If you can’t wait for Magic Mike Three to deliver Hollywood’s version of a male strip club later this year, check into One Per Cent, the hot new club where Season 2 of TOY BOY takes place. This wildly successful Netflix show from Spain blends the dockside drama of On the Waterfront with the wealthy bitchiness of Dynasty, stirred together with G-rated Full Monty style dances. It adds up to a tasty dish.
Jesús Mosquera stars as Hugo, wrongly incarcerated for a crime and released from jail to start Season 1. His friend Ivan (José de la Torre) is the owner of the strip club, Inferno, and the gang of entertainers we meet is hale and hearty – and often shirtless. I especially enjoy Carlo Costanzia, who plays Jairo, a deaf stripper with fantastic lip-reading skills. He does his share of the petty crimes that keep the gang afloat and Inferno open.
The rich are represented by the very devious Medina family, headed by Macarena (Cristina Castaño), who is as addicted to sex as she is to power. She does battle with her blue-haired gay son (Juanjo Almeida). María Pedraza plays Traina, the lawyer with the heart of gold who was seriously injured at the end of season one when the Inferno was bombed. Will she pull through and fall back in love with Hugo?
My favorite new character for Season 2 is The Turk, the new club owner. Álex González - all pearly teethe and steely pecs - is the boss everyone admires and fears. There are bad guys of all nationalities it seems, but I don't think we are worried too much about the plot.
Season 2 raises the stakes in terms of sets, cars, scenery, food, jewelry, and clothes. Production designers Koldo Vallés and Mercedes Canales, Set Decorator Abraham Arias, and Costume Designer Alberto Luna have all done great work. Composer Alberto Luna keeps the tension rising, and the large cinematography and directing teams all deserve applause.
Perhaps most importantly, TOY BOY features abs for days. And while there is plenty of gay and straight lovemaking, the creative team of César Benítez, Juan Carlos Cueto, and Rocío Martínez Llano keep it - like the MAGIC MIKE series - relatively tame.
In a world full of doping and impending war, TOY BOY is classic escapism. Like a trip to the strip club, it is a little naughty and a lot of fun.