Netflix has released the Spanish limited series The Final Problem (El problema final), a four-episode mystery that introduces a meta-twist to the Sherlock Holmes archetype. Premiering globally on September 25, 2026, the series is an adaptation of the 2023 bestselling novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, moving the detective tropes of the Victorian era into a mid-century Mediterranean setting.
The story centers on Benjamin Basil, portrayed by Jose Coronado, a fading actor whose career was defined by playing Sherlock Holmes in a dozen films. Basil finds himself at a luxury hotel on a small islet near Mallorca in the spring of 1959. When a guest named Elisa Mander is found dead, the isolation of the island and a brewing storm leave the guests looking for a savior. Despite having no actual detective training, Basil is pressured into investigating the death, which was initially ruled a suicide but quickly reveals signs of murder.
The narrative explores the friction between Basil’s “method” acting and the reality of a criminal investigation. Rather than possessing the innate genius of the literary Holmes, Basil relies on the observational habits and deductive scripts he memorized during his years on film sets. This transition from actor to accidental detective serves as the series’ primary engine, as Basil attempts to live up to the impossible standard of the character that both made and ruined his career.
Directed by Félix Viscarret, the production emphasizes a slow-burn, old-school whodunnit atmosphere. The series was filmed in locations such as Lloret de Mar, specifically utilizing the Jardins de Santa Clotilde to recreate the secluded, high-society aesthetic of the late 1950s. The ensemble cast includes María Valverde, Martiño Rivas, and Maribel Verdú, who portray the various suspects trapped within the hotel’s confines.
Critical consensus positions The Final Problem as a traditional mystery that plays its premise straighter than its meta-narrative might suggest. While the concept of a Sherlock actor solving crimes could lean toward parody, the series maintains a serious tone, focusing on the mechanical puzzles of a classic locked-room mystery. For viewers, the four-episode format provides a concise, self-contained arc that rewards fans of period-piece procedurals and literary homages.
