*Spoilers for episode 4.*
It’s getting super real for all the characters now. Ruy and Julia both take their next steps, which are more intense than either of them bargained for. A good episode, but an uncomfortable one.
Julia and Ruy have finally broached the subject of divorce with Andrea. As they head to their court hearing, they leave Andrea in Idalia’s care. While the splitting couple is asked deeply personal questions about themselves and their marriage, Idalia takes Andrea to her hometown, Salazar, for the day.
Although Ruy and Julia had initially agreed to settle things amicably between themselves, everything escalates once lawyers get involved. Both are advised not to move out of the house for different reasons—Ruy to get full support of Andrea (which gives him a better chance of getting alimony,) Julia so as not to lose the house in the divorce. So whereas before, they were both living at the house to keep up a pretense in front of Andrea, they’re now caught in a stalemate. As Julia’s lawyer warns her, “This is a game of endurance.”
We revisit the opening sequence of the show, with Julia and Ruy sitting down separately to questioning that will inform the judge’s decision about Andrea’s custody. We see the characters eating sad lunches on hallway benches and getting scrutinized by each other’s lawyers in front of the judge. “Little tokens” are offered and bribes are discussed. When Ruy is uncomfortable with the subjects his lawyer brings up to Julia, she retorts, “Do you want to win or not?”
One really effective, wordless scene in this storyline follows Julia and Ruy on their trip to the courthouse. Two separate Ubers pull up to the house at the same time, and the characters crisscross at each other to get into the right one. They drive off separately toward the same destination, sitting next to each other at the stoplights. It’s a simple scene that conveys a lot of emotion, all backed by another excellent music choice, of course!
Understandably, Andrea doesn’t take the news of the divorce very well, asking her parents, “Are you getting unmarried? Is that allowed?” But Idalia tries to soften the blow by taking Andrea home with her. After a long ride away from the city, Andrea gets to explore Salazar, chasing after chickens to her heart’s content and glimpsing a little of Idalia’s life outside of her.
I like a lot of things about this series, but there’s something special about the screentime devoted to Idalia. She’s never background noise in the family’s life, she’s never extraneous. We continually get her perspective, even if it’s just in a reaction shot or under-her-breath remark. Her firm presence in the story makes me think of Luna’s short film Nana, so I’d imagine that Idalia was an important part of his vision for the show.
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