[cmontyburns]

* SPOILERS FOR S02E09 "The Power of Love" FROM HERE *

I don't know why I just now realized every episode title is the name of an 80's pop song.

This one was another winner. The show is really executing at a high level down the stretch of season two. It's doing such good work that I was actually a little disappointed when, in breaking up with Máximo, the show had Isabel actually say what it had been doing such a good job of simply showing us, and trusting us to understand: that he's so focused on the future, he's missing out on (and messing up) the present. The subtle melancholy of the show is that we know from the present-tense scenes that this seems to be a lesson Máximo never truly learned. He's fabulously wealthy but apparently all alone in his seaside manses, and seemingly estranged from all these important people other than his sister and Memo. Meanwhile, back in the day, everyone else around him was learning to appreciate the situation they were in and/or to change it via personal, not financial growth.

Lots of really good acting in this episode:

• Gabriela Milla played Isabel's breakup with Máximo with the perfect blend of resignation, sadness, anger, and calm.
• Camila Perez's astonishment at Máximo's making her breakup with Chad about him was also very well done.
• Jessica Collins' humility in asking Don Pablo to come back, a bit of a new look for the character that she has earned as the season has gone along.
• Vanessa Bauch playing a mother's desperation at the prospect of losing her daughter forever, and their emotional acceptance of each other that followed.

And of course the comedy with the three idiots getting rooked by Lúpe and her bird. Just really good stuff all the way around.

Season finale this week!

 

[cmontyburns]

* SPOILERS FOR S02E10 "Against All Odds" FROM HERE *

Just a few brief thoughts on the beautiful finale to an espectacular season two.

I found myself actually a little emotional at the end of the prior episode when Máximo and Hugo arrived at the old, abandoned apartment house. So what a great choice to keep them there observing the events of the past during this episode. They did enough cross-cutting between present and past in the scenes that when young Máximo went up the stairs and his older self called out to him, I thought it would be a cut to show that it was actually Julia there. But instead the show gives us older Máximo talking to his younger self, imploring him not to make whatever mistake(s) he knows are coming. His younger self tells him with a smile that, as he knows, that is not something he can do. As I've suggested before, I'm so impressed with the show's ability to balance the sun-dappled gentle comedy and romance and the undercurrent of sadness that stems from knowing it doesn't last. I thought Eugénio Derbez was really good here in expressing his regret for whatever happened.

Part of which was... a cousin for Hugo! I don't think the show expected us to think it was Isabel whom Máximo was going to see, but it also was hinting strongly enough that it wasn't Julia either that I should have guessed at the surprise. But I didn't until the door opened and there was a young woman there. Funny button to the episode as Hugo exclaims "Holy ****" and is muffled by Máximo.

Everything else about this season wrap was great. Nora and Esteban's wedding, Lupe having a heart, the Las Colinas crew throwing a fun reception, even Chad's departure (surely not forever). I don't think Apple has announced a renewal yet, but surely they will. Very much looking forward to season three.

 

[jsmeeker]

Isn't it possible Julia is at the house where Maximo went to visit his daughter? Am I wrong to assume that the daughter is Maximo's and Julia's child?

 

[gweempose]

I've heard good things about this show, but I'm a bit confused. Is it in English or Spanish?

 

[jsmeeker]

I've heard good things about this show, but I'm a bit confused. Is it in English or Spanish?

Yes

Si

 

[Bierboy]

Renewed for Season 3.

 

[jsmeeker]

Hooray!!

 

[betamax]

I was in Cancun last week and we heard a lounge singer singing songs. She obviously had a Mexican accent. My wife and I looked at each other and said, "Acapulco" at the same time.

 

[cmontyburns]

I was actually a bit concerned. This show is really, really good, and Apple doesn't promote it much for some reason. Very pleased about this.

 

[jsmeeker]

I too was a bit worried the "cliffhanger" ending of season 2 would never be resolved.

 

[cmontyburns]

Bumping to check in on season three, in progress.

* SPOILERS THROUGH S03E06 "Take a Chance on Me" FROM HERE *

On this episode:

• Interesting that it took until this deep into season three for the series to do an episode from someone else's point of view. Héctor is a good choice as they have been slowly working to add depth to the character. The background they've given him made it poignant and sad how he switched into playboy mode with a made-up story out of embarrassment from the actual reason he had fallen into he pool, and despair at what it meant (not being able to show his book to the publisher).
• The show has been very willing to show both young and older Máximo in an unflattering light this season, and there was more of that here. For a moment I thought it was especially poor at him to laugh off Héctor falling in the pool, but that was before seeing that all he knew of the incident at the time was the made-up story that Héctor told him and Julia.
• I don't think I understand the ending, with the missing pages. Is what we were seeing that some of the pages ended up in the foliage at Las Colinas, e.g. to be discovered by someone later?
• Regardless, another good choice to make adult Héctor an apparently decently successful author but not an international bestseller (it seems) or such. That feels about right.

