Netflix’s ‘House of Flowers’ Is the Mexican ‘Desperate Housewives’

Fall and winter are for seriously paying attention to strict and brooding dramas about mentally ill hackers, serial killers, and troublesome ’80s children. But late summer? That’s when dramedies about in-fighting families, steamy affairs, and crazy psychopaths shine. If you’re looking for a bonkers show that will let you ride out the rest of the summer is stylish, sexy comfort, Netflix’s The House of Flowers is for you.

It’s hard to look at The House of Flowers (orLa Casa de las Flores) and not immediately think of one of the most beloved soapy dramas in modern TV history — Desperate Housewives. Both start with the suicide of woman in the midst of a whirlwind of drama who continues to narrate this story from beyond the grave. But what makes creator Manolo Caro’s dramedy different is its willingness to be seedy. The de la Mora family is involved in some shady nonsense and House of Flowers is all about letting its uptight protagonists cringe at everything.

The series follows the previously mentioned de la Mora family, a group of barely functioning but pretty and rich relatives who all depend on La Casa de la Mora, their family florist shop. How can a lone flower shop support multiple mortgages, at least two doctorates, and a plethora of parties and expensive shopping habits, you ask? It can’t. As Roberta’s (Claudette Maille) death reveals, there’s a second La Casa de la Mora and that one is a highly profitable brothel.

The rest of the series follows the high-class de la Mora family sorting through their father’s lies and grappling with the fact that all their wealth actually comes from the parts of society they look down upon. And what a family they are. The de la Mora’s unearned sense of superiority rivals that of the Bluths, but it’s the ever-loyal daughter Paulina (Cecilia Suárez) who’s the standout tyrant of this series. The lengths that Paulina will go to to lie about her family’s secrets is truly staggering, and she never even smudges her flawless red lipstick while she’s doing it.

But of course Paulina isn’t the only source of this family’s drama. Her engaged brother Julian (Dario Yazbek Bernal) is having an affair with a man, her sister Elena (Aislinn Derbez) is dating a man the family hates while having serious chemistry with her half-brother, and her mother Virginia (Verónica Castro) is in full mid-life crisis mode. It’s all dramatic, over-the-top, and simply glorious. If you’ve been looking for a show to drink rosé to as you recover from your latest lazy summer day, The House of Flowers is for you. It’s not great television, but it sure is fun.

Watch The House of Flowers on Netflix