A Sharp Comedy About How We’re All … Kind of Idiots

What:

In Buenos Aires, Felipe “Feli” Rozenfeld aimlessly searches high and low for purpose after his ex-girlfriend claims he is unspectacular and, therefore, not long-term material. The problem is he has no special abilities or traits … Except that he is Jewish.

After accidentally applying for a job position at a local police station, Feli enrolls as a one of the eight founding members of División Palermo, a civil guard wing of the police with mild responsibilities such as directing traffic or picking up litter.

Composed of minorities, the group is central to a painfully visible government effort to at the very least appear more inclusive.

Eager to play hero cop, he soon discovers a dangerous web of crime. When his partner is left gravely injured after being caught in the crossfire with an unknown assailant, Feli decides to solve the case to avenge his comrade.

The stakes of the case grow as do his mutual feelings with Sofía (Pilar Gamboa), the quick-witted woman in a wheelchair he met while accidentally applying for his job, further complicating the situation. Despite jeers from the department’s traditional police officers, the División Palermo team races to figure out this case as a team.

Why:

The comedy is refreshing because you can laugh at everyone. Whether it’s the protagonists, antagonists, the government officials, the bosses, or the citizens, you’re not laughing at someone for being a minority. You’re laughing because they’re a human privy to misjudgment, insecurity, and hubris — all of which create awkward, hilarious situations.

To me, season one is perfect while season two loses just a little bit of its edge, but it introduces some great characters and is still wonderful.

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

How:

División Palermo has two seasons with 14 total episodes (25 minutes each) available via Netflix from the United States.