On the season:

• So Isabel is Paloma's mother! And Dani Rojas is Paloma's husband!
• I mentioned above about the show being willing to make Máximo look, If not bad, then at least not to his best advantage. Several times he has meddled in unwanted ways in Julia's life, and here he gets jealous of Chad. I don't know if these are all purposeful breadcrumbs for the breakup that is to come, but either way the behavior feels consistent with our knowledge that Máximo's ambition gets the better of his relationship with Julia eventually.
• I've said it before, but the air of melancholy underneath all the sun and gentle comedy is really something, and unique on TV I think. Who knows what the future future holds, but we know that the future of the past we are watching does not have a happy ending and that's really something. I think the snow is really at its best when it leans into that. The end of last week's episode, when adult Máximo learns that Julia does not seem to have come for Don Pablo's funeral, was sad and lovely. He wanders out into the resort and remembers his younger self dancing with Julia as the cabana singers croon "Against All Odds" in Spanish. Eugénio Derbez has the perfect look of warmth and real regret on his face at the end of that one.
• Chad was always a bit of a weird character and I'm not totally sure why they decided to bring him back when they don't really have anything for him to do. They had shuffled him out of the narrative last season to go travel, and could have just left him there. Him annoying everyone into "promoting" him around the resort is kind of a funny gag, but most of the other characters have been allowed some growth and Chad is just continuing to be a punchline mostly. I mean, I guess he is emotionally richer, but they don't really make any use of that. Actually, the best use of him this season was before he even got back, in the Mother's Day episode where we saw how tough his absence was on Diane.
• No idea where this season will end or how long the showunners ideally want to stretch out the revelations to come, like what happens to Máximo and Julia, where Julia is now, and so on. But I sure hope Apple gives them the time to tell the story. I want to see it all.
• If there is a season four, they'd better shoot it quickly. or Hugo is going to be six feet tall with a beard.

 

[jsmeeker]

Isn't it possible Julia is at the house where Maximo went to visit his daughter? Am I wrong to assume that the daughter is Maximo's and Julia's child?

Yes you were wrong to assume that

 

[jsmeeker]

At first, I wasn't a fan on adding a new character to the show. But now I think the addition of Dulce is great. A good nemesis for Maximo. I think it works well..

7 episodes into season THREE (3) and we still have not arrived at Don Pablo's memorial. But it seems very close now.

To think I thought we would get to it by end of season 2.. LOL.. that was crazy

 

[cmontyburns]

* SPOILERS FOR S03E07 "Video Killed the Radio Star" FROM HERE *

I don't think I understand the ending, with the missing pages. Is what we were seeing that some of the pages ended up in the foliage at Las Colinas, e.g. to be discovered by someone later?

OK, so that's answered. Good on Chad, who is perhaps more aware of things than we might have suspected. Clever bait-and-switch by the show on the letters. The weak part actually is Héctor and Diane's relationship. It wasn't ever played as this great love affair before; more of a lightly-scandalous (because she's the boss) extended hookup.

I was pretty obvious what Maximo was up to with the mic and hidden camera. Of course they had to hang a lantern on it before the reveal by having Dulce needlessly confess all her wrongdoings so the hidden camera could capture it. Memo technically was right that it was a bad move on Maximo's part to use him that way, but it isn't like Memo hasn't had a scheme or two so far in the show. Dulce called Maxiimo a whiny little b*tch, but I think that description applies more to Memo.

I guess that Maximo had the plan at all shows us one more step in his evolution into what older Maximo, as they entered Don Pablo's memorial, called "the pariah of Las Colinas". I wonder if the show will take so much time to show us his full heel turn that we never actually get to see it. I hope not.

At least we should actually be inside the memorial gathering next week at last!

 

[cmontyburns]

* SPOILERS FOR S03E08 "Amor Eterno" FROM HERE *

Of all the characters we get to see in current times, I don't think I would have guessed the pool singers would have been among them. Great touch. Even they hate Maximo! What did he do?!? Besides stop being himself, obviously.

Funny (and effective) that they used the actress who plays Lupe to play older Lorena.

So Chad's father is... Orson Welles? Whoa!

Obviously Memo and Lorena go the distance, but it's a bit surprising she never dumped him given all the times he freaks out about whether they are a good fit and starts acting dumb. It's a sweet relationship but I hope the show stops going to that well.

