Women in Blue

Yes, the direction and writing are uneven (it’s not until writer Silvia Jiménez’s seventh and eighth episodes that the characters finally start to get some human depth). But it’s also a thrilling and satisfying ride, combining predictable genre elements with surprising turns. I was jumping in my seat, staying up too late and enjoying “Women in Blue” quite a lot, despite its many imperfections.

In the end, “Women in Blue” succeeds not only because of its distinct characters and truly intriguing mystery, but also because it showcases how patriarchal ideals and misogyny harm not just women but society as a whole.

The first episode has a whiff of Police Academy about it as the cadets go through training, but after that it gets into its stride as a thriller, with the women’s stories adding warmth to the murder mystery.

Each installment of Women in Blue is entertaining enough to keep you hooked, and the finale sets up a predictable but very promising big bad for Season 2, should the show receive one. I know I will definitely be watching if it does.

While we don’t love the storytelling in the first episode of Women In Blue, the performances by the four lead actresses are very watchable and the serial killer mystery that will be a big part of the first season is going to be a good driver of action.

The transformation of our protagonists and the machinations of the city’s corrupt and disingenuous police department are entertaining and thought-provoking seams, but there’s not much inherent dramatic tension or direction in either. Instead, it is the murderer’s mysterious identity – and the manner in which he will eventually be unmasked – that forms the narrative drive.