‘Selena: The Series’ the Netflix series was released on
Friday and elicited polarized views almost immediately, with fans and loyalists
taking different lines over the depiction of the iconic singer and her family
in the series.  

Selena Quintanilla was a famous Latina singer from Texas who
was shot dead at the age of 23 by a fan, who was also her staffer, in 1995.

Fans shared their emotions over the dead singer, whose life
was cut too short by the tragic incident of her killing in a hotel
room.

But then there were hardcore loyalists, or puritans, more in number, who
compared the series unfavourably with 1997 movie by the same name, in which Jennifer Lopez
played the eponymous character.

Not to speak of some others who complained of ‘whitewashing’
the drama by casting non-Hispanic people.

The rotten tomatoes didn’t come only from fans, ‘Selena’
also failed to impress the critics, who pointed out flaws in the show, including
a fundamental disadvantage, that of playing of the role of 23-year-old by an
actress – Christian Serrratos–who is in her late 20s.

“Even for a Netflix show, the narrative bloat is startlingly
egregious, with an early scene taking us to Selena’s first few hours as a
newborn in the hospital… and fans won’t hear “Como la Flor,” one of the singer’s
earlier breakthrough singles, until the final episode. Some shows crawl,” Hollywood
Reporter wrote about the nine-part series.

Another review listed among show’s frailties its lack of depth
in Selena’s character, citing dialogues such as “I don’t always know who I am …
until I am”. It complained that the series merely “skims the surface”.

“It’s disappointing. Maybe there’s no biopic that could give
Selena the considered, humane, empathetic, but also thoughtfully critical study
she deserves,” Vulture wrote.