El Inocente - Season 1

Mateo finally has his life back in order in El Inocente when his pregnant wife Olivia disappears after a mysterious phone call. What is going on and does all this perhaps have something to do with his own past?

Mateo Vidal (Mario Casas, Instinto) has been through a lot in his life. After accidentally fatally wounding someone during an argument at a nightclub, he ends up in jail. A few years later, after his release, his brother with whom he had a very good relationship dies. Yet his life has also had happy moments in recent years. He is now married to Olivia (Aura Garrido, El Ministerio del Tiempo) and they are expecting their first child together. There are plans to move and all the sorrows of the past finally seem to be behind them. Until Olivia receives a mysterious phone call…

As far as I'm concerned, El Inocente is the best Harlan Coben adaptation to date.

As a viewer, we only find out later what exactly is discussed during the telephone conversation. But this one phone call sets off a domino effect. Olivia disappears during a so-called work trip, after which Mateo receives strange messages from her phone. As Mateo searches for answers, and his wife, we see more of their history. How did Mateo get to this point in his life? And how did the relationship between him and Olivia come about? Images from the past explain events in the present and each episode we see someone else's backstory.

Soon, Mateo enlists the help of private detective Zoe (Anna Alarcón, Nit i dia). She knows how to find the necessary information about Olivia and even lends a helping hand when Mateo gets into trouble. The mother of the boy who 'killed' Mateo also appears to have a special relationship with him. Although both parents are still struggling with the loss of their son, mother Sonia (Ana Wagener, Intimidad) has come to see Mateo a bit as her own son over time.



The miniseries has eight episodes and is set in Spain. It has been available on Netflix since April 2021, although I only recently discovered El Inocente myself. The story is part of the deal writer Harlan Coben made with Netflix years ago. Six series based on his books have now been released, of which this was the third in the series. In October 2022, it was announced that Netflix has extended the deal and more Coben series are therefore planned in the coming years.

The series is a crime story with thriller elements. As we are used to from Harlan Coben, there is a second important storyline. Policewoman Lorena Ortiz (Alexandra Jiménez, La zona) investigates the death of a nun (Juana Acosta, Velvet) after the latter's body is found under suspicious circumstances. The nun turns out to be anything but innocent. As more is known about her identity, the case begins to overlap with Mateo's search for Olivia. Is this a bizarre coincidence or is there more to it?

The lesson to be learned from this series is that no one is really completely innocent.

Where in the past I sometimes found Coben's series a bit long-winded or unclear, in my opinion, this is not the case with El Inocente. The story is clear and just right in terms of length and structure. The actions of the characters (mostly) make sense and surprising twists are really surprising. The acting is also very strong. There are some intense scenes in which the protagonists end up who really do something to you as a viewer. This certainly also has to do with the way in which the actors manage to convey this.

I found the last episode extra special about this series. Just when you think you know who is responsible for what, there is one big final twist. In this extra-long closure, all the puzzle pieces fall into place. As far as I'm concerned, El Inocente is the best Harlan Coben adaptation to date. I was on the edge of my seat all episodes. The lesson to be learned from this series is that no one is really completely innocent.