If you’re looking for suspense, drama and jokes, Locked Up (Vis a Vis) has got you covered. Netflix has created a ton of these Spanish episodes, translated for everyone’s enjoyment, modernizing the age-old telenovela and creating a (better) version of Orange is the New Black.
I didn’t expect to like this series, so much… but I also didn’t expect it to be so gory. These women are in prison and act like it. Unlike OTNB, the acting in this series feels more raw and real. While there are certainly emotional moments, Goya is much scarier than anyone in OTNB, and she’s not even that scary. Still, I’ve got to admit that this is much better in Spanish than it is in English. For me, a American-Born Dominican, it’s incredibly interesting to hear how these people speak the language, as opposed to in the Caribbean islands.
The first season introduces you to all the girls and you quickly start to pick your favorites. I love how each one has a distinct story and personality. Somehow, you learn to love even the most evil of them, because you see all they’re going through and recognize them as human. Season after season of escape, murder, kidnapping and much more, you are sure to stay entertained while the characters rack up life sentences. The most unrealistic part is how many times these girl escape — after a while, you lose count of how many cases they must have against them and simply start rooting for the bad guy.
This is a series for the underdog. Each episode, we watch the women struggle with their surroundings, while teaching us whatever lessons they’ve learned — good or bad. It’s an interesting watch because it truly put relationships in perspective while asking you to answer the toughest questions of yourself — would you risk your freedom for someone you love? Would you give away your freedom? What do you fear? How courage are you, really? What matters more: intelligence or wit? These characters will have you second guessing everything and everyone you know.
If you’e looking for entertainment, hold on tight cuz these girls will take you for the ride of your life.
EllaThought 