Episode 16: A Spy Among Friends, Mariachis, Spin
A SPY AMONG FRIENDS, ( England, Amazon Prime ) an espionage thriller based on real events, is the story of privileged Cambridge-educated Kim Philby. Part of the upper echelons of British intelligence, starting in the mid 30s, he worked for 3 decades as a Soviet double agent. It is a tale of spying and double-crossing but it is mainly a tale of two friends, Philby and his fellow aristocratic spy, Nick Elliot who, along with his country, is betrayed by Philby. Elliot is tasked with getting Philby to divulge his secrets which include shocking revelations about other members of the British government that are also working as Soviet double agents.
MARIACHIS( Mexico, Netflix) is the comedic and musical tale of the Cuevas family who includes two grown sons, feisty mother Lucia and father Rosendo who, along with his charismatic but arrogant brother Gavilan, was once part of a popular Mariachi group. Gavilan and Rosendo are estranged but Rosendo’s immediate family is loving and happy. Yet there is a dark secret which the couple harbor. When Rosendo is diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s, his wife decides, along with their two sons, to enrich Rosando’s life by jumpstarting a new mariachi group blending rock and traditional mariachi. Now, down on his luck Gavilan barges into the group to regain former glory and pay off gambling debts. Even though the scandalous secret threatens the Cuevas happiness, the joy derived from their new mariachi sound reinvigorates the lives of the four Cuevas’s.
SPIN( France, Amazon Prime) is a political thriller detailing the rivalry between two French spin doctors who wield the power to elect officials and even influence policy. Simon Kapita is ruthless and effective but has a moral compass which lands him on the more ethical side of any political maneuvering. His former buddy and protegee, Ludovic Desmeuze, is equally skilled but has buried whatever moral compass he had to achieve the ends of an often questionable roster of clients. Behind the scenes they battle each other politically while the government is beset by variety of horrific crises from an assassination to the kidnapping and threatened execution of Kapita’s wife, a crusading journalist.
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