Among all the fictional detectives, Héctor Belascoarán Shayne from the Mexican series “Belascoarán, Private Detective” stands out. The 2022 series delivers great cases and an unmistakable portrait of Mexican urban life and its peculiarities in Mexico in 1978.

Who is Héctor Belascoarán Shayne?

Héctor Belascoarán Shayne is played by Luis Gerardo Méndez. The main character is not the typical private detective you would expect from TV shows. His character is based on the book series by Mexican author Paco Ignacio Taibo II, who created Belascoarán as an unconventional investigator with a strong social conscience. He’s a man who leaves his old life as an engineer to follow his true calling: to solve crimes in a city that’s a mess and corrupt.

In the series, Héctor Belascoarán Shayne, an engineer working for an American company, decides to make a change. He quits his job to become a private detective. To do so he rents an office with the plumber Gómez Letras. A serial killer of women is on the loose in Mexico City. The detective wants to solve the case of the female killer. To get closer to the killer he even participates in a TV show. Along the way he gets help from his sister Elisa, a professor at UNAM, the race car driver Irene and several friends in the huge city of Mexico City.

Belascoarán is not like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. He’s down to earth and connected to the reality of everyday life in Mexico. He’s not an eccentric genius or a cold blooded daredevil, but a regular guy who faces the daily challenges of life.

The Life of a Detective in Mexico City

The series is set in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, in the late 1970s. The locations go from busy streets to run down apartment buildings and crummy offices. This local flavour gives the series a unique tone, different from other international crime shows.

Belascoarán works alone, without a big organization behind him. His resources are limited and he uses his intuition, improvisation and sometimes his friends to get the job done. His cases go from mysterious murders to political intrigue. It’s not about the “who” but about the “why” and “how”. It’s not about catching the culprit but uncovering the roots of the crime.

Style and Mood of the series

“Belascoarán, Private Detective” has a dark and sometimes melancholic tone. The series takes its time to show the city as a character and doesn’t flinch to show the worst of Mexico City. The cinematography and sound design are key to the atmosphere.

Humour is also present in the series. Despite the serious subjects the episodes are often lightened with dry humour and clever dialogues. The contrast between seriousness and irony is what makes the series special.

Social Issues

One of the main characteristics of Belascoarán’s work is his social conscience. Many of his cases are related to social problems like poverty, corruption, violence and social injustice. The series doesn’t shy away from tackling these topics and incorporates them into the stories.

This social aspect gives the series depth and makes it more relatable to the audience. Belascoarán is not a hero but a guy trying to do the right thing in a tough world. His investigations are not glamorous like the ones in American detective shows, nor are they spectacular. They’re hard and patient work.

Belascoarán Shayne

The portrayal of Héctor Belascoarán Shayne is one of the series’ strong points. Actor Luis Gerardo Méndez plays the detective as a down to earth and thoughtful guy, who is physically and emotionally challenged. He’s neither invincible nor perfect, that makes him more believable.

His personality is reflected in the style of the series. The show doesn’t go for over the top dramatic effects, it just shows a detective’s life in a realistic way. That way the viewer can identify more with the character and get lost in Belascoarán’s world.

Conclusion: A great private detective series

“Belascoarán, Private Detective” is more than just a crime show. It combines great investigative work with deep social themes and an urban Mexican atmosphere. Héctor Belascoarán Shayne is a breath of fresh air from traditional detectives and is compelling because of his realism.

If you like detective shows and want something different this is a must see. It shows you that great detective stories can be found outside of Sherlock Holmes and co.—stories that entertain and make you think.

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