El Hipnotizador Season 1 Episode 2 The Collector of Days

In El Hipnotizador season 1 episode 2, The Collector of Days, we continue to follow the mesmerizing story of the famous hypnotist known as Natalio Arenas. The episode reveals the reasons why Natalio's eyes have turned completely white, indicating that he has crossed a point of no return.

When we are introduced to Natalio in this episode, he is on the brink of losing his powers as a hypnotist due to excessive use of his abilities. However, he is about to get one last chance to prove that he still has what it takes. A wealthy man, Mr. Serret, has hired Natalio to help his wife Julia who has been struggling with depression for a long time. Natalio is hesitant to take on the case because he perceives that Julia carries a very complicated aura. Nonetheless, he decides to do it as it could be his salvation.

Natalio's intuition about Julia was right: she's not an easy case. Julia is a collector of days, a person who obsessively registers every single detail of her life. She carries multiple diaries with her at all times and takes notes every few seconds, hence, her nickname "the Walking Archive”. This condition makes her extremely vulnerable to her own memories, which she relives constantly, triggering a vicious cycle of depression.

Through a series of hypnotic sessions, Natalio delves into Julia's memories and discovers that her obsession with collecting days is rooted in the fact that her father, a wealthy businessman, always prioritized his work over his family, causing them to feel neglected and unimportant.

As the hypnotic sessions unfold, Natalio's own memories come to the surface, and he tries to deal with them while he helps Julia confront her own. The two stories intertwine and create a captivating and melancholic mood, which is one of the traits that make El Hipnotizador such a compelling show.

Throughout the episode, we see Natalio struggle with his own demons. "I lost myself inside other people's thoughts", he comments. His powers have turned into a curse, and he is constantly questioning who he is, and if it's worth it to keep doing what he does. In a moment of weakness, he considers quitting his job and living a normal life, but his duty as a hypnotist brings him back to Julia's case, and ultimately, saves him.

The Collector of Days is a sublimely crafted episode that features compelling performances by the entire cast, especially by its two leads: Leonardo Sbaraglia as Natalio Arenas, and Chulpan Khamatova as Julia Serret. The episode is full of visual and narrative clues that elevate the show's storytelling to another level. The use of color, symbolisms, and the musical score create a haunting atmosphere that sticks with you long after the episode is over.

The Collector of Days, just like the rest of the series, is a timeless tale about human nature, about the things we fear, the things we desire, and the things that make us who we are. El Hipnotizador is a show that should not be missed by those who appreciate good storytelling and is an experience that will leave you feeling mesmerized.