The Buzz: ‘Glória’ A Spy Series with Blatant Faults

A strong series start that falls into the slump of lazy writing. Glória is the first Portuguese series on Netflix and it feels there is a lot to prove to a worldwide audience. The historical elements shine with an overall understanding of how complicated Portugal’s political climate was especially in the late 1960s. As a period piece, the costume design and set design feel as though the film is right out of that time period. However, the major downfall to the series is the weak and misogynistic writing of female characters in the story. Though the series is set in 1968, it does not excuse writers writing like it is 1968.

Glória is slightly confusing to follow at first, but it follows João Vidal (Miguel Nunes), who starts work at a radio station called RARET located in the small village of Glória do Ribatejo. RARET is a location used by the CIA to transmit US propaganda around the world, to block Soviet Union Propaganda from being heard and listen to Soviet transmissions to find out what their plans are. What no one knows at RARET is that João is an undercover Soviet spy. The series follows João’s mission to hinder the United States Cold War effort while also trying to learn what happened to a fellow undercover agent named Mia (Victoria Guerra). The series is created by Pedro Lopes, who is mostly known for writing and creating popular Portuguese telenovelas such as Dancin’ Days and laços de sangue (Blood Ties). The series is directed by Tiago Guedes who is mostly known for Portuguese TV movies. The series is also written by eleven other writers who only have experience writing Portuguese telenovelas. A lot of research by the writing team seems to have been done to bring the specific time period to life.

The best aspect to the show is that it knows how to take advantage of its setting through extensive knowledge on its subject; Portugal in 1968 during the Cold War. The setting in Portugal is taken advantage of with location shooting to highlight notable landscape and buildings in Portugal. The year 1968 (or 60’s in general) is highlighted with the set design with the inside of homes looking like homes in the late 1960’s. The costume design with black and white suits to work and other casual wear is also filled with more woodsy colors such as yellow, orange and green. The hair design is also in line with the era with mustaches, slicked over men’s hair and women’s hair styled to match the time period as well. The music, which is centered on popular 1960’s music by artists including Cream, 13th Floor Elevators, and The Sonics, adds great historical atmosphere. Portugal during the Cold War is also highlighted in certain parts of the story elements. The series works as a historical lesson on Portugal during the 60’s and it is incredibly informative, touching on topics such as Portugal’s time under authoritarian leader António de Oliveira Salazar, and their involvement in a civil war with the South African country Angola. The list could go on. Historically, the show knows what it is talking about and does a great job of illustrating how people lived in Portugal in 1968. However, the series focuses so much on the historical elements that it forgets how to tell a good story.

The first three episodes of the series feel fresh and exciting to watch. The story is very intriguing and, at times, very suspenseful when João is almost discovered to be a spy on multiple occasions. Then, episode four rolls around. Many of the aspects that make the first three episodes so great become overused. Creative long takes happen less and less, the 1960’s music only pops up at the end of the episodes becoming a way to add drama to the episode ending and the narrative elements become almost laughably predictable. For example, every time João enters someone’s office to steal information, the person who works in that office arrives and almost catches him. The logic of being randomly caught becomes tiring past the third episode and becomes a cheap narrative device to create suspense. The story itself begins to stretch where it seems as though the writers needed to fill out an extra six episodes with small character side stories that are there to just waste time. It would be one thing to say that these side stories build character development, but so many characters are killed off in the series that, outside a few main characters, no other character is given a full arc. These other characters are introduced, the audience gets to know them and then they die. Female side characters are especially written off in the series.

The major fault with Glória is that it suffers from misogynistic writing. This can be viewed in how female characters act and are treated within the narrative. In the series women, are used as sexual or romantic interests for men. No woman stands on their own as a character, they rely in some way on a male character. Regarding the treatment of women, female characters are killed, beaten up, and raped. This, as well as the reactions and emotions of the female characters, are seemingly used to artificially create drama. When a woman is abused or cries, it is supposed to evoke an emotional response from the audience. The writers are essentially only using female characters as dramatic plot devices. There could be the excuse that this happens to show what life was like in Portugal in 1968 for women, but it never addresses the treatment of women in a constructive way. There are no narrative repercussions to the mistreatment of women and it is written off as normal. A simple question must be asked: are women dramatic plot devices for men in real life? No. The reasoning for this can be attributed to weak writing. The writers found the easiest dramatic device, female suffering, and ran with it.

As a historical set piece, it shines the most with set design, costume design and historical information about Portugal in the 1960s. The series is focused on Cold War espionage which emphasizes staying hidden in plain sight. Ironically what the series tries to look past and can’t seem to keep hidden is the use of female characters as sexist plot devices to further the story. Even if the excuse can be made that it is non-intentional, the damage has been done. Glória is Portugal’s statement on what the country has to offer on Netflix’s platform, and it isn’t a good one.