Carmen Sandiego Spotted On Netflix

The Netflix Original that stole the hearts of many with its tales of thievery, sabotage, and family.

Jaiden Radoczy, Bear Hub Staff

Back in January, Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego aired its fourth and final season, concluding the cartoon remake of a series of games made in the 1980s called Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? In line with the goals of the video games, the Netflix Original works to teach children about geography and foreign locations by having its fictional thief, Carmen Sandiego, perform heists in each of these locations.

The Netflix Original is very different from the games however, as the show presents Carmen Sandiego, voiced by Gina Rodriguez, as the morally good but legally objectionable protagonist, stealing items to keep them in the rightful hands of the museums and people they belong to. The original games and then show presented her differently, as she stole the items for the organization V.I.L.E., while modern Carmen Sandiego instead works to save these items from their clutches.

Though the different take on a game from their childhoods might entice some viewers, others without that sense of nostalgia come for different things. One of the things they watch for is the interesting animation style, 2D with bright bold colors, that helps to set a mood for the show. There’s also the cultural lessons taught throughout the show, like talking about how Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia (Season 1, Episode 3, “The Sticky Rice Caper”) or teaching about the Venetian Canals (Season 3, Episode 4, “The Masks of Venice Caper”).

But for other people, including myself, the most appealing part is the way that the characters interact with each other. With characters such as Zack and Ivy (voiced by Michael Hawley and Abby Trott), two red-headed siblings from Boston who assist in Carmen’s heists while arguing with each other the entire time, and Player (voiced by Finn Wolfhard), who helps on the tech side of things remotely from his home in Canada, they all add something unique to the series with their interactions and tone. Additionally, many fans latch onto this heartwarming picture of the beloved “found family” trope that can be seen in many fiction stories.

All four seasons of the show and one interactive special can be found on Netflix, with approximately thirteen hours of fun characters, interesting heists, and foiled schemes.