Grand Hotel - General Discussion

[Happywatcher]

On 8/10/2019 at 4:36 PM, skotnikov said:

It's on deadline.com 

ABC’s President of Entertainment Karey Burke revealed that the network hadn’t made a renewal decision on the Eva Longoria-exec produced show.

Burke did, however, point to the show’s soft ratings, which may not be a great sign for its future.

“We’re going to wait until the end of its run. It’s a show we like a lot. It’s a show that I wish the ratings were a bit stronger but we’ll make that decision after its run”

We watch it on demand, sometimes 2 weeks after

[Simba122504]

So what I thought would happen in a possible S2, happened last night. I agree about Peggy Bundy not being very scary.  I believe there are 2 episodes left. What happened to El Rey?! I also agree with the series backing out of making certain characters villians. Ingrid is now nice. Mateo flip flops. He's pretty soft. Yeah, he killed that other employee but you cannot say he's a scary dude. Felix wasn't living in the lap of luxury when he was found so where is these millions he stole? He wouldn't spent over a decade not living off of it. He was still in the USA!  So he's not a villian so far. I mean why would he be in the USA and not living the high life overseas? What kind of villian is that? It wouldn't make sense if it's revealed he did still all of that money.  That shady cop hasn't been seen since his first appearance. His good cop partner is helping Danny. Unless she's also shady and playing Danny?  Finn hasn't appeared since the balcony accident. I thought he was supposed to be one of the big bads? Since it most likely isn't returning, we won't know if Santiago killed his wife or not. I knew Yoli's lady friend was going to undocumented. But it's still a fun soap that could have gotten back on its feet with a second season. TPTB could fix their mistakes in S2. 

Edited August 21, 2019 by Simba122504

[BaskingsharkGTX]

Oh God this show. It's like eating sour gummi bears as a midnight snack. I know I shouldn't, but the sugary empty calories taste so, so good and are so, so more-ish and I just can't stop and then next morning, I'm like "Ugh, WHY?"

Yoli, regardless of her immigration status, Marisa wanting you to be out so you can take your relationship public is really not the same as you inviting her to quit her job and run off to another country with you and your wanted-criminal father. 

"How could you do this to my wanted-criminal, ex-husband?! I can't trust you at all!" (Or words to that effect), screamed Gigi, the woman who slept with and then married her recently-dead best friend's husband. 

Alicia, you know how this hotel is supposed to be in dire straits financially? Well it really doesn't help if you waive fees and comp every guest who cries and gives you a sob story. I am surprised they didn't teach you this on your MA Hotel Management course. Where did you get this degree, Trump University?

I get why Javi is never supposed to drink or drug again but I'm not sure what the hell kind of post-rehab program includes no sex. Is that, like, EVER? Still, even though it was stupid and one-dimensional like Stoned Mrs. P, Bryan Craig was very good at selling the comedy when he was trying to get Jason laid. 

The lady detective sure did a good OMG I Never Thought Of That face when Danny pointed out to her that it was surprising someone like Mateo could get a job as a luxury hotel manager, even though she was the one who dug up his file full of convictions and is a professional cop and probably should have been able to make that logic connection herself. Congrats, Danny, looks like you found someone who is an even worse detective than you are!

The Peg Bundy Crime Empire: Clean Used Cars, Dirty Money and... hanging around hotels? I bet Ingrid would love to be her protege though!

I really hope this gets renewed. 

Edited August 21, 2019 by BaskingsharkGTX

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Felix: Doesn't Santiago have any casual clothes? I mean, buying a polo shirt wouldn't kill the guy.

Gigi: I didn't lie to you about Felix. I just didn't tell you he was here.

Jason: Javi, can I get you a drink? Sparkling water? Cranberry juice?
Javi: Ah, my family got to you, huh?
Jason: There was actually a company-wide "Javi's back from rehab" staff meeting.

Carolina: I've always wanted to spend a semester abroad.
Yoli: You have to go to college for that.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Poor Ingrid. Her roommate Skye disappeared months ago. She got pregnant and Mateo treated the news like an unpleasant business transaction. She miscarried after the balcony accient. Jason already blew her off after he found out that she lied about Javi being the baby's father and now her only other two friends at the hotel (Mateo and Javi) both told her to that they want nothing to do with her. I hope this doesn't drive her to something desperate like a suicide attempt.

Don't get me wrong - she lied to a lot of people and that was a really shitty thing to do but she has had a lot of bad things happen in the past few weeks and she seems to have absolutely no one in her life now.

Felix continues to be a piece of shit and he has finally managed to convince skeptical Gigi (who wanted to run him over with her car a few days ago) that he's the one who needs help and pity.

20 hours ago, blackwing said:

Yolanda and Marisa fell flat for me.  I want to enjoy the show for what it is... a fun, campy summer show.  I really didn't need for it to get political and make Marisa into a Dreamer.

