The Gardener

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Overview

Elmer's mother used his lack of feelings to turn him into a hitman. But when he falls for his next victim, their cover as calm local gardeners wavers.

Media

The Gardener | Official Trailer | Netflix

Cast

Cecilia Suárez

Catalina Sopelana

Creator:

Miguel Sáez Carral

Fist Air Date:

2025-04-11

Episode Runtime:

undefinedm

Production Companies:

DLO Producciones

Genres:

Keywords:

mystery thriller

More Show Details

Vote Average: 6.7/10

Vote Count: 135 Votes

Show Popularity: 2.6127

Show Status: Ended

Show Type: Miniseries

Spoken Languages: Spanish

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 8:33 am

7 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 7/10 THE SUMMARY Forget pruning shears—this gardener is more interested in pruning the population. *The Gardener* (Spanish: *El Jardinero*, 2025) is a six-episode Netflix thriller that follows Elmer (Álvaro Rico), a socially awkward young man who lost the ability to feel emotions after a childhood accident. He and his chillingly controlling mother, La China Jurado (Cecilia Suárez), run a high-end gardening center as a front for a professional hitman business. The plan is simple: kill the target, bury them under the begonias. But when Elmer falls for his latest mark, a nursery teacher named Violeta, his lack of feeling starts to crack. By April 23, 2026, it’s hailed as the "Spanish *Dexter*," a dark, sleek, and occasionally romantic exploration of a mother-son bond that is literally to die for. THE PROS Álvaro Rico is a total win; he plays the "emotionless" Elmer with a sincere, eerie stillness that makes his eventual internal awakening feel like a major event. Cecilia Suárez is the business as La China—she’s terrifying, elegant, and radiates a "smothering" energy that makes you realize why Elmer turned out the way he did. The show’s biggest win is its visual style; the lush, green garden centers contrasted with the cold, clinical nature of the hits is a sincere masterstroke. The pacing is a total win for binge-watchers, as the six-episode structure ensures the story stays tight and doesn't devolve into a Languid Burn. THE CONS It is a 7/10 because it can feel a bit like total garbage if you’ve already seen *You* or *Dexter*, as it treads very similar "charming psychopath" ground. It misses the 8/10 mark because the romantic subplot with Violeta can occasionally feel like a head-scratcher—it’s hard to buy that a seasoned assassin would catch feelings *that* quickly, even with his emotional circuitry being rewired. As of April 2026, many fans are still debating the "cliffhanger" ending, which felt a bit like a Languid Burn designed purely to set up a Season 2 that hasn't been officially greenlit yet. For some, the narration by the mother can be a bit much, making the show feel more like a dark soap opera than a gritty thriller. THE VERDICT A 7/10. It is a genuine, stylish, and highly addictive thriller that proves Netflix Spain is still the king of the "prestige binge." I was slightly gutted by the finale’s ambiguity, but the ride through the flower beds was well worth it. It is total garbage if you want a realistic procedural, but as a psychological study of a very twisted family business, it’s a vault staple. By April 23, 2026, it remains the show that has everyone looking at their local landscaping service with a lot more suspicion. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA * The *Elite* Connection: Fans of *Elite* will recognize Álvaro Rico instantly, but he shed all of his "Polo" charm here to play a character who literally can't feel a pulse, even his own.* Galician Beauty: While much of the show is set in Madrid, many of the stunning exterior gardening shots were filmed in Galicia, providing that moody, wet atmosphere that fits the "dark gardener" vibe perfectly.* Comparisons to *You*: Upon its April 2025 release, the show was compared so heavily to *You* that Netflix actually leaned into it with a 2026 marketing campaign titled "Joe Goldberg has a Spanish Cousin."* 2026 Connection: This April, *The Gardener* has seen a 2026 "Thriller Spike" after a popular YouTuber did a deep-dive comparison between Elmer and other famous TV assassins, leading millions to rediscover the show just in time for its one-year anniversary. THE VIBE Like a beautiful orchid growing in a graveyard. It is lush, toxic, and deeply unsettling. It makes you want to cancel your gardening subscription, have a long talk with your mother, and realize that some roots are better left unpulled.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

6 Episodes

Air Date: 2025-04-11

China “La China” Jurado and her emotionally-impaired son Elmer use their gardening company as a cover for their contract killing activities. Elmer falls for one of the targets he is supposed to kill, elementary school teacher Violeta, risking the family business.

