Some shows can never be topped, and Lost is one of them. But once in a while, there comes something a little similar. MGM+ currently has such a show for those who miss the 2000s sci-fi adventure drama. Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue premiered on the streaming service in March.
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
- Release Date
-
March 2, 2025
- Network
-
MGM+
- Directors
-
Brian O’Malley
Cast
It’s the brainchild of Anthony Horowitz, known for writing the most recent James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis (2015), Forever and a Day (2018), and With a Mind to Kill (2022). Horowitz was commissioned by the Ian Fleming estate to bring Agent 007 to the modern age. He also wrote two Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk (2011) and Moriarty (2014), and the Alex Rider spy book series.
Lost was nominated for 54 Emmys during its run and averaged 11 million viewers per episode, so Horowitz’s show cannot be expected to reach such heights. The bar is too high. Still, the new thriller series looks promising, and there is a lot of room for improvement if a renewal happens.
Plane Crash Survivors Are Marooned Again in ‘Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue’
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue’s story is every bit as tragic and as moving as that of Lost. A tale of plane passengers whose hopes of rescue are cruelly frustrated by circumstances beyond their control. The show opens with a helicopter arriving at a military base in Mexico. It’s carrying nine bodies recovered from the site of a plane crash. We are then treated to the catchy theme song of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics, before the narrative takes a rewind to introduce viewers to the ten people on board the ill-fated plane. These include the stewardess and the pilot.
Related
‘Lost’: One of the Greatest Series of All Time Explained in 3 Minutes or Less
The survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island.
Everything seems to be going well, but the plane suddenly struggles with low fuel and mechanical problems. The worried pilot quickly records a video before steering the plane on a dive into the jungle. The crash leaves the stewardess dead, and the pilot severely injured, but the passengers mostly unharmed. Horowitz then establishes his players in concise strokes, using appropriate dialogue. The camera (with dynamic cinematography by James Mather) puts us into the thick of the Mexican jungle, with Nat Geo-ish shots of snakes reminding us that this is not a safe place.
Flashfoward scenes at the military base confirm that nine of these people died. The question is: what happened to the tenth one? Soon, the survivors start dying under mysterious circumstances. It’s hinted that there is a killer among them. They could be one of the survivors, the tenth person that was missing when the bodies were recovered.
But is the guilty person really among these lovely and innocent-looking characters that we are interacting with? Trust Horowitz to hide the answer as much as possible. Your eyes might shift to Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, given how evil the Icelandic actor’s characters tend to be. But on this show, there is a marked change of pace from his usual roles of rakish, violent, and unreasonable men to an unflappable MAGA-obsessed family man who just wants to go back to America.
The Similarities Between ‘Lost’ and ‘Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue’ Stretch Beyond the Plane Crash
The first episode of Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue plays out exactly like the Lost series premiere. The plane crashes in isolated lush territory where rescue attempts will be hard. Many people survive, and a few of the characters try to interrogate the pilot, who then reveals that something wasn’t right. In the MGM+ series, he informs them of the plane’s mechanical issues and suggests that someone (or something) wanted them to crash where they couldn’t easily be found. In the 2000s sci-fi series, he states that they were off course when they crashed, hence it would be difficult for anyone to find them. Soon after both pilots reveal this information, they get murdered by an unknown figure.
Related
This ‘Lost’ Character Was Supposed to Die in the Pilot, But Changed the Entire Franchise Instead
Lauded as one of the finest television shows of all time, the sci-fi supernatural sensation ‘Lost’ took audiences on a wild ride over its six seasons.
From there, we see the kind of cinematography where the camera perfectly captures the beauty of the environment and the character costumes. Great focus is also placed on survival strategies. The survivors alternate between thinking of ways in which they can get away from the hellish circumstances they are currently in, and coming up with ingenious ways to ensure they don’t run out of basics. On top of that, we see the survivors forming alliances and developing trust issues. Some connect through a sense of victimization, others through shared strength and aura. As that happens, the background of each character is explored gradually.
Beyond that, both shows rely on non-linear storytelling. Flash forwards and flashbacks are reliable narrative tools for both plots, resulting in a cohesive story. In addition to that, both stories are heavily propelled by mystery and suspense. It takes a while for viewers to find out who is harming the survivors, and as the wait continues, each episode ends on some sort of cliffhanger.
