Episode Guide
Episode 1 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Episode 2 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Episode 3 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Episode 4 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Episode 5 -| Review Score – 3.5/5 Episode 6 -| Review Score – 2/5 An ending can make or break a show. Game Of Thrones Season 8, for example, produced an ending that has made that fantasy epic nigh-on unwatchable. Thanks to its butchered characters and the writers “kinda forgetting” to write a satisfying conclusion, it’s a harsh reminder of how important sticking a landing actually is. The Minions Of Midas unfortunately fails to learn this lesson, undoing a lot of promising work early on to deliver a hollow, unsatisfying conclusion that baits a second season that’s likely not to arrive, especially given the source material. But let’s backtrack before we get to that ending. Based on a 1901 short story by Jack London, The Minions Of Midas is a methodically paced thriller (I use that term very lightly here) that follows the exploits of a rich businessman called Victor. Victor, the current President of his paper newspaper El Observador Nacional, has his world turned upside down when a letter arrives at the office. It’s a blackmail note, telling him to pay up 50 million euros or innocent people will die. This is signed by “The Minions Of Midas” who remains an anonymous threat throughout the show. Thinking nothing of it, Victor rips up the letter and continues his day… until someone dies. Now taking things seriously when a second message arrives, Victor takes his concerns to the police where Detective Conte fronts the case. What follows is an investigation diving into the origin of these messages and quite who sent them. As the victims pile up and the police run out of clues, the final 2 episodes see Victor engaging in some pretty questionable actions, both in his personal and professional life. To further complicate Victor’s problems, alliances form against him in the board-room, his marriage hits an all-time low and an office romance with diligent reporter Monica is a steamy but ultimately screen-wasting endeavour. Interwoven around all of this are numerous archival shots of riots and civil unrest outside; a physical manifestation of the war going on in Victor’s mind. For the most part, The Minions Of Midas does well to juggle both of these story angles until its third act. Now, I won’t go into specifics here but suffice to say this mini-series does not have a satisfying conclusion. In fact, none of the characters end with much in the way of a satisfying arc. Sure, there’s some unlikely twists thrown in along the way but these shockers are added in at the sake of narrative consistency. When you stop to question what’s happening on screen, the whole thing falls apart in the most spectacular way possible. There’s a few moments here that will genuinely leave you scratching your head, wondering whether you missed something while you’re watching. Plot twists undo several hours of careful character work and tight pacing, giving the impression of time wasting – which is never a good thing in a TV series. It’s a shame too as there’s definitely potential here but that potential quickly evolves into disappointment. Given the great small-screen quality that’s arrived from Spain over the years, The Minions of Midas is not a great import. Armed with a poor ending, some questionable character work and a sloppily paced story, this is one series that’s probably best skipped.
