Someone Has to Die

Someone Has to Die (Spanish: Alguien tiene que morir)[2] is a Spanish-Mexican thriller streaming television limited series created by Manolo Caro, creator of the Netflix series The House of Flowers.[3] The series takes place in 1950s Spain and consists of three episodes revolving around a conservative and traditional society during the Franco regime "where appearances and family ties play a key role".[4] The series features an all-star cast,[5] including Carmen Maura and Caro regular Cecilia Suárez.[1] All three episodes were released simultaneously by Netflix on October 16, 2020.[6]

Someone Has to Die
SpanishAlguien tiene que morir
GenreThriller
Created byManolo Caro
Written by
  • Fernando Pérez
  • Monika Revilla
  • Manolo Caro
Starring
Country of origin
  • Spain
  • Mexico
Original languageSpanish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes3
Production
Executive producers
  • Rafael Ley
  • María José Córdova
  • Carlos Taibo
  • Manolo Caro[1]
Production companyNoc Noc Cinema
Release
Original networkNetflix
Original releaseOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)

Synopsis

A young man is recalled to Spain from Mexico by his wealthy family after a 10-year absence as they have found a suitable young woman for him to marry. However, he brings a male ballet dancer with him, sending shockwaves through his conservative town.[7]

Cast

An extensive cast list was published in October 2019 by Cosmopolitan.[8]

Production

After his successful Netflix series The House of Flowers, Caro was signed to an exclusive deal with the streaming company, and began production on a new three-part miniseries, Someone Has to Die.[2] As well as co-producing and directing, Caro co-wrote the show with Fernando Pérez and Monika Revilla;[5] Caro's production company, Noc Noc Cinema, is credited as the main production company on the show.[7] The show deals with themes of homophobia, conservatism, family, and change against a backdrop of 1950s Spain.[9]

The show is Caro's first work entirely made in Spain, and his first non-comedic work.[5] Some parts of the second season of The House of Flowers had been set in Spain, with Manuel Betancourt of Remezcla suggesting that the country had become his "latest muse".[3] The show began filming in Madrid on 23 October 2019.[10]

Caro has called the cast of the show "a dream"; he had worked with several of them before: Suárez is his constant collaborator and Casanova was in the Spanish scenes of The House of Flowers.[3] Betancourt wrote that the inclusion of "Pedro Almodóvar's OG muse" in Maura made the series a "must-see event".[3] Maura had visited Caro and Suárez while they were filming in Madrid for The House of Flowers in February 2019 to discuss the show.[11] It is the first acting role for Mexican ballet dancer Hernández,[10] who is "considered one of the best dancers in the world".[9] John Hopewell of Variety wrote that, by putting actors like Maura and Suárez together, Caro was "furthering [the] Spanish-language star system".[12]

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Release the Prey"
(Soltar la presa)		Manolo CaroManolo Caro, Monika Revilla, & Fernando PérezOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)

Siblings Alonso and Cayetana Aldama practice their pigeon-shooting at a prestigious country club as Cayetana informs her brother that Gabino Falcón of the Falcón family has returned to Spain after 10 years abroad in Mexico. Gabino surprises his conservative family by bringing his Mexican friend Lázaro to stay with them at the Falcón manor. Unbeknownst to his family, Gabino is secretly gay.

During dinner, the Falcón matriarch, Amparo, loudly voices her disapproval of Lázaro's profession as a ballet dancer and chastises her Mexican daughter-in-law, Mina, when she is seen being friendly towards Rosario, the maid. Mina's husband, Gregorio, is a high-ranking government official who coerces Mina into having sex; Mina falls in love with Lázaro after seeing him practice ballet in the foyer.

The next day, Gabino encounters a hostile Alonso, a childhood friend and also secretly gay, at the country club as Mina discusses Gabino's arranged marriage to Cayetana with Cayetana's mother, Belén. Alonso tells his friends that Gabino is a homosexual and believes that Gabino and Lázaro are lovers. Alonso notices Cayetana's interest in Lázaro and sends her home.

Meanwhile, Gregorio meets with the head of the Aldama family, Santos, in order to discuss the terms of opening a new shoe factory with the permission of Franco's government. Back at the manor, Rosario pleads with Mina to give her Gregorio's official government stamp so her husband can be released from prison. Mina agrees, and attempts to swipe her husband's stamp from his office but ultimately fails.

Gregorio arranges for Gabino to meet with Alonso about an executive position at the new Aldama factory but walks out before the interview is over. That night, Gabino, Lázaro, and Cayetana go to see El Rapto in town, after which Cayetana kisses Lázaro. Furious, Gabino kicks Cayetana out of the car and drives around a street corner where he kisses Lázaro. Lázaro rebukes him, saying Gabino has made a mistake, and exits the car. Upon arriving home, Gabino tells Gregorio that he will never be the son he wants him to be.
2"Take Aim"
(Tomar puntería)		Manolo CaroManolo Caro, Monika Revilla, & Fernando PérezOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)

Amparo, suspicious of Rosario's closeness to Mina, asks Rosario invasive questions about her status as a widow. Meanwhile, Mina travels with Gabino to the Aldama house to apologize for Gabino's treatment of Cayetana but he exits the car at a stoplight before they arrive. He goes to the country club to practice his pigeon-shooting alongside Alonso, who still treats Gabino with disgust.

At the Falcón manor, Rosario accidentally walks in on Lázaro and Mina slow dancing. Amparo confronts Mina about Rosario being a communist like her imprisoned husband, and threatens to notify the police. Mina blackmails Amparo with a secret letter Gabino wrote 10 years earlier implicating Amparo in the death of her elderly husband, which resulted in a traumatized Gabino being sent to live in Mexico with Mina's parents.

