The Final Problem arrives on Netflix in the United States on Thursday, September 25, 2026, and you watch it the same way you watch any Netflix original: all episodes land at once, at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time (3:00 a.m. Eastern Time), with nothing extra to rent or unlock. If you already pay for Netflix — the ad-supported plan starts at $8.99 a month, with ad-free Standard and Premium tiers at $19.99 and $26.99 — the series is included at no additional cost.
Here is the quick version, then the reasons this Spanish-language whodunit is worth putting on your list before the crowd finds it.
The Final Problem watch details at a glance
- Platform: Netflix (included with any plan)
- U.S. release date: Thursday, September 25, 2026
- Start time: 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET
- Format: Limited series, released as a full binge
- Language: Spanish, with English subtitles and an English dub
- Price: No extra charge beyond your Netflix subscription ($8.99/month with ads and up)
What is The Final Problem about?
The setup is a locked-room mystery in the purest sense. In the spring of 1959, thirteen guests are stranded by a violent storm at a secluded hotel on a small island off the coast of Mallorca, Spain — no boat in, no boat out. When a quiet English tourist named Elisa Mander is found dead, what looks at first like a suicide turns out to be a murder, and everyone still on the island becomes a suspect.
The twist that gives the series its hook: the person who has to crack the case is not a detective at all. He is Basil, a retired actor who spent his career playing Sherlock Holmes on screen and is now expected to deduce like the character he once portrayed. If that premise reminds you of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None crossed with a wink at Arthur Conan Doyle, that is the point — the story is adapted from the novel The Final Problem (El problema final) by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, one of Spain’s most widely read authors, and it borrows its title from the very Conan Doyle story in which Holmes meets his match.
Who is in the cast?
The ensemble is a showcase of Spanish screen talent, several of whom U.S. viewers will recognize even if the names are new:
- Jose Coronado as Basil, the retired Holmes actor pressed into a real investigation
- Maribel Verdú as Mrs. Ausländer — Verdú is best known internationally for Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth
- María Valverde as Adela Figueroa
- Martiño Rivas as Foxá
- Gonzalo de Castro as Fonseca
- with Cristina Kovani, José Condessa and Pepón Nieto rounding out the trapped houseguests
The series is directed by Félix Viscarret and written by Alberto Macías, Carlos Molinero and Marisol Farré, produced by Fernando Bovaira for Mod Producciones — the company behind a string of prestige Spanish films.
Watch the trailer
Netflix’s official English-language trailer lays out the tone: candlelit period rooms, a storm rattling the shutters, and a cast of well-dressed strangers eyeing one another over dinner.
Why this one is worth your time
Period whodunits are having a moment on U.S. streaming — think of the appetite for Knives Out, The Perfect Couple and the second life of Agatha Christie adaptations. The Final Problem plays in exactly that sandbox, but from a corner of the Netflix catalog that English-language coverage tends to skip: high-end Spanish drama. That is precisely why it is worth catching early. A tightly plotted, single-location mystery with a meta twist about an actor who played a detective is the kind of show that spreads by word of mouth, and getting to it before your group chat does is half the fun.
It also rewards a specific way of watching. Because Netflix drops the entire limited series at once, this is a weekend-binge title rather than a week-to-week appointment. Set aside an evening, resist the urge to look up the ending, and let the locked-island structure do its work — the whole design is built so that every guest, including the ones you trust, stays on the board until the last episode.
Frequently asked
What time does The Final Problem come out on Netflix?
Netflix releases new originals at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time, which is 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time. All episodes are available the moment it goes live on September 25, 2026.
Is The Final Problem in English or Spanish?
It is a Spanish-language production. On Netflix in the U.S. you can watch it with English subtitles or switch to the English-dubbed audio track from the player settings.
Do I need a special plan to watch it?
No. The Final Problem is included with every U.S. Netflix plan, from the $8.99-a-month ad-supported tier up to the ad-free Standard ($19.99) and Premium ($26.99) plans. There is nothing extra to rent or buy.
Is it based on a book?
Yes. It adapts The Final Problem (El problema final) by Spanish novelist Arturo Pérez-Reverte, whose work has been translated into dozens of languages.
Will there be more than one season?
It is built and billed as a self-contained limited series, so the mystery is designed to resolve within this single run rather than set up a returning show.
