Smiley is a TV series made for Netflix based on the play by Guillem Clua. The hubby and I watched it in the original Spanish with subtitles, but it’s also available dubbed if that’s what you prefer. There are eight episodes, and since Netflix doesn’t call it a limited series, I have no idea if there will be a season two.
Smiley is a romantic comedy where two people who are opposite fall in love. The opposites are Álex, the sexy bartender who belongs to two gyms and spends his time on “dating” apps looking for love. Bruno is the attractive older man who is more traditional when it comes to dating and romance. He’s an architect and is into old movies.
Carlos Cuevas plays the buff and dreamy Álex, who opens the show leaving a voice message to a man he was dating and has suddenly stopped responding to him. The message is ridiculously long, spelling out the ill-fated relationship in detail and makes for a good introduction into Álex’s life. We see Álex living his life while we hear him leaving the message. The directors, David Martín Porras and Marta Pahissa, did a great job with the timeline and overall look and feel of the series. And, as it turns out, Álex uses the bar phone to leave the voice message and dials the wrong number, which just happens to belong to Bruno.
Bruno, played by Miki Esparbé, listens to the entire message and is intrigued by it. He calls the number, Álex answers and the two decide to meet. When they meet, Bruno is nervous and chatters on about himself and his interests, giving Álex very little time to respond. And although they’re both hot for each other, neither will admit it to themselves or each other because they have preconceived notions about who the other is. It makes for a fun story, and although the two have sex early on, they doom any chance of romance by being too afraid of being rejected.
Although the main story is fun, it’s the subplots that keep it all together and hold your interest for all eight episodes. Álex’s widowed mother gets a visit from a long-lost friend, and we have no idea why he came back; a lesbian couple in a seven year relationship are getting ready to move into a newly renovated apartment, but one of them secretly took a job in Ibiza; an older drag queen who has given up on love suddenly finds himself interested in another man; Bruno’s best friend and co-worker is going through a mid-life crisis that might end his marriage and his career. All the characters are well developed, acted, and show a range of age, interests, and lifestyles that you don’t often get in a show like this.
While all eight episodes focus on Álex and Bruno, the fantastic ensemble cast really holds it all together. If you like sexy, lighthearted romantic comedy, do not miss Smiley.
Watch Smiley on Netflix.
