Apple’s “A Muerte” Is a Refreshing if Imperfect Watch

There are problems with “A Muerte” / “Love You to Death,” Apple TV+’s new Spanish series. For one, the pilot is frustratingly slow, lacking future episodes’ heart, charm, and action. It’s all set up and done in such a perfunctory (aka boring) way that I imagine many viewers won’t get past it. 

Particularly because we are entering into an emotionally manipulative setup: regular guy Raúl (Joan Amargós) is diagnosed with heart cancer. He needs an operation as soon as possible, even though it only has a 30% survival rate. Meanwhile, wild child Marta (Verónica Echegui) is all cool chaos, a 38-year-old party kid who wows at her job as an advertising creative. Then she finds out she’s pregnant and starts questioning her choices.

That’s a lot to step into. And it doesn’t help that reductive gender stereotypes populate the supporting cast. There’s Raúl’s nagging, controlling girlfriend, Georgina (Paula Malia), who dumps him before he can even tell her about his diagnosis. Not-like-the-other-girls Marta also has a lady scold in her life. Still, hers is her sister Ana (Cláudia Melo), who’s extremely frustrated by her older sister’s inability to grow up, especially as Ana embarks on motherhood herself.

And yet, the series works after the pilot, hitting its stride halfway through the second episode, which Apple is wisely releasing on the same day. “A Muerte” uses a similar mixture of elements as the British “One Day,” blending tragedy, love, and life lessons into a satisfying, if imperfect, watch.

I got at least one good laugh per episode, and some set pieces absolutely shine. There’s a scene about halfway through the season where Marta and Raúl try to convince Marta’s parents that they’re together. It’s all half-baked lies and silliness, a scene countless productions have filmed. But “A Muerte” does it superbly, letting the ridiculous mix with the quotidian and building to a fevered, but somehow still heartful, pitch.

Later, when Marta brings pot cookies to a family gathering, things go predictably wrong. Yet, the mixture of chaos, Ana’s judgment, and the scene’s fireworks feel, if not new, shuffled refreshingly.

“A Muerte” also pulls off a handful of truly touching moments, particularly in the later episodes. Yes, Raúl is confronting his mortality, but so is his best friend Edu (a hilarious, fast-talking Cristian Valencia) by way of the two’s closeness. Edu’s comedic relief is evident in many of the seven-part series, but his reaction and work to support his friend are some of the show’s most poignant and realistic parts.

And the romance feels real, kinetic, in the way only new relationships can. There are lots of obstacles for these two—past and current relationships, plus the unplanned pregnancy and cancer diagnosis. Their meet-cute is at a funeral for goodness’ sake, but they circle each other as both foes and friends, lighting up the shrinking space between them.

The Spanish aesthetics are fun, too. Marta sports an orange pixie cut, embodying the European cool girl vibe we don’t get much of in the States. The apartments are distinctly Old World with lovely patios and smaller interiors. And we even look into “Saint John’s Eve,” the Spanish celebration of the summer solstice.

There are plenty of well-trodden elements here, but creators Dani de la Orden, Natalia Durán, and Oriol Capel mix their components well, making for a funny and heartfelt romance. A tender look at the human spirit and what happens when we connect despite all the obstacles. I doubt this show will pop off, but I hope it attracts a sizable audience, ready to enjoy its charms. You know, like how falling in love actually works.

Now on Apple TV+