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue is thus perfect for those who miss the thrills of Lost. It lacks the sci-fi and fantasy elements, but it still has compelling characters and a story that makes sense. Most importantly, the choice to go the murder mystery route prevents it from being a direct clone of the popular ABC show. Viewers will find plenty of new things to enjoy.
‘Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue’ Isn’t Anthony Horowitz’s First Dance on Television
Anthony Horowitz is mostly known for his literature, but, like George R.R. Martin and Stephen King, he has also done plenty of work on television. He began writing for the screen in the ‘80s, with the children’s anthology series Dramarama. He also wrote several episodes of the popular fantasy series Robin of Sherwood. Later, he created Crossbow and Adventurer.
In the ‘90s, Horowitz began leaning more towards murder mysteries, writing for ITV’s critically acclaimed Agatha Christie’s Poirot series and the anthology Murder Most Horrid on BBC Two. After that, he created the detective series, The Diamond Brothers, and wrote its novelization shortly after, before working on the sci-fi show, Crime Traveller. Whenever he wasn’t working on his own projects, Horowitz wrote episodes of Midsomer Murders.
Related
‘Lost’s Worst Episode Saved the Show From an Even Worse Ending
Lost’s ending is still polarizing, but it’s undeniably better than this Season 3 episode, which might have saved the series.
The 2000s saw Horowitz finding even greater success. Foyle’s War, set during World War II, became his longest-running series. Later created the ITV crime drama Collision before adapting his novel Magpie Murders into a television miniseries, which aired on BritBox and BBC One.
The Alex Rider author is yet to have a TV hit in America, but here’s to hoping Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue becomes his first. With this show, he has brought us a visually delicious and cynical concoction, imbued with a spirited, joyously twisty flavor only a storyteller of his talents can produce. It is unalloyed fun to watch the cast — able performers all! — run circles around each other while occasionally collaborating. Judging from its storyline, the MGM+ production looks like it’s set to be a miniseries, but we’ve seen such shows expanding whenever viewer interest is high. Hopefully, this will happen, and if it does, may it never run out of steam like Lost in its later seasons.
Some shows can never be topped, and Lost is one of them. But once in a while, there comes something a little similar. MGM+ currently has such a show for those who miss the 2000s sci-fi adventure drama. Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue premiered on the streaming service in March.
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue
- Release Date
-
March 2, 2025
- Network
-
MGM+
- Directors
-
Brian O’Malley
Cast
It’s the brainchild of Anthony Horowitz, known for writing the most recent James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis (2015), Forever and a Day (2018), and With a Mind to Kill (2022). Horowitz was commissioned by the Ian Fleming estate to bring Agent 007 to the modern age. He also wrote two Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk (2011) and Moriarty (2014), and the Alex Rider spy book series.
Lost was nominated for 54 Emmys during its run and averaged 11 million viewers per episode, so Horowitz’s show cannot be expected to reach such heights. The bar is too high. Still, the new thriller series looks promising, and there is a lot of room for improvement if a renewal happens.
Plane Crash Survivors Are Marooned Again in ‘Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue’
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue’s story is every bit as tragic and as moving as that of Lost. A tale of plane passengers whose hopes of rescue are cruelly frustrated by circumstances beyond their control. The show opens with a helicopter arriving at a military base in Mexico. It’s carrying nine bodies recovered from the site of a plane crash. We are then treated to the catchy theme song of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics, before the narrative takes a rewind to introduce viewers to the ten people on board the ill-fated plane. These include the stewardess and the pilot.
Related
‘Lost’: One of the Greatest Series of All Time Explained in 3 Minutes or Less
The survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island.
Everything seems to be going well, but the plane suddenly struggles with low fuel and mechanical problems. The worried pilot quickly records a video before steering the plane on a dive into the jungle. The crash leaves the stewardess dead, and the pilot severely injured, but the passengers mostly unharmed. Horowitz then establishes his players in concise strokes, using appropriate dialogue. The camera (with dynamic cinematography by James Mather) puts us into the thick of the Mexican jungle, with Nat Geo-ish shots of snakes reminding us that this is not a safe place.
