Just five minutes into the first episode and I was hooked. Sometimes I got a little lost (thankful for the 10-second rewind) but I think that is because I'm not a native Spanish speaker. Sure, there are lots of deviations from Dumas's book, but it doesn't matter--the same can be said of "remakes" of other classics. Performances are top notch; it's good to see Levy delving into roles beyond the telenovela galán, although he has done quality work there as well. Other actors in this production are new to me, but all gave excellent performances and totally convincing. Montecristo is well worth watching!