#sdl 499

[clairedsfield]

sdl ep. 499

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#499

Shoutout to the show’s actual current tragic romance: luzgoña!

“I will miss you like I have never missed anyone.” - “You’ve been my light in this city and that’s what you’ll be wherever you are.”

Those are some choice lines.

As are the performances of both characters in tears at the news of Luz moving to Barcelona – again with dialogue that underlines how “Luis wants this… Luis needs that… Luis is so happy about this…” while Luz says nothing about wanting this move herself. While Begoña’s face just shatters underneath the surface (Sánchez, you subtext queen!). While Luz cannot even look at her wife.

I am so happy my best friend goes for a new opportunity.... not.

The loss of this queer subtext couple? Tragic indeed.

Interesting bit on the sound level: from 00:24:44-00:22:48, their farewell conversation gets the undulating piano motif that Marta & Fina got over their first proper office kiss, but just the first gruppetto with the second already modulating - the variant we've heard played over Digna thinking about her daughters in front of Cloe in early S3.

And apropos Digna: we all know that the true accolade for a queer woman on this show is to talk through her heartbreak with Digna, and guess what happens:

A desperate Fina asked Digna for advice when Marta was thinking about getting pregnant in London; Marta broke down in front of Digna over Fina’s farewell letters; now Begoña gets that kind of heart-to-heart over the looming departure of her subtext wife. (“We’ll be so lonely without them.” - “Please don’t make me cry even more.” – Sure, that's “I’m sad my best friend is moving elsewhere" levels of dialogue. – And what do they get with that on the sound level? The Swagger Warehouse Mi Mujer motif. Well, at least this is a queer use I can get behind.)

Notable callback to domestic violence at the end: Digna spelling out that if Begoña ever needs to get away from her husband, she'll take her in. (but hey, Begoña: getting away might be getting away to Barcelona now...)

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#499 - honorable mentions (4)

Okay. This shirt jacket in this shot. And whatever that thing is that Make-Up and Hair have worked on that particular day. Heavy He was a friend of mine vibes.

Could I see Belmonte as Ennis in a lesbian Brokeback Mountain variant in this scene? 12/10.

(There have no been conversations about Belmonte's Heath Ledger/Errol Flynn vibes elsewhere, least of all in connection to pirates or knights or Western settings, whiy would you ask me that.)

Look. There's even the ornamented belt detail that would fit a cowboy (cowgirl)-verse - sidenote: there currently is a Mafin horse opera in progress on AO3, written by @anandabrat) - and how good is this Set Design and this Costume Department crew in always finding a way to connect dress into the sets?

Here, it's all the golden ornaments: the belt detail, mirrors the lamps, the picture frames, tthe candelabra on the sideboard, the inlay on the chair.

And also, as already remarked at the liquor cart: this shirt jacket may not have quite the lumberjack dyke vibes as the recent broad red/black flannel check, but it surely stays close to that (established!) aesthetic with the small check, red/black color range, small rounded collar, and the high front pockets (the tops of the flaps almost establish a Western line here).

And then there's the black buttons that are another example of a subdued, functional ornament that is not simply decorative (once you start seeing how the set lights reflect in them, it's difficult to unsee instead of calculating light setups).

[clairedsfield]

sdl ep. 499

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#499 - honorable mentions (3)

This has been an episode of women quietly upset with wedges thrown into their evening plans, or life plans:

...Marta, frowning over her re-scheduled birthday date with Cloe.

(my favorite thing there? The white rose on the bottom right. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?)

...Luz, trying to smile while she says that she'll be so very sorry to leave. And then the first person she talks about next is Begoña (creams schmemes lesbian memes).

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#499 - honorable mentions (1)

Look at how the Prop Department/Set Design crews establish the blue/yellow shop scheme even between Carmen's jacket and her orange juice (and her hair pin).

Poor Carmen agreeing to move in with the dlRs - I am gessing her departure will not be caused by Tasio getting into a thing with Paula (or Marisol) as much as by Tasio getting into a thing with social upwards mobility.

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#499 - honorable mentions (2)

There has been little standing out to me in terms of interesting angles lately, but this crosshairs/cage perspective with the focus on a cornered Pablo in the center was a nice moment that underlined the narrative: Marisol has you in her sights, Pablo, and you're prey that's done for.