Cristela - General Discussion

[formerlyfreedom]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show.

[Kromm]

A ton of cliches, but I actually think this pilot kind of made most of them work.  Our lead is a big part of this too--she's got really good delivery/timing, even when throwing out jokes that were practically ripped from The George Lopez Show playbook of predictability.  

[SmithW6079]

Yea! "Cristela" got a forum.

 

I've watched the pilot a bunch of times on the DVR, and I think it's hysterical. I hope the brother-in-law's antagonism gets cooled off in subsequent episodes, because it comes across a little too much like true dislike, not just good-natured banter. 

 

Something I noticed on a rewatch is that when the kids are getting ready to leave for school, the boy goes to say good-bye to his father, who makes the sign of the cross on him and kisses him. I wonder if it that was unscripted, but it was a beautiful moment.

 

Loved seeing Maria Canals Barrera, the mom from "Wizards of Waverly Place," again. She nailed her mother's "in my veellage" stories. 

 

Mom has potential, too, so long as they don't make her too nasty.

 

And Fluffy!

[Kromm]

Glad to see it held up to the Pilot.  

 

Yes, there's race humor in there, but it's very balanced with a lot of general humor as well (something many of the previous shows of this ilk have sucked at).

 

It might be that Cristela Alonzo co-wrote both episodes.  The real worry may be next week when we see the first episode she didn't do that.

 

The two tiny sucky aspects are the horrible laugh track and the annoying bouncy incidental music (based on the theme song), they break up each scene with.

[imjagain]

I like the back and forth of work life and home life. I still enjoyed it. I could do without the boss' daughter but I guess they need her.

Cristela's office scenes reminded me of that Sara Rue show "Less than Perfect". I loved that show.

[teebax]

This is one of my favorite new shows. I hope it's doing okay in ratings. The lack of comments here about this show makes me a little nervous that no one is watching it!

Cristela is awesome. Her comedic timing is impeccable. Yes, it has the horrid laugh track, but I think it's okay on a show like this. After black-ish, this is my second favorite new comedy.

[imjagain]

This is one of my favorite new shows. I hope it's doing okay in ratings. The lack of comments here about this show makes me a little nervous that no one is watching it!

Cristela is awesome. Her comedic timing is impeccable. Yes, it has the horrid laugh track, but I think it's okay on a show like this. After black-ish, this is my second favorite new comedy.

I'm loving the show too. I wouldn't worry about lack of comments, I often don't post much about shows I really like. I post more when I don't like or annoyed by something. I noticed that with others too.

I hear it is doing great in the ratings.

I'm home sick, so plenty of time to watch and talk about shows this weekend.

Edited October 18, 2014 by imjagain

[Irlandesa]

I could do without the boss' daughter but I guess they need her.

That's how I felt last week but this week she had some of the lines that really made me laugh so I've come around on her. 

 

 

I wouldn't worry about lack of comments, I often don't post much about shows I really like.

I think one of the biggest factors in lack of comments is how straight forward this is as a sitcom.  It's pleasant. It has some laughs.  The cast has good comedic timing.  But there really isn't a lot of depth to discuss.  It might develop into a show with a lot of discussion or maybe it'll remain a pleasant diversion.

 

The ratings for the show held up pretty well.   It dropped less than 10%. 

[SmithW6079]

I was a little disappointed in this episode. How much time was there between this episode and the pilot? Because it looks like Cristela lost some weight and had her hair done in that brunette/blond highlights 'do that's popular now. It looked like Felix dyed his hair too (I'm pretty sure his hair was grayer in the pilot). Also, they moved house, apparently, because the kitchen and the living room are reversed.

 

Did we really have to go with "Cristela and Josh are soul mates who don't know it yet" already? Not that I want her to hook up with Fluffy (Alberto), but does she need a love interest two episodes in?

 

Felix still needs to tone down the antagonism with Cristela. It's not good-natured bantering, it's outright hostility.

