Season 1 |
Episode Guide
The Fountain
Born Ready
The Newcomer
A Star Like Me
Girl, Wake Up
Code L
Hypochondria
At the End of the World
The First Time
Love Octagon
The Most Beautiful Flower is the latest Mexican teen drama, a visually dazzling but narratively cliched series. There are absolutely no surprises here, with the 10 episodes presenting all the usual archetypes we’ve come to expect from a show like this and blending them up with a quirky, comedic tone. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that of course, but given the sheer number of teen dramas out there, it’s perhaps disappointing not to find this one taking more risks.
The story centers on social pariah Mich and her misfit friends, Tania and Yadi. Mich has dreams of being the popular kid, she wants to be in the spotlight like her cousin Brenda, and she has plans to try and conquer high school. Mich is currently dating popular kid Dani… but there’s a problem. He wants to keep their relationship a secret. If that wasn’t enough, Mich finds herself romantically linked with Mati, an aspiring DJ and also with Majo, a female student at school.
This “love octagon” is made all the more complicated when Brenda becomes entangled in the drama, with Mich and her starting up a rivalry over who’s going to star in the lead play at school, Alice in Xochiland.
As the episodes progress, this coming of age tale sees Mich struggle to meet her family obligations. She’s torn between school and her own dreams and living up to her family’s expectations.
Most of the show gravitates around Mich’s drama, with the camera almost exclusively glued to her through the series. All the usual tropes and arcs show up, from the “misunderstanding” to the “forbidden kiss” right the way over to the friend betrayal and eventual make-up. There are very few surprises here and the series generally follows a very obvious path through to its final chapter.
Each of the episodes clock in at around 30 minutes or so, making for a light and breezy watch, but there are definitely highlights. Some of the comedic quips – like Mich spilling her guts about the troubles she’s facing, only for the camera to pan out and reveal she’s talking to a child – work really well in the context of the series. There’s a bit of fourth-wall breaking too but The Most Beautiful Flower disappointingly relegates that to the beginning and end of the show, with only a couple of segments across the 10 episodes in total.
Personally, the series is crying out for an extra layer of comedy and this could have done well to help it stand out, although I do understand that gimmick can get old really fast, especially when it’s not implemented properly (hello, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law).
Ultimately though, The Most Beautiful Flower is a very simple and straightforward teen drama that offers few surprises. This is a very glossy and aesthetically pleasing show that repackages familiar tropes and clichés into a vibrant Mexican setting. It’s certainly not bad, but it’s not particularly great or original either.
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Verdict - 6.5/10
6.5/10