Flashfoward scenes at the military base confirm that nine of these people died. The question is: what happened to the tenth one? Soon, the survivors start dying under mysterious circumstances. It’s hinted that there is a killer among them. They could be one of the survivors, the tenth person that was missing when the bodies were recovered.
But is the guilty person really among these lovely and innocent-looking characters that we are interacting with? Trust Horowitz to hide the answer as much as possible. Your eyes might shift to Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, given how evil the Icelandic actor’s characters tend to be. But on this show, there is a marked change of pace from his usual roles of rakish, violent, and unreasonable men to an unflappable MAGA-obsessed family man who just wants to go back to America.
The Similarities Between ‘Lost’ and ‘Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue’ Stretch Beyond the Plane Crash
The first episode of Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue plays out exactly like the Lost series premiere. The plane crashes in isolated lush territory where rescue attempts will be hard. Many people survive, and a few of the characters try to interrogate the pilot, who then reveals that something wasn’t right. In the MGM+ series, he informs them of the plane’s mechanical issues and suggests that someone (or something) wanted them to crash where they couldn’t easily be found. In the 2000s sci-fi series, he states that they were off course when they crashed, hence it would be difficult for anyone to find them. Soon after both pilots reveal this information, they get murdered by an unknown figure.
Related
This ‘Lost’ Character Was Supposed to Die in the Pilot, But Changed the Entire Franchise Instead
Lauded as one of the finest television shows of all time, the sci-fi supernatural sensation ‘Lost’ took audiences on a wild ride over its six seasons.
From there, we see the kind of cinematography where the camera perfectly captures the beauty of the environment and the character costumes. Great focus is also placed on survival strategies. The survivors alternate between thinking of ways in which they can get away from the hellish circumstances they are currently in, and coming up with ingenious ways to ensure they don’t run out of basics. On top of that, we see the survivors forming alliances and developing trust issues. Some connect through a sense of victimization, others through shared strength and aura. As that happens, the background of each character is explored gradually.
Beyond that, both shows rely on non-linear storytelling. Flash forwards and flashbacks are reliable narrative tools for both plots, resulting in a cohesive story. In addition to that, both stories are heavily propelled by mystery and suspense. It takes a while for viewers to find out who is harming the survivors, and as the wait continues, each episode ends on some sort of cliffhanger.
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue is thus perfect for those who miss the thrills of Lost. It lacks the sci-fi and fantasy elements, but it still has compelling characters and a story that makes sense. Most importantly, the choice to go the murder mystery route prevents it from being a direct clone of the popular ABC show. Viewers will find plenty of new things to enjoy.
‘Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue’ Isn’t Anthony Horowitz’s First Dance on Television
Anthony Horowitz is mostly known for his literature, but, like George R.R. Martin and Stephen King, he has also done plenty of work on television. He began writing for the screen in the ‘80s, with the children’s anthology series Dramarama. He also wrote several episodes of the popular fantasy series Robin of Sherwood. Later, he created Crossbow and Adventurer.
In the ‘90s, Horowitz began leaning more towards murder mysteries, writing for ITV’s critically acclaimed Agatha Christie’s Poirot series and the anthology Murder Most Horrid on BBC Two. After that, he created the detective series, The Diamond Brothers, and wrote its novelization shortly after, before working on the sci-fi show, Crime Traveller. Whenever he wasn’t working on his own projects, Horowitz wrote episodes of Midsomer Murders.
Related
‘Lost’s Worst Episode Saved the Show From an Even Worse Ending
Lost’s ending is still polarizing, but it’s undeniably better than this Season 3 episode, which might have saved the series.
The 2000s saw Horowitz finding even greater success. Foyle’s War, set during World War II, became his longest-running series. Later created the ITV crime drama Collision before adapting his novel Magpie Murders into a television miniseries, which aired on BritBox and BBC One.
The Alex Rider author is yet to have a TV hit in America, but here’s to hoping Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue becomes his first. With this show, he has brought us a visually delicious and cynical concoction, imbued with a spirited, joyously twisty flavor only a storyteller of his talents can produce. It is unalloyed fun to watch the cast — able performers all! — run circles around each other while occasionally collaborating. Judging from its storyline, the MGM+ production looks like it’s set to be a miniseries, but we’ve seen such shows expanding whenever viewer interest is high. Hopefully, this will happen, and if it does, may it never run out of steam like Lost in its later seasons.
