ratboyfrommars Review of Merlí

Merlí (2015–2018)

Progressive, Painful, Powerful, Funny, and Real; Nothing Quite Like It

[10/10 · 17 January 2018]

Nothing, and I mean nothing, has ever messed me up like this brilliant show did, and the best thing about that is that among all the sad moments, there were a lot of really powerful happy moments that brought forth just as much if not more tears. I can't even begin to describe how important this show is, and I'm not sure if it's even possible to put it properly in words. Throughout the show, we see the evolution of each character, Merlí included, partly thanks to Merlí's amazing advice and their own initiative. The suffering and success faced by these characters is all explainable in some way or form, so When his teachings of philosophy go beyond the classroom and the characters apply these ideas to their own lives and relationships, the beauty of having a teacher who actually cares about connecting with their students in a non-superficial way really hit me. Each character that came and went left their mark, but their loss never felt out of place or useless. This show had me feeling nostalgic for characters and memories I've only been aware of for a few days, had me loving each and every one of the characters because an actual effort was made by the writers and actors to make them understandable, and had me sobbing at how absurdly perfect some moments were. This was beautifully written, beautifully filmed, beautifully acted, and powerful in its subtlety. Watch. This. Show. Watch it, fall in love with it, gain an interest in philosophy, pay attention, and allow yourself to really *think*. 10/10!