Looking for a show with all the cartel-related intrigue of Breaking Bad and the glossy melodrama of Outer Banks?
The Watch With Us team recommends Turn of the Tide, a Netflix original series that follows a group of amateur drug dealers in an island locale.
It’s funny, intense and rooted in a real-life story that’s stranger than fiction.
If you’re searching for a new binge that combines grit, heart and a one-of-a-kind setting, this might be the show for you in October 2025.
‘Turn of the Tide’ Is Inspired by an Amazing True Story
Turn of the Tide is loosely inspired by the true story of a strange discovery in 2001 — after the sinking of a sailboat off the Azorean coast, 505.84 kilograms of cocaine were found floating near the village of Rabo de Peixe, part of the Portuguese Azores. The super-pure drugs were distributed among the villagers, with some people confusing it for flour or sugar. The influx of cocaine caused chaos in the community, with 20 reported deaths in the three weeks after the drugs were found and several people starting “businesses” with their new product.
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The story of Turn of the Tide focuses on one of those “businessmen” — Eduardo (José Condessa), a young fisherman who decides to start selling the cocaine with his friends Rafael (Rodrigo Tomás), Carlinhos (André Leitão) and Silvia (Helena Caldeira). But before long, the gang goes down a rabbit hole of crime, leading to an escalating series of choices that test their loyalty and morality.
It’s an Underdog Story With Morally Complex Heroes
Thanks to the charming performance by Condessa, Eduardo is an instantly likeable character, but his schemes seem destined to get him and his friends killed. Like Breaking Bad, Turn of the Tide thrives on moral ambiguity — Eduardo isn’t a hardened criminal, just a young man trying to build a better life in a place that doesn’t offer many opportunities.
What makes the show compelling is how it refuses to paint its characters as purely good or evil. Eduardo genuinely wants to help his struggling father and friends, but the deeper he wades into the drug trade, the more impossible it becomes to justify his decisions. Each episode builds on the tension between survival and self-destruction, making the audience question what they would do in his place, especially living in his community.
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It Takes Place in a Location We’ve Rarely Seen Explored
Speaking of community, the Portuguese Azores isn’t a location we often see on screen — and that’s part of what makes Turn of the Tide so distinctive. The fishing village of Rabo de Peixe, surrounded by rolling green hills and the Atlantic Ocean, offers breathtaking visuals that contrast sharply with the story’s darker themes.
This isn’t a glossy version of island life. The show captures the raw beauty and economic hardship of a place where opportunities are scarce and escape feels impossible. By grounding its story in this rarely seen world, Turn of the Tide stands apart from other crime dramas.
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Season 2 Is Now Streaming
If Turn of the Tide sounds like your next binge, now’s the time to catch up — season 2 is now streaming. Expect higher stakes, deeper emotions and plenty of twists as Eduardo and his crew face the fallout of their choices.
