S03.E01: Arman

[Trini]

When Arman mysteriously disappears, Thony and Nadia begrudgingly team up to look for him. Meanwhile, Fiona tries to manage the aftermath of her deportation to the Philippines and reconnects with an old flame.

Airdate: March 5, 2024

 

[Brown44]

So Kate del Castillo is basically playing the same character she played in Bad Boy's 4 Life. And I thought they'd comeback this season with the teenage boy less annoying. 

[Raja]

The FBI seemed to back away fast from what looked like a bunch of  bent Customs Agents being killed at the airstrip. Arman's extended family being cartel but he went his own way with the Armenians. Meanwhile Fiona had a fling with a bartender 15 years ago who seems connected enough to spread the word that the de la Rosa's are not drug dealers.

But they finally blew away my theory that a husband left Fiona, but somehow she got herself and Chris to America and overstayed whatever visa they were on. In all the episode just seemed to be a reset with the seasonal promo at the end trying to say where they are going.

[cameron]

Thought it was the most disjointed episode I've seen of this series.  Hope it gets better because it couldn't get any worst.

[Raja]

1 hour ago, cameron said:

Thought it was the most disjointed episode I've seen of this series.  Hope it gets better because it couldn't get any worst.

Having lost shows on the bubble in the aftermath of previous strikes at the moment I am giving the benefit of doubt due to losing their love interest on top of the strikes with production schedules and network release date commitments not allowing a reset.

[rr2911]

I just hope in the end Castillo or anyone for that matter puts a bullet right between the eyes of Thony!  I can't believe what a mess Thony has caused.  Everything that has gone wrong is because of Thony.  Are the showrunners actually trying to makes us believe she's one of the good guys?  Hell no!  Every episode I pull for the bad guys to take her out!

Other than what I think of Thony, TCL is a pretty good show.  😁 

[Raja]

18 minutes ago, rr2911 said:

Are the showrunners actually trying to makes us believe she's one of the good guys?  Hell no!  Every episode I pull for the bad guys to take her out!

More that she is stuck in circumstances beyond her control. That would account for the vigilante/ bounty hunters hitting the de la Rosa home. When the audience is asking why not just go back home now?  Having Chris self deport broke the last reason, protecting him, that Thony had to stay  before CPS seized Luca.

I get Fiona lost her baby but she made those sacrifices to get Chris to America, before he left and Jaz does have her father.

[eel2178]

4 hours ago, rr2911 said:

I just hope in the end Castillo or anyone for that matter puts a bullet right between the eyes of Thony!  I can't believe what a mess Thony has caused.  Everything that has gone wrong is because of Thony. 

3 hours ago, Raja said:

More that she is stuck in circumstances beyond her control. That would account for the vigilante/ bounty hunters hitting the de la Rosa home. When the audience is asking why not just go back home now?  Having Chris self deport broke the last reason, protecting him, that Thony had to stay  before CPS seized Luca.

 

She needs to stop insisting that "home" is living illegally in the US with the rest of her illegal family. Now nearly her entire family is back in the Philippines, so there really is no reason for her to keep calling the US "home."

Before CPS took her son, she should have finally determined that her indefinite life in the US was a failed experiment and gone back to the family and career awaiting her in her real home country. If she really cared about her family that much, she and Luca would have self deported along with Chris to make sure he made the trip safely and the rest of her family had a way to support themselves when she went back to practicing medicine where she is licensed to do so.

As far as circumstances beyond her control, there are none. All her circumstances were created by her foolish and selfish decisions to get what she wanted for herself. It didn't matter to her who she was putting in danger in the process.

[cameron]

36 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

She needs to stop insisting that "home" is living illegally in the US with the rest of her illegal family. Now nearly her entire family is back in the Philippines, so there really is no reason for her to keep calling the US "home."

