In Turn of the Tide (Rabo de Peixe), when a ship carrying cocaine sinks, four friends who dream of a better life get the opportunity of a lifetime. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
In the Azorean village of Rabo de Peixe, Eduardo is a fisherman who dreams of improving his life by moving to the US, but he cannot do that because he does not get a visa and he needs to take care of his father, whose vision is deteriorating.
Eduardo is friends with Silvia, Rafael, and Carlinhos. Eduardo has feelings for Silvia but chooses not to act on them because she is in a relationship with Rafael, who used to be a professional footballer in the past. Then there is Carlinhos, who is gay and wants to be accepted and loved.
One day, a ship carrying two men who work for an Italian drug lord and kilos of cocaine drowns. Some packets of the drug end up on the shore of Rabo de Peixe, and the residents of the village rush to get their hands on them.
Eduardo sees this as an opportunity to change his life and goes to find the rest of the drugs. Once he gets the cocaine, he convinces his friends to sell it with him to be able to live the lives they always wanted.
However, it will not be easy to fulfill their dreams when a local drug dealer, a detective, and a drug lord are determined to find the drugs and the people who have them. Will Eduardo’s life change for the better, or will it get worse?
Performances
The performances by the cast were not extraordinary by any means. As Eduardo, José Condessa does shine at times, but that is not the case throughout the show.
Helena Caldeira as Silvia, Rodrigo Tomás as Rafael, and André Leitão as Carlinhos fail to impress. Their performances do not grab the attention of the audience, and when they are not on the screen, they are not missed.
The performances that do stand out are those of Maria João Bastos, who plays Detective Frias, and Adriano Carvalho, who plays Eduardo’s father. These are a few of the performances that have depth and leave an impression.
Positives
The show does not pass a moral judgment on the methods used by the four friends to escape poverty. In fact, these methods are seen as the only available option for those who were born with nothing.
At the same time, the show does not propagate the choices made by the characters. They do not get away with everything, and the audience gets to see that there are consequences to their actions.
The twists and turns in the show are quite unpredictable. If nothing else, the audience will enjoy the surprises that the show has in store for them.
Negatives
Apart from a few instances, the show fails to get the audience excited. It lacks the thrill, the urgency, and the fear that could have made it way more entertaining.
Even the passion of the characters to build a better life for themselves is never truly felt, which makes the whole endeavor seem meaningless at times and so it does not allow the audience to get invested in their stories.
Verdict
Turn of the Tide is a show that has some great surprises in store for the audience, but unfortunately, they are not enough to keep them entertained throughout the show. It is certainly not the best thriller series on Netflix.
Turn of the Tide
Director: Augusto Fraga, Patrícia Sequeira
Date Created: 2023-05-24 21:28
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