‘The Final Problem’ (2026) Netflix Series Review - A Clever Mystery That Leaves You Starving

Anyone who loves to get all snugly with detective stories would find themselves excited by this classic premise: a confined space temporarily divorced from the outside world in which dead bodies, one by one, start dropping. The characters cannot contact the police because of stormy weather and lightning (meaning the radio stops working), so it's up to them, or one of them, to solve the mystery. The Final Problem (or El Problema Final), based on the novel of the same name by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, runs on such a premise. It puts an actor named Basil (Jose Coronado), well-known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the movies, in the middle of the murders, which is the kind of setup that sounds pretty amusing. An actor summoning the instincts of his character to solve a problem (a murder, no less) around him? Are you sure The Final Problem wasn't supposed to be a comedy?

Well, the series is no laughing matter based on what you see on the screen. Basil and the other guests are trapped at the hotel until the radio is fixed. Everybody is a suspect, including the man trying to investigate the crime. Let's imagine a scenario where Basil is indeed the killer. What could be his motive? This is what I began to think: Basil misses the glory days of the past, when he was celebrated for playing the fictional detective, so much so that the murders become his way of recapturing that glory. The interviews and investigations turn into an act that underlines just how fantastic a Sherlock he was in the movies. Now this is some nice, twisted logic: an actor attempting to get an ego massage by showing off his skills through a crime. It would have been something to end The Final Problem with a shot of Basil boasting, "I have still got it!"

But the series doesn't have a crazy, twisted mind like mine. It has other plans of its own that are admittedly interesting. For the longest time, I kept wondering why Basil was written as an actor when he could just as well have been introduced as a detective, but The Final Problem eventually scratches that itch. It's a nice reveal that touches an emotional nerve by putting things like show-business exploitation, male actors' egos, and their cruel manipulation of aspiring female actors through false promises under the spotlight. There is also something about class differences and the manipulative games that emerge from those differences, which forms the basis of a transactional relationship. However, The Final Problem only addresses these topics through one or two lines that are packaged as exposition for the final reveal. Instead of feeling their bite, we merely see them unfold quickly on the screen.

It also doesn't help that all the actors are either sober or stately. No one seems to be having any fun with their roles; they all appear very composed and rigid. As Vicky, Cristina Kovani initially displays hints of mischief. Her derrière swings sideways more expressively and fluidly than any scene or performance in the series. But even she is captured by the monotony of her surroundings after a while. The small island where the characters are trapped looks like a beautiful place to get stuck in, but the show isn't able to mine this location for even "touristy vibes." Given how bland everything seems, I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me that the entire production was shot in front of green screens. Whatever happened to the vicarious pleasures that these expensive-looking shows used to provide? Without texture or a sense of tactility, it's hard to stay even superficially interested in this murder mystery.

Sure, The Final Problem might end up staying one or two steps ahead of you throughout its runtime, though apart from satiating a basic curiosity, there is little here to leave you satisfied. Even with a rich location and a good-enough reveal, The Final Problem ultimately leaves you starving. That's...something. It's the kind of "mystery" that would leave even Sherlock Holmes tired and unhappy.

Final Score - [4/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times