 

At the end, when Felix is seducing his wife? I  was getting hot and bothered.

 

Still, I'm enjoying this show. With "black-ish," ABC has two of my new favorite sitcoms. 

[leighdear]

I really enjoyed the first 2 episodes. Enough characters for entertainment, but not too many for confusion.  I also like it being set in Dallas, instead of the ubiquitous NY, LA or Chicago.  Sam McMurray is great as the boss. 

 

I really like when the characters acknowledge their own jokes, in a small way.   I noticed when she & Josh were sitting across from each other that they are both left-handed.  No real reason to pick up on that, but I did...*LOL*

 

The mom is kind of the Mexican equivalent of Sophia, from Golden Girls.  I like her crabbiness that hides a good heart.

 

Good to have something new, and a female lead that isn't thin, gorgeous, rich and privileged.  I hope it sticks around & stays funny.

[SmithW6079]

I noticed when she & Josh were sitting across from each other that they are both left-handed.  No real reason to pick up on that, but I did...

 

I did too!

 

I really like when the characters acknowledge their own jokes, in a small way.

 

Likewise. I got a kick out of it when the kids on "That '70s Show" did it, because it's realistic that if someone cracks a joke, your group of friends would laugh at it.

[Dowel Jones]

Hello, showrunners?  The 1960's called, they want their laugh track back.  I laughed more than I thought I would at some of the setups and returns.  The writing is good, as is the delivery.  Except that they wait for the damn laughtrack to move on to the next line.  If the comedy is good, let it ride on the audience.  I missed the pilot but this one kept the show on the DVR season ticket.  I like it.

[Kromm]

Hello, showrunners?  The 1960's called, they want their laugh track back.  I laughed more than I thought I would at some of the setups and returns.  The writing is good, as is the delivery.  Except that they wait for the damn laughtrack to move on to the next line.  If the comedy is good, let it ride on the audience.  I missed the pilot but this one kept the show on the DVR season ticket.  I like it.

The pilot was actually decent enough you might want to Hulu it.

[prican58]

Nice to see Gabriel Iglesias move into tv for more exposure. Dude is insanely funny, I've seen him twice, live. I'm glad he lost some weight, As much as it's a part of his "schtick", that much weight is not good for the heart. He doesn't need to be Carlos Ponce-like, I just want him to be healthy. No I am not anti fat/fluffy. I love the guy and damn, he is cute. I'd date him.

[leighdear]

To me, Gabriel looks like a grown-up version of Manny from "Modern Family", Rico Rodriguez.  That kid could definitely play GI in childhood flashbacks. :)

[DB in CMH]

It's a serviceable family sitcom. I find Cristela Alonso still really, really broad in her acting, but comedians usually are until they settle into their own rhythm. We'll see where it goes.

[Latverian Diplomat]

Loved seeing Maria Canals Barrera, the mom from "Wizards of Waverly Place," again. She nailed her mother's "in my veellage" stories. 

 

I'm also very fond of her for being the voice of Hawkgirl. 

[leighdear]

They could back off just a little on the Alberto-obsessed-with-Christela trope.  We get it, it's funny, now find something else for GI to do, please. 

 

The coffee bit, when he drank from the thermos that came from home was pretty hilarious, once I actually GOT the joke. "I don't drink at the office".  Subtle, but I liked it. 

 

And Felix saying to Daniela "You know you're wrong when I side with Christela" was perfect.  I like the way they're writing their relationship.  

 

Another good episode!

[pookat]

Overall, I like this show, mostly for Cristela and the cast. I think it's still a little broad, but finding its footing. There is sweetness and heart nestled into the fairly realistic family barbs.

I appreciate a show with a level of self awareness in which the racial humor is more directed at the ludicrous misconceptions of others rather than relying on stereotypes themselves.