Before CPS took her son, she should have finally determined that her indefinite life in the US was a failed experiment and gone back to the family and career awaiting her in her real home country. If she really cared about her family that much, she and Luca would have self deported along with Chris to make sure he made the trip safely and the rest of her family had a way to support themselves when she went back to practicing medicine where she is licensed to do so.

As far as circumstances beyond her control, there are none. All her circumstances were created by her foolish and selfish decisions to get what she wanted for herself. It didn't matter to her who she was putting in danger in the process.

Putting the kid to bed while it's still early evening at the most, was beyond me.  Rewatched it again this morning and I would be surprised if it gets renewed after this season.  Think it has run its course.

 

[eel2178]

Just now, cameron said:

Putting the kid to bed while it's still early evening at the most, was beyond me.  

I'd also like to know who was supposed to be watching him since Chris had left for the Philippines and Jaz didn't seem to be home at the time either.

[Raja]

39 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

She needs to stop insisting that "home" is living illegally in the US with the rest of her illegal family. Now nearly her entire family is back in the Philippines, so there really is no reason for her to keep calling the US "home."

 Just as the initial episode of the show had her witness a murder and thus Arman had to convince his boss that Thony is worth more alive than a problem of a potential witness who needed to be cleaned up we get to season 3 where Arman/Nadia was going to bring back her sister Fi to complete the family of two sisters and their three children.

And now as that blew up in their faces with Arman going missing just as the rescue flight was loading we are shown a death squad waiting for her in Manila.  So now she is in circumstances beyond her control beyond taking Luca to Cambodia and putting him in a worse condition than Chris as a young stranger in a strange land further splintering the family into 3 instead of 2 places. So still hoping to get Fi back to the home that Fi wants with her children  Thony  must go further in with the missing Arman's family and Nadia,

And it looks like the previous gang' less icky crimes  of weapons that won't see American streets or cut rate pharmaceuticals that the D.E.A. didn't approve but are being proscribed as intended and not used as street drugs that Sin Cara is going to be bad, bad guys that Thorny has to deal with in season 3.

1 minute ago, cameron said:

 Rewatched it again this morning and I would be surprised if it gets renewed after this season.  Think it has run its course.

I never understood how they could get more than one season after Thony doubled both the gang's and the Fed's. Arman as middle management didn't seem to have the juice nor did Agent Garrett. I guess now as a maybe mistress to a Sin Cara nephew and someone who proves to be useful to them we still have some story.

3 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

I'd also like to know who was supposed to be watching him since Chris had left for the Philippines and Jaz didn't seem to be home at the time either.

With her dressing up as a boss to go to the airport I was wondering was she just about to take off on a 30 hour round trip. I would just head cannon that Luca's kuya Chris set up the babysitter when he went to his little sister's house and before he got on the flight. Fiona certainly wasn't warned that her son was on the way.

 

[eel2178]

42 minutes ago, Raja said:

With her dressing up as a boss to go to the airport I was wondering was she just about to take off on a 30 hour round trip. I would just head cannon that Luca's kuya Chris set up the babysitter when he went to his little sister's house and before he got on the flight. Fiona certainly wasn't warned that her son was on the way.

Did Chris know that Thorny intended to get on that plane or was he thinking she'd be back in an hour or so and Luca could fend for himself for a little while (especially since he was being put to bed when Chris left, so Chris might have assumed he would just sleep until his mother got back)?

I don't see Chris as feeling responsible enough to make sure there was a substitute babysitter in the house until Thorny got back if he thought her absence was going to be of short duration.

[Raja]

2 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

Did Chris know that Thorny intended to get on that plane or was he thinking she'd be back in an hour or so and Luca could fend for himself for a little while (especially since he was being put to bed when Chris left, so Chris might have assumed he would just sleep until his mother got back)?

I don't see Chris as feeling responsible enough to make sure there was a substitute babysitter in the house until Thorny got back if he thought her absence was going to be of short duration.

