Los 80 ("The 80s") is a Chilean series about the life of the Herrera, a Chilean middle class family living in Chile during the 1980s. The family consists of the father Juan, the mother Ana, their young adult children Claudia and Martín, their pubescent boy Felix and, from the season 2 finale, their baby girl Ana.
The series focuses on how they are affected by the context of the decade, specially the right-wing dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, who was in power between 1973 and 1990. They experience events and processes such as the deregulation of the economy, leading to the big 1982 crisis, the human rights violations perpetrated by the regime, the confrontation between the government and the clandestine opposition groups, the increase of working women, etc.
Not to be confused with the Tagalog-language novel and film Dekada '70, which similarly depicts a middle-class urban family living through at least a decade's worth of dictatorship in an ex-Spanish-colonial and American-influenced Banana Republic, in this case the Philippines.
Los 80 contains examples of:
- The '80s: The series starts in 1982 and ends around 1989, when the Pinochet dictatorship was ending and when pop culture was changing around the world. The intros are practically clip shows👁 Image
of what was popular or current that season with slice of life scenes of Chile that year. - '80s Hair: The Herrera family👁 Image
still maintain hairstyles that were inspired by the previous decade, but as the decade goes on, their hairstyles progress to poufier perms or heavier bangs👁 Image
◊. - Annoying Younger Sibling: How Martín sees Felix.
- Berserk Button: Lazyness for Juan, not being listened or respected for Ana and anything somehow near communism for Mr. Genaro.
- Becoming the Mask: Pedro gets attached to the Herrera in a creepy way.
- Beta Couple: Exequiel and Nancy.
- At season 5 Martín and Paola take that role.
- Benevolent Boss: Mr. Farid for Juan and prior to the series Juan for Exequiel (To the point they are best friends when they get fired).
- Beware the Nice Ones: Pedro.
- Breakout Character: Bruno starts being just Felix smart sidekick, but he became very popular and started having his own story arcs.
- Butt-Monkey: Juan. Played for Drama in the fifth season.
- Character Development: Martin started as a right-wing war pilot wanabee. At season two he is injured so he can't be in the airforce anymore, now he is more opened to his artistic side and working as a cameraman for a left-wing independent station.
- Coming of Age: This for Felix, who starts as a really cute and innocent kid and along with growing up begins to get the suffering around him.
- Darker and Edgier: Season 4.
- A Death in the Limelight: Mr. Farid starts getting more scenes at season 5, but he dies on the third episode.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance: Everybody Smokes, including fathers in front of their children, and when the father and head of the family loses his job, he feels humiliated because his wife must now look for a job to support the family.
- Demoted to Extra: Nancy on season 5.
- Dysfunctional Family: Played with, specially with Juan and Ana's relationship.
- Ensemble Cast.
- Evil Uncle: Pedro can be that, except he is not really the uncle but a CNI spy.
- Good Girls Avoid Abortion: Although Paola didn't want to become a mother, she keeps the baby.
- Good Parents: Juan and Ana, also Nancy.
- I Am Not My Father: Big deal for Juan, whose father was The Alcoholic and sent to prison during Juan's childhood.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Mr. Genaro.
- Just Friends: Sorry Felix, but Camila doesn't owe you affection.
- Killed Off for Real: Gabriel, Pedro and Mr. Farid.
- La Résistance: How the Frente Patriótico Manuel Rodriguez is portrayed.
- Luke, I Might Be Your Father: Mr. Genaro reveals Petita that he is his real father when he thinks is dying. When he gets better, he denies it.
- My Beloved Smother: Ana shows mild traces of this with Claudia and Martin.
- One-Steve Limit: Juan's father and brother share the same name, although for the last one it's probably a fake name.
- Plucky Comic Relief: Mr. Genaro and Petita.
- Practically Different Generations: Later in the series, Ana gives birth to Baby Ana. Baby Ana's older siblings are young adults who are entering the adult world or entering adolescence at that point.
- Second Love: Gabriel becomes that for Claudia after she breaks up with Francisco.
- Tagline: "Más que una moda"Translation"More than a trend"
- Took a Level in Kindness: Gabriel. Lampshaded by Claudia shortly before he dies.
- Also Martín as he grows more mature.
- They Really Do Love Each Other: Some scenes between Martín and Claudia or Martín and Felix.
- Those Two Girls: Claudia's friends at Med School.
- We Used to Be Friends: Felix and Bruno on the fifth season.
- Wham Episode: The episode when it’s revealed that Gabriel is part of the Frente.