I have never seen Gabriel Iglesias before but he seems like a likable actor. I just don't like the way his character Alberto is always bothering Cristela when she has made it clear that she isn't interested. It happens to women in real life and I wish men would stop thinking that it's cute or charming to try to wear a woman down when it's just annoying and sometimes creepy. No means no.

On the bright side, it's nice to see Carlos Ponce (whom I remember from his Latin Pop days) and Maria Canals Barrera. Absolutely loving Cristela herself and really rooting for this show to gain a larger audience.

[Kromm]

Overall, I like this show, mostly for Cristela and the cast. I think it's still a little broad, but finding its footing. There is sweetness and heart nestled into the fairly realistic family barbs.

I appreciate a show with a level of self awareness in which the racial humor is more directed at the ludicrous misconceptions of others rather than relying on stereotypes themselves.

I have never seen Gabriel Iglesias before but he seems like a likable actor. I just don't like the way his character Alberto is always bothering Cristela when she has made it clear that she isn't interested. It happens to women in real life and I wish men would stop thinking that it's cute or charming to try to wear a woman down when it's just annoying and sometimes creepy. No means no.

On the bright side, it's nice to see Carlos Ponce (whom I remember from his Latin Pop days) and Maria Canals Barrera. Absolutely loving Cristela herself and really rooting for this show to gain a larger audience.

I agree with most of this. This is hardly groundbreaking TV, but it works pretty well--mostly because of the talent and timing of the actors. I also like your analysis of why the racial humor works pretty well on this show.  I hate to keep returning to the example of The George Lopez Show, but I kind of HAVE to because for all the shallow surface similarities, underneath they seem to shake out as totally different animals because of precisely what you've noticed--this show isn't peddling stereotypes, but rather poking fun at the assumptions behind them.  

 

I actually especially love how they're dealing with the mother character.  On most shows (especially the family shows) she'd have a heart of gold and be the center of the family.  Here she's a cranky old lady who they have to put up with.  She's got that kind of Sophia Petrillo aspect to her--which is great.

The humor with Alberto IS going to get old really fast.  I get that they want it to be a running joke, but what they needed to do was budget it a bit and only have his obsessive behavior show up this prominently every few episodes rather than every episode.

I actually even think the office stuff is working pretty well, and they're even giving it the right amount of time vs. the home plots.  Some episodes will have more office. Some more home. But overall neither setting seems overplayed yet.

Still hate the laugh track and the somewhat intrusive incidental music.

[imjagain]

They could back off just a little on the Alberto-obsessed-with-Christela trope. We get it, it's funny, now find something else for GI to do, please.

The coffee bit, when he drank from the thermos that came from home was pretty hilarious, once I actually GOT the joke. "I don't drink at the office". Subtle, but I liked it.

And Felix saying to Daniela "You know you're wrong when I side with Christela" was perfect. I like the way they're writing their relationship.

Another good episode!

The thermos "coffee" cracked me up once I got it, too. And I also loved that it was Felix helped Daniela see how she was making Cristela feel.

I'm enjoying the sister relationship. Especially when they tease the mom. "You get what you pay for" made lol.

I'm glad they haven't focused on the kids too much. I did notice the son looked different. I didn't notice last week.

[Beezella]

I am confused who Alberto is. Is he a relative, I guess it would have to be of the husband? Or a friend of the family? Does he live there? It seems like he is always there.

[Irlandesa]

He's related to the husband--I think they're cousins. 

 

I am torn about how I feel about his pursual of Cristela.  I too find it annoying but do I find it as annoying as I normally would?  Or is it because he's not a serious contender as a love interest?  Do I give females and the Dan Fielding-esque males more of a pass?  I think the last thing might be my issue.  There are the sitcom manwhores who continuously hit on people who are funny but Alberto isn't that.  Is he supposed to be a good guy or the sleaze?

 

But the show did get smarter with Felix this week.  After weeks of an antagonistic relationship, it was nice to see him stick up for Cristela.  I'm guessing the dynamic will play out like "I can talk smack about my family but no one else can."