It sounded like Thony was going to see the plane off, I don't why maybe last minute permission that she was supposed to give as they hid the flight from Nadia. Was it supposed to be a majority of the board decides? When she got to the airport it seemed like she was going to get on the flight to find it also carried drugs.

For Chris being a dreamer without status in a gangster house with the feds deporting family members and after  having killed his uncle does mature you.

[Trini]

I know there were a lot of behind-the-scenes events that affect this season, but WOW, that was just so much resetting and new information. Maybe they could have spread that out more?

Not only is Arman missing (but I know that out of the show's control), but his aunt just happens to be the leader of a drug(?) cartel that he screwed over last season (or was it Season 1)?

So Thony and Fiona's cleaning business still exists, but who is running it? Because you know were not going to see any of that.

So suddenly Chris is in the Philliphines(!), which is the main reason why we suddenly find out about Paolo, who just suddenly found out he's father to a teen. Also I wasn't clear on who was threatening the family.

And now Luca is in danger of being taken by CPS; but on the other hand, right now there's nobody else around to look after him when Thony's busy.

It looks like Nadia's storyline will mainly be with the FBI? Don't think I like that. But I'm in for now; but if this season turns out to be more misery than not, I'll be out.

[SHERMDOG]

I just read that Adan Canto died in January of cancer. Im heart broken. I'm not sure I can watch this show anymore knowing this!!???? Makes me so sad. I had no idea!!!

Edited March 14 by SHERMDOG

[Rapunzel]

On 3/13/2024 at 5:47 PM, SHERMDOG said:

I just read that Adan Canto died in January of cancer. Im heart broken. I'm not sure I can watch this show anymore knowing this!!???? Makes me so sad. I had no idea!!!

Arman was my favorite character on the show. When I heard Adan passed, I wondered how they were going to carry on with the show as he had such a central role. Looks like they brought in Kate del Castillo to try to fill the gap to some degree, but I don’t see it working. The producers admitted that the show was already having some issues due to the various entertainment industry strikes. They wanted to show more of Arman’s background and how he got where he was even before Adan passed and I think they are trying to stick with some of that this season, which is why he wasn’t killed off on the show immediately this season and we are left to think he is quite possibly alive but hiding from or maybe having been taken by rivals of his aunt’s cartel. No matter what they manage to bandage together this season, I don’t see it getting renewed. They are probably regretting killing off Garret/Oliver Hudson’s character at this point. It would have left them more options had he survived. 

[Irlandesa]

4 hours ago, Rapunzel said:

They wanted to show more of Arman’s background and how he got where he was even before Adan passed and I think they are trying to stick with some of that this season, which is why he wasn’t killed off on the show immediately this season and we are left to think he is quite possibly alive but hiding from or maybe having been taken by rivals of his aunt’s cartel. No matter what they manage to bandage together this season, I don’t see it getting renewed. They are probably regretting killing off Garret/Oliver Hudson’s character at this point. It would have left them more options had he survived. 

They're keeping Arman alive because at the time they filmed this, everyone was hoping Adan Canto would beat his cancer and return to the show.  He didn't die until later in production. 

But I also wonder if they regret killing off Garret.  It's tough to lose two main characters on a show with basically only 5.  

[Trini]

16 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

But I also wonder if they regret killing off Garret.  It's tough to lose two main characters on a show with basically only 5.  

Eh, they've got that female FBI agent taking the 'law enforcement' role, so I don't think it's that big of a loss. Seems like she'll have an arc with Nadia.

Now, the Arman-shaped hole in the show is much harder to fill.

[Rapunzel]

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

They're keeping Arman alive because at the time they filmed this, everyone was hoping Adan Canto would beat his cancer and return to the show.  He didn't die until later in production. 

Yes, which is why I said they planned to use this season to show his backstory. They filmed this in June and he passed on January 4th. The various strikes also caused them to have to alter their original plans. 

 

58 minutes ago, Trini said:

Eh, they've got that female FBI agent taking the 'law enforcement' role, so I don't think it's that big of a loss. Seems like she'll have an arc with Nadia.

