We thought Hulu’s Mike, a dramatised biographical series on Mike Tyson, didn’t delve deeply enough into its subject’s complicated background when we saw it. But is it preferable if a bioseries takes the opposite course? A new television show on Vicente Fernández, a legendary singer from Mexico, spans nearly 30 hours over 36 episodes. Is that enough or too much?
EL REY, VICENTE FERNÁNDEZ: Is It Worth Your Time?
People are seen entering a bullring in the opening shot. Mexico’s Plaza de Toros, “September 15, 1984.”
The gist is that Vicente Fernández (Jaime Camil) enters the arena stumbling, holding his side and sporting a cut on his head. He appears to be too ill to perform, but his wife Maria (Marcela Guirado), whom he refers to as “Chuquita,” knows differently. He dons his mariachi mask and performs his songs as if nothing had happened to him. But he also experiences hallucinations in which he is riding a horse and sees the same moustachioed man that he has known since he was little.
In 1966, Sebastian Dante’s character “Chente” is a young man who is in León, Guanajuato, for the first leg of what he believes will be a lengthy tour that will enable him and his brother-in-law to purchase a gas station. Palermo El Gordo, the tour’s manager (Carlos Corona), encourages him, but it appears that the other tour members are a little envious. Chente tries to avoid problems and alcohol so he doesn’t lose the money he’s attempting to save on gambling. He has no idea that Palermo is concealing information from him to keep him on the tour.
Then, we quickly rewind to 1950 in Jalisco. Chente (Kaled Acab) is a brave ten-year-old who bets with his relatives, particularly with Gustavo, who is his favourite (Juan Pablo Hermidia). But when he goes in search of his father Ramón (Enoc Leao), who is being beaten up by the thugs working for the neighbourhood loan shark, everything is literally up for grabs. Ramón engages in heavy drinking, gambling, and heated arguments with Chente’s mother Paula (Marissa Saavedra). Ramón is supportive of Chente when he is sober, and he even agrees to let him drop out of school and pursue singing full-time. Ramón also promises to accompany Chente to a new job he is starting in Guadalajara. Everything seems to be going well, especially because Tavo is assisting him in his efforts to win over young Chuquita (Ishkra Zaval). till a catastrophe occurs.
What TV series will it make you think of? When compared to Mike, a biographical television series, El Rey, Vicente Fernández is much, much, much longer.
Our Opinion: Vicente Fernández had a career that lasted almost 60 years, and up until his passing in December of last year, he was one of Mexico’s most beloved singers. Consequently, a biography of him would probably be lengthy. However, El Rey, Vicente Fernández consists of 36 episodes. That is closer to the length of a telenovela than a biographical series.
This indicates that the story of Chente will be told slowly by the creators, Dago Garca and Jhonny Alexander Ortiz. That is what the first episode, which primarily switches back and forth between 1950 and 1966, shows. Since Camil (Jane The Virgin) is the series’ lead actor, we are aware that we will witness scenes from various eras. However, he is only mentioned briefly in these situations, often in brief ones that contrast him with his younger selves. But it appears that we won’t see much of Camil until around episode 13, given how the show will focus on his upbringing and the beginning of his career.
This in-depth look at Fernández’s life may be just what his followers have been yearning for. However, for those who are unfamiliar with his life and work, it would be worthwhile to skip some of the episodes or to simply read a biography of him. The reason for this isn’t that the show is at anyway subpar; instead, it has an authentic look and feel and has strong performances from the numerous actors who represent Chente, including Camil, Dante, and Acab. However, it clearly progresses slowly, and if a spectator doesn’t already have some understanding about Fernández and his career, there isn’t enough emotional tension to keep them interested for such a lengthy run of episodes.
Skin and sex: neither.
Final Thoughts: After learning about his brother-in-law, a depressed Chente is visited by a record label executive who claims to have an opportunity for him that might completely transform the life of his family.
Sleeper Star: Chente must always have a good voice, but Kaled Acab’s portrayal of Chente as a little child particularly pleased us.
Most Pilot-y Line: Palermo chooses to conceal the information from his star in order to continue travelling after learning about Chente’s brother-in-law. Instead, he criticises Chente for not interacting with the other tour participants enough. “I already want to party after the show,” Chente replies. It’s possible that the odd translation is all there is, but that doesn’t sound like a very natural line of speech.
If you’re a fan of Vicente Fernández, stream it; if not, skip it. Vicente Fernández’s El Rey is a visually appealing series with some respectable acting. However, the time investment required will turn away the majority of those who haven’t heard of Fernández before.
Despite the fact that Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about parenting, tech, food, and entertainment, he admits that he is a TV junkie. His articles have also appeared elsewhere, including in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, and Fast Company.
