Director Juan José Campanella (known for The Secret in Their Eyes ) uses architecture symbolically. In Spain, we see horizontal, open fields—limitless but imprisoning. In Argentina, we see vertical, crowded cityscapes. José starts building the subway, going under the earth. Metaphorically, he is burying his past self.

If you are a fan of period dramas, family sagas, or nuanced immigrant stories, this series is for you. However, Episode 1 is a test of patience. It is deliberately slow. There are no car chases, no love triangles, no easy resolutions. Instead, there is the sound of a train leaving a small Spanish town and the sight of a young man crying alone in a Buenos Aires port.

We meet José Olaya (played by Ernesto Alterio), a 19-year-old anarchist and coal miner working alongside his father and brother, Andrés. The episode centers on a tragic mining accident caused by a foreman’s negligence, leading to Andrés’s death. In a desperate act of revenge, José dynamites the mine and is forced to flee the Civil Guard. To escape, his mother urges him to take the identity of his deceased brother, Andrés, and use his savings to flee to Argentina.

is more than a historical drama; it is a meditation on the fragility of "home." By linking the Asturian mines to the streets of Buenos Aires, Campanella suggests that the immigrant's journey is an infinite loop. The episode sets a powerful tone for the series, reminding the viewer that while the reasons for leaving change—from coal dust to devalued currency—the heartbreak of the goodbye remains identical. thematic analysis

While Episode 1 is widely praised for its ambition, several elements may challenge viewers:

However, some contemporary critics noted that Episode 1 is the most "Spanish" episode; viewers expecting immediate Argentinian tango and soccer might be surprised by its agrarian, Castilian melancholy. But this is precisely its strength. By rooting us in Spain first, the series makes the Argentine story a true extension of the first.