I don't see it as being political. I see it as the show depicting another situation that is real for a lot of people but doesn't get depicted much in mainstream tv shows, similar to the way they are showing Latinx families and an amputee character. For many people, these things are a reality and they don't get to see themselves represented on tv.

The only aspect I didn't like about Marisa being undocumented is the way that it was related to the Felix storyline. Instead of not being able to come back if she leaves the country, I kind of wish her reaction to being told her girlfriend's father had been as simple as not wanting to be complicit and knowing that her girlfriend was breaking the law by harboring a fugitive. I really hate that Yoli and Carolina are so blinded by their daddy/abandonment issues that they are willing to lap up whatever bullshit story he feeds them.

It also made no sense that they had to give him one of Santiago's suits and that he was stealing towels and soap from Ingrid's cart. This family is loaded and they live in the hotel. They could have shoved some towels, TP, and soap into a beach tote and brought it up to his room. They could have taken some polo shirts from the staff uniforms. They could have just BOUGHT towels and polo shirts like normal people.

On 8/7/2019 at 7:19 AM, blackwing said:

Stupid question... but what is Danny's last name, or what name is he using? 

We finally got an answer to this question! When Heather asked about Danny, she said his last name was Behrens.

[tennisgurl]

I mean, yeah thats a pretty legit reaction when your boyfriend tells you that he has lied to you about basically everything and is actually trying to prove your father made his sister disappear. 

Yoli and Carolina are really buying their sketchy dads bullshit, which is pretty sad to see. I would at least hope that Yoli wouldn't buy it, she is supposed to be the smart one. Its also hard to blame Santiago for calling the cops on him. I mean, he embezzled millions of dollars from people! He isn't exactly an innocent in all of this even if you buy his sob stories. 

I pinged onto Marisa being undocumented as soon as she got nervous about the dad being on the run at the hotel. I would think that she would be more worried about possibly being pulled into a man hunt and possibly being caught and deported on something unrelated to her immigration status than not being able to get back into the country. 

You sure dont want to fuck with Gemma Teller, especially if she gets her extra dangly earrings out!

Javi and Jason were fun, even though I cant say I totally get why Javi cant just hook up with someone and that would mess up his sobriety. Its not a relationship, just let him get it out of his system!

[greyhorse]

5 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I don't see it as being political. I see it as the show depicting another situation that is real for a lot of people but doesn't get depicted much in mainstream tv shows, similar to the way they are showing Latinx families and an amputee character. For many people, these things are a reality and they don't get to see themselves represented on tv.

...

It also made no sense that they had to give him one of Santiago's suits and that he was stealing towels and soap from Ingrid's cart. This family is loaded and they live in the hotel. They could have shoved some towels, TP, and soap into a beach tote and brought it up to his room. They could have taken some polo shirts from the staff uniforms. They could have just BOUGHT towels and polo shirts like normal people.

We finally got an answer to this question! When Heather asked about Danny, she said his last name was Behrens.

I don't see any politics in it either . The show is set in Miami.  Plenty of illegal immigrants in South Florida.  It'd be the same if this hotel was set in Southern California.  I do however have no interest in Yoli and Marisa.  Javi hooked up with Ingrid the maid.  Alicia is/was hooking up with Danny the waiter.  So the three children of the owner are involved with the staff.  So cliché.  But I suppose how else are we going to intertwine the staff with the privileged?

I don't understand either why they couldn't bring him soap, towels, or clothes.  And what happened to Felix's clothes from his seedy hotel?  Did he not have anything except the literal shirt on his back?  I'm also confused at the sudden exit.  How is he involved with Peg Bundy?  Did he steal money from her or was it from Santiago?  Seemed like the plan was originally for him to get to live in the hotel.  But now he is willingly leaving.  Or was the plan to try to get back together with Gigi and he's manipulating the situation?

Danny's last name was revealed last week when he stole his file from the two cops when they stepped away from their chairs and coffee table.  It's "Baron".

[preeya]

12 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

We finally got an answer to this question! When Heather asked about Danny, she said his last name was Behrens.

 

Subtitles has his name as "Danny Baron"

[northboundtrain]

This episode was hit and miss for me...mostly miss, if I'm being honest.

Why does the show keep bringing on and discarding bad guys? We had Finn, and now we've got Theresa and Felix. And...

On 8/20/2019 at 7:34 AM, CCTC said:

Plus, I think the organized crime as tension is kind of meh and is an easy out to let the family members off of the hook.

This, 100%. This is exactly what's happening.

Gigi is making not-so-great decisions? She's under the sway of her ex-husband. (Possibly. I guess she could be playing him.)

Santiago is making not-so-great decisions? He's under Theresa's thumb. (I don't buy for a single minute that he killed Beatriz. Nothing about the way the writers have presented him makes me think they're going to turn around and say he murdered his wife.  And if he did somehow affect the circumstances that led to her death, which I still doubt, it'll just turn out to be an accident, something else for him to feel guilty about like he feels guilty about Javi.)

Mateo is doing shady stuff? He's also under Theresa's thumb. (Show, we watched him sneak into the hospital and murder one of his employees before sauntering back out again. I'm not buying the little "redemption" noises we're now getting.)

