Maricón Perdido (Queer You Are) is an autobiographical comedy inspired by the life of Bob Pop (also known as Roberto Enríquez) a critic, writer and host recognized for his blog writing and appearances on late night TV in Spain. The show, on HBO Max, introduces us to Enríquez at three different periods in his life: as a young teen in the 80s (this “Roberto” is played by Gabriel Sánchez), a college student and young fashion manager embarking on a writing career (Carlos González) and successful adult working in television now going by “Bob Pop” (played by Bob Pop himself, whose appearances bookend the season in the first and last episodes). 

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The show’s scenes are sometimes punctuated by surreal sequences involving music, lip-syncs, dramatic reenactments, visual effects and dance — offering us a view of real life magnified through the lens of Enriquez’s imagination. These sequences are especially effective, and heart-wrenching, when they come from the youngest Roberto — a child recognizing his nascent queer identity, and struggling with being picked on for his sexuality and his size, often reimagining the somewhat cruel world around him as  a spectacular cinematic story. 

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The show also doesn’t shy away from dark experiences Bob Pop dealt with in his teens and twenties — including homophobic hate speech from friends and family, experiencing fatphobia at a sauna full of muscular gay men, surviving trauma, and a multiple sclerosis diagnosis that he thought might derail his career. 

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But Maricón Perdido also finds moment of hope and joy where Roberto is appreciated for his authentic self, those moments any queer person can remember helping fuel them through the roughest patches of young adulthood. Roberto’s relationship with his grandfather (Miguel Rellán) is a particularly heartwarming example of an affirming familial presence, despite an abusive father and Roberto’s fraught relationship with his mother. Roberto’s college friend Lola (played by Alba Flores, known for her role as Nairobi in Casa de Papel) also illustrates the deep love and support that friendship can bring to queer people who once felt lost or out of place at home.

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Maricón Perdido is an imaginative and bittersweet retelling of one queer man’s life. The show’s most surreal and imaginative sequences are effective at establishing Roberto’s frame of mind when he might not be able to express his emotions freely. We get the good with the bad – and the messy – which makes for a relatable and emotionally resonant story amplified by bold visual choices, fully formed (and funny) characters, as well as a captivating script that does a good job of keeping things cohesive throughout major time jumps between episodes. For these reasons, it’s one of our five oustanding nominees in the GMA’s Spanish-Language Scripted TV Series category this year.

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Maricón Perdido was created by Bob Pop and produced by El Terrat. It originally aired on TNT and is currently available in the U.S. on HBO Max.