The Gardener On Netflix: 5 Reasons How The Spanish Series Is The Most Unusual Romantic Thriller

Created by Miguel Saez Carral and helmed by Mikel Rueda and Rafa Montesinos, The Gardener introduces us to Elmer Jurado, played by Alvaro Rico, an emotionally detached hitman who works under his controlling mother, La China Jurado (Cecilia Suarez). The story's unique twist comes when Elmer is ordered to kill Violeta (Catalina Sopelana), a nursery school teacher. However, instead of going through with the plan, he falls in love with her.

Produced by DLO Producciones, with cinematography by Rafa Garcia and music by Lucas Vidal, The Gardener was filmed in the breathtaking locations of Pontevedra, Toledo, and Madrid, marrying visual beauty with psychological mayhem. The Gardener has five key features that distinguish it from other shows of the same genre. The stand-out points are given below.

1. Hitman Without Emotions

In most thrillers, assassins are usually cold-blooded, but in this thriller, Elmer is emotionless because his childhood brain injury has left him numb. This makes him a great assassin as he is highly capable, detached, and guilt-free. An unexpected twist occurs when Elmer's feelings are re-activated by Violeta, thus causing his whole world, as he knows it, to change. The emotional awakening Zara, alike Violeta, takes the story into a fundamental struggle of numbness versus love.

2. The Mother-Son Crime Empire

The dynamic between Elmer and his mother, La China, is at the heart of the series. While Elmer is the weapon, China is the mastermind. She runs a successful murder-for-hire business disguised as a peaceful garden center. Her manipulative grip over Elmer creates a layered power struggle, one that explores control, family loyalty, and rebellion in the darkest of settings.

3. Botanical Beauty With a Sinister Secret

A standout visual motif of the show is its garden center, which is a space beaming with life and colour, yet hiding death beneath its surface. Elmer's victims are killed using plant-based poisons and buried in the garden, turning murder into a grotesque form of horticulture. This juxtaposition between the beauty of nature and the horror of death gives the show a unique visual and thematic identity.

4. A Love Story With Moral Dilemmas

What begins as a murder plot evolves into a romantic thriller with philosophical undertones. His decision to defy his mother and protect Violeta adds layers of tension and emotional depth.

5. A Medical Twist That Changes Everything

One of the show's most unexpected developments is Elmer's diagnosis with a brain tumour. It is a condition that explains his sudden surge in emotions. This twist reframes the entire narrative: Should Elmer get surgery and return to emotional numbness, or embrace his newfound ability to feel? It's a dilemma that adds feelings to the story.