Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Before Narcos or Cable Girls, there was only one Netflix original series that offered Spanish-language programming for a global audience. Club de Cuervos, which premiered wayyy back in August 2015, is one half cutthroat Game of Thrones-style drama and half zany 30 Rock-style comedy, all while being a behind-the-scenes look at a fictional fútbol dynasty.
The series follows Chava and Isabel Iglesias (Luis Gerardo Méndez and Mariana Treviño, respectively), the children of the owner of the Cuervos FC, a successful soccer team that put the fictitious Mexican city of Nuevo Toledo on the map. When their father dies unexpectedly, the Iglesias siblings go to war in order to prove themselves the rightful heir to the soccer throne. Literally. The president of the Cuervos watches all the soccer matches from an elevated throne within the stadium.
In addition to being a deep dive into semi-corrupt sports politics, the series also tackles sexism, homophobia, transphobia and income disparity through the lenses of both professional sports and various Latin American cultures. Some of the more captivating scenes in the series’ two seasons hinge on smart performances from Treviño (Isabel) as she tries to break into the male-dominated world of professional soccer (Think Mad Men’s Peggy Olson, but with more grudges).
While it should be acknowledged for discussing important social topics regularly, Cuervos is not without its flaws. There are a few problematic scenes early on that depict transgendered sex workers as the butt of an unfunny running joke, but the series hits on tough social issues far more than it misses.
Ultimately, Club de Cuervos is a smart and fast-paced comedy that gives itself enough room to breathe in quieter moments without ever dipping into more soap-y territory. And believe me, the show could easily take a turn toward telenovela. Just wait until the pregnant mistress shows up.
The show’s second season premiered in December of last year. After a lengthy wait, Netflix just announced that Cuervos will be returning for a third season on September 29. This is wonderful news for fans of the series and is likely due to the growth in popularity the show has seen from Latin American audiences during its second season.
Even though the show currently boasts an 80 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, The Cuervos (“crows” in Spanish) have always flown just under the radar. The series never found the culture-disrupting success of Narcos, nor is it Netflix’s new Spanish-language darling like Chicas del cable (Cable Girls). But a show this good deserves more credit, and not just from Spanish-speaking audiences. Cuervos is a great opportunity for non-Spanish speakers to hear some modern Spanish colloquialisms, not just flat phrases found in textbooks. And as an added bonus, you’ll also learn how to swear in Spanish. You’ll learn every curse word imaginable.
Be sure to check out this high-stakes Spanish dramedy before the third season hits in September. Come for the Spanish curse words, stay for the veiled social activism. What’s not to love?
