The Dysfunctional Family TV Series to Watch in 2021

It’s so easy to obsess and binge TV shows that revolve around dysfunctional families, because they make us feel like our own family is perfectly normal in comparison, and if Arrested Development was your family’s brand of messed up then you’ll love The House of Flowers (Spanish: La Casa de las Flores).

This is a show about a wealthy family in Mexico struggling to keep up with appearances and status. It truly is a modern telenovela that tinkers with concepts such as gender, class, sexuality, family roles, and stereotypes that keep you begging for more. If you’re a fan of Wes Anderson films you’ll find this show to be just as aesthetically appealing to watch, due to the intricate set designs. Even the wardrobe of the characters are well thought out and portrays the characters in a very intentional way.

This story kicks off with a suicide and things continue to fall apart from there. It’s fun, easy to binge, and you’ll find yourself quickly invested in the characters. My personal favorite is Paulina played by Cecilia Suarez, partially because of her character’s undeniable Mexican accent, but also because she has the best phrases throughout the show such as: “callate los ojos!”

With each episode consisting around 30 minutes you'll get through the series effortlessly over a weekend, and don't worry about having to make a major commitment, since it is made up of only two seasons.

Watching The House of Flowers is also a wonderful way to brush up on your Spanish. Pro Tip for those of you who don’t speak Spanish: Play the show in its original Spanish audio with English subtitles turned on. I found that the humor doesn’t translate well if you select to have the English voice overs play, and you miss out on some of the best lines.

All of the characters are thoroughly developed and explored to great depths. Even the side characters, like Paulina’s childhood therapist, bring tremendous light to the show:

Although the actor who plays transgender Jose Maria, Paco Leon, received some backlash for the show not giving the role to a true transgender woman he did execute the role in a way that portrayed Jose Maria with respect, while showing the struggles that a transgender person faces. Overall I found it to be a noteworthy job well done.

The entire storyline juggles multiple love stories varying in age groups. Paulina learning to co-parent with her divorced husband who is now openly transgender, Julian and Diego’s struggle with sexuality and endless lover’s quarrels, Elena’s love triangles and dramatic love affairs, and Virginia De La Mora’s history of lovers. Essentially, there’s something for everyone in this show and it’s easy to see yourself in at least one of these charismatic characters.

If you are looking to add something new to your watchlist you won’t be disappointed by this show, and you'll find yourself laughing through this broken family's pain. The music throughout the show is a special treat of Latin’s oldies but goodies that can’t go unnoticed, especially as the story carries us through Virginia’s adolescent life.

I hope we see more shows like this popup throughout 2021. I cannot emphasize how much of a relief it is to watch a modern show playfully attack outdated traditional Mexican stereotypes, and it’s refreshing to see something that this younger generation can relate to, while taking on difficult topics in a humorous way. It felt as if I was watching my culture truly represented for the first time.

If you dig the over the top, melodramatic, complicated stories, accompanied by wildly outrageous events then this is definitely the show for you and I genuinely hope you give it a chance. However, if you prefer cookie cutter, perfectly wrapped shows then maybe you’re better off watching Full House for the millionth time instead of this gem.