Edited December 7, 2014 by AmandaPanda
double text within post

[Kromm]

I've just been assuming Alberto is either a neighbor (with the traditional sitcom open door), or a friend or co-worker of the husband.

[Ceruleana]

Alberto is Felix's cousin--in the pilot when he's introduced, he greets Felix with "Que paso, primo?" (What's up, cousin?) then says, "Que paso, family?"  Cristela responds with, "You're his family, not ours."

 

So annoyed with Daniela for letting the rich classmate's mom believe that Cristela was the nanny!  So much posturing!  Why couldn't Cristela just be her younger sister who's doing internships while in law school??  That also sounds impressive; I'd assume that a family was at least well-to-do if there was a sibling that was in law/medical/graduate school.

Edited October 27, 2014 by Ceruleana

[pookat]

I am torn about how I feel about his pursual of Cristela.  I too find it annoying but do I find it as annoying as I normally would?  Or is it because he's not a serious contender as a love interest?  Do I give females and the Dan Fielding-esque males more of a pass?  I think the last thing might be my issue.  There are the sitcom manwhores who continuously hit on people who are funny but Alberto isn't that.

That is an interesting distinction. I see where you are coming from. For me, Cristela's reaction would be the mitigating factor. If she welcomed the attention, it wouldn't be annoying to me, but if she was bothered by it (as she is with Alberto), it would bother me as well, regardless of who it is coming from. It's interesting to think about whether Cristela would respond differently to Alberto if he were more Dan Fielding-esque in physical appearance (Ha! Night Court!). I think Alberto is a decent guy and I certainly hope he doesn't get the sleaze treatment, but I would like to see him respectfully back off the way Joe LoTruglio's character eventually did with Rosa on Brooklyn 99.

Edited October 27, 2014 by pookat

[prican58]

leighdear so astute! Have you considered a career in casting? Seriously, Rico could def play Fluffy as a child.,

[leighdear]

For some reason, this epp wasn't as entertaining to me as the previous epps.  However, I DID love the mom celebrating Halloween in her own way. 

 

I really wish blondie had done a real Darryl Hall getup.  And I kept waiting for some H&O Karaoke.   I absolutely loved the kids hamburger & fries costumes. 

[imjagain]

My god, why did we ever wear acidwash jeans!

My older sister loved John Oates in the early 80's lol.

I agree, I wanted to see a real Darryl Hall outfit.

[pookat]

I agree that this episode wasn't quite as funny as the previous ones, but I liked the fact that it had a very authentic theme of feeling left out when Cristela sees that even her nerdy cohort Josh goes for the hot girl. Then the hot girls get the credit for saving the lame office Halloween party.

It speaks to feeling invisible, whether it is due to ethnicity, looks or another factor. It's something Amy Poehler mentions in her book- when you get older, you become more invisible, but that allows you to see deeper, which is why Cristela is upset that Josh doesn't see beyond the hot girl's costume.

On another note, I loved that the abuela's Day of the Dead stories made her the highlight of the neighborhood.

I, too, had hoped for at least one H&O song. My guess is that the songs were too expensive to clear.

[SmithW6079]

I am also of the opinion that this wasn't as good as the ones previously aired. I fell asleep three times before I finally made it through the entire episode. Maybe it was because it went pretty "deep" for a sitcom that's just starting out -- too much of Cristela's insecurities came out. I did like, however, that they seem to be giving some depth to Blondie (boss's daughter; can't remember her name). She was spot on when she pegged Cristela's costume as something an insecure girl would wear.

 

I'm not sure what they're trying to do with Josh. Is he Cristela's eventual love interest (but just doesn't know it it) or is he generally clueless (like Stuart on "The Exes")? Also, how is Cristela's pursuit of Josh any less pathetic than Alberto's pursuit of Cristela? In the episode with the computer dating, Alberto and Cristela are surprisingly compatible. Is it just because he's fat that that puts him out of the running for the affection of the lead actress?

