Chespirito Not Really On Purpose Review Episode 1 (No Spoilers)
Lee este texto en español – Chespirito: Sin Querer Queriendo, ¿Vale la Pena? Reseña Sin Spoilers
Table of Contents
Introduction
The incredible anticipation generated by “Chespirito: Not Really On Purpose”, the new HBO Max Original series, has been overwhelming. In this first episode review (spoiler-free), I write about the character building, tone, atmosphere, and of course, the nostalgia for those of us GenX Mexicans who actually grew up watching Roberto Gómez Bolaños at least once a week.
I offer an honest review so you can decide if this drama, written by Roberto Gómez Fernández based on Chespirito’s autobiography, is for you.
First Impressions: Tone and Atmosphere
So I watched the very first episode, “Cobbler, Stick to Thy Last”, in Spanish. Actually I watched the HBO MAX trailer in English before switching it to the original language (Latin American Spanish… if you’ve ever heard “Spanish from Spain” dubbing surely you’ll understand this distinction). And the English sounds pretty good! I wouldn’t mind watching the episode once again, but now dubbed in English, so I can tell you my sincere opinion.
From the very first minutes, “Chespirito: Not Really On Purpose” immerses us in a nostalgic atmosphere. The first episode addresses part of his childhood as one of three brothers, raised by a single mother. Or maybe it was a young widowed mother? We don’t know yet for sure.
It’s worth clarifying here that the series, like most autobiographical series about Mexican artists, doesn’t aim to recount historical facts exactly as they happened. This isn’t a documentary: it’s a work of fiction (loosely?) based on real events. So, it’s not specified whether Chespirito’s father passed away or if he abandoned the family (the mother asks Roberto not to be “irresponsible, like your father”).
Character Building and Introduction
The Character analysis in this inaugural episode is key. The first sequence, which was used for one of MAX’s (recently re-rebranded back to HBO MAX”) promotional trailers, shows the actors from the first phase of El Chavo del 8 (“The boy from number eight” or “The kid from number eight”) preparing to work.
I say “the first phase of El Chavo del 8” because I was born in 1979 and my generation practically watched every single Televisa and Imevisión TV shows during our childhood. I didn’t have the chance to watch the original El Chavo cast: Quico (Carlos Villagrán), Don Ramón (Ramón Valdés), the four (or more?) Patys, and La Chilindrina (María Antonieta de las Nieves) used to have long ponytails and a light green dress.
No. I watched the show later, in its second phase. La Chilindrina changed to short pigtails (once in kindergarten, my late grandmother dressed me up with la Chilindrina’s fake glasses and makeup freckles) and a red and green dress with a touch of yellow, without Don Ramón and without Quico, but with characters like La Popis (Florinda Meza) with two pigtails (she originally wore ponytails with a bow).
The 1980s Televisa TV show was called Chespirito and included numerous sketches such as: El Chavo —The Boy / The Kid of Number Eight—, El Chapulín Colorado —The Red Grasshopper—, Los Caquitos —The Little Thieves— (Botija, El Chómpiras, La Chimoltrufia), Los Chifladitos —The Little Crazies— (Lucas Tañeda and Chaparrón Bonaparte), El Doctor Chapatín —Dr. Chapatin—, El Gordo y El Flaco —The Fat and the Skinny—, and so on.
If I recall correctly, I used to watch the TV show with my late grandmother every Friday night on channel 2, maybe before “Cachún cachún ra ra” (another famous 80s TV show). And eventually, the show focused solely on the Los Caquitos segment and their adventures working at a hotel where La Maruja also worked (the only adult joke in the show I can recall… it took me decades to understand it).
The character introductions were exceptional. The most accurate comment I read on social media was about the incredible resemblance between Andrea Noli and Angelines Fernández, “La bruja del 71” —The Witch of 71—. The Horacio Gómez (the famous “Godinez” from The Kid of Number Eight) character was the only actor who doesn’t really resemble to Roberto’s brother.
And regarding the actors, it was a pleasant surprise to see Macarena García in the role of Graciela Fernández, Chespirito’s first wife.
Plot Development and Initial Conflicts
One dumb criticism I read on Twitter / X is that the first episode is an excellent example of “self-improvement.” Well, so what? Chespirito grows, just like everyone does; he starts working (like everyone), he falls in love (like everyone), and he decides to pursue his dream (like everyone a few).
It is presented the conflict of being an obedient son, a “useful” young man with a stable job, or being the “rebel” who abandons everything to seek the impossible: making people laugh.
The narrative is agile and dynamic, using flashbacks that keep the viewer’s attention. Also on Twitter / X, I read a criticism from someone who “didn’t understand the flashbacks,” which seems pretty ridiculous considering that every single flashback indicates the current place (Mexico City) and the year.
In this first episode, “Cobbler, Stick to thy Last” (Zapatero a tus zapatos) we go from Roberto Gómez Bolaños’ childhood in a middle-class family in Mexico City (in Mexico they’d be “lower middle-class” as they can’t afford that new household appliance called TV), to his young adulthood as a factory worker, to his arrival as a writer at an advertising agency, and the beginning of the television fame that marked millions of Mexican and Latin American childhoods, just like mine.
Technical Aspects: Direction, Cinematography, Soundtrack
The production quality is impeccable. The costumes, the hairstyles, the ever-present tobacco cigarette. The cinematography with cheerful colors, the Mexico City’s old buildings from the 50s, the cars. And regarding the soundtrack, I’ll just mention the mambo dance!
Episode 1 Verdict (No Spoilers)
My first impression is:
I loved it.
It’s no wonder the episode is already the most viewed in the top 10 on Max. It landed as number 7, but I’m pretty sure every single episode (there’ll be 8, and I guess it’ll be 1 season and that’s it) will reach the number 1 spot.
I won’t reveal any plot details, because there’s nothing more annoying than visiting Instagram just to read that your (now former) friend complains about “who didn’t get to sit on the Iron Throne” in Game of Thrones… But I will say that the Chespirito Not Really on Purpose series met my expectations. Right from the start, it pays a heartwarming tribute to our so called Mexican Shakespeare.
Is it worth watching? Absolutely.
Have you watched the first episode yet? Leave your comment below!
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