SLT Recommends (Or Not)

"The Eternaut"

To return to my promised irregular series of recommendations, allow me to heartily endorse a show that I mentioned in some of the early episodes of the podcast: Netflix’s The Eternaut.

The Eternaut (or, El Eternauta in its original Spanish) is based on an Argentine comic book of the same name that was originally published in 1957. The show is a two-season adaptation of the comic, with the first season (6 episodes) currently available. Season Two is in the works, but an official release date has not been announced. Some speculation online places that date as early as April of this year, but it does not appear to me to come from fully reliable sources. More realistic estimates seem to suggest a 2027 release.

I will not say a whole lot about the plot, save to give a tease based on the events that happen early in the first episode: an unexpected power outage and a freak snowstorm in summer, which brings death. A group of friends then has to deal with this strange new reality. I will say no more than that, as the unfolding mystery of the situation is part of the appeal of the show.

The acting is exceptional, as are the ways in which Buenos Aires and its environs are shot. The show was originally made in Spanish, and my recommendation is that it be viewed in Spanish with English subtitles for non-Spanish speakers. It was my experience that it better captured the actors’ performances. There is also a dubbed English version, which I watched part of out of curiosity, but found wanting as compared to the original.

Like with my previous piece in this series, I was pleased to find a new show with new material. While this show does fit into certain kinds of existing genre categories (again, I shan’t be more specific), it is its own thing and therefore a refreshing find.

The only real complaint I have about it is that it ends on a cliffhanger, and I really want to see the conclusion!

The good news is that we will get the concluding season, although we will have to wait a bit.

SLT definitely recommends The Eternaut!