The Envoys: Season 1 – Review [Paramount+]

THE ENVOYS on Paramount+ is a new mystery series from Mexico and Argentina (org. title Los Enviados). We follow two priests as they set out to prove whether a healer has performed an actual miracle. Read our The Enjoys Season 1 Review here!

THE ENVOYS is a new Paramount+ series from Mexico and Argentina with the original title of Los Enviados. It’s a mystery series with elements of a thriller. There’s even a touch of horror here and there – and certainly blood. Each episode is around 45 minutes and there are eight episodes in the season.

On the surface, it reminded me a bit of Evil which also deals with finding proof of something supernatural or paranormal. Or rather, to prove if true evil exists or if it can be explained by something else – such as mental illness.

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Our review of Evil season 1 here >

In The Envoys, two priests work on finding out if a miracle has been performed in a Mexico City suburb.

Continue reading our The Enjoys Season 1 review below.

What is proof of a miracle?

In this new series, the main language spoken is Spanish, but there’s also quite a bit of Italian. The story plays out in Italy and Mexico, so it makes perfect sense. We follow two priests on assignment. They travel to a Mexican city to find a fellow priest. Supposedly, he has recently healed someone.

Or actually, this healer (and local priest) brought the person back from death. If science can’t explain it, this must be labeled a miracle. Of course, nothing is simple and by the end of episode 1, the priest disappears. All before they have even begun really investigating the events.

Also, there is a lot of strangeness in this town in general. Even local law enforcement is only interested in having the two priests leave again as quickly as possible. This alone is weird, since they are, after all, sent by The Vatican.

Stellar casting in The Envoys

The cast of The Envoys is led by Luis Gerardo Méndez (Narcos: Mexico) as Pedro Salinas and Miguel Ángel Silvestre (Narcos, Sense8) as Simón Antequera. These are the two priests sent by the Vatican to help confirm whether an actual miracle has taken place.

Simón Antequera is a seasoned investigator – and therefore used to discovering that miracles rarely take place. Pedro Salinas is the newcomer. As such, he still has much hope and faith. He wants to believe. Essentially, it’s the good old Dana Scully and Fox Mulder [of The X-Files] dynamic.

Miguel Ángel Silvestre is perfect as Simón, who is charming and kind, but has also seen his fair share of hustlers. And Luis Gerardo Méndez is equally spot-on as Pedro, who is much more “by the book” and wants to believe in miracles.

In other key roles, we see Irene Azuela (Sense8), Miguel Rodrarte (Narcos: Mexico), and Diana Lein (Fear the Walking Dead).

Watch The Envoys on Paramount+ now!

Academy Award winner Juan José Campanella serves as showrunner, producer, and director. Juan José Campanella won his much-deserved Academy Award for “Best Foreign Language Film of the Year” with El secreto de sus ojos (2009).

It was also remade as The Secret in Their Eyes (2015) starring Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The remake is really good as well. Still, if you’ve watched the original, it’s “just” a lighter version of the same film.

If you like the classic mystery series with character-driven storylines and a strong cast, then be sure to check out The Envoys. I won’t claim it’s at the level of Campanella’s multi-award-winning movie. However, I will say that I wasn’t surprised when I discovered that he was behind this Paramount+ series.

Also, it currently holds an IMDb rating of 7.2 so the viewers certainly seem pleased as well. The series has been rising in popularity since it was released which is another good sign. In other words, get on board now and avoid spoilers.

The Envoys premiered with all 8 episodes of season 1 on Paramount+ on January 20, 2022.

Details

Creator/Director: Juan José Campanella
Cast: Luis Gerardo Méndez, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Irene Azuela, Miguel Rodrarte