Oasis’ first chapter wastes no time in presenting its central mystery. An exclusive coastal resort offers a glamorous summer getaway but when a young woman disappears without a trace, things take a darker turn.
The episode mixes romance, social drama and suspense as it introduces a large cast of privileged guests and hard-working staff whose lives become increasingly intertwined.## A Girl Vanishes, The Stage Is Set
The premiere begins with Dani recalling a summer that began with excitement and new beginnings before turning into a nightmare. The audience is immediately thrust into the mystery when a frightened young woman tries to make a phone call before an unknown assailant grabs her and takes her away. Her phone ends up in a swimming pool, the sole silent witness to the crime.
The next day the police arrive at the resort and start their investigation into Celia’s disappearance. But soon Dani becomes a person of interest because of his increasing connection with the missing girl. But he insists he had nothing to do with what happened.
The story then flashes back 48 hours to the events leading up to the shocking incident.# Fresh Finds & Initial Impressions
Dani arrives at the luxury resort with his mom, her boyfriend and Sofia. Their journey almost starts with a disaster after a near miss on the road with Helena, a hard-working resort employee.
Once checked in, Dani immediately noticed the heavy security around the property. Cameras seem to watch every corner, a detail that seems more and more important as the episode goes on.
Meanwhile, Laura introduces Sofia to the resort’s wealthy social scene, but it’s not easy to fit in. Maca, one of the group’s leaders, is immediately suspicious when she sees Sofia’s interest in her boyfriend, Pablo.
Meanwhile, Celia, the resort manager’s daughter, is attracted to Dani. Their chemistry is organic and one of the more engaging storylines of the episode.## The Gap Between Guests and Staff
A major theme of the premiere is the division between the privileged vacationers and the workers who keep the resort going.
Helena has always dreamed of going to medical school but her future takes a big hit when she finds out her application for a scholarship has been denied. Celia is supportive and promises to help her friend find another solution.
Meanwhile, while the staff are handling real-life challenges, the younger guests are busy creating unnecessary drama. Sofia and Pablo start flirting with each other, even though he is with Maca, creating a predictable but well executed tension.
Elsewhere, Laura is in love with her golf instructor Oliver, much to the annoyance of her grandmother who has other plans for her future and hopes to secure an advantageous relationship for the family’s business interests.# Opening Night Trouble
With preparations underway for the resort’s grand opening celebration, several storylines start to come together.
Jaen, a resort employee with secrets of his own, steals alcohol from the bar before meeting friends later that evening. On the surface he appears carefree, but the episode hints at a hidden depth that he may not want to reveal.
The party continues to ratchet up the romantic tension. Dani and Celia come closer and Sofia becomes more ruthless in her search for Pablo. Meanwhile, Alicia turns to Jaen for drugs, adding another layer of potential trouble.
The resort appears to be paradise on the face of it but underneath the luxurious veneer, it appears that almost every character has secrets to hide.## A Night on the Beach Turned Everything Around
The highlight of the episode is when Celia invites Dani to her group of friends for a beach party after work.
Away from the wealthy guests and strict resort rules, Dani starts to bond with the staff. For the first time they see he is not as entitled as many of the other visitors.
Things turn sinister at night when a group of privileged guests crash the party and humiliate staff by burning their clothes while they swim. The end result is an ugly confrontation that only serves to further highlight the social divides running throughout the series.
After all the chaos, there is a moment of quiet between Dani and Celia. Their conversation about expectations, family pressure and self doubt culminates in a kiss, the emotional high point of the premiere.# The Last Twist
Just when things appear to calm down Oasis delivers its biggest shock.
After a night of drinking Helena gets separated from everyone else and wanders into a nearby forest. She is abducted by an unknown person, alone and vulnerable.
The revelation dramatically changes the tone of the series, suggesting that the mystery may be much more dangerous than anyone thought.
After Celia disappears later and Helena is already missing, we’re left with major questions and multiple possible suspects.Oasis Ep 1 Review #
Oasis is clearly inspired from the recent crop of resort-based mystery dramas. The formula of wealthy guests, hidden secrets, class conflict and a central disappearance feels familiar from the get-go.
The biggest problem of the premiere is the character development. There are several relationships that are moving too fast, mainly Dani’s sudden emotional attachment to people he barely knows. Some of the rich teens are also more stereotypes than fully realized characters.
But the show does have its strengths. The resort itself is nicely shot and makes for a scenic background, which contrasts nicely with the creeping darkness below. The cast is good, especially in the more emotional scenes between Celia and Helena.
And crucially, the mystery element works. The kidnapping and disappearance storyline will no doubt create some predictable drama, but it does enough to keep viewers wanting to see what happens next.## Result
Oasis might not be reinventing the luxury-resort mystery genre, but Episode 1 does manage to lay out its core mystery and plant enough secrets to hook viewers. Some characters could have benefitted from a little more depth, but the strong visuals, suspenseful atmosphere and final twist make for an entertaining start.