#sdl 545

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#545

Marta, speaking of Photos signed by Fina....

...to this reaction of Cloe:

"No, go on, talk about her. it's fine." and "I am the one most invested in that you get to talk to her, so that you can reclaim joy and happiness and your life." (not added out loud: "With me!")

Together with the Wrong Flutes Romance Motif underlying this part of the scene, the show sets up Cloe as not only still in love with Marta, but thinking that she still has a shot with Marta - that, in fact, the only obstacle is Marta still not realizing her definite rupture with Fina.

Once Fina confirms to Marta face-to-face that she has left her and moved on? Cloe seems to imagine that the road leads straight to her. As if Marta, given closure, would finally fall in love with Cloe; as if all that has hindered it so far was Fina's confirmation of "I left you and I'm over you, Marta." (as if it weren't Marta's decision, but one of an outside force, be it Fina or Cloe?!)

Your mind, Cloe. Nevermind Marta could decide to return to booze, or start a book club, or get a cat and decide to say single. And go on loving Fina, which never hinged on reciprocity.

The scene starts with a setup that makes clear that the easy physical proximity is reserved for Andrés as the brother now, while Cloe is doomed to pine over in the friend booth on the other side of the desk:

In addition, Costuming has put Cloe, for this scene, in one of her "trying hard to copy the dependienta look" outfits (which Cloe doesn't know, of course, but the audience does): soft pink blouse with a bow, a violet vest/dress in a shade also present in the ornaments of the old shop girl uniforms.

Marta, meanwhile, has one focus, and one focus only, and that is "Find Fina, find FIna, find Fina!" - blissfully unaware of the heartbreak happening right in front of her.

Marta's mind is on Fina - not even on a reunion, just on finally finding her to talk to her - and it is apparent in the nice detail work where Marta does not even look at Cloe as she talks about what she wants and wishes for, while Cloe in turn cannot look away from Marta:

The moment where Marta finally looks back at Cloe? It's the one where she says, with utmost conviction, "I need to find her."

This is not going to go over smoothly, is it.

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#545 - honorable mentions (2)

A litte less action, a few more telling interieurs!

Shades of pale for a Nieves whose life is likewise on hold, with her white coat in between the white curtains and the white tables:

The little drone camera making a fantastic comeback in diagonal composition and on the color wheel: prefiguring the red/white...

...that will then mirror in the respective blouses/jerseys and coats of Nieves and Begoña:

Purgatory, II: the frame cut here that doubles the red of jealous Begoña's jersey in the blurry, reddish reflections of the perfume flacons on the shelf:

Not an interieur perspective, but still amazingly tone-in-tone: "morena" Beatriz between the brown of her coat, of the stroller cover, and the brown of the trees:

And finally, the spectacular eagle shot (as if we had never seen that house before!) that highlights the cool metal bars, the chandelier chain and the jagged entrance mosaic, drawing up parallels to prison bars and chains...

...only to have Nieves and Pablo, as light and dark in Costuming, step into this scene like two additional props:

[mrsdaphnefielding]

#545 - honorable mentions (1)

Would I watch an episode that consists of nothing but 47 minutes of facial reactions by Manuela?

You bet I would.

In this case, it wasn't even the usual one-liners but opening up about her own subdued crush. (Imagine they'd put Manuela in Remains of the Day instead of Anthony Hopkins.) While everyone else in that kitchen keeps throwing themselves at the wrong people. (seriously, Paula, what did you smoke the moment Carmen left the house?!)