The "waiting by the phone" opening sequence with the jaunty little rom-com tune underneath.
This one:
First of all, it's delightful to see how this show has established its groove to a point where it can now allow itself tongue-in-cheek things like these - "How about we make a little rom-com montage with Marta waiting not by one phone, but by many phones?" With a little tune that sounds as if Doris Day were about to bust out "Mr. Sandman".
But then take the opening shot above - Prop Department: another paperback from the publisher that has those characteristic orange sleeve rectangles? - where the view through the doors, then at the foliage curtains and then at the white window curtains creates a deepening room that repeats, on a visual level, Marta's sensation of endless waiting. Love it.
Next to phone #2, they have even put a Detective-ish Looking Glass! (Prop Department, did you have as much fun setting this up as I had watching it?)
But Marta has become pro-active in her search for Fina, ever since that photo feature, so she calls---
---in vain!
It's not open comedy, but: to deliver, within 4 eps, symbolist melodrama, gripping stage-vibe drama, a camp hat tip to Almodóvar AND this slightly angsty rom-com vibe? Mad props to this crew for its range.
But we get even more rom-com here, with the "let me talk to my wiser confidant who will counter my angst with A+ encouragement" trope: another Belmonte/Fernández delivery, much lighter in tone than in 547, but just as smooth (and, hello Costuming, delivering another red/blue instance!)
"It would be understandable if she has moved on, I don't even know whether she still loves me"...
..."She loved you so much she defied her only family to be with you, she would have done anything for you!"
Yes please. I do not tire of reading 3438726481621 variants of this particular fanfic.
Also, remember the white rose bouquet in 548 next to that Apollo-and-Daphne (I presume) statuette visible righthand behind Digna? That bouquet was an intentional one-time placement for the Mafin/Isidro recall, because it is gone here (it would be half behind Digna otherwise):
But! More rom-com tropes! The Sibling detective team scouts the Hispanoamerican press. Marta is indignated that her talented wife does not have a single photo featured on this day!
And finally, the awkward setup of Cloe being present when the Buenos Aires Editor finally calls, and Marta has to ask about one Serafina Valero in front of her ex-affair (who again looks hurt by the mere mention of Fina's name, but then listens to the Pelayo crimes and encourages Marta regardless to keep looking and making use of Darío despite his shady morals).
The narrative setup is curious. While there are no Wrong Flutes in this scene, and while Cloe doesn't get to say "Only because we aren't together, it doesn't mean that X", the way Cloe is filmed looking uncomfortable with the mention of Fina, it is another reminder that Cloe is still in love with Marta: poor queer Cloe.
And "poor queer Cloe" returns at the end of ep as an undercurrent when Rodrigo is so clearly jealous of her and immediately suspects that Cloe has enticed Valentina away from him (coupled with the preview of Cloe getting attacked at the store at night by him, this trope may be expanded upon) - so queer Cloe under siege might be more of an issue?
Marta, meanwhile, doesn't think beyond Fina Fina Fina and while she is desperate when the editor call leads nowhere, there's also an idea of a proud "That's my wife!" smile for a moment at Fina having refused any help from Pelayo. She knows her so well.
I am here for a dozen sequels of "SdL, Angsty Rom-Com Edition"!
[Salva: from possibly queer sailor to "you need to smile more" and "how about we be happy and stop caring about others" dating his younger employee. No. Just NO.]
[Pablo: heartburn literal and metaphorical]
[Tasio: shirking responsibilities since 1958]
[Gabriel: failing in both of his parallel marriages]