I honestly find it a little baffling.

On 8/20/2019 at 10:41 AM, blackwing said:

Javi doesn't seem to have much of a role anymore, seems like he can't drink anymore so now he's no fun?  Reminds me of Rachel Greene and "Fun Bobby" who was no fun after he stopped drinking.  Did Javi also say he wasn't going to have random hookups anymore?  Why wasn't he trying to talk to any of those women?

Javi was one of the reasons I was giving the show so much of a chance in the early episodes. While the actor did well with the comedic material this episode, Javi's still been softened far, far too quickly.

On 8/20/2019 at 3:06 PM, greyhorse said:

Well, whomever wanted Danny to team up with Alicia to figure out what happened to Sky got their wish... and Danny gets promptly fired.  Does this mean Alicia knows that something fishy occurred with Sky and that her family is guilty?  I bet it's going to be more because of feeling betrayed, used, and misled.  Feelings that she already probably had given the arrival of the ex.

I wanted Alicia/Danny to have been working together from the start, or at least earlier in the season, because I thought that would have made their relationship more believable. While I'm glad Alicia finally knows the truth, I'm finding it intensely hard to care about Danny as a character and, as a result, I'm also finding it hard to care about their relationship.

Because probably the worst thing about Heather's appearance is that it served as a reminder that Danny unceremoniously dumped his girlfriend of two years, who had been supporting him in the aftermath of his sister's disappearance, over the phone so he could chase after Alicia without feeling guilty. That was the absolute last thing I needed to be reinforced for me if I'm supposed to be rooting for his character. What an ass.

Quote

And was this the first time we heard that Santiago really got the hotel because he inherited it when his wife died?

I believe Alicia did remark to Santiago in the pilot that it was Beatriz's hotel before it was Santiago's.

8 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Poor Ingrid. Her roommate Skye disappeared months ago. She got pregnant and Mateo treated the news like an unpleasant business transaction. She miscarried after the balcony accient. Jason already blew her off after he found out that she lied about Javi being the baby's father and now her only other two friends at the hotel (Mateo and Javi) both told her to that they want nothing to do with her. I hope this doesn't drive her to something desperate like a suicide attempt.

I would totally buy Ingrid spiraling, because she's certainly had enough trauma for it, except right now she seems recovered and not in any way majorly affected by what's happened to her. I mean, she's sad and awkward about Mateo and Javi pushing her away, but I'm not getting anything from the acting or the writing suggesting that it'll lead somewhere deeper than just some passing sadness, and that's a shame because Ingrid actually struggling (and not "living with the Ps and being unable to cook edible meals" struggling) could be a compelling subplot and lead to more dramatic story complications.

Quote

I really hate that Yoli and Carolina are so blinded by their daddy/abandonment issues that they are willing to lap up whatever bullshit story he feeds them.

I'm still not sure why the writers abandoned the idea of having Yoli be more skeptical of their father while Carolina was more accepting. Why not use that to create tension? Just so they could have the happy family breakfast scenes? I don't know that that's strong enough justification.

[Irlandesa]

19 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I see it as the show depicting another situation that is real for a lot of people but doesn't get depicted much in mainstream tv shows, similar to the way they are showing Latinx families and an amputee character. For many people, these things are a reality and they don't get to see themselves represented on tv.

I agree. I don't mind topical stories.  A lot of shows I watch lately have been doing stories on undocumented characters.  My problem with so many of the stories is that the shows clearly want to tell this topical story but they're doing it the way shows in the 80s used to gay characters.  In other words, the characters are there but not really fully developed.  They're more of a representation of an idea than someone I really care about or am convinced matters to most of the show. 

Marisa seemed to exist to introduce Yoli's pansexuality.  We still don't know much about her as a person. Now we know she's undocumented but again, that's more of a label that's attributed to her than really telling us much about who she is at her core.

As a result, I can't fathom caring what happens to her.  And that's the problem with so many of these stories that are being told on TV right now.  They're not really investing in the character they're using for these stories.  Superstore is the exception.  The undocumented character on that show can certainly be annoying but he's a main character. We've known him for four seasons, have known about his status for over two of those seasons.  And we care about his relationships with other characters so when they upped the ante on that story this season, it had an impact because the character actually mattered and was more than just the "undocumented character."

But Marisa?  Pfft.

I cared more about Danny's ex than I care about Marisa.  At least Danny's ex surprised me with how she wasn't bringing the crazy like I feared she might.

[izabella]

8 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I cared more about Danny's ex than I care about Marisa.  At least Danny's ex surprised me with how she wasn't bringing the crazy like I feared she might.

I was surprised by that, too.  I thought they would go full bunny boiler with her, but she turned out to be one of the most sensible people on the show.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S1.E11: Art of Darkness

Quote

Teresa hosts a charity auction at the hotel. Meanwhile, Alicia and Javi learn more about Beatriz and the unmarked room, bringing back confusing childhood memories.

