El final del camino

While the city of Santiago de Compostela is not that well known in the U.S., it is the second-most visited pilgrimage site in Catholicism, second only to the Vatican. "El final del camino" is a limited series (only eight 75-minute episodes) that tells the story of the construction of the city's cathedral as seen through the lives of three brothers.

The brothers are orphaned when the Almoravides (Moors) raid their village and kill their parents. The oldest Gonzalo grows up to be the head of the guard (kind of a combination of the city's police and military). The middle brother Pedro is kidnapped in the raid and grows up amongst the Almoravides. The youngest Esteban starts out as a stoneworker for the cathedral but later becomes the visionary architect. The stories of the three brothers take place in the context of two power struggles: one for Spanish crown and another for power within the Catholic Church.

"El final del camino" is both well-done and entertaining. The cast is strong, both the principal and supporting characters. The story lines and dialogue are well-written. And the production does a great job of transporting the viewer back to 11th century Spain. The production seems to take particular care with the battle and fight scenes, which are gory and brutal, as one would imagine medieval warfare was. The construction of a cathedral in the Middle Ages was an awesome undertaking. The series does a great job of portraying the enormity of the struggle. "El final del camino" is definitely worth watching.