 

Something that finally registered in this episode -- did they recast Henry, the son, or did he really grow that much between the pilot and production of the series? That kid looks about five years older now than in the pilot. 

 

I think Ama's (that's what they call Natalia, right?) stories of her "veellage" are a riot.

[Kromm]

Yeah, I'll join the chorus in saying this was a medium grade episode. Not bad by any means, but a step down from the previous ones.

I do like the subtle humorous aspect of a Hispanic woman being enough of a Hall & Oates fan for her to plan her costume around it, and the more serious issue of her disappointment that a clever costume is always trumped by slutty ones, and I actually liked the IDEA of the Day of the Dead subplot, even if I think they milked it a bit too much.

Nothing specific wrong--the episode somehow just didn't gel.

[Irlandesa]

I'm not sure what they're trying to do with Josh. Is he Cristela's eventual love interest (but just doesn't know it it) or is he generally clueless (like Stuart on "The Exes")? Also, how is Cristela's pursuit of Josh any less pathetic than Alberto's pursuit of Cristela? In the episode with the computer dating, Alberto and Cristela are surprisingly compatible. Is it just because he's fat that that puts him out of the running for the affection of the lead actress?

There are quite a few differences between Cristela/Alberto and Cristela/Josh. 

 

For one, I don't think Cristela is "pursuing" Josh in a romantic sense. At times there may be a work spouse vibe to them but there feels like they have an unspoken agreement that their relationship should stay platonic due to how closely they work together.  

But the most important difference, to me, is that pretty much every interaction Josh and Cristela have is within the confines of the relationship they've established for themselves.  Cristela has repeatedly told Alberto that she did not want to date him.  He continues to disregard her explicitly stated stance.  It's one thing to have that hope in the back of one's mind, it's quite another to essentially tell her the way it's going to be after she has already said that isn't the way it's going to be. 

 

With Cristela and Josh, both know that "no means no."  So when Josh told her that he had already chosen a costume, she accepted it and moved on.  And I didn't take her being upset over Josh chasing Maddie's friend as romantic jealousy.  I think it played into the theme of being invisible. 

 

While this wasn't the funniest episode of the four we've seen, I almost liked it better because of that bit of commentary.  I completely got Cristela's frustration over all the "slutty" Halloween costumes even if I felt she was blaming the women more than they may have deserved for their choices.  I've shopped at party stores for Halloween costumes before.  As a woman, it's depressing.  I don't think I saw one costume that wasn't "Sexy/Slutty" Something. 

 

But I liked how they explored the emotions of how you can have great intellect or wit but the "pretty one" will get the attention even if she's dull as dishwater.  In this case, they were credited with saving the party.  Her reaction to Josh going after Maddie's friend reminded me of a time a few years ago when a cool guy friend and I were discussing celebrity crushes.  This guy was not someone I wanted to date but I thought he was cool, not least because he seemed to like smart & funny people.  He mentioned his celebrity crush was Jessica Simpson.  This was in the "ditzy-blonde-married to Nick Lachey" Jessica Simpson not the mogul Jessica Simpson she has become.  I just remember feeling disappointed and even a little saddened by his choice.  Maybe it wasn't fair to him because it was almost a hypothical but it's why Cristela's reaction resonated with me.  She had a vision of hanging out with her cool work friend and work and he "ditched" her to chase a sexy apparent ditz. 

[pookat]

Josh tries to learn more about sports in hope of improving his chance for a promotion.

If I didn't already love this show, I would be 100% onboard after tonight's episode. I love how the show is funny, yet always has a deeper message.

[leighdear]

Very cute episode....I don't know how big a sports fan Cristela is in real life, but she totally pulled off all of the phrases and enthusiasm really well.  Josh is getting a little snotty, but I still love him.   I also adore Mark Cuban and even though his acting is pretty bad, he always seems to be having a good time in his roles. 

