The Patients of Dr. Garcia centers around a Republican named Dr. Guillermo Garcia, who lives in a war-torn Madrid. Guillermo Garcia lost his job, his family, and, most importantly, his identity once the Spanish Civil War ended and Francis Franco took over Spain. Guillermo restarted his life by using the alias Rafael Cuesta. At the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, when many injured soldiers were taken to the hospital, Guillermo Garcia Medina, one of the most capable and idealistic medical professionals, sought to provide them with the finest care possible. In times of blood scarcity, Guillermo was seen donating his own blood to his patients in an attempt to save their lives. Many of his injured patients who made a full recovery owed Guillermo their lives, but Guillermo regarded them as close friends. One of them was the Communist sergeant Pepe, who remained close to Guillermo for almost the entirety of his life.
Guillermo was a Republican and a sensible man of free choice; nevertheless, he made the biggest mistake of his life by letting Amparo, his childhood sweetheart, stay at his home. Amparo, a refugee who had lost her grandfather, took advantage of Guillermo’s generosity. Despite the fact that she wasn’t a Republican, Guillermo grew fond of her, and they began having an intimate relationship. Amparo, therefore, became pregnant. Guillermo didn’t have enough money or rations during the war to support a family or have his own children. But out of love for Amparo, he decided to welcome their child into the world. In addition to deciding to take care of their child, he proposed to marry Amparo in order to take care of her as well. Guillermo was a reliable and responsible individual. He was sensible since he didn’t want to bring a kid into this situation where he wouldn’t be able to provide for it, but he nonetheless sold all of his household’s silverware to get some money. All of these attempts, however, were futile.
Following Franco’s victory in 1939, when Francoists were committing atrocities like slaughtering unarmed civilians on the street and seizing control of everything, Guillermo lost his job at the hospital as well as his family. Guillermo’s life had been torn from him in the wake of the civil war. But Amparo betraying him was the most terrible thing that had ever happened in his life. Guillermo saw his wife and son flee with the Francoists right in front of his eyes, shattering his heart into pieces. As a result, in order to move on from his agony and survive in Spain, he adopted the identity of Rafael Cuesta, which his friend Manuel provided him. Manuel, a Republican ambassador whose life Guillermo saved in 1937, repaid the favor by providing Guillermo with a fresh lease on life. Guillermo assumed the new identity and grew a mustache in order to change his appearance. Guillermo, alias Rafael, was recruited by a transportation firm due to his bilingual abilities and savvy communication style, but his primary reason for joining the company was to assist his friend Manuel with his relocation to Argentina. Guillermo never took pride in the fact that he was able to help his patients. Even if his patients made him feel overwhelmed at times, Guillermo knew it was his responsibility to save people’s lives. In order to repay Manuel for helping him adopt a new identity, he decided to assist him in moving to Argentina.
Meanwhile, Clara Stauffer’s Falangist organization was running a covert network to transport war criminals and fugitives to Argentina. Manuel seized the chance to enlist Clara’s assistance, and Guillermo accompanied him on this mission. Guillermo was living completely for himself, working in a new atmosphere that was easier and more pleasant than the environment in a hospital, yet he continued to treat patients alongside his service to the company. He was glad to treat several of Pepe’s communist friends and nurse them back to health. In the interim, a tragedy impacted Guillermo’s life irrevocably. The compassionate doctor, who had always wished to preserve the quality of life, murdered someone with his own hands.
When Manuel made the decision to relocate to Argentina through Clara’s covert network, he used the alias Adrian Gallardo, a war refugee. He had no idea Adrian had been abducted by Russian forces and was about to be released from prison. Adrian got himself out of jail while assuming the name Navarro. Upon his arrival in Madrid, he realized that someone had impersonated him. He confronted Rafael and started threatening him. Guillermo was no longer willing to take the chance of losing anything. He had already suffered a great deal of loss in his life, so he killed Adrian in order to defend his closest friend, Manuel. Rather than focusing on the broader socio-political landscape in Madrid, I believe the creators should have focused on Guillermo’s inner anguish after deciding to murder Adrian.
Guillermo’s decision to perpetrate the murder seemed less justified. He was a doctor who never wanted any of his patients to die; thus, while there was a sudden change in his behavior, this metamorphosis and acceptance should have been carefully demonstrated through Guillermo’s character growth. However, the series made little effort in this area. However, Manuel was successfully transferred to Argentina, but Guillermo missed his friend here in Madrid. He fell in love with Rita, one of Pepe’s associates. They later married and had three children together. Guillermo’s life had stolen a lot from him, and he felt nothing but a blank at times. But he was eventually given a lot, almost as much as he lost. A family that he had always desired and a lovely woman he could genuinely trust, as opposed to the selfish Amparo. Even better, he met his son, Jose Antonio, who became a Republican as well. Even though Amparo and Guillermo had permanently cut ties, it was preferable for Guillermo that he didn’t dwell on the past and instead look forward.
