Classic Whodunit, Fresh Setting
1959. The Auslander Hotel sits on a small, forgotten island near Mallorca, its worn-out charm recalling a vanished era. When a dangerous storm hits, a disparate group is forced to take shelter: a wealthy film producer, his young would-be star and lover whose talent has yet to shine, and an aging actor named Benjamin Basil. Once celebrated for playing Sherlock Holmes on screen, Basil now faces fading fame. Around them, other guests and hotel staff fill out the company—thirteen people, each a possible suspect or victim.
Cut Off and Hunted: The Mystery Deepens
It’s hard not to think of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None as murders begin to punctuate the forced isolation of the hotel’s guests and staff. The storm knocks out the radio, so no one can escape, and everyone must wait anxiously for the police to arrive. But the killer is among them. Is it the mysterious man rumored to have a dark past as a former SS officer? The doctor whose nervous glances suggest secrets? The hotel owner, whose strict façade may be hiding something fragile? The clues are plentiful—so are the false leads.
A Tribute to Detective Legends
The Final Problem leans in as both an homage to Christie’s signature suspense and Conan Doyle’s iconic detective story. The title tips its hat to the Sherlock Holmes tale “The Final Problem,” which first appeared in 1893. And in Benjamin Basil, the miniseries centers a faded star forever linked to the role of Holmes. “Deep down, you just want to play Sherlock Holmes,” another guest teases him.
Basil, unable to leave his famous alter ego entirely behind, demonstrates a Holmesian knack for logic and observation, though he’s considered a suspect himself. “I’m just an actor. I only observe the pieces of the puzzle,” he insists. Partnering with him is Foxā, a young admirer whose resemblance to Dr. Watson is only skin deep. Like Basil, he is both helper and potential suspect as the mystery unravels.
Classic Suspense—and Some Bumps Along the Way
With leading roles played by veteran Spanish actors, including José Coronado as Basil, The Final Problem draws enthusiastically from the traditions of detective fiction. Adapted from the novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, the four-episode miniseries sometimes struggles with pacing. The initial episodes slowly build tension within the hotel’s walls, while the final episode picks up speed in a new location as the truth finally emerges.
Episode durations range from 35 to 57 minutes, and the series might have benefited from tighter structure. Some viewers may wonder if the story would have played better as a feature film. Still, in the end, The Final Problem delivers real suspense, keeping its audience entangled in puzzles, misdirections, and well-crafted mystery to the very last scene.
