Before El Marginal hit Argentine state television in 2016, few series had provoked such a feverish and unwavering response in the country. Created by Sebastián Ortega (Costumbres Argentinas) and Uruguayan Israel Adrián Caetano (Pacto de Sangre), this five-season prison drama had a huge impact on popular culture. It was an exceptional case of record ratings matched with critical acclaim for its gritty approach to the complexities of life behind bars. Even today, in a television landscape full of options, El Marginal, which chronicles the comings and goings of inmates at the dangerous San Onofre prison, continues to stand out with the same fierce power.

Now, Netflix, Telemundo Studios, and production company Underground are expanding on the award-winning story of El Marginal, presenting their first spin-off, En el Barro (In the Mud). Directed by Alejandro Ciancio (El Secreto de la Familia Greco) and Estela Cristiani (La Viuda de Rafael), the drama shifts from a male prison to a female one. In the process, En el Barrio puts Gladys Guerra “La Borges” (Ana Garibaldi), one of the most memorable characters from the original series, at the center of the plot.

“The idea behind En el Barro, as El Marginal did at the time, is to open up the debate. There aren’t just good guys and bad guys, but a lot of gray areas in between that invite reflection,” Ortega told La Nación. Recently released, the eight-episode series is now available in its entirety on the streaming platform.

The Return of “La Borges”

En el Barro is set in the state women’s prison “La Quebrada” and follows a new group of inmates who must adapt to life behind bars and the extreme adversities that come with it. It all begins when, on their way to prison, Gladys “La Borges” and the other imprisoned women with her suffer a terrible accident. After, they form a kind of survival front and become known as “Las embarradas” (the muddy ones).

Although En el Barro is mainly told from the perspective of Gladys, the widow of the feared criminal Mario Borges from El Marginal, the series reveals a group of women very different from our lead. Our protagonists are: Marina (Valentina Zenere of Élite), a rising model accused of murder who seeks to prove her innocence. Yael (Carolina Ramírez of La Reina del Flow), a Colombian drug mule fighting to get her daughter back. Olga (Erika de Sautu of Un Gallo Para Esculapio), a negligent cosmetic surgeon navigating her own insecurities. Solita (Camila Peralta of Nancy), a thief from a humble background who knows how to go unnoticed. And last but not least, “La Gallega” (Ana Rujas of La Buena Letra), an international criminal whose volatile violence ignites the prison.

Then there are the staff members. Warden Cecilia Morazón (Rita Cortese of El Mejor Infarto de mi Vida) hides behind the facade of a conservative woman. The institution’s perverse doctor, Soriano (Marcelo Subiotto of Puan) reaches new levels of cruelty in each episode.

En el Barrio also boasts the acting debut of singer María Becerra and Juana Molina, who plays a friendly troublemaker who knows all the inmates’ secrets.

In this story, as in El Marginal, many inmates are forced to choose between survival and their moral principles, as death is practically a cellmate. However, En el Barro is not a carbon copy of its predecessor, but an interesting series in its own right that explores female criminality and the impact of prison on family relationships, especially for mothers. “I think the series has its own identity and will have its own journey. We want it to… help spark debate and reflection on the judicial system, the prison system, and what happens to women who are deprived of their freedom,” producer Pablo Culell told Produ.

Ortega, in collaboration with screenwriters Alejandro Quesada, Silvina Frejdkes, and Omar Quiroga, has created a deeply disturbing drama that relies on the performances of its cast and reflects on the inhumanities of the Argentine prison system. Without a doubt, Netflix’s latest offering gives viewers an empathetic understanding of these women’s struggles.

So, Should I Watch It?

Prison dramas steeped in intense emotions, acts of violence, moral ambiguities, and power pacts make it difficult to look away. For some reason, we like to see how characters react when their freedom is taken away, and in turn, we like to see how they overcome and find the willpower to move forward. The series En el Barro understands this and knows how to capitalize on it.

I don’t think veteran viewers or newcomers will regret spending time with this raw Argentine drama. However, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the spin-off series could have had fewer episodes and been better for it. Fair warning: En el Barro offers little comfort to its characters or its audience, and can often be a brutal watch.