Episode Guide
This is a 13-minute series of 10 episodes.
Nico and Lina are in a difficult situation. They have lost the love of their lives, but they are also losing the time they spent together. They have both agreed to end things, but it’s been hard to let go. They miss each other very much, and they know that their time together will never be the same.
Netflix’s latest Spanish drama, “The Time It Takes,” is all about a break-up in the moment and the days and weeks that follow. The show splits its timeline between the present and past, with chapters that are only a few minutes long. This clever idea keeps the break-up scenes withheld until the final scenes of the show.
In between that are a whole slew of puzzle pieces that are jumbled up, just waiting for viewers to piece them back together. We see Nico and Lina’s first meeting. Their promised birthday dinners; favourite music tracks that signify their relationship; and even shared memories in their apartment. It’s all pretty compelling stuff, although the show does have a tendency to slip into mundanity from time to time.
The Time It Takes is a slow-paced show that spends a lot of time on the characters’ downtime. The first half of the show focuses on Lina and Nico’s relationship, while the second half shows their moments of passion slipping away. ..
Nadia de Santiago is the star of this show, and her scenes of pain are heartbreaking. However, some of the episodes feel a little too cheesy and on-the-nose. This minor point doesn’t really detract from the overall story, though.
The ambiguous way this ending leaves the show open to a possible second season is likely to garner interest, but I think it could have done without the scene in question. No spoilers here, but for me it undermines the ideas this show orchestrates so well. At its worst, it holds it back from being a more thoughtful piece.
Stylistically, The Time It Takes works pretty well as it jumps between the two timelines and the prefacing text and episode titles – confirming how long we’re spending in each timeline – is a great concept that never slips into gimmick territory. It also helps this stand out next to others in its field, including the excellent Normal People. Does it have enough longevity to remain a mainstay in the genre? I’m not sure. ..
Despite its unique premise, The Time It Takes doesn’t quite make the most of that to really hit it out the park. Some of these episodes are pretty slow too, although the pace does pick up toward the end. Nevertheless, there are some solid ideas about healing and moving on. It won’t be for everyone but brownie points for creativity; The Time It Takes is a short, brief glimpse into the heartache following a break-up and does enough to warrant a weekend binge.
In Season 1 of “The Time It Takes,” the showrunners explain how the show’s main character, John, deals with his feelings of timelessness. John is a man who has always been interested in time. He has a fascination with the way time moves and how it can be used to manipulate people. But he also realizes that time can be something that is just waiting for you, like a promise from an old friend. One of the things that John struggles with in Season 1 is reconciling his feelings about time with his job. He loves working as a detective, but he also realizes that he doesn’t have much control over how long each day lasts. And so, even though he knows that time moves on, he still feels like he’s stuck in this endless cycle of life and death. But as the season progresses, John starts to understand that there are ways to use time to your advantage. He starts to see the world in a different way and learns about different cultures’ views on time. And so, even though life seems like it’s moving faster than ever before, John begins to see the beauty in life despite all of its challenges.
