'El Marginal' Season 4 Review: Great acting and gritty plot make show disturbingly dark
Netflix just debuted the fourth season of the crime drama 'El Marginal' and just as expected, the show packed in prison life paired with an interesting plot incredibly well.
'El Marginal' gained attention for its raw and gripping portrayal of life in jail and the dealings that go down. It has won awards and Season 4 carries on the good run. The Netflix drama thriller sees the return of Miguel Palacios aka Pastor (Juan Minujin) who runs into old enemies changing the trajectory completely. There's power plays being made inside and outside the prison as confrontations began piling. Add to it a perilous attempt to escape by Pastor and it's a solid recipe for a winning plot. So read on to know what happened in the fourth season and what we thought of it.
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The start of Season 4 sees Miguel Palacios while on the run get captured and put in prison. A fight with an inmate results in him killing the other prisoner and he is subsequently put in the Hole where he is drugged and tortured to the point where he almost tries to kill himself. Later on, after he recovers, we see him run into his enemies the Borges brothers who are now brought to Puerto Viejo prison, and a new saga of survival, rivalry, and a daring escape begin.
Being based in a prison, the thriller is expected to be gritty which it most definitely is but the intense displays of violence and blood are probably a bit much for some viewers. The brutal scenes of torture, sodomy, rape and murder often leave you wincing. If we get past this established routine, then the latest season is filled with more politics and schemes than ever. Juan Minujin does a solid job, perfectly portraying the trauma life in prison can cause to a person while also showing determination to survive.
Claudio Rissi as Mario Borges is amazingly intimidating again. Nicolas Furtado who plays Diosito showcased his brilliant acting chops, this time even delivering emotional scenes when his character learns a shocking truth and finally decides to make a change.
'El Marginal' Season 4 does a good job of moving the story further. New threats, characters, great music and fresh knowledge make for a captivating and brutally realistic crime drama. For those who can't stomach violence and occasional gore, the show may be triggering. But for all those who adore the genre and stories based in harsh prisons, the Netflix thriller should be right up your alley.
'El Marginal' Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
