S01.E08/09: May I Have This Dance? / You Can't Always Get What You Want

[Trini]

TWO-HOUR SEASON FINALE

Daniel and Noa reconnect after a falling out, but Daniel's desire to have a normal life keeps coming between them. Meanwhile, Natalie hopes her quinceañera celebration can mend the growing rift between Rafael and Mari and reunite the entire family.

In the second hour, Noa makes a seemingly erratic decision about her career as Daniel is approached about an opportunity that would force him to step away from the family business. Back at home, Rafael and Mari discuss the bakery's legacy as they are faced with a life-altering decision.

"May I Have This Dance?" was written by Terrence Coli and directed by Melanie Mayron.

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" was written by Valentina Garza and directed by Steve Pearlman.

Airdate: June 1, 2020

[Angeleyes]

Guess I’ll have to wait for On-Demand because it was preempted in the DFW area due to protest coverage. 

[mikem]

Daniel and Noa getting engaged is a weird cliff-hanger, because our main couple getting married should be a happy ending.  But it's clearly a terrible idea for them to get married at this point.   Noa has major commitment issues, and Daniel wasn't wrong when he said he isn't happy in Noa's glamorous world.

I know it's a common TV trope that WE HAVE TO GET ON THAT SPECIFIC PLANE, but I've always found it to be strange.  There's another plane a few hours later -- what difference does it make which one they get on?

It was kind of a funny revelation that Lewis is his last name, not his first.  I guess he's like Teller of Penn and Teller, in that he never uses his first name, not even with Noa or someone he's on a date with.

[Trini]

Quinceñera episode:

This was a pretty solid and fun episode. Everyone got a happy ending... except Noa. 😢  I'm still not okay with Vanessa/Mateo - - girl, you can do so much better! Great clothes in this one too; everyone looked great at the party.

---

Well, that's a cliffhanger!

The show really got soapy in this last episode; not sure if that's a dealbreaker for me. So many plot twists in such a short time -- did their episode order get cut ahead of time?

In addition to the plot twists, there was also a lot of people suddenly changing their minds about things they were so sure about two (or one!) episodes ago.

Did they just throw in the engagement at the last minute? Because while I'm rooting for Daniel & Noa, it didn't make sense. Also, they didn't even show the proposal - who's idea was it to get married?? It's a silly twist; and I'm sure that it's going to lead to second break-up somehow (if the show lasts long enough).

[funnygirl]

I've given Vanessa a lot of heat, but I find her more palatable with Mateo and I'm actually enjoying their budding romance. Much more than Daniel/Noa even... maybe because the latter is a foregone conclusion so it's a lot less intriguing.  

Edited June 2, 2020 by funnygirl

[tennisgurl]

Wow, so on the plus side, Noa and Daniel are back together! On the not so plus side, they decided to get engaged, which is...not the best idea ever. Neither Lewis or the Garcia's seem happy about this, so that is definitely going to be a big source of drama next season!

Glad that Lewis is giving it another shot with the guy Noa set him up with, he seems like a good guy and lord knows Lewis needs more people to talk to. Also, his first name isn't Lewis! And he speaks Spanish! 

I was surprised that Mateo and Vanessa hooked up so quickly, so of course it all got screwed up at the last minute. What Mateo did was really crappy, I dont blame Vanessa for being really pissed off. So now that Noa and Daniel are back on, that leaves Mateo and Vanessa back off I guess, in true rom com fashion. The couples cant all get together until the conclusion! I do like Vanessa and Mateo though as a possible couple, they work really well and have a similar really strong energy, just in different directions. 

Vanessa really can hustle, I mean Mateo is a pretty good singer/DJ, but I dont know if I would rank his performance up there with Johnny Cash at Folsom or Jimmy Hendrix at Woodstock. 

The Quinceñera was sweet, and I am glad that Mari and Rafael have seemingly gotten over their stuff (with Natalie's sexuality and Rafael's pride involving business) thanks to a conveniently placed Power Point! Its kind of weird that they decided to toss in a random shady real estate developer who wants to ruin the neighborhood randomly at the end, maybe that will be more of a plot next season? 

The "run to the airport to tell someone you love them" is such a rom com cliche, I kind of admire it for so un-ironically playing it out. She was even heading to Casablanca, the city where one of the most famous airport love moments in film history took place! Thats really one of the reasons I find this show so charming, it knows its a fluffy cute rom com, and thats where its strength is. 

I really hope we get another season, this is the kind of fun (usually) light show that doesn't get made all that much anymore, and I think we have plenty of plots left to keep going. 

[dungeonwriter]

I actually like Mateo and Vanessa together. 

Vanessa is passionate and dramatic, and she needs an outlet for her energy. She's driven, she's hyper-focused and she needs that brilliance to be noticed and appreciated. Daniel is way too grounded for her, she's moving at warp speed and he's slow and steady. She kept getting more dramatic, he kept getting more closed off, and they really brought out the worst in each other. They couldn't communicate, and the more dramatic Vanessa got to reach him, the more miserable Daniel got. 

Mateo loves Vanessa because she's passionate and dramatic. He loves her high energy, he loves her relentless hurricane nature, and he is happy to partner with her so that she can use her talents to achieve great things. 

Yes, he's a bit sleazy and stupid, but Vanessa can go off the rails too. She's not just a soap opera, she's a soup opera. 

They balance each other out. 

Noa and Daniel are good because they're both closed off, and they find safety in creating a safe space. Him being grounded suits her, and while she seems glamorous, she's actually quite lonely and low-key. 

Lewis and the Dentist are the win. Forever. 

So is Natalie and Amy. 

[possibilities]

On 6/2/2020 at 3:11 PM, funnygirl said:

I've given Vanessa a lot of heat, but I find her more palatable with Mateo and I'm actually enjoying their budding romance. Much more than Daniel/Noa even...

I agree. I think it's because with Vanessa and Mateo you can see them actually listening to each other, supporting each other, encouraging each other. All we see with Noa and Daniel is attraction, shenanigans, and conflict. they don't seem to make any effort to connect outside of flirting and sex.

However, it does seem that both Vanessa and Noa are drawn at least as much to being part of the family as to the guy they're dating. We've been given a backstory that makes sense for Noa, but it's a bit surprising that Vanessa doesn't have any family or friends at all.

 

[Artsda]

How did nobody recognize Noa in the airport scene? Fans and cameras would have been all over that,

 

[Guest]

Man, I hope this doesn't get cancelled and leave Mateo crushed. The made a lot of ballsy writing decisions this episode, maybe to bluff getting renewed. Everything was a cliffhanger. I was surprised Vanessa went running back to producer so quickly - I know you're pissed, but you just fucked Mateo like 12 hours ago! I thought the accidental reveal to Daniel was pretty funny and I like that they made his reaction one of concern for Vanessa rather than a macho bro pissing contest.

This show writes relationships very well. I liked the resolution of the parents and the love and devotion between them. 

The writers sure are selective about Lewis' plot device cancer. Two episodes ago he's fainting, but now he can sprint through an airport no problem?

 Natalie remains slightly bratty and overdramatic, but I'm grateful her entire season wasn't wasted in the closet. 

[Brookside]

I can't believe how selfish and narcissistic Natalie's father was to walk out during the biggest (so far) night of his daughter's life (causing her mother also to leave).  He couldn't at least have waited to be a cry baby until after the slide show when they're front and centre?  And then they make out in the kitchen instead of going back in?  Yuck.