Nora taking dance lessons was a bit of a random B-story from earlier this season, but I liked that they brought it back around and made it the key to helping Sara and Nora feel more comfortable about talking to each other about Sara's life. Thought that was deftly handled and quite sweet.

Speaking of sweet, Maximo's eulogy for Don Pablo, which was more of an apology than a eulogy, brought the feels. I like that they're using Hugo less as an excuse for Maximo to tell his story and increasingly as an active participant in helping Maximo change. Maximo's invocation of Don Pablo's "the guest gets what the guest wants" creed was a touching way to kick off his speech. And then at the end we see that Paloma did come and... so did Julia! We meet current Julia at last! Can't wait to see them reconnect, hopefully next week.

 

[jsmeeker]

that was a good epsisode.

I liked the little nod/wink the characters made about Lorena looking just like Lupe. Good choice there with the casting.

I think Maixmo is going to start changing from who he was. All because he just wants the job to have the job. Dulce is for sure gonna be Don Pablo's replacement. Right? And she's still running the place, I guess. Hoping we see current day Dulce.

I KNEW Julia would eventually show up. It was inevitable. Even if she may not be staying at Las Colinas. I was a bit surprised Paloma showed up with her Premier League Footballer husband

 

[cmontyburns]

It would be weird for Don Pablo to send the better part of three seasons putting Maximo through an apprenticeship as his chosen successor, only to pivot in the span of a few episodes and give the job to newcomer Dulce. I've been thinking she is there more to be the plot spur that sends Maximo to the dark side, a temptation his has had to fight off a couple of times this season at the prodding of Memo and Julia. Then again, Maximo really isn't all that good at the job. He couldn't fire Beto here, he messed up the sunset cocktail thing earlier this season and had to be bailed out by Don Pablo, etc. Maybe he really isn't right for the job.

 

[cmontyburns]

* SPOILERS FOR S03E10 "Rock You Like a Hurricane" FROM HERE *

Another winner. The season is building to an ominous conclusion next week.

It's kind of remarkable how the pool singers have turned into kind of Mexican Greek Chorus for the show. They started way back when as what seemed like kind of a background gag, but they've been consistently deployed to bring the perfect song at the perfect moment almost ever since. Hard not to have a wide grin as Memo proposed to Lorena and the duo starts a cappella singing in the blackout, then revs up the party when the power comes back on.

Kudos to the snow for playing a long game I could not see with Chad. In shuffling him around through all the jobs at the resort, seemingly for lack of knowing what to do with the character, they turned him into the perfect guy to coordinate the hurricane response (he even learned Spanish!) and to move into the new GM role. Nicely done.

Anyone getting a little tired of younger Maximo? He's become a bit of a dullard in his inability to see one step past whatever thing he's about to do, to judge whether he should do it or not. Obviously betraying the existence of the burn book to a business tycoon like Alejandro was going to backfire. Alejandro was either going to worry about what the book had on him, or want to see what else he could get on his enemies. Although the ransacked office with the papers strewn all over the place was a little made-for-TV.

So Diane turns down Alejandro and then Alejandro sees her kissing Hector. Along with the book, the dude is armed with a lot of information.

Don Pablo shows us he's shrewder than at least Maximo has been giving him credit for. "Dulce, you're laying it on a little thick."

Ha, older Maximo is wearing Julia's clothing line at the memorial. Hugo: "You're wearing her suit? Honestly Tío, you have zero chill."

 

[dcheesi]

Starting to wonder how they're gonna bring this story in for a landing. They've been threading the needle pretty tightly between the inevitable need to show young Maximo turn into the heartless businessman he's apparently been in the intervening years, vs. keeping that upbeat feeling and happy endings that are the show's bread & butter.

 

[cmontyburns]

Starting to wonder how they're gonna bring this story in for a landing. They've been threading the needle pretty tightly between the inevitable need to show young Maximo turn into the heartless businessman he's apparently been in the intervening years, vs. keeping that upbeat feeling and happy endings that are the show's bread & butter.

Cocreator Austin Winsberg and showrunner Sam Laybourne talked about this, in fact using that exact metaphor of "threading the needle", in their season-ending interview with The Wrap.

“The biggest challenge in getting to that moment was that we liked Maximo so much we didn’t want him to go full ‘Breaking Bad,’ ” series cocreator Austin Winsberg told TheWrap of the 1985 storyline. “We really have to understand where it comes from, and that whatever mistakes he’s making are done in a way that he’s not anticipating the outcomes necessarily.”

“We were also careful to have a thin needle to thread in case we don’t get to Season 4,” he added. “We wanted it to be close-ended enough that it feels like there’s some satisfaction to the story and some answers, while also leaving a lot of doors open for more stories to come.”