Upamanyu Biswas
‘The Accident,‘ the Mexican Netflix show about the tragic death of three children in a small community of well-to-do people, revolves around Emiliano, a lawyer who loses his son Rodri during the event. As the face of his law firm, Despacho Jurídico, Emiliano is regularly tied up in businesses pertaining to his job, which distracts him from his familial life. In the narrative, the law firm plays a central role because of a million-dollar deal it looks to secure with an American investment firm to develop an amusement park. Consequently, Emiliano’s life outside his home is spent mainly in the corridors of his legal office, where the bulk of his professional life hinges while he contends with the grief of his son’s death.
The Genesis of Despacho Jurídico
Despacho Jurídico is a fictional law firm in ‘The Accident’ crafted by Leonardo Padrón, the leading creative voice on the show. According to the story, the firm is mainly led by Emiliano, who is aided in his day-to-day tasks by friends and fellow lawyers Javier and David. The three of them are the primary negotiators for the foreign investment deal that is integral to both their and the firm’s future. Driven by their need for success and money, the three become slightly blind-sighted as a tragedy ends up rocking Emiliano’s family during his son’s birthday party, which ultimately has a devastating effect on his life.
Although the Despacho Jurídico featured in the show may not be real, there are several real law firms in Mexico – where the narrative is set – with the same name, like the one in Cuernavaca, a city in the state of Morelos. As the name directly translates from Spanish to English as a legal office, it is quite a common designation for any company offering law services. The one in ‘The Accident,’ however, is meant to be based in Santa Cruz, a town in Mexico, which instantly differentiates the fictional firm from the real one mentioned before. As filming for the show takes place in Tepoztlán, the scenes depicting the law firm are likely shot in a real-life establishment in the historic tourist town.
Throughout the narrative, Despacho Jurídico has an external influencing role on the central characters of the story as they find their lives pulled in different directions after the loss of their children. Its purpose in the show is to illustrate the conflict of interest between Emiliano’s personal and professional life. Because all the lawyers at the firm are more concerned about closing the deal with their foreign investors, they lose track of their responsibilities as parents. It ends up costing Emiliano dearly when his son has to pay for his carelessness. However, while the legal office plays an important part in the plot, its impact is confined chiefly to fiction as it cannot be found in real life.
Read More: Netflix’s The Accident: Is the Show Inspired by Real Events?
You must be logged in to post a comment.