Mão de Ferro

I liked the concept: gangsters running the port in Barcelona, with some family drama and internal tensions. The actors were good. At first, it wasn't trying to be too clever.

As the episodes wore on, the bad writing kept decreasing the enjoyment for me, until I positively disliked watching the last two episodes. I kept watching hoping it would redeem itself, but it only degenerated into implausible subplots and gratuitous diversions.

Others have pointed out some of the poorly written scenes, but it's even worse than that: the timelines don't even match up. Miki will head out in his car at night and then arrive in broad daylight, even though we know the two places are not that far apart. Other times things are happening with characters that are clearly meant to have happened before other scenes. I'm not talking about the flashbacks, which are also annoyingly overdone and distracts from the main storyline, but at least they make it clear when it's a flashback.

With only slightly better writing, this could have been a good watch. As it is, I recommend skipping it.

Starts outs with a mighty pop then fizzes out with a script that leaves you tired of the characters and this overworked plot.

I really wanted to love this and what is not to love? Barcelona? Yes, truly one of Europe's most magical cities. The mob? Never a bad idea to write a mob story. Family drama? Always a narrative pull since King Lear and the Bible. Betrayal? A cornerstone of storytelling.

Yet, it all became tiresome and slightly confusing. Too many flashbacks that were supposed to reveal plot points but, instead, negated any real character revelation.

I don't mind cinema violence and this series shines most authentically in its violence. The nephew and uncle showdown is as real as it gets. Many other scenes evoke the same realism and emotional spell.

The last episode was a shark jumping mess. I know that the producers are just angling for Season 2 but jeez.

This could have been great. It had some moments. Had it been cooked down to four episodes instead of eight then moving forward to the second season, I might be excited to follow the story.

But, they kind of wore me out.

Iron Reign (2024) is one of the most gripping and surprisingly underrated series of the year. From the very first episode, it pulls you deep into a world of crime, power, and family loyalty. The storytelling is intense, fast-paced, and filled with twists that you never see coming. Each character is well-crafted, especially the lead who perfectly balances strength and vulnerability. The atmosphere is dark but rich, and the cinematography beautifully captures the tension in every scene. What makes it stand out is how unpredictable the plot is-you constantly feel like anything can happen. Despite its quality, it hasn't received the attention or rating it truly deserves. Iron Reign is a hidden gem worth watching.

This is AT LONG LAST a true Spanish series, the best ever for me, though I admit not have seen so many of them. But at least, it is ten billions times better than the CASA DEL PAPEL junk, garbage crap destined to all kinds of audiences, under and over fifties housewives, truck drivers, convicts, budding young executives, teens.... Crap. This series is gritty, bloody, taut, rough, tough, not for sissies. I LOVE IT !!!! And that's the first time I see Sergi Lopez handling a machine gun or simply acting in a crime flick. I particularely recommend the fifth episode where you watch the most terrific knife - fist- fight of all times for me, grittier than any other filmed stuff, even Asian movies from the seventies. This scene between Sergi lopez and another character is purelly outstanding. So realistic.... And this series, which the plot takes place in Barcelone harbor, among giant containers, this series looks very likke another one, from France, and called DE GRACE, but taking place in LE HAVRE harbor, another crime drama involving a family, with a patriarch and his sons.... But DE GRACE was less crime than drama, there was no undercover cop scheme, unlike this one, which is an authentic mafia crime series. In both TV shows you also have many flashbacks, concerning the family story. And the partriarch character here, with the iron hand, is the equivalent of Olivier Gourmet's role in DE GRACE. And I don't know if you have noticed, but both actors - Gourmet and this Spanish actor - HAVE THE SAME EYES !!! Not face, BUT EYES, same glance. Please try to check by yourself. Not face but eyes. What a coincidence....

The TV series in question is nothing but a chaotic mishmash of gratuitous violence and graphic sexual content, seemingly designed to shock rather than tell a coherent story. From the very first episode, it becomes clear that the writers have little else in mind beyond throwing every taboo and shock value scene they can think of into each episode. The result is a non-stop barrage of outrageous characters-A voodoo/Santeria shaman, pirates, fight club pretenders. In short, nothing more than a mindless and forgettable sequence of fighting stunts and spontaneous sex scenes. One a positive note, you'll never feel like you missed something, since every scene feel the same.