For the people of Mexico, 16 September is an annual day of celebration, marking the country’s attainment of autonomy and freedom after more than three centuries of often bloody Spanish rule.
Beneath the fireworks of the Independence Day festivities that begin ten-part series Pray For Blood (Toda La Sangre), however, a dark and gruesome crime is underway. And it’s one that bears an eerie resemblance to the sacrifices of the ancient society that once stood in the very same place.
Though the victim of the crime is hardly an upstanding citizen, and there are countless individuals who would celebrate his demise, the brutal nature of his murder is noteworthy in the eyes of Lieutenant Edith Mondragón (Ana Brenda Contreras).
As one of the city’s top detectives, Mondragón is not easily rattled, nor does she suffer fools gladly; both are unspoken requirements for anyone at the top of this particular game. But even the most seasoned cop would be forced to admit that the sight of a headless corpse with its heart ripped out is particularly stomach turning in the harsh light of day.
Lieutenant Edith Mondragón (Ana Brenda Contreras) on the job. Source: Distributor
A quick coffee break at a nearby café provides Mondragón with a reprieve from the press and a chance to process the gruesome scene she has just encountered. It’s here that she crosses paths with embittered red-note reporter Eugenio Casasola (Aarón Díaz), a frustrated journalist who has been living under cover in one of the most deprived communities in Mexico City. He is determined to give a voice to the voiceless, a commitment not easily honoured within the contemporary media landscape, but one he refuses to abandon.
Unbeknownst to Casasola, a new assignment at questionable publication The Sensationalist is on the horizon, and Mondragón will no longer be the selfish stranger holding up his coffee order. He too will need to make sense of this senseless homicide and find out what is driving the perpetrator to further destruction.
Aarón Díaz as journalist Eugenio Casasola. Source: Distributor
It’s made clear to Casasola that his 15 years of experience chasing stories with noble intent will count for nothing here; if he was looking for a journalistic challenge, he is about to get more than he bargained for. So, too, is Mondragón, as she fights to keep her personal and professional lives separate, and show herself to be capable of the promotion being dangled in front of her.
If they are going to prove themselves, Mondragón and Casasola know they will need to start coming up with answers. And fast. To kill a person is one thing, but to mutilate victims beyond recognition is entirely another and, as this mystery unfolds, the lingering connection to Aztec ritual is one that looks less and less likely to be a coincidence.
Ancient rituals become new again. Source: Distributor
The initially frosty relationship between Mondragón and Casasola is tempered by their shared desire to get to the truth. There’s nothing less helpful to a criminal investigation than a yellow press onslaught, so keeping Casasola close is crucial if Mondragón is to control the narrative surrounding the case. He also needs Mondragón; the promise of eventual access to the killer in exchange for sharing whatever information he stumbles upon in his research is too good to pass up.
Foot. Hand. Heart. As the series progresses, the list of dismembered body parts grows longer. Each serves as an important clue that leads Mondragón and Casasola to the disturbing realisation that ancient prophecies could be the inspiration for these killings. It’s not the rational explanation Mondragón was hoping for, but angering the gods seems as good a reason as any for this sudden barrage of retribution-style murders.
Striking a deal will benefit them both in ‘Pray For Blood’. Source: Distributor
With knowledge of the eight fateful omens of the destruction of the city of Tenochtitlan hanging over their heads, and murders being carried out one by one, one thing becomes clear: these ancient cultures aren’t lost in the past.
From the Emmy award-winning show runner that brought us Falco, and based on the book by Mexican novelist Bernardo Esquinca, Spanish language series Pray For Blood is a genre-defining collision of past and present. Who is the healer known as ‘La Buja’ (The Witch)? Is there a pattern to the murders? And will Mondragón and Casasola figure out the connection before it’s too late?
Ten-part crime drama series Pray For Blood is now streaming . Warning: contains graphic violence:
More from The Guide
Top new series in May 2023