 

I had to laugh when Cris & Felix were in the living room, talking about how people like them are never on TV.  Very meta.

Edited November 8, 2014 by leighdear

[DB in CMH]

It's getting better as they gel, but it's still very 90s to me. Which is what the show is going for, I know. It reminds me A LOT of Less Than Perfect.

[possibilities]

I like how the characters are actually pretty adult about things, instead of acting like over-grown teenagers. There are legitimate values and personality conflicts, but instead of either avoiding it or being nasty, the various parties are essentially kind and find ways to be allies anyway. It would be easy and justifiable for there to be animosity, but Cristela and the people around her keep coming back to friendly disagreement vs acrimonious competition. They aren't saints, but they're not grudgey either.

Edited November 10, 2014 by possibilities

[Kromm]

Great episode.

 

Not so onboard Cristela not having sufficient killer instinct with getting the promotion.  I know they gave her a rationale, but I frankly that's where the show entered clicheland.  

I did love the "do you have the receipt" line.  It brought that fancy bag subplot out of it's own bit of cliche.

[aradia22]

I'm into it. I agree that Cristela is a great lead. It's kind of shocking she doesn't have more acting experience. It's traditional sitcom acting but so far I don't see any weak links in the cast. 

 

One thing that stood out to me was how these jokes would have worked better in the context of a stand up act. Having her present some of those mom jokes would have made them land in a way they didn't with the mom just doing it.

 

I don't speak Spanish but I thought they included it in a way that felt natural without feeling obligated to translate for an English speaking audience. I didn't catch anything but I never felt alienated.

 

Super weird seeing Pelant and not thinking of him as creepy.

[NYGirl]

First time I saw this and I gotta say I'm not impressed.  I really was annoyed that she told Felix that his wife made more than him.  She overstepped her boundary.

 

Is she a comedienne or something because every funny line she says she laughs at.  It kind of reminded me of 2 Broke Girls where every line is a 1 liner. 

 

I'll give it another shot but boy did she annoy me.

 

Edited to add:  I did like the scenes in her office

Edited November 15, 2014 by NYGirl

[readster]

The office scenes are the best but at the same time I am getting tired of Felix's character. He really is the weak link of the show, going around talking about how he is tired of Cristela living with them, making no money, ect. Yeah, we get it, and its not like she isn't trying to get a job with the firm. That's the only problem with the show, sure there are one liners but at the same time, the law firm, scenes between the sisters and mom are great. However, every time Felix comes in its just an instant buzzkill or more. We get it, you work for yourself, you want to just enjoy coming up, enjoy the game, a beer, have a little fun with the kids and be done for the day. However, he has to constantly put Cristela down. I just don't see how Cristela is such a bother to him and the house. She pulls her weight, cooks, plays with the kids and is gone most of the day or studying. Why is it a problem?

[teebax]

The office scenes are the best but at the same time I am getting tired of Felix's character. He really is the weak link of the show, going around talking about how he is tired of Cristela living with them, making no money, ect. Yeah, we get it, and its not like she isn't trying to get a job with the firm. That's the only problem with the show, sure there are one liners but at the same time, the law firm, scenes between the sisters and mom are great. However, every time Felix comes in its just an instant buzzkill or more. We get it, you work for yourself, you want to just enjoy coming up, enjoy the game, a beer, have a little fun with the kids and be done for the day. However, he has to constantly put Cristela down. I just don't see how Cristela is such a bother to him and the house. She pulls her weight, cooks, plays with the kids and is gone most of the day or studying. Why is it a problem?

I was hoping when she got Felix out of a jam (when he couldn't collect for work he'd done) that the theme of Cristela being a moocher would end. If they stopped with that and got rid of the laugh track, the show would be much better.

I pulled some Cristela stand up videos on YouTube, and liked them. She's a good comic, and this show is mlies above John Mulaney's show. I think if given time to grow it will be fine.

