el tiempo entre costuras

Some people binge-watch Lost or Breaking Bad . . . I binge-watch Spanish mini-series instead.  Well, basically I will gobble up any period drama.  Mostly British, but occasionally I'll branch out.  Case in point: "El tiempo entre costuras," which they officially translated "The Time in Between," but directly translated means "The time between seams."*  The series (17 episodes long on Hulu and DramaFever) follows a young Spanish dressmaker as she navigates life, love, and war.  (Am I ready to be a blurb writer yet??)

So what made this show so watch-worthy?

plot and characters
A good storyline is vital for me.  Everything else will flop if the plot is flimsy.  As this show was based on a best-selling book, one would expect a more well-constructed plot, at least compared to many TV shows which are written as they go along.  There are plenty of well-constructed characters that experience phenomenal growth through the 17 episodes.  Intrigue and suspense abound - this is a story about spies, after all.  I was literally biting my nails and clutching my teddy bear as I watched the last couple episodes.  And everything is tied together by the main character, Sira Quiroga.  We're basically following her life story as she lives through the Spanish Civil War and the beginnings of Nazism and World War II.  Oh, and there's plentiful romance, or rather, romantic tension most of the time, as well.

acting 
I blame my pickiness in this area on my mom.  As her drama student and daughter, I had unparalleled access to the creative process of drama and to quality theatre productions.  So, although I'm not a great actor myself, I've absorbed enough over the years to have an opinion that's more than blustering bluff.  The main characters on this show were superbly acted.  As I mentioned above, character development helps.  But Adriana Ugarte absolutely made the series with her main role as Sira.  She was, by turns, relatable, goddess-like, confident, and utterly confused, while entirely believable.  She was well supported by a slew of men, most notably Peter Vives as the Englishman Marcus Logan.  Just brilliant, realistic performances all around.

costumes and setting
The series is set in countries I have never visited and never before had an interest in exploring (though that has changed now!)  It opens in Madrid and then to Morocco, the Spanish protectorates of Tangier and Tetouan, to be exact, before returning to Madrid and making a pit stop in Lisbon.  To me, these are amazing, exotic locales, and I enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere.  And then the costumes - well, since Sira is a dressmaker, of course there are some amazing outfits and gowns!  Sira's style evolves so much through the series as she goes from wallflower seamstress to life of the party.  Sira's clients also wear some gorgeous gowns, while the men are dapper but slightly less interesting in suits and tuxes.  Oh, and the hair . . . I want bouncy, voluminous, sculpted curls like Sira's!

culture
I'm just gonna say, Spanish culture is quite unlike British culture!  I just love the passion and outbursts they get into because I identify more with that than British reserve.  Their passion for life and for people makes for captivating drama.

conclusion
GO WATCH THIS SHOW.  The end.
But really.  If you're going to spend time watching something, why not a sumptuous, heart-wrenching, thrilling period drama?

*NB: I am not a Spanish-speaker.  I survived by subtitles and cognates.  Still thoroughly enjoyable despite subtitles, though I'm sure I missed a layer or two of meaning because of them.

Thanks for reading!

cheers,
Serfy