Promo:

Clip:

Original air date: 8/26/19

[preeya]

WOW! Lotta shit went down this episode. What's the connection between Felix and Peg Bundy? What's the connection between Gigi and Sky?

What happened in mystery room #606 years ago? Who does Peg Bundy report to (she can't be the head of this operation) (could it be Felix)?

[missbonnie]

5 hours ago, preeya said:

Who does Peg Bundy report to (she can't be the head of this operation) (could it be Felix)?

I'm guessing that doesn't matter anymore seeing as Mateo shot her. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Gigi: Felix, my life is here. Give me one good reason why I should run off with you.
Felix: Actually, I can give you 50 million reasons why. There's some money I set aside.
Gigi: You mean STOLE.

Mrs. P: You are aware that firing an employee without cause after breaking up with them is illegal.
Alicia: He wasn't honest with me. He's not who he said he was.
Mrs. P: Well, he sounds like he's a terrible boyfriend - no offense, Danny.
Danny: None taken.
Mrs. P: But you cannot fire him without a specific work-related reason.

Theresa: My ass is sufficiently kissed, Mateo.

Yoli: Carolina!
Carolina: What? You know I can't be trusted with hot goss.

Felix: Have you ever seen a more spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean?
Gigi: Well, I live in a penthouse overlooking the Atlantic with 24 hour service at my disposal, but yeah, it's cute.

Ingrid: I'm actually happy for [Jason]. It's not every day a guy gets to date a professional cheerleader. The life of a cheerleader - dancing around in skimpy clothes in front of men for money. Although when I say it out loud, it sounds kind of like a stripper. But it's different, right?

Jason: I had long curls, like Lionel Richie style curls.

Mrs. P: You do the splits AND you love Jesus?

Byron: Were you always this hot or did you have some work done?
Carolina: No, I've always been this hot.

Javi: Day drinking, huh? Come on, sis. There's only room in this family for one addict.

Ingrid: Would a delightful person use these [handcuffs]? Not to mention the edible underwear I found and the penis cookies.
Mrs. P: [Vanessa]'s either a sex crazed pervert or she was hosting a bachelorette party.

Bryon: Can we get a round of oysters for the table?
Yoli: Caro, you hate oysters.
Carolina: It's okay. I can eat around them.
Bryon: Don't do that. We'll get the cheese plate.
Yoli: She's lactose intolerant. You guys were engaged. How do you not know this?
Carolina: Yoli, don't be rude. I'm intolerant of most things - lactose, traffic, old people.

Bryon: I may not know everything about you, but I know you a lot better than you think, which is why I got you this.
Carolina: That's twice the size of my old ring.
Byron: 6.2 carats, princess cut. A bigger version of the one Reese Witherspoon wore in Sweet Home Alabama.
Carolina: Which is my favorite movie! You really do know me.

Theresa: That bathroom was filthy. Not as bad as the ones in prison though, right?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Carolina is so ridiculous. Her incredulous reaction about being asked to apologize to Byron ("Why do I have to apologize?") made me roll my eyes. Please, Carolina, tell me who else should apologize for you cheating on your fiance the night before your wedding?

Carolina still cracks me up though. She told Alicia and Javi that they were hiding a fugitive in the hotel and even where in the hotel, then finished up by saying, "You know I can't be trusted with hot goss!" I also laughed when she told Byron that she's always been this hot.

I don't think it's a good idea for her and Bryon to get engaged again, but I'm practical like that. But as far as the two of them not knowing each other very well, I'm guessing that's a combination of constantly making out and Carolina's reluctance to be contradictory with him (which is ironic since she's so bossy and outspoken with everyone else). When Yoli pointed out that Carolina hates oysters, Carolina said she would just eat around them. That makes me think that she is more at fault for him not knowing her because she is not being honest and forthcoming for fear of upsetting him. And considering the fact that he did in fact know her favorite movie, I think he pay enough attention to what she says that he would remember if she'd ever mentioned she was lactose intolerant (as opposed to Carolina telling him and Bryon just forgetting or not retaining that information).

As soon as Felix mentioned that he had a shitload of money in an account with Gigi's name, I knew she was going to play him. I was just hoping she would be able to get her hands on the money before he tried to have sex with her. When she brought the check to Santiago, my reaction during that entire scene was "Don't waste time talking right now! Deposit that thing IMMEDIATELY!"

One thing I LOVED was that Theresa took off her heels before running down all those stairs. Practical!

I can't wait to see if Mateo actually killed Theresa. It would be just his luck that he shot her and didn't actually kill her.

Oh, Jason, slow your roll with all of this "I'm going to fly to Dallas to surprise a girl who had a vacation fling with me" business. Sure, some girls might find that romantic bt other girls would find it creepy, stalkerish, and/or inappropriate.

[shapeshifter]

Guessing dead Mami was schizophrenic.

ingrid and Danny deserve each other.

