Patria - General Discussion

[aghst]

This is on HBO Max, an HBO Europe production.  Based on a novel about how the Basque separatist movement affects two families.  Novel was a smash hit and the series seemed to be well-received.

The pilot raises a lot of questions:

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1.  Why are the people of the town so hostile to Bittori, the widow of the man who was killed by ETA?

2.  What happened to Arantxa, who as young woman wanted to flee the troubles but 20 years later is unable to speak or walk, have to be bathed by others, can only communicate by tapping out sentences on an iPad-like device?

3.  How did Txato come to be a target of ETA extortion and ultimately assassination?  Because he owned a business?  Whom did he pay off by crossing the border into France?

4.  How did Miren, who was mad that her son Joxe Mari participated in a riot where he tried to set off a Molotov Cocktail in the bus she was riding, become such a hardcore ETA sympathizer and so alienated from her friend Bittori?

ETA killed over 800 people over a span of 4 decades.  Most of the fiction about ETA and the separatist movement focus on the ETA people, how they rationalized violence.  So the novel on which this series (probably a limited series) is based represented a big departure.

It appears most of the cast are Basque rather than Castilian.  I could make out some Spanish words but a lot of the dialog is probably opaque to those who don't speak Euskara.  The show offers either dubbed or subtitled language options.

They don't show the names of the places where this takes place.  Certainly you're not seeing the glamorous San Sebastian waterfront, which is a huge international tourist destination now.  It takes place in some mountain village but the story starts out in that village in 1990, then Bittori moves to Donastia (San Sebastian) but then Bittori returns to the village, determined to learn what happened, the answers to many of the questions in the spoiler above.

 

This show may have limited appeal to non-Spaniards or non-Europeans.  The history may not be well known unless you lived in Europe during the time.  But the main cast members are elderly, as opposed to the young and beautiful leads in other HBO shows from Europe such as My So Called Life or I May Destroy You.

It may also be that unless one has some close encounter with terrorism, it could be hard to identify with these characters to a certain extent.  But it also seems like the show will touch on more universal aspects of life, like family, friendship, loyalty. 

 

[Rickster]

Well, I am a non Spaniard, but admittedly a first generation American of European background, and I thought this was one of the best series I have seen in years. I was also fascinated by the very non traditional setting in the Basque region of Spain as well as the ETA story of which I knew very little

I've seen all the episodes via streaming, so would not want to say too much since I don't know what the broadcast schedule was/is. I will say one thing that surprised me was that Arantxa's disability (which was revealed in the first episode to have happened as an adult, but you don't know how) was not tied into the overall ETA plot. I expected it might have been revealed to be a factor in the radicalization of her family, but that was not the case.

[aghst]

The thing that's striking is how that town was dominated by groupthink.

In an instant, they turned on Txato and Bittori as soon as the graffiti came out, including lifelong/best friends, Joxian and Miren.  I understand they had to be 100% in support of ETA or else they could be targeted.  But Miren is just a miserable woman, bitter and unkind, who made the rest of her family unhappy.  Bittori had been nothing but a friend to her but when ETA targeted Bittori's family, Miren abandoned her.

So while she chanted those ETA slogans, I think the way she is depicted has more to do with her character.

That and the Spanish were just brutal to the Basques, so it's not surprising that the populace of that small town would be largely sympathetic.  There was definitely an element of fear but also ETA was the enemy of their enemy.  The butcher, after he lost his son who was an ETA killer, said what nobody else in the town would say.

I haven't finished it yet but Txato seemed to be a decent and generous man.  His only failing maybe was that he didn't get out of that little town when threatened.  He thought he could reason with the ETA, which were "exploiters" as one of the characters said, who recruited the sons of Txato and Bittori's neighbors.

There isn't too much overt resentment but Txato and Bittori were obviously wealthy and could afford to get out, even move the business if they had to.  The workers at Txato's company either were sympathetic or trying to get the company for themselves, as when they suggested that Bittori transfer the company over to them.

I looked up what a Peseta would be worth in USD back in 1990 and it ranged from 95-105 Pesetas to the Dollar.  So Txato paid 2 million Pesetas, which was about $20k and then ETA demanded 25 million Pesetas which would have been over $250k.

There were no allegations that Txato was underpaying or taking advantage of his workers.  Instead it seemed his only fault was that he was rich.  So the ETA leadership in France may have been the ones targeting the richest businessmen and then ordered local recruits to kill a man whom they'd known all their lives.

Txato said he donated to various causes over the years and his act of kindness by buying that bracelet for Arantxa when she was a little girl was something she remembered all her life.

Txato and Bittori were able to shield Xabi and Nerea, gave them education so that they had options.  Joxe Mari seemed like a real believer but didn't seem to be doing anything.  Arantxa knew what a screwed up situation her family was, particularly her mother Miren, so she was determined to get the hell out and told Gorka to do the same.

 

[aghst]

Ending was just perfect, a brief, wordless gesture that both saw was right for the moment.

I don't think they're going back to being best friends.

But Bittori got closure and peace of mind.

 

However, the description on HBO Max says "Season One Finale."  I wouldn't mind seeing more but I think it ended very well.

I can't imagine it will get too much of an audience outside of Spain/Europe.  Maybe that will justify another season.

But these are traditional TV characters.  The children all struggled after Txato's murder.  It would be interesting to see how things are 10 years after ETA announced cessation of their activities.  Not necessary but interesting.