I've been posting about a lot of disappointing tv series -- gay teases that don't follow through, gushing praise that masks endless boy-girl kissing. It's high time we get to a series that it's actually good -- interesting, humorous, gay inclusive --
Los Espookys (well, that title could use a little work).
In an unspecified Latin American country, one of those magic-realism places where weird things happen so often that they're normal, Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco) creates a horror-themed
quinceañera for his little sister. It is so impressive that his Uncle Tico (Fred Armisen), the world's greatest car parker (he can even park two cars at the same time), suggests that he make a career out of creating horror-themed events.
Renaldo conscripts his best friend, the weird blue haired Andrés (
Saturday Night Live writer Julio Torres), into the business.
Andrés is the heir to a chocolate empire, immensely wealthy and powerful (what if they started making sugar-free chocolate? every dentist in the country would be unemployed).
His parents and his bulging swimsuit-clad trophy boyfriend (telenovela star José Pablo Minor, top photo) disapprove of his interest in horror, but he agrees to participate.
Next they conscript their friend Úrsula (Cassandra Ciangherotti), a Goth dentist's assistant; and her delightfully obtuse sister Tati (Ana Fabrega), who has a variety of odd jobs (literally), like running a hand-cranked fan or breaking in people's shoes.
They expect to plan horror-themed parties, but for their first gig, Father Francesco (Luis Grieco), the priest at the local orphanage, complains that his new, hot, hip associate Padre Antonio (Cristobal Tapia Montt), is stealing all the glory of running orphanages. If he were to conduct an exorcism, he would be back in the spotlight again. So Los Espookys create an exorcism for him.
Next up: a millionaire's dying wish is to give his fortune to whoever can spend the night in a haunted house. They are hired to create the house, and ensure that the millionaire's son does not win.
They have found their niche: creating fake paranormal events: a sea monster for a seaside town to use as a tourist attraction; an alien autopsy for a UFO researcher to show his friends; a fake dream for an insomniac.
Along the way they have the usual daily hassles of magic-realism life: Andrés is pressured by his family to marry his trophy boyfriend and "settle down"; Tati keeps expecting the guys she meets on dating apps to look like their photo; Renaldo has to constantly correct the spelling of his name ("No, there is no Y. Yes, I'm sure. No, I don't know what my parents were thinking.").
Only 6 episodes, but fortunately Season 2 is already in the works.
My grade: A+