[CCTC]

The show's biggest weakness is the ever shifting who is the main antagonist.  I think Katy Sagal is a good actress, but her character was more bossy and annoying than threatening.  I am surprised that some underling did not shoot her long ago.  I am not sure the actor who plays Matteo has the presence either, but time will tell.  Plus, they will probably bring a new big bad on or really bring out Adrian Padsar dark side.   The actor is capable of being an effective villain. 

I did like the advancement of the various mysteries.  Perhaps it will give Alicia something else to do other than pout over Danny and Javi something to do other than be comedic relief.   Both he and Ingrid have kind of been in limbo since the accident aftermath.

Sadly, I think they will have a cliffhanger filled finale, and that will be it.

[blackwing]

I agree that it looks like Beatriz had mental health issues... sometimes she had free reign to roam the halls and visit her room, and other times she was kept confined there by Santiago and Gigi.  

Beatriz' room 606 is the same one where the girls were hiding Felix right?  Yoli and Sky both had a key?  That's the key that was in her locker that Danny didn't know where it belonged to?  So Sky had access to that room, and Gigi is afraid that Sky found something out and was in the room looking for it.

I'm confused because Yoli clearly handed Gigi a key with a "Riviera Grand" keychain attached to it.  But Danny was shown swiping a keycard to get into the room where all the human trafficking girls were being held.  When Yoli handed Gigi a key, I was surprised that such a fancy hotel would still use real keys.  I must have tuned out at one point and missed the explanation of the key.

Mrs. P is probably one of my favourite characters.  The actress is perfect, and the character is so astute.  I loved how she completely called out Ingrid on her games.

It seems clear that neither Javi nor Alicia had anything to do with Sky's disappearance... and they obviously have no idea what happened to their mother.  Looks to me like Beatriz was on one of her episodes, she was confined to the room 606, and died there.  Santiago and Gigi covered it up.  (Why, if it was accidental like her hitting her head or something?)  Sky and Yoli were in the room, Sky found some evidence.

I really hope that Gigi isn't behind all of this, I have come to like her.

Mateo, Theresa, did he really kill her, I don't think I care much.  I can see the redemption of Mateo coming, and not liking it.

Also, Byron is gay, right?  Just seemed so awkward around Carolina and the kissing seemed so forced and unnatural looking.  

[preeya]

9 hours ago, missbonnie said:

I'm guessing that doesn't matter anymore seeing as Mateo shot her. 

Of course, it matters. Unless she was at the top of the "organization" her boss will be looking for the money she was responsible for, etc.

In the mob, everyone is accountable to someone.

Edited August 27, 2019 by preeya

[CCTC]

31 minutes ago, blackwing said:

Also, Byron is gay, right?  Just seemed so awkward around Carolina and the kissing seemed so forced and unnatural looking.  

I am thinking his wooing her is a con and he is out for some sort of revenge.

[greyhorse]

Once again, a dizzying episode with so many storylines.

So I guess during the "previously" at the start of the show, we saw Theresa say something to Santiago about "Bring Felix to me".  I guess I missed that last week.  Did Felix steal $50 million from Theresa?  Or from the hotel?  So confused.

I was so annoyed that once Santiago had the money and wanted to pay off his loan, Theresa wouldn't let him.  But I guess that's how the mob/cartel works.  I don't see how she survived that gunshot by Mateo.  We shall see.

If Beatriz is schizophrenic and they were keeping her confined to 606, then why the flashback of Beatriz and Javi and her telling Javi they couldn't tell Santiago?  That flashback made it seem like Beatriz was using 606 as a safe house to hide from Santiago.  But clearly Santiago knew about the room in the flashback we saw with Alicia.

Gigi said that Sky stole from her.  Stole what?  Money?  Gigi was clearly looking for something in the room.  If Sky did find something, why would it still be in the room?  Why wouldn't it be with her stuff in her house that she shared with Ingrid?

Would we really believe that Felix would open up an account in just Gigi's name?  Maybe he was trying to hide from authorities but it seems like there would be another way to hide money offshore.

So Byron's family is supposed to be like Crazy Rich Asians family?  "So rich that they inspired a book."? If it does seem like they're back together, they totally deserve each other.  Seemed like he wanted to screw over Santiago in accepting the deal, but now looks like his money isn't necessary.

Still no mention of Finn.  Although we did get an El Rey reference, and no mention from Byron that he is dead.

[Simba122504]

Always referring to Carolina’s hotness would work if this was brilliantly written comedy but it’s not so it’s just corny. Her character seems to just be around for comedic relief. She adds nothing to the series at the moment. Every other character is too serious, so they use her character to break the ice. But it also makes her a useless character. And her faux relationship with Bryon doesn’t help. I said Mateo may end up killing Peggy Bundy but like someone else said. Who’s the big bad on this series? They keep dropping like files. Finn and Mrs. Bundy are both gone. Mateo has killed two people so far, so is he the big bad? But he’s a weak villain. I’m sure Santiago didn’t kill Beatriz. I bet she OD’d. Of course since it’s a soap, he hid this from his kids. There are only two episodes left. Again, where is El Rey? 🧐

Edited August 27, 2019 by Simba122504

[KaveDweller]

6 hours ago, greyhorse said:

Once again, a dizzying episode with so many storylines.

