Tijuana – Netflix Season 1 Review

Episode Guide

The Candidate
The Funeral
Sinners & Saints
Mueller Ribs
Not Printing is Not Existing
There Are Some People Who You Shouldn’t Mess With
Aftermath
We Will Not Be Silenced
The Journalist’s Path
The Photograph
Change is the Only Constant

From documentaries like The 43 through to numerous televised crime dramas over the years, it’s been well documented that Mexico is a country rife with controversy. Split across 11 episodes, Tijuana is an exciting, politically charged series that sheds light on Mexico’s dark underbelly of corruption and the dangers facing journalists in reporting the truth. With a tightly woven story and an abundance of cliffhangers at the end of every episode, Tijuana is a really compelling Spanish thriller.

Aiming to topple the corrupt establishment ruling over Mexico, the story begins with promising Mayoral candidate for Baja, California, Euginio Robles. As he steps forward as a beacon of hope for the people, he quickly becomes a surprise front-runner in the polls. Unfortunately, his victory is short lived as Robles is assassinated in broad daylight. Step forward the Frente Tijuana team, a press company determined to report the real story and find out just who is really responsible for Robles’ death. As the narrative branches out to include the various different characters at the company, the investigation takes many twists and turns along the way before its climactic finale.

For the most part, Tijuana plays out like a standard crime thriller, with enough action and drama to keep things feeling fresh throughout. From sex trafficking rings and assassinations through to drugs and crooked politicians, Tijuana throws everything and the kitchen sink into its story. This works really well too, with the unique slant to show this corruption from the journalist’s point of view adding a much-needed layer of originality to the mix.

Despite being told at the start of every episode that this is a completely fictional series, the various archival interviews and news reports that crop up through each episode work really well to reinforce the realism of this tale. It’s a small touch but alongside the gritty, beautifully composed scenes, helps make Tijuana a visually impressive series.

While there are better thrillers out there, you’ll be hard pressed to find one as focused on journalism and Mexican corruption as this one. Tijuana has a good pacing for the most part too, with the various characters inhabiting this world boasting some solid writing and compelling arcs. It’s not perfect, and at times it does feel a little melodramatic, but if you’re after an exciting thriller Tijuana is well worth checking out.

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