[JAYJAY1979]

I was hoping when she got Felix out of a jam (when he couldn't collect for work he'd done) that the theme of Cristela being a moocher would end. If they stopped with that and got rid of the laugh track, the show would be much better.

 

I co-sign on most of this statement.  While Cristela isn't working per se, she is doing an internship and going to law school.  Plus, she helps out around the house and takes care of the kids so I think she is more then pulling her weight.  I do think after she helped Felix out in the pilot, that perhaps that would be the first step toward the two getting along better.

 

I actually don't mind the laugh track, I like that it's an old school sitcom.  For me, the writing plus an actors ability to have comic timing makes a show  funny... not if a show has or doesn't have a laugh track.

[imjagain]

Liked this episode. I'm not sure where I read it but someone compared "Cristela" to "Roseann" and I really see it.

Dan couldn't stand Jackie's mooching. Same story with Cristela and Felix. Roseann's early seasons were great and she always seemed to be trying to tell a bigger story, beyond just a sitcom.

I loved Roseanne. This show is good and needs time to grow and get better. I hope it gets the chance.

How many times have they changed the son? He looks different every week?

Edited November 15, 2014 by imjagain

[SmithW6079]

Didn't there used to be separate threads for each episode?

 

I don't like embarrassment humor, so watching Josh try and be "cool" about knowing sports was uncomfortable to watch. I don't watch sports, but I own it. I felt bad for him, though, that he was basically excluded when Trent and Cristela were going on and on about football.

 

I liked the equal pay episode, but I hope it's not going to turn into Cristela has a situation at home that gets mirrored in the office, and she learns a valuable lesson. I liked that Felix is macho and wants to be the provider for his family, not the moronic way dads in sitcoms are usually portrayed. I have noticed he drinks a lot of beer. In the equal pay episode, he had at least three.

 

I like that they're not making the daughter (Maddie?) into a completely brainless blonde bimbo. She had some good points regarding the law in the episode, and I was glad to see that she didn't then say, "See, I found it on Google."

[formerlyfreedom]

Didn't there used to be separate threads for each episode?

There were, but the episode topics were averaging less than seven posts per episode and were dropping. In this instance, one all-season topic makes more sense.

[Kromm]

Lesson O' The Week was a bit heavyhanded this last time around. We're used to Felix being wrong, of course, but this was just inside the box overweening pride and stupidity, even with the turnaround at the end of the episode.

[possibilities]

There has been controversy about whether the local high schools should produce "West Side Story" because of the way it uses stereotypes, so I was expecting Felix to be objecting on that basis. I thought it was interesting that Cristela and her sister loved the show so much, and I kept waiting for Felix to surprise everyone with something a little more complex than a broad objection to theater in general. This show is taking on racism, but being very careful to show Cristela being amused rather than bitter. I'm not sure how I feel about that. The storyline with the "diversity photos" was similar. On the one hand, they show the hypocrisy, on the other hand, she seems completely comfortable going along with it, and not even a hint of "she only does it to avoid being fired."

[leighdear]

I thought the photo shoot was hilarious, down to using the old lady secretary.  I should know her name by now, but I keep missing it. 

 

I also enjoyed how much Cristela and Daniela obviously enjoyed the singing scene.  You could tell they were both having a lot of fun.  That's something I'm seeing pretty consistently throughout this show: The performers seem to be into having fun with the material in a real way. 

 

I knew from the setup that Felix would eventually give in.  It surprised me a little that they pushed it to the very end, but I like those kinds of surprises in a scripted show.  Other shows would have give Felix some kind of "light bulb" moment sooner, like in the living room.  But I appreciate the writers changing it up. 

[Irlandesa]

I liked that not only did Felix give it but he went along.  I think that was the surprise for me. 

 

And while exploring the stereotypical portrayals of the musical would have been a nice, nuanced take, I actually appreciate the character consistency of his objections when it comes to "giving his family what they need."