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| Gustavo Cabrera / Netflix |
Netflix has its finger on the pulse of international TV, and the streamer already setting “The Marked Heart” (“Pálpito”) for a Season 2 return is hard evidence of that. Season 1 of the Columbian series gets pulses racing with a dramatic storyline centering on organ trafficking. At the heart of the tale is how two women’s lives become inextricably connected forever, and now it is set to continue.
In case you missed the news in late April, “The Marked Heart” has already gotten renewed by Netflix for a second season, per Deadline. So, the Spanish-language series is obviously doing something right. The drama remained one of the most-watched TV shows on Netflix for quite a while, making the renewal news somewhat unsurprising. Now, before getting into my reaction to Season 1, here is what the show is about in a few more details.
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In Columbia, Camila is a bride with a heart condition, who collapses on her wedding day, and “The Marked Heart” makes it clear she is running on borrowed time. Camila needs a heart transplant, and she required it yesterday. Across town, Valeria is a married mom of two, celebrating her birthday after competing in a race. By the night’s end, Camila and Valeria’s fates will be eternally entwined.
Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for Season 1 of “The Marked Heart” will get discussed beyond this point.
1. Simón Is Really Irritating
It is said that “everyone grieves differently.” Simón’s grief is the type that definitely falls under “different,” and it lands him a spot as TV’s new worst husband. Shortly after his wife dies, Simón is instantly flirting with Camila when he meets her at a concert. “The Marked Heart” tries to sell it is him being drawn to his late wife through Camila although Valeria feels like a distant memory.
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2. Camila Is a Likable Lead
She makes a lot of mistakes, but Camila’s core is nowhere close to rotten. Unfortunately, Camila’s wandering heart leads her into a tryst with Simón before she knows that Zacarías is behind her insidious transplant. Valeria’s heart desiring her husband gives Camila a pass that Billie on “Sex/Life” does not deserve. However, Camila does not wrestle with as much guilt as she probably should for betraying who she thinks is a good husband.
3. Zacarías Believes In Heart Memory
It takes a while before “The Marked Heart” reveals that Zacarías hand-picked Valeria’s heart for Camila. Why would he purposefully murder a pregnant mother and wife when he had other options? Without explicitly stating it, Zacarías appears to hope he can make some “adjustments” to Camila’s wilder spirit by giving her a wife and mother’s heart to tame it. Hence, his passing on single women for the transplant.
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3. Simón Is A Terrible Dad
Simón is the worst innocent-seeming TV dad since Georgy on “Better Than Us.” Instead of pursuing a very-married Camila, why isn’t Simón taking care of his kids? They are clearly struggling, yet he dumps them off with his sister and brother-in-law constantly. Samantha is overwhelmed by housework that he sloughs off on her. Why doesn’t Simón fold a few clothes and wash a few dishes? He has the time.
4. Samantha and Thomas’ Love Story Is Tough
Poor Samantha. Her mom is murdered, and her dad does not give her the time of day, claiming he is trying to find the murderers. In reality, he is giving private “pizza lessons” (wink) to Camila. This leads Samantha to find love with a shady guy named Thomas, who only proves to be an okay person at the very end. Please, aim higher, young people!
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5. Certain Reveals Take Too Long
It takes way too long for “The Marked Heart” to have Simón learn that Camila got Valeria’s heart. Viewers know about it from the get-go, and Season 1 is comprised of 14 episodes. Nevertheless, it takes 12 episodes for Simón to learn that Camila had a transplant and one more episode for him to confirm that Camila got his wife’s heart.
6. Excited For Season 2
“The Marked Heart” Season 1 wraps things up nicely, teasing a potential future minus making the wait for Season 2 an agonizing one. It ends at a great stopping point that leaves you wondering and excited for what could happen next without leaving you hanging. My greatest hope for Season 2 is that Camila feels free of her guilt and fully embraces her new life.
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There are a lot of compelling characters in “The Marked Heart” Season 1. In Season 2, I hope that the attention shifts towards Camila and Zacarías with less emphasis on Simón. That storyline feels played out at this point. Camila needs to find herself again and not let Simón cloud her judgment. After all, he could use the time to parent his children and properly grieve.
Season 1 of “The Marked Heart” (“Pálpito”) is currently streaming on Netflix. Season 2 does not have a release date yet, so bookmark this page. Eclectic Pop will update it when premiere info becomes available.
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