I am not a fan of the female FBI character (who I always think of as Bonnie in “How to get Away With Murder” and can’t see her as anything else). She is not believable in this role. They killed off Garett last season so that got rid of the romantic triangle angle that seemed to appear a bit in a few episodes with Garett, Thony and Arman. Now without Adan, they will have to find another love interest for Thony because shows like this have to have the lead tangled up in some kind of romantic mess. I’m wondering if it will be the male cartel character we saw who works for Sin Cara. Someone is going to have to help her continue to get meds for her son because of course she won’t go back to the Philippines where the meds are legal and where she can work as a doctor. 

Edited March 17 by Rapunzel

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

Eh, they've got that female FBI agent taking the 'law enforcement' role, so I don't think it's that big of a loss. Seems like she'll have an arc with Nadia.

I don't think Garrett's absence is as a law enforcement figure, specifically.  If that's all it was, then Paris (I refer to as Paris even though I never watched Gilmore Girls) would be fine.   The issue is that her relationship was strictly with Garrett.  They have to develop her connection to the rest of the cast as much as they have to do the same with the Sin Cara crew.  That's why I said I think it's difficult. 

[Raja]

6 hours ago, Rapunzel said:

They killed off Garett last season so that got rid of the romantic triangle angle that seemed to appear a bit in a few episodes with Garett, Thony and Arman. Now without Adan, they will have to find another love interest for Thony because shows like this have to have the lead tangled up in some kind of romantic mess. I’m wondering if it will be the male cartel character we saw who works for Sin Cara.

I think that is Arman's highly antagonistic young(er?) uncle. His introduction as the gangster being the opposite of Armon's first meeting with Thony. Of course once Arman is pronounced  we go back to what I saw as an earlier Nadia tease, that while la chica que limpia did not meet her standards social class Dr. de la Rosa as a husband's mistress, or perhaps throuple might.

6 hours ago, Rapunzel said:

Someone is going to have to help her continue to get meds for her son because of course she won’t go back to the Philippines where the meds are legal and where she can work as a doctor. 

Are Luca's meds still in play? I thought the smuggled in pharmaceuticals were for the clinic where Thony practices without a license. In any case CPS will also make getting them to her patient/son difficult.

Edited March 17 by Raja

[eel2178]

17 hours ago, Rapunzel said:

 No matter what they manage to bandage together this season, I don’t see it getting renewed. 

I hope it ends the way The Sopranos did.

Have I mentioned how much I hate Thorny?

[Trini]

16 hours ago, Rapunzel said:

I am not a fan of the female FBI character (who I always think of as Bonnie in “How to get Away With Murder” and can’t see her as anything else). She is not believable in this role.

Neither am I, but she's better than Garrett, who I never liked.

16 hours ago, Rapunzel said:

Now without Adan, they will have to find another love interest for Thony because shows like this have to have the lead tangled up in some kind of romantic mess. I’m wondering if it will be the male cartel character we saw who works for Sin Cara.

I'd say that's a strong possibility. But there's may another candidate according to casting news (in the Spoiler topic).

9 hours ago, Raja said:

Are Luca's meds still in play? I thought the smuggled in pharmaceuticals were for the clinic where Thony practices without a license. In any case CPS will also make getting them to her patient/son difficult.

I hope not. I think they need to move on from Luca's health being always in peril.

[eel2178]

On 3/17/2024 at 5:32 AM, Raja said:

Are Luca's meds still in play? I thought the smuggled in pharmaceuticals were for the clinic where Thony practices without a license. In any case CPS will also make getting them to her patient/son difficult.

After a bone marrow transplant he may need to be on immunosuppressants for the rest of his life, or it is possible he could eventually be weaned off.

Since they've never told us exactly what his underlying disease is, it's hard to tell what his long term care needs would be. (That may be intentional, so someday he can be miraculously cured if the plot line requires it).