So I guess during the "previously" at the start of the show, we saw Theresa say something to Santiago about "Bring Felix to me".  I guess I missed that last week.  Did Felix steal $50 million from Theresa?  Or from the hotel?  So confused.

He stole it from investors years ago. I think Theresa wanted him because she could threaten him and get some of the money. But I don't think she wanted personal revenge.

Of course Gigi and Santiago have no issue using stolen money to pay back their debt.

11 hours ago, blackwing said:

I'm confused because Yoli clearly handed Gigi a key with a "Riviera Grand" keychain attached to it.  But Danny was shown swiping a keycard to get into the room where all the human trafficking girls were being held.  When Yoli handed Gigi a key, I was surprised that such a fancy hotel would still use real keys.  I must have tuned out at one point and missed the explanation of the key.

Yeah, it doesn't make sense that they would use real keys. Even ten years ago most big hotels used cards. But most of those cards are temporary and get reset after each guest. So it wouldn't really make work for Yoli to be able to steal the card for a ten-year-old room or that she could make a copy for Skye. So I guess it needed to be a real key to make the empty room thing work.

At least Yoli and Skye hooking up there explains why it wasn't super dusty after not being used for so long.

[BaskingsharkGTX]

That made no sense at all. Off-screen, Santiago and Gigi went and talked to the cops who busted the event, presumably explained they were in debt to Theresa, which is why they were there and how she was able to force them to host it. Somehow they also convinced the cops to hush up the bust (which would have driven them out of business). But surely they'd have wanted to know why the cops were there already and would have been told about Danny, since Danny, Gigi and Santiago would all have to testify if/when Theresa got picked up. So we go into next week's episode with them (GIgi and Santiago) still unaware of who Danny is and why he's there.

Edited August 28, 2019 by BaskingsharkGTX

[preeya]

2 minutes ago, BaskingsharkGTX said:

but the cops didn't tell them that they were in the hotel already and were able to bust the event because they were working with Danny? So Gigi and Santiago still don't know about that.

Because the lady cop and Danny had put the sting in motion, that will exonerate Santiago from being implicated in Theresa's trafficking operation. It looks as if Danny will turn out to be the savior and back in good graces with Alicia.

I still think Felix and Theresa were somehow involved with each other. I'm also thinking that Mami Mendoza was either an addict or a psycho, thus the secretive room.

[BaskingsharkGTX]

1 minute ago, preeya said:

Because the lady cop and Danny had put the sting in motion, that will exonerate Santiago from being implicated in Theresa's trafficking operation. It looks as if Danny will turn out to be the savior and back in good graces with Alicia.

Actually, I think it wouldn't - the testimony of the woman Gigi pretended to spill her drink on likely would, combined with proof that they were in hock to Theresa, but Danny would have had no idea that they weren't there with full knowledge of what was going on; he knows Santiago has something going on with the mob and has seen Theresa there before, but he doesn't know exactly what's happening - that Santiago is in debt. And he knows his sister disappeared. He'd most likely think that Santiago and Theresa tried to traffic her and then killed her or something like that. 

Plus after this big freaking takedown where all these people were arrested, the cops were (presumably) amendable to not perp-walking them out the main entrance and nobody bothered to tell Mrs. P or convene an emergency staff meeting of senior, trusted staff to warn her what was happening or prepare contingency plans in case guests saw anything. 

I really wish this show had a bit more edge to it and would take a step closer to reality. It would have been way preferable to me to have a bit more screentime dedicated to building and telling this storyline properly instead of, say, Carolina's idiotic lovelife. 

[tennisgurl]

So much going down in on episode! We went from having no plots to having about 30!

Mrs. P is the best, I love how quickly she warmed up to the cheerleader, and called out Ingrid on what she was obviously trying to do. Yeah, Ingrid is pretty obvious about her manipulations, she was really pretty lucky that she got so far in her lie to Javi.

It seems like Beatriz had some kind of mental health problem that they were trying to hide. She seemed kind of manic in Javis flashback, maybe she had severe bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia? Did she actually commit suicide?

Danny is a consistently crappy detective, its kind of endearingly hilarious. "Now Danny, I need you to be very careful and keep a low profile oh wait what was that crash?" I suppose he will eventually clear her families name of whatever happened to Skye and get on Alicia's good side again.

I called Gigi playing her ex pretty quickly, she does not seem like a woman anywhere near as trusting as her daughters, who are blinded by daddy issues. At least for now, Yoli looked pretty freaked out by his phone threats. 

Carolina and Byron seem like a match in a very shallow heaven.

