Loa Enviados (The Envoys): A Review by Warren Bull

 

Image by Grant Whitty on Upsplash

Los Enviados (The Envoys): A Review by Warren Bull

Paramount + showed an eight-episode series from Mexico and Argentina with mystery, suspense, a touch of horror, and blood. Two priests are sent by the Vatican to a Mexico City suburb with the task of finding out if a series of seemingly miraculous healings performed by a local priest are actual miracles or not. The priest disappears shortly after the investigators show up. 

Luis Gerardo Mendez plays Pedro Salinas, a physician and priest who hopes the miracles are real and is habitually rule-abiding. Miguel Angel Silvestre portrays Simon Antequera, an experienced investigator and attorney who is used to uncovering the mundane and occasionally dishonest bases of supposed miracles. He is more willing to break the rules in his quest for the truth than his more naïve partner. Irene Azuela and Miguel Rodarte lend their talents in supporting roles. The cast is excellent. Creator/Director Juan Jose Campanella created a spell-binding show.

The original is in Spanish with more than a little Italian. I saw an English-language version that was very well translated. It was not dubbed in English. The actors spoke in English. I noted a few phrases and verb choices that showed the original Spanish roots, but they would not have been noticeable to someone who does not speak Spanish. 

When signs in Spanish were shown, a voice provided the English translation. I thought it was amusing that a sign on a building spelled H-O-T-E-L was translated. This is an intelligent production, so the watcher needs to pay attention to time shifts and location changes to fully comprehend the plot. I’m certain I missed some of the cultural nuances, and I enjoyed what I did catch such as the tension between Spaniards and Mexicans. Interactions between the characters develop them in depth. The exploration of faith and reality were compelling.

.

I recommend this series highly and I’m pleased that a second season is planned.