Little publicized, a new Spanish series was released last month on Netflix. This one is intended to be the adaptation of a saga, entitled In the footsteps of Valeria, which was a bestseller in Spain. The series is halfway between Bridget Jones and Sex and The City. Thus, the heroines of Elísabet Benavent came to life in a light and pleasant adaptation. Worn by Diana Gómez (the flamboyant Tatiana of La Casa de Papel), this series features a thirty-year-old, Valeria, in the midst of the blank page syndrome and plagued by difficulties in her marriage. Fortunately, her friends are friendly and uninhibited young women, under the sun of Madrid. All four different, Valeria, Lola (Silma López), Nerea (Teresa Riott) and Carmen (Paula Malia) complement each other. 
Endearing female characters
Shortly after its release, this new Spanish series was in the top 3 most watched series in France on Netflix. It is a light series, pleasant to watch, but which does not include any real scenario surprises. For plots like those that fit into Valeria, the pace of the series was correct. Thus, eight episodes for this first season seem enough. We quickly understood the personalities of the four girls, since they were all quickly introduced from the first episode. They are those female characters with whom we can identify without difficulty. The actresses are natural, their acting is too. However, we can blame an omnipresence of Lola, among the three friends of the main character. Some passages sometimes fall into the cliché, but that's what makes the lightness of this series. As for the love (or ambiguous) ties, we feel a real chemistry between Valeria (Diana Gómez) and Victor (Maxi Iglesias). This is easily explained by the love at first sight between the two characters. On the other hand, one could blame a lack of charisma in most other male characters, or even a superficial development. 
A light and pleasant series
Without standing out enormously, the realization of this first season of Valeria is neat and effective. We can, however, note the beautiful vintage aesthetic and neon atmosphere of the exhibition scene. As for the sets, the one in Lola's apartment is particularly successful. The musical choices are quite good, highlighting Spanish artists, or better known bands like London Grammar, or Crystal Fighters. These songs give a little more rhythm and enthusiasm to the series, always adapting very well to the scenes. The series deals with both complex family relationships and the subtleties of romantic relationships. She tackles several topics, from coming out to feminism, including adultery. We appreciate the few references slipped here and there, from Rosalía to the Me Too movement. We also like to slip into the virtual conversations of the characters, who easily include the viewer in their universe. If some might blame Valeria for her too many sex scenes, they allow to address topics in the air of the time, such as female masturbation or free relationships. These scenes do not fall into vulgarity and allow to exploit the relationships between the characters. To conclude, it is a series that wants to be entertaining, without headache. The tone is often humorous, the rhythm adapted to a series of the genre. It may disappoint for its lack of surprise and originality, but will delight fans of light fiction. Its finale suggests that there will be a second season, but no announcement has been made about it yet.