Edited August 28, 2019 by tennisgurl

[KaveDweller]

2 hours ago, BaskingsharkGTX said:

Actually, I think it wouldn't - the testimony of the woman Gigi pretended to spill her drink on likely would, combined with proof that they were in hock to Theresa, but Danny would have had no idea that they weren't there with full knowledge of what was going on; he knows Santiago has something going on with the mob and has seen Theresa there before, but he doesn't know exactly what's happening - that Santiago is in debt. And he knows his sister disappeared. He'd most likely think that Santiago and Theresa tried to traffic her and then killed her or something like that. 

Yeah, Danny would know nothing to exonerate Santiago, but the cop heard Gigi wanting to help that woman. It was very clear from that she was not involved, and based on that the cops would probably believe her that Santiago was also innocent. Especially if they testify against her.

I don't think we've seen all the fallout from the bust.

[theajw]

I worked at a swanky hotel in throughout the 90s.  We went to key cards in 1995.  

I also call bs on the "secret" room.  Clearly it wasn't tucked away in corner.  Front desk staff, housekeeping, room service, maintenance, we knew if a room was out of commission.  It doesn't make any business sense to have a room empty that long.  Plus, all hotels, like airlines, overbook.

Sorry, I know it's a silly soap.  Not expecting verisimilitude, but I was still annoyed.

[preeya]

11 minutes ago, theajw said:

verisimilitude

WOW. You forced me to do a lookup. First time I've ever seen this word. Thanks.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

11 hours ago, preeya said:

WOW. You forced me to do a lookup. First time I've ever seen this word. Thanks.

Heh, verisimilitude is one of the middle school vocab words I still remember (along with conflagration, for some reason).

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S1.E12 : Dear Santiago

Quote

Alicia and Javi continue their mission to figure out what really happened to their mother; Santiago still finds himself bound to Mateo, as startling secrets from his past come to light.

Original air date: 9/2/19

[CCTC]

17 hours ago, theajw said:

I also call bs on the "secret" room.  Clearly it wasn't tucked away in corner.  Front desk staff, housekeeping, room service, maintenance, we knew if a room was out of commission.  It doesn't make any business sense to have a room empty that long.  Plus, all hotels, like airlines, overbook.

Yes - I thought that was a bit odd, esp since it was just an ordinary hotel room in plain sight that seemed pretty empty.  Any secret could have been scrubbed long ago, and there seemed no purpose of keeping it locked up but in plain sight.

Not that the original was perfect -

Spoiler

but they did better job with their secret room being truly hidden and the room itself being much more mysterious and having a personality of its own.

[TV Diva Queen]

On 8/27/2019 at 7:53 AM, blackwing said:

I agree that it looks like Beatriz had mental health issues... sometimes she had free reign to roam the halls and visit her room, and other times she was kept confined there by Santiago and Gigi.  

Beatriz' room 606 is the same one where the girls were hiding Felix right?  Yoli and Sky both had a key?  That's the key that was in her locker that Danny didn't know where it belonged to?  So Sky had access to that room, and Gigi is afraid that Sky found something out and was in the room looking for it.

I'm confused because Yoli clearly handed Gigi a key with a "Riviera Grand" keychain attached to it.  But Danny was shown swiping a keycard to get into the room where all the human trafficking girls were being held.  When Yoli handed Gigi a key, I was surprised that such a fancy hotel would still use real keys.  I must have tuned out at one point and missed the explanation of the key.

Mrs. P is probably one of my favourite characters.  The actress is perfect, and the character is so astute.  I loved how she completely called out Ingrid on her games.

It seems clear that neither Javi nor Alicia had anything to do with Sky's disappearance... and they obviously have no idea what happened to their mother.  Looks to me like Beatriz was on one of her episodes, she was confined to the room 606, and died there.  Santiago and Gigi covered it up.  (Why, if it was accidental like her hitting her head or something?)  Sky and Yoli were in the room, Sky found some evidence.

I really hope that Gigi isn't behind all of this, I have come to like her.

Mateo, Theresa, did he really kill her, I don't think I care much.  I can see the redemption of Mateo coming, and not liking it.

Also, Byron is gay, right?  Just seemed so awkward around Carolina and the kissing seemed so forced and unnatural looking.  

I think its the old key to prove to use that the room hasn't been touched in ten years, but when they showed us the room/hallway of today...it had a swiper thing on it.  They tried, but not hard enough.  Since this is summer cheesey viewing, why didn't they just go for it and make the room number 666.  Again, they tried with 606, but were scared to pull the trigger.  

[TV Diva Queen]

9 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Heh, verisimilitude is one of the middle school vocab words I still remember (along with conflagration, for some reason).

Did you go to college for middle school?  LOL  Holy cripe that's a big word.  good for you!

[peachmangosteen]

21 hours ago, TV Diva Queen said:

Since this is summer cheesey viewing, why didn't they just go for it and make the room number 666.  Again, they tried with 606, but were scared to pull the trigger.  

This was my thought as well. Although I kinda liked that they did 606. It's just so dumb that it's hilarious to me.

