La Casa de Las Flores (The House of Flowers) is one of the latest original Netflix series offerings – a telenovela set in Mexico City which follows the lives of the de la Mora family members and their web of dramas that started when Roberta committed suicide by hanging herself inside the House of Flowers.
First, just who the heck is Roberta? At the pilot episode, it was revealed that she’s the mistress of the head of the family (Ernesto de la Mora played by Arturo Rios) whose lies he’d kept for years started catching up on him. The story is also conveniently narrated by Roberta herself, ala Desperate Housewives.
La Casa was marketed as a dramedy series with a twist. Yes, there are a lot of twists in it – mostly predictable twists. What it lacks, though in originality, it makes up for its charming cast and diverse characterizations.
There’s Virginia de la Mora (Verónica Castro) whose world turned upside down upon learning about the deceit of her husband and eldest daughter, her middle child’s black boyfriend and her youngest son’s homosexuality. It’s a full buffet for Virginia but as the ‘real’ patriarch of the de la Mora family, she’d make sure that no-one and nothing in the world would ever break them as a family.
Then there’s the eldest de la Mora sibling Paulina (Cecilia Suárez). Paulina cracks me up like no other with her accent. She’s the character that you’d either hate or love because she’s a total nutjob and a total badass too!
Elena (Aislinn Derbez), the middle child meanwhile came home to Mexico from taking her masters in New York to announce her engagement with her black boyfriend Dominique. Elena just seemed like the bimbo of the series until she found herself in a sticky situation with her almost half-brother Claudio (Lucas Velazquez). Claudio’s character creeps me out a bit, tbh.
And speaking of bimbo – we’ve the youngest, the unico hijo of the de la Mora familia cum fickle minded, bum-fuckboy but definitely super adorable Julian (Dario Yazbek Bernal). Julian is the sunshine of this series. He’s annoyingly charming and adorably frustrating. Add to the fact that he’s in the closet, has a sexual relationship with a girl and is in a secret relationship with their family’s financial advisor, Diego played by the tall, dark and handsome Juan Pablo Medina. Julian and Diego’s subplot seems to be winning the internet with their power couple good looks and Julian’s puppy-like persona in the series.
The show is definitely a step forward and a mostly unique subplot from the usual telenovelas we’re used to as the show embraces diversity like no other. It may sound a tad campy but it’s actually hella entertaining. Its humor isn’t slapstick nor subtle but it’s there glaring from each characters’ story arc. If you’re looking for something stress-free amidst the political mind-game online and on TV (who still watches TV?), then this show is definitely your best option.
Creator: Manolo Caro
Cast: Verónica Castro, Cecilia Suárez, Aislinn Derbez, Dario Yazbek Bernal, Sheryl Rubio, Paco León, Juan Pablo Medina, Arturo Ríos, Claudette Maille, Lucas Velazquez, Sawandi Wilson, Sofía Sisniega, Luis de la Rosa, David Ostrosky, Natasha Dupeyrón, Alexa de Landa
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