Betty, la fea: la historia continĂșa
So much has happened lately irl that I got really behind with my posts about the show.
I have watched every episode so far (the most recent being episode 8), and by now more than a few issues I pointed out have been clarified or made worse, but I decided to keep sharing my thoughts on episode 1 as they were conceived.
Episode 1 â Reunited (but it doesnât feel so good) - Part 2
A controversial topic, Mila Mendoza.
Weâll get to her in a sec.
But first, letâs take a moment to enjoy the little things.
We are at the airport, Armando and Betty standing next to each other as Mila gives us the cliffs notes of their separation as well as some information regarding the timeline that should be helpful (should being the operative word and not a very good one).
This is the first interaction we see of Betty and Armando alone, and I have to say, the chemistry between these two is undeniable!
Itâs clear Betty still has feelings for Armando, we can see it in the way she looks at him when he says he needed to see her, before clarifying who the âherâ was. And then, after Betty laughs and her eyes go searching their daughter once again, the way Armando looks at her? Oh, we are on! No matter how much time and stuff these two have been through, the feelings are still very much there.
I get why in such a short (screen) time people have elected her as âThe Worstâ.
Mila, the only child of Armando and Betty has been away for 5 years (Iâm guessing âstudyingâ) and very quickly we get a very clear picture of their family dynamics.
Armando is the good cop, the enabler, the one Camila can bat her eyes at to get away with anything, her âArmandaddyâ (I do love a portmanteau). And honestly, this is the least surprising thing in the revival. Under all that yelling and roaring, we always knew there was a soft spot â and of course, their only daughter, their little princess, one who laughs just like her mother and looks at him with adoring brown eyes under those bangs, well⊠Armando never stood a chance, did he?
No, the surprise comes in Milaâs interaction with her mother â which I think was also one of the main reasons for her rejection as a character. How dare Bettyâs daughter be anything but devoted and loving, just like her mother has always been to Don Hermes and Dona Julia? And the fact that she dresses like an IT girl and acts like a Mean girl ainât doing Mila any favors.
So yes, when she calls Betty by her name and greets her with clear less enthusiasm than her father, I was more than a little annoyed too. But then, thinking about it, and with the bits and pieces we start to collect as the story goes, I suppose I can understand it. And more than that: I can see the potential of this particular plot. Again: conflict.
A mother-daughter relationship never lacks that.
Then again, knowing that and not wanting to shove that chocolate box down Milaâs throat when she dismisses it with a wrinkled nose are two very different things.
I suppose both things can be true.
Moreover, did you see how quickly Armando folded when Mila asked not to be taken to the Pinzonsâ home?
Now can you imagine having to be the one always saying no when Armando doesnât seem to know how to?
Poor Betty, I really think that even without the whole Ecomoda thing that I'm sure will later be explained, it would be nearly impossible to compete for her daughterâs affection and not always be seen as the bad cop.
All that being said, Mila is still so undeniably Betty and Armando's daughter that I can't help but like her at least a little bit.
And I have to say, while the writing doesn't seem to do her any favors, Juanita Molina is doing a very good job with some of Betty's mannerisms and Armando's personality (at the very least the yelling part).
Next: Betty and Nicolas, as some wise ladies once sang: friendship never ends.