Lázaro goes on a date with Cayetana to a carnival, but leaves after she tries to kiss him. Angered at being ditched, Cayetana adds fuel to circulating rumors that Gabino and Lázaro are a homosexual couple. Gregorio is informed of these rumors by Santos, and takes Gabino to a government detention center where gay men are tortured to reveal the identities of other gay men.

Amparo searches for the secret letter throughout the manor. Rosario attempts to visit her husband in prison but lacks the courage to make the journey. An altercation between Alonso and Gabino at the country club leads to both Gabino and Lázaro being kidnapped by Alonso and his friends. Alonso forces Lázaro to dance for the group before beating him and Gabino.

Gregorio's job is threatened by rumors of Gabino's homosexuality; Mina arranges for Gabino and Lázaro to escape via night train to Paris. Alonso visits a cruising ground and fantasizes about having sex with men, but cannot bring himself to do so.
3"Pull the Trigger"
(Apretar el gatillo)		Manolo CaroManolo Caro, Monika Revilla, & Fernando PérezOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)

Police apprehend Gabino at the train station as Lázaro escapes. He is taken to the detention center for homosexual men where Gregorio sees guards torture Gabino for Lázaro's location. He calls them off and attempts to reason with his son. Alonso meets with his father and learns that the new factory plans have been put on hold due to the scandal surrounding the Falcón family.

Lázaro sneaks into the country club and sends word to Mina to meet him there. Alonso visits Gabino and gives him a handgun to hide on his person. Unable to find the secret letter at the manor, Amparo blackmails Rosario into giving her the key to Mina's personal locker at the country club. Rosario complies, only to learn later that her husband has died from pneumonia in prison.

Amparo gives a speech at the country club's pigeon-shooting competition where Cayetana and her friends compete. She goes to Mina's locker but does not find the secret letter. Rosario delivers the secret letter to Gregorio by folding it into his dress shirt before disappearing. Gregorio reads the letter and searches for Rosario but finds her quarters deserted. He arranges for Gabino to be released into his custody.

A waitress informs Cayetana that she saw Lázaro in the woods outside the country club. Cayetana finds Lázaro and Mina having sex. She informs Amparo, who arranges for the couple to be arrested by the club's security. Cayetana attempts to free Lázaro but reveals her good intentions to be a ruse and mocks him for believing her. Meanwhile, Amparo meets with Mina, where she confesses to having killed her husband in front of Gabino. Gregorio arrives at the club and confronts his mother.

Gabino sits in the car with Alonso, who asks Gabino about what it is like to have sex with a man. Gabino recounts the story of losing his virginity, which brings Alonso to tears. Alonso tries to commit suicide but Gabino stops him. They see Gregorio dragging Lázaro outside and chase after them.

In a clearing, Gregorio holds Lázaro and Mina at gunpoint. He goads Gabino into shooting them for their adultery but Alonso uses the gun he gave Gabino to shoot and kill Gregorio. Amparo appears and kills Alonso. She hunts Lázaro down, fatally shooting him in the chest before turning her attention towards Mina. Gabino and Amparo engage in an armed standoff which ends when Gabino shoots her. Mina and Gabino stand over Lázaro's body, leaving their fates uncertain.

Awards and nominations
Year Award CategoryNominee(s) ResultRef.
202132nd GLAAD Media AwardsOutstanding Spanish-Language Scripted Television SeriesNominated[13]

References
  1. Barro, Xisela (1 November 2019). "El primer thriller de Manolo Caro, con Carmen Maura". La Región (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  2. White, Peter (9 May 2019). "Netflix Strikes Overall Deal With 'The House Of Flowers' Creator Manolo Caro & Sets Spanish Period Drama 'Someone Has To Die'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  3. Betancourt, Manuel (25 October 2019). "'La Casa de las Flores' Creator Is Making a Netflix Miniseries Starring Carmen Maura & Cecilia Suarez". Remezcla. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  4. Moreno, Adriano (24 October 2019). "Ester Expósito, de 'Élite', firma su segunda serie en Netflix". Los 40 (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  5. Arteaga, Sandra (24 October 2019). "Alguien tiene que morir, nueva serie de Netflix ambientada en España". ComputerHoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  6. Jew, Linda. "Someone Has to Die: Netflix Sets Global Premiere Date for Spanish Thriller – The Euro TV Place". Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  7. "Alguine tiene que morir" (Press release) (in Spanish). 1 November 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019 – via Netflix Media Center.
  8. Taibo, Marieta (23 October 2019). "Netflix presenta el reparto de 'Alguien tiene que morir', la nueva serie de Manolo Caro". Cosmopolitan España (in European Spanish). Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  9. González, Paloma (23 October 2019). "Alguien tiene que morir, el nuevo thriller de Manolo Caro para Netflix". GQ México (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  10. García, Ángel (24 October 2019). "'Alguien tiene que morir', la nueva miniserie de Manolo Caro para Netflix". Forbes México (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  11. "María León será la hermana de Paco en La casa de las flores de Netflix". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 19 February 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  12. Hopewell, John (17 January 2020). "'House of Flowers' Manolo Caro Confirmed as Iberseries Jury President". Variety. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  13. Gardner, Chris (8 April 2021). "GLAAD Media Awards: 'Schitt's Creek,' 'Happiest Season,' Sam Smith Take Top Prizes". The Hollywood Reporter.
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