Comedy
Beef
Netflix’s newest show is well done, you might say. But Plugged In has a beef with some of its problems.
When a 17th century witch is about to be burned at the stake, she works out a deal to be magically transported to the 21st century. She’s still in Cartagena, but a lot has changed in last 400 years.
On the one hand, she’s no longer a slave and she can read and write without fear of persecution. On the other, her inability to use a cell phone and ignorance of things like the Internet cause a different kind of persecution.
Carmen will do anything to get back to 1646 where her lover, Cristobal, is waiting. All she has to do is complete the ever-evolving mission assigned to her by the wizard Aldemar, which, of course, isn’t as simple as it sounds.
Always a Witch, a Spanish-language Netflix original (the dialogue is dubbed for English-speaking viewers), comes with the obvious caveat of witchcraft and wizardry. Carmen and the other magic wielders on the show can cast spells, brew poisons and potions, speak to ghosts, and more—sometimes for good, sometimes for evil.
When magic is used for nefarious plots, it often results in violent and bloody ends. That’s not surprising considering the show’s first episodes opens with a good old-fashioned witch burning. But the lines between good and evil are often blurred, such as when Carmen’s best friend attempts to summon the spirits of his dead parents so he can apologize for causing the boat wreck that killed them. The show is dubbed in English from its original Spanish, but we still get some harsher language with occasional uses of the f- and s-words and misuses of God’s name. People in the 21st century enjoy partying with lots of alcohol and occasional drug use. And the show also delves into the realm of sexuality, touching on homosexual relationships and premarital sex.
When Carmen and her 21st century friend, Alicia, travel to the past to rescue Johnny Ki, another friend, they accidentally alter history.
Carmen uses magic to locate her friends, to read palms and tell the future and to create remedies for simple ailments.
Pirates and soldiers from the past get into a swordfight. An explosion sets someone on fire. Alicia pushes a pirate out of the path of a potentially lethal bullet after he saves her from one of his men. After attempting to steal from the pirates, Johnny is strung up with a noose but talks his way out of being hung by convincing the pirates that his cell phone is a weapon that can trap the souls of his enemies. A man is knocked unconscious with a wooden beam and tied up. A guy in a video sets his arm on fire for a stunt.
In the present, people drink alcohol at parties. After Carmen’s friends discover that a potion she created has ecstasy-like effects, they collaborate to sell it to college students. In the past, pirates drink until they pass out.
Couples kiss. Women wear revealing outfits. Carmen’s friends lie to her about altering the past. We hear the f-word several times.
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
Netflix’s newest show is well done, you might say. But Plugged In has a beef with some of its problems.
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