Yosi, the Regretful Spy (Spanish: Iosi, el espía arrepentido) is an Argentine-Uruguayan thriller television series created by Daniel Burman for Amazon Prime Video and based on the 2015 book Iosi, el espía arrepentido by authors Horacio Lutzky and Miriam Lewin. It revolves around an Argentine Federal Police agent who infiltrates a Jewish community to gather information, which was apparently used to carry out the terrorist attacks against the Israeli embassy in 1992 and the AMIA in 1994.
The series, which debuted on April 29, 2022, stars a cast of Argentine and Uruguayan actors. A month after its premiere, in May 2022 it was renewed for a second season, premiered on October 27, 2023. In November 2022, Yosi, the Regretful Spy won the Silver Condor Awards for Best Drama Series, and Bassani for Best Leading Actor in Drama.
Contents
Premise
Yosi, the Regretful Spy follows José Pérez, an intelligence agent of the Argentine Federal Police, who is assigned to infiltrate a Jewish community and gather information about the "Andinia Plan", which according to an antisemitic conspiracy theory sought to establish a Jewish state in Patagonia. Discoveries from the infiltration activity are later used to perpetrate two terrorist attacks on Argentine soil: the bombing on the Israeli embassy in 1992 –in which no culprits were determined–, and on the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association in 1994 –in which several accessories after the event were convicted–.
Cast and characters
Main
Natalia Oreiro as Claudia, Yosi's handler, she is a controlling and anti-Semitic agent, who believes in the Andinia Plan and seeks to prevent it from being carried out in Argentina.
Gustavo Bassani as José Pérez / Yosi, an anti-Semitic police intelligence agent who infiltrates a Jewish community.
Alejandro Awada as Saúl Menajem, a businessman linked to finance and banking, who traffics arms
Carla Quevedo as Eli, a committed young Jewish woman who is politically active and has a secret from the past that haunts her
Minerva Casero as Dafne Menajem, Saúl's daughter and Yosi's romantic interest
Juan Leyrado as Abraham Glusberg, the Jewish husband of José's mother
Marco Antonio Caponi as Luis Garrido, José's friend and corrupt intelligence agent who conducts business outside the law.
Daniel Kuzniecka as Aarón
Matías Mayer as Víctor Kesselman, leader of the left-wing political group that Yosi joins.
Mercedes Morán as Mónica Raposo, an incisive retired journalist who helps Yosi.
Recurring
Mirella Pascual as Zuni
César Troncoso as Castaño
Damián Dreizik as Marcelo
Carlos Belloso as Kadar
Enzo Vogrincic as Rivera
Guest
Roly Serrano as Minister Aquino
Julián Ache Pérez Zinola as Jonás Kesselman
Mercedes Morán as Mónica Raposo
Danna Liberman as Silvina
Miguel Di Lemme as Daniel Cruz
Lucio Hernández as Salerno
Víctor Wainbuch as Rabbi Straimel
Fernando Miró as Prosecutor Castillo
Roberto Suárez as Horacio Gutiérrez
David Masajnik as Doctor Roitman
Episodes
Production
Development
In February 2017, it was announced that the Argentine production company Oficina Burman had joined Mediapro to develop several projects to launch internationally, including the adaptation of the book Iosi, el espía arrepentido written by Horacio Lutzky and Miriam Lewin, and which tells the real story of an Argentine policeman who infiltrates a Jewish community. In January 2020, Daniel Burman and Sebastián Borensztein were confirmed as the directors of the series that would be made up of 8 episodes of 40–50 minutes each. On 7 April 2022, it was announced that the series would premiere on the 29th. On 26 May 2022, Amazon Prime Video renewed the show for a second series. In September 2023, the premiere of the second season was announced for October 27.
Casting
On 17 May 2018, it was announced that Natalia Oreiro, Gustavo Bassani, Marco Antonio Caponi, Alejandro Awada, Juan Leyrado, Matías Mayer and Minerva Casero had joined the show's main cast. In January 2021, it was reported that Carla Quevedo had been cast. At the end of May 2022, it was reported that two Israeli actors Moran Rosenblatt and Itzik Cohen would join the cast of the series.
Filming
Filming for the first series took place at several locations in Uruguay during 2021. Although the filming took place mainly in Montevideo, several towns in the Canelones Department, such as Progreso, Cerrillos, La Paz and Paso de Carrasco were also included.
Reception
Critical response
Raúl Kollmann of Página 12 gave a positive review and wrote: "Iosi, el espía arrepentido makes visible what that time was and what the infiltrators of the Federal Police were. But above all because the chapters are exciting, with a huge production that includes beautiful images in the desert, good performances and a rhythm that has nothing to envy to the best series".