There's a sequence during the first episode of Ojitos de Huevo — officially translated into Nothing to See Here by Netflix — that perfectly encapsulates what the show is about. Through a series of flashbacks we get a glimpse of how Alexis, the visually impaired protagonist, and his parents learned to deal with his condition from birth and throughout his teenage years. His dad, an overprotective presence; his mom, an overwhelming supporter that defended her boy's right to do anything he put his mind to.
Somewhere in the middle, Alexis found himself, favoring the use of humor to deal with his condition, while staying quite aware of the limitations he faces in society. As he aptly puts it in the first installment of the 8-episode season: "I can't see if you're angry or smiling, but I can hear you laugh, which is why I wand to be a comedian." The show goes deep into pretty dark humor at times, but it's also got a lot of heart and some tearjerking scenes. All in all, it's doing everything in its power to subvert misconceptions around disabilities, one laugh at a time.
Ojitos de Huevo was created by Big Drama and Santiago Limón, but it's really the story of Alexis Arroyo, a blind comedian who has been making the rounds of the Mexican stand up circuit for years thanks to his unique POV on inclusion and diversity, choosing to create awareness by challenging stereotypes.
In a recent interview with Excelsior, Arroyo explained: "I've always liked to talk about my disability with humor. These are topics that have become taboo and it seems like you can't touch them or that if you're going to touch them, you must do it delicately or from a dramatic perspective, or from the viewpoint of 'he's a superhero' or 'the little angel that God sent us.' But I feel that none of those visions are 100% accurate."
Besides the obvious parallels around his condition, Ojitos de Huevo takes several other cues from Alexis' life. In a nutshell, the show tells the story of how Alexis travels from Querétaro to Mexico City to pursue his dream of becoming a stand up comedian, a slice of life from the comedian's real life story. To complicate things more — and make everything funnier in every frame — Alexis is accompanied by his best friend Charlie, who suffers from cerebral palsy and is portrayed by Kike Vásquez. Unsurprisingly, Kike is another Latino comedian who suffers from cerebral palsy in real life and has also advocated for years to change the narrative around how disabilities are portrayed on screen.
The show has become a massive hit for Netflix, reaching the list of top 10 most watched shows across ten countries during is first week. In fact, Ojitos de Huevo reigns supreme among Mexican viewers and not just for Latino shows on Netflix. It sits at number one since November 19, despite the fact that it premiered the same week as the sixth season of global powerhouse The Crown and the heavily marketed Scott Pilgrim adaptation. To top it all off, the show has garnered praise for it's inclusive work environment, which included designing sets that were easily accessible for the visually and physically impaired.
It remains to be seen how US audiences will receive Ojitos de Huevo, especially in a crowded English-speaking field of hit Netflix shows. But you'd be wise not to root against Alexis and the gang. Afterall, they've built their success around being underdogs all their lives.
Ojitos de Huevo — AKA Nothing to See Here — is currently streaming on Netflix
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