#sdl 514

[clairedsfield]

sdl ep. 514

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#514

The hourglass back left, the handbag back right, and Marta in the big chair in the center: the Directora 2.0 foreshadowing underlined this scene - as @newsfromthegutter pointed out, "perhaps we'll get our company back one day" while letting herself fall into that chair was not a subtle move.

Neither was it in terms of fanservice: the dark navy/anthracit pinstripes are back (we've talked about this outfit before: Western front shoulder, cording tucks, soft fall but structured shoulder, considerable neckline aka Space For Pearls And Clavicles) - pushing the line between the professional-coded (pinstripes! Dark colors!) and the sensuous (pearls & skin, plus slouch, head tilt, slow blink added by the performer).

But back to the Directora foreshadowing. The scene starts with a centered, alert Marta - look how the slanted backrests of the seats, if extended upwards, cross above her head - and Andrés seated. Marta, there is a wall-mounted clock right behind you, but thanks for the move, anyway.

Camera is also doing their favorite "let's anchor the frame with a bottle on the lower left”. And Costuming made sure Marta brought the red coat to the office!

Nothing said Directora more than Marta saying "Nice work, boys" to then claim that seat, but slouching, not sitting upright.

One person in this room was raised/has raised themselves to be a leader, and they don't carry a Y chromosome.

The Directora foreshadowing moves yet more chess pieces: the conflict between personal life and professional life has always born on Marta's relationship with Fina, and while Marta has said, since Fina's departure, that she would give up everything for her... well, what will happen if Marta is tasked with reclaiming the company as Directora right when Fina might ask that of her?

And a longterm thought: this set, with its giddy celebration of luzgoña, its commitment to craft even in the rhythm of a soap, with younger actresses daring to have kids and being asked back, with a continuous narrative centering of women's issues, gives the impression of a good workplace. So if you wanted to keep working in that place, you'd need long-term storylines for a character - even if film partners eventually left.

And one thing that could easily be unpacked for Marta, if Belmonte stayed on for a long time (reeber that the predecessor ran for a dozen years), would be turning into the (shady) company matriarch, possibly with a Dark Willow turn over losing Fina in case the actresses would not exit at the same time.

This one? No analysis. Just reader service.

[clairedsfield]

sdl ep. 514

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#514 - honorable mentions (3)

Yet another thread running through this episode: subtextual lesbians looking meaningfully at their crushes/significant others while wearing checkered shirts.

Exhibit 1: Luz making an impassioned argument to Begoña about autism, but also she's making up with her wife. (also we're still on the Hands Thread, apparently)

Exhibit 2: Salva giving a from-underneath-my-lashes glances at Tasio for which I would like to hear the directorial cue and/or straight explanation. Because I cannot come up with one, and neither for that hopeful little smile. (Queer Salva after all? He has not looked at any woman like that yet.)

But, Luzgoña making up:

Even the Writing Room is unable to keep these cottagecore lesbians at odds with each other for more than half an episode. We are back in the tea nook!

Of course since they didn't officially have a marriage spat, they cannot have an official making up scene, but they sure as hell get to make up subtextually: bathed in gentle light while playing house? Luz all impassioned, but not as hot-headed as in the cantina, Begoña very soft and piny instead of stonewalling her. And in addition to very soft light, they also get very soft, romantic background music.

Luz saying she'll apply her diagnostic carefully, and thinking about all the people involved? Surely no comment on the "my wife-Gabriel-I will kill him if he harms you" debate...?

And Begoña still looks so worried, but also so soft - this doesn't say "friends after a little disagreement". This says "I cannot sleep when we're at odds, I cannot eat and I cannot breathe, please keep telling me about medical papers I don't care about right now as long as you keep talking to me, I'm sorry" (did I get that right, @trying-to-get-somewhere-real?)

Luz can do melting looks (see yesterday), but there is more of a statement from her here: she is admitting vulnerabilities ("I do not speak this language, I need to use your phone, I am not sure about this diagnosis, I am not even sure how to pronounce the lead medic on this.") even as she is still hurt over Begoñs growing closer to Gabriel again.

Medical aside: they are actually unpacking Asperger, and so far, fairly respectfully and astute, given the medium, and it's a level of visbility that matters. Simply to get Asperger spelled out, on a period afternoon soap? It matters.

Not everything may be smoothed over at the Luzgoña Cottage yet (is there a catchy title for it, like Mafinca?), but they are talking! And sometimes "I'm sorry. And I love you." is apparently spelled "Could you translate this paper from English for me?" - Begoña immediately gets to work, Luz holds onto the edges of her chair as if she's still nervous.

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#514 - honorable mentions (2)

Another thread running through this episode: women being bosses sitting in chairs and doing Things With Their Hands:

Marta de la Reina, manifesting Directora 2.0, but also The Godmother (I-III). Only missing... a cat?

...Digna channeling 18th century boudoir politics between the quilted dressing gown and the Louis XVI chair with the red upholstery. Also nice tie-in between the flowers on the gown and on the bedspread. If I would notice anything beyond that sly smile and the two-second wait before she answers to the knock in the door (hot damn).

But, alas, we are headed into the sequel to Choke On An Olive, Don Agustín Day: it's called Choke On An Olive, Don Agustín Night. (damn it - but also Damián telling Agustín to shove it in the same place where Digna told Agustín to shove it: Dream Couple!!)

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#514 - honorable mentions (1)

This episode had several threads running through it, one of them being women and access to money.

Of course Carmen going off about the gender pay gap was a sight to behold (the line here was not about squeezing until it hurts, and not in a good way, but it might just as well have been) and of course in the period context, she likely wouldn't have done that, but as something that resonates for today's audiences? Yes please.

You're telling me a qualified worker, if a woman, earns less than a qualified man because of "context" aka "needing to feed a family with a stay-at-home mother"?!!

So in addition to Tasio's slippage with Paula, here's the next point of conflict for the Tasio/Carmen marriage: equal pay.

And women's financial independence is a point established early in the ep, where the caged charity housewife Begoña has to go and ask her husband for authorization to acces her own funds to pay for her charity event.

Never mind that wives also needed their husbands’ written permission to take up a job that was - yes, Carmen - never intended to pay more than an extra to a household where the husband would be the unquestioned breadwinner since life models outside of 'wife' were not part of the wage debate (despite feminists' attempts to highlight just that since the mid-19th century across the Western worlds).