A Hilarious Cop Comedy with a Genuinely Good Mystery

What:

It’s not often you see this good of show, much less when said show is based on a Youtube comedy sketch.

In the original skit “Harina,” Lieutenant Prieto and Officer Ramírez assist their police department’s big drug bust in Mexico City. In front of news cameras, Prieto personally “tests” the floury contraband to confirm whether it is, in fact, cocaine, and the laughs take off from there.

The show returns to this universe in the immediate aftermath of the now viral Youtube video, which attracts newfound scrutiny of Mexico City’s police department. Eager to avoid more controversy, the chief of police partners Prieto with Ramírez, a new, rule-following transfer from nearby Puebla eager to prove herself, as a form of supervision for Prieto.

Soon, the new partners discover a possible serial killer case and can’t resist investigating. Prieto’s determination to redeem his viral behavior in the eyes of his daughter — combined with Ramírez’s proud memory of her father’s police legacy — soon conflicts with the department’s desire to avoid further public controversy.

Why:

As a warning, this show may make your stomach hurt from laughter. And from episode three onwards, the laughs really kick into overdrive. It’s an impressive story built from Youtube comedy characters, really. The mystery feeds you enough breadcrumbs to create an encouraging sense of progress as a viewer, but you are still guessing the culprit until the very last moment.

The gems are the side characters, each of whom is memorable and made me laugh. Rival cops, a disgraced journalist, and internet influencers are just scraping the surface of this world.

Season two leans into the mystery drama genre more than its predecessor, but it still reaches the same high peaks.

Overall, this is an excellent show for an intermediate/advanced-level learner. I highly recommend it as your next watch.

How:

Harina has two seasons with 16 total episodes (30-35 minutes each) available via Prime Video from the United States.