance by both English and Spanish actors stuns. Nuanced and sympathetic, there’s a lot of grey area between good and evil. It’s a hard place for actors to reach, but every single one of them surpasses expectations.
Notably, to me, Nuno Lopes as Boxer stands out among giants. Boxer is a security guard for the powerful Calafat family, and knows the family secrets. He’s loyal, and of course absolutely gorgeous. Lopes plays Boxer with joy, passion, and mystique. He leaps off the screen, and I can’t wait to see more of him.
The biggest star of the show, however, is Ibiza itself, shot beautifully in all its glory by four cinematographers: Juan Miguel Azpiroz, Kieran McGuigan, Martin Fuhrer, and Álvaro Gutiérrez. I mention them all because this is some of the best cinematography I have ever seen for television, and each deserves a nod. Every shot is flawlessly framed to capture the sweeping beauty of Ibiza, its historic structures, the multi-colored sea, and the modern, chic clubs of the island’s famous night life.
When I finished the series, I felt like a practicing hedonist, ready to climb an ancient ruin overlooking the sea, and drink a morning cocktail in the sun. I highly recommend you join me.
Those are our recommendations this week! What are yours? Let us know in the comments!
