Streaming series review - Mercy on Us

Mercy on Us (originally, Ten Piedad de Nosotros) ** (out of 5) This Argentinian crime series revolves around the aftermath of childhood bullying tragedy. In 1990, at a school for mostly rich folks’ progeny, a pampered clique harasses outsider Elias, culminating in a cruel act that leaves him blind in one eye and scarred for life. One instigator and a handful of enablers and witnesses are involved. Despite the harshness of the event, the matter is hushed up and officially concluded to be an accident, irresponsibly protecting the responsible kids from being held responsible. 33 years later, that generates a strong response – killing off the now-adult members of that group.

Two of them – Lucas and Octavio – have become police detectives who are charged with solving the case(s). It takes a while for them to recognize the payback pattern. They’ve also been scarred by the memory of the event, but in relatively subtle psychological ways that are amplified by now directly confronting their complicity. Both have had their personal lives screwed up – one by a marriage gone bad; the other by unrequited obsession over a married woman with whom he’d only had a drunken one-nighter. The entirety of the case is a bouillabaisse of lingering effects of the incident and cover-up on all who it touched.

Bullying in schools is a frequent topic of discussion and curbing efforts. The screenplay often repeats the idea that everyone experiences some trauma between the ages of 4 and 8 that stays with them, whether victim, participant or witness. This is quite an extreme, albeit conceivable, example of the concept and its effects.

The story is bleak and cynical, with a few icky bits, some violence, a lot of flashbacks and a few intriguing twists. For its dour tenor, the series is mercifully brief – unfolding in six half-hour episodes. Most such endeavors would have run about twice as long, and to no greater advantage. The cast is solid all around. The dialog is suitable for the characters and concise for the viewers. Dramatic tension persists for the main theme and several subplots that overlap and mesh well.

Not a fun watch. But many may find it compelling as a character drama that hyperbolically illustrates a real-world problem.

(Mercy on Us, in Spanish with subtitles, streams on MHz Choice as of 10/28/25)