Videos

The Gardener | Official Trailer | Netflix

Cast

Cecilia Suárez

Catalina Sopelana

María Vázquez

Francis Lorenzo

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Reviews for

The Gardener

Comment (1)

Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 9:33 AM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 7/10
THE SUMMARY
Forget pruning shears—this gardener is more interested in pruning the population. *The Gardener* (Spanish: *El Jardinero*, 2025) is a six-episode Netflix thriller that follows Elmer (Álvaro Rico), a socially awkward young man who lost the ability to feel emotions after a childhood accident. He and his chillingly controlling mother, La China Jurado (Cecilia Suárez), run a high-end gardening center as a front for a professional hitman business. The plan is simple: kill the target, bury them under the begonias. But when Elmer falls for his latest mark, a nursery teacher named Violeta, his lack of feeling starts to crack. By April 23, 2026, it’s hailed as the “Spanish *Dexter*,” a dark, sleek, and occasionally romantic exploration of a mother-son bond that is literally to die for.
THE PROS
Álvaro Rico is a total win; he plays the “emotionless” Elmer with a sincere, eerie stillness that makes his eventual internal awakening feel like a major event. Cecilia Suárez is the business as La China—she’s terrifying, elegant, and radiates a “smothering” energy that makes you realize why Elmer turned out the way he did. The show’s biggest win is its visual style; the lush, green garden centers contrasted with the cold, clinical nature of the hits is a sincere masterstroke. The pacing is a total win for binge-watchers, as the six-episode structure ensures the story stays tight and doesn’t devolve into a Languid Burn.
THE CONS
It is a 7/10 because it can feel a bit like total garbage if you’ve already seen *You* or *Dexter*, as it treads very similar “charming psychopath” ground. It misses the 8/10 mark because the romantic subplot with Violeta can occasionally feel like a head-scratcher—it’s hard to buy that a seasoned assassin would catch feelings *that* quickly, even with his emotional circuitry being rewired. As of April 2026, many fans are still debating the “cliffhanger” ending, which felt a bit like a Languid Burn designed purely to set up a Season 2 that hasn’t been officially greenlit yet. For some, the narration by the mother can be a bit much, making the show feel more like a dark soap opera than a gritty thriller.
THE VERDICT
A 7/10. It is a genuine, stylish, and highly addictive thriller that proves Netflix Spain is still the king of the “prestige binge.” I was slightly gutted by the finale’s ambiguity, but the ride through the flower beds was well worth it. It is total garbage if you want a realistic procedural, but as a psychological study of a very twisted family business, it’s a vault staple. By April 23, 2026, it remains the show that has everyone looking at their local landscaping service with a lot more suspicion.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
* The *Elite* Connection: Fans of *Elite* will recognize Álvaro Rico instantly, but he shed all of his “Polo” charm here to play a character who literally can’t feel a pulse, even his own.
* Galician Beauty: While much of the show is set in Madrid, many of the stunning exterior gardening shots were filmed in Galicia, providing that moody, wet atmosphere that fits the “dark gardener” vibe perfectly.
* Comparisons to *You*: Upon its April 2025 release, the show was compared so heavily to *You* that Netflix actually leaned into it with a 2026 marketing campaign titled “Joe Goldberg has a Spanish Cousin.”
* 2026 Connection: This April, *The Gardener* has seen a 2026 “Thriller Spike” after a popular YouTuber did a deep-dive comparison between Elmer and other famous TV assassins, leading millions to rediscover the show just in time for its one-year anniversary.
THE VIBE
Like a beautiful orchid growing in a graveyard. It is lush, toxic, and deeply unsettling. It makes you want to cancel your gardening subscription, have a long talk with your mother, and realize that some roots are better left unpulled.

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