If you haven’t already seen Netflix hit’s series ‘Carmen Sandiego’ you’re missing out, big time! The directors have managed to take this old timely classic and reinvent her in the 21st century, giving the legendary character some new and exciting twists.
The show centres around a girl who was raised in a school for crime, headed by the secret institute ‘V.I.L.E’. Nowadays though, she dedicates her entire life to stealing from the very same criminal organisation who found her, putting an end to their evil missions. She leads an anonymous new life under the name ‘Carmen Sandiego’. As she travels the world she learns about different cultures and customs, whilst kicking butt along the way. With her stylish red hat and coat, she makes sure her appearance is known and she uses it to hide in plain sight. With the help of her friends, Player, Ivy and Zack she goes on all kinds of dangerous adventures. Watch a quick trailer for the series here.
The thing I like about this show is that it gives off major ‘Kim Possible’ vibes with the athletic and swift female teen heroine and her goofy but charming side-kicks. The two shows even share a similar computer whizz character, as both Wade and Player provide essential aid and awesome gadgets to the protagonist. Trust me if you liked that 2000s show you’re going to love this new one – heck maybe even a little bit more! The one thing that really stands out to me in ‘Carmen Sandiego’ as opposed to ‘Kim Possible’ is how flawed Carmen really is. Unlike Kim, who at times appears to be an all ‘impossible’ perfect ‘Mary Sue’ character, we actually see Carmen make mistakes and poor misjudgements. When she was younger she goofed around a lot, got into trouble and got frustrated by things. The many emotional complexities she possess is what makes her such a real and relatable character. I genuinely enjoyed watching her character grow particularly in the recently launched, and popularly, anticipated Season 2. The fact that Carmen’s backstory is unknown and hidden even to herself, means the viewers have the pleasure of uncovering the story alongside Carmen as she goes on her journey.
Not only is Carmen a strong, smart, swift heroine who really knows how to style, she is also a person of colour, and most importantly a woman of colour! How many actions films or series can you name that star a woman of colour actress or character as the main protagonist? Carmen’s Argentinian heritage and roots is subtly incorporated into the plot, whilst also remaining central to the character’s origin story. But at the same time her culture is not overly exoticised to make her seem more interesting. At the end of the day, her culture is not the only thing that defines her, and whilst it’s great to have some representation of greatly underrepresented group, her personality, iconic wardrobe and stellar moves is ultimately what defines Carmen Sandiego.
What I also really like about this show is the range of representation you get to see in the background characters too! Naturally, as Carmen explores the world we get to meet all sorts of characters from a diverse range of backgrounds including Australia, Dubai, France and Japan, to name but a view. Even the main members of the V.I.L.E team are each from a different place in the world and this allows them to bring entirely unique skills to the organisation.
So even if the main character isn’t enough to convince you to give the show ago, then check out the shows catchy theme song. I’m pretty sure it’ll get stuck in your head and you’ll probably be singing along by episode 3.
I haven’t even mentioned the animation for this show, which by the way is absolutely incredible! I love how it mixes various styles to create a unique hybrid of 2-D and 3-D animation. There’s also a major cliffhanger and reveal at the end of the season 1 finale! It can be easily binged-watched too with each season only containing 9-10 episodes, so it’s short and sweet! What’s not to love?