‘The Final Problem’ series review: The meta game is afoot
This article reviews 'The Final Problem,' a series based on Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s 2023 novel, which is a delicious homage to golden age crime fiction. The plot involves a storm stranding guests on a remote island where bodies pile up, and an actor famous for playing Sherlock Holmes is persuaded to investigate a locked-room mystery.
Why it matters
The series offers a meta-narrative on detective fiction, blending classic tropes with modern storytelling, and appeals to fans of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie, contributing to the ongoing evolution of the mystery genre.
It is 1959 on Santa Águeda, an island near Mallorca. The island is a slice of paradise with only one hotel run by the redoubtable Mrs. Auslander (Maribel Verdú). A fierce storm strands the guests on Santa Águeda. One of the guests, Elisa (Paloma Bloyd), is found dead, apparently by suicide. As bodies pile up, and with no way of contacting the police (the storm destroys the radio), everyone is a suspect.
Benjamin Basil (Jose Coronado), an actor past his prime, was on a yacht with Fonseca (Gonzalo de Castro) a producer, and his girlfriend, a beautiful young actor, Vicky (Cristina Kovani). The bad weather prompts them to stay over on the island.
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