[shapeshifter]

On 8/29/2019 at 2:56 PM, theajw said:

I know it's a silly soap.  Not expecting verisimilitude

Heh, after watching the show's penultimate episode this evening I'm thinking it the show should have been titled Verisimilitude (the appearance of being true or real; "the detail gives the novel some verisimilitude." google.com/search?q=verisimilitude).

Or maybe: No Verisimilitude?

My other takeaway from this episode (1.12 "Dear Santiago") is that it would be helpful to the Grand Hotel's family gene pool if Ingrid and Danny do wind up having offspring with the inmates children of the owners of the hotel and the multi-generational staff
--'cause, Dude! It seems that they're all frickin' half sisters and brothers.

About Gigi asking Santiago to write her daughters into his will: 
Gigi, honey, assuming you have a will that leaves your stuff to your daughters,
Santiago writing your daughters into his will is only an issue if you die before he does.
Should we be concerned? 
Hmmm.
Perhaps.

[TomGirl]

14 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Santiago writing your daughters into his will is only an issue if you die before he does.

Unless his will leaves his assets to Gigi in trust for her lifetime and then it passes on to his kids.  That’s what most wealthy people do when they have kids from a prior marriage.

[shapeshifter]

39 minutes ago, TomGirl said:

Unless his will leaves his assets to Gigi in trust for her lifetime and then it passes on to his kids.  That’s what most wealthy people do when they have kids from a prior marriage.

Sure. And for most families this is just hedging bets against Gigi having a fatal accident or contracting a fatal disease. But in the grand schemes of things of the Grand Hotel, I predict murder!       

Or, because she's a main character, attempted murder, or kidnapping-made-to-look-like-murder!            

Edited September 3, 2019 by shapeshifter

[preeya]

20 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Or, because she's a main character, attempted murder, or kidnapping-made-to-look-like-murder!     

It may be time to dial 1-800-Mateo

[skotnikov]

I bet 

Spoiler

Ingrid knows about Jason's real father.  That's why she's pursuing  him. 

Edited September 3, 2019 by skotnikov

[TV Diva Queen]

I like that last night they show previews for the season finale and NOT the series finale.  I take it is been renewed?  

[S.Batts]

I can see Santiago leaving some money to Caro and Yoli but the hotel belongs to Javi and Alicia.  That was their mother's hotel, she was the one that brought that huge asset to hers and Santiago's marriage.   That hotel should go to her blood children and not anyone else.  If Santiago leaves a portion of that hotel to the twins, I'll be pissed.   

Good episode last night.   I hope the show gets renewed for next year.  Loved seeing more of Eva Longoria.   

[shapeshifter]

41 minutes ago, S.Batts said:

I can see Santiago leaving some money to Caro and Yoli but the hotel belongs to Javi and Alicia.  That was their mother's hotel, she was the one that brought that huge asset to hers and Santiago's marriage.   That hotel should go to her blood children and not anyone else.  If Santiago leaves a portion of that hotel to the twins, I'll be pissed. 

Does it matter that mami Beatriz lost the hotel to Felix (swindler/father of Caro and Yoli/ex of Gigi) and that Gigi was instrumental in getting the money back from Felix?

[TV Diva Queen]

38 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Does it matter that mami Beatriz lost the hotel to Felix (swindler/father of Caro and Yoli/ex of Gigi) and that Gigi was instrumental in getting the money back from Felix?

to me that just makes them even steven.....Gigi's current husband at the time stole it, and Gigi got it back.

[tennisgurl]

Now this is some soap opera drama! I suspected that Javi and Alicia's mom was mentally ill, probably bipolar, and that maybe she killed herself, but I did NOT see it coming that Mrs. G and Santiago hooked up, and that Jason is his biological son. And Gigi knows, and hid it from Santiago! Oh the twists! 

At first I thought that Gigi his the note to spare Santiago the guilt of knowing why his wife killed herself, but now it looks like it was to hide who Jason's bio dad was. Was she already considering becoming wife number two, and wanted to avoid having another heir? Some combination or both? Some other reason? It was good seeing more of Eva Longoria, she did a good job in just flashbacks at establishing her character and her struggles. 

I would expect that Santiago would leave Yoli and Carolina some money at least, even if they dont seem to be all that close. It will be interesting seeing the family trying to connect more as a group, but of course thats certainly going to have some issues now, considering Alicia just found out what Gigi hid! 

Poor Jason, his dad is dying  and now he will seemingly find out that his dad isn't actually his bio dad, and that his mom cheated. I wonder if his dad knows? 

[Irlandesa]

8 hours ago, TV Diva Queen said:

I like that last night they show previews for the season finale and NOT the series finale.  I take it is been renewed?  

No it hasn't.   Even shows whose ratings are mediocre will get season finale designation if they haven't been officially canceled. 

[tvfanatic13]

Damn. Getting really good right before the end. Of course they will probably end next week with a cliffhanger and then cancel the series. 

[Karen885]

Carolina and yoli: we don't have any money of our own.

Getting a fucking job like everyone else. But of course their mom is just like "I'll convince Santiago to change his will".