Reviewed by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban


Once again, PBS Masterpiece has brought us a winner.

This time, it is Zen, a mystery series based on Michael Dibdin’s novels (http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Dibdin/e/B000APLL6M/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1).

Zen is Aurelio Zen, a contemporary Italian police detective working in Rome. So, on top of great acting, an intriguing story and handsome people we get to see Rome.

We also get to see life in modern day Italy, which is in many ways quite different from life at this side of the ocean.

Take the protagonist for instance. Here we have a handsome thirty something years old (played by handsome British actor Rufus Sewell), who is a police detective and faces crime and murder every day, yet he lives with his mom in a small apartment. Being from Spain, I know this is not unusual and does not qualify him, in any way, as the next Norman Bates. Yet for American audiences, it is quite hilarious.

I missed the premiere on July 17, but, Kabal, the episode I watched last Sunday was totally engrossing. It had murder, passionate love affairs, kidnapping, conspiracy theories and a mysterious secret organization that implicates–how could it not, being this Rome?–the high hierarchies of the Church.

As is the case in every good series, the story is resolved within the current episode but leaves enough threads hanging to lure the viewer to watch the next installment.

If you still wonder if this show is for you, click here to watch the trailer:


And if you want to watch the first two episodes you can do so by clicking here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/watch/index.html

The third and last episode will air on July 31.

And if you watch this series and like it, please tell your friends about it. Maybe if we are many, the producers and others Power of Be will decide to make more episodes.

For I, like little Olivier, want more.

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