*Episode premise spoilers. CW: suicide.*
I just…wow. Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, and everyone involved in this production should be so proud of what they built together. I saw an interview where Luna and García Bernal were asked to rank their onscreen collaborations, and they put La Máquina at the top, above Y tu mamá también. At the time, I was hopeful if a little skeptical—like, “So the thing you’re currently promoting just so happens to be the best thing you’ve ever done together? That’s kind of convenient.” But now that’s I’ve seen the full miniseries, I totally get it. And I 100% agree. While Y tu mamá también is of course a masterful film, these two have grown and matured so much as actors and artists, and that experience is reflected in the show. Stunning work all around.
Esteban’s fight with Felix is rapidly approaching, and he and Andy have just gotten another brutal demonstration of what the Otras Personas are capable of. They both feel backed into a corner—the thought of giving in and having Esteban lose the fight makes them sick, but more than just their own lives are at stake here.
I won’t get into specifics on the ending here. I’ll just say that, going into this last episode, I had no idea how they were going to resolve it, but I’m pleased with the result on the whole. There’s some triumph, some loss, some ingenuity, and some luck. Things come full circle in significant ways. It’s definitely compelling to me, and overall, I find it pretty satisfying—I teared up near the end.
All the issues that have been bubbling up for Esteban the entire show come to a head. He agonizes over his legacy as a boxer and who he wants to be as a person. He considers how little control he’s had over his own life and career. He nurtures hopeless fantasies, saying, “Imagine dying in the ring, it would be great. Heroic. Mythical.” He feels trapped by the demands of the Otras Personas but longs to end his career on his terms, showing everyone what he’s made of. Gael García Bernal’s acting is as superb as always, understated and reflective, and while I admittedly know very little about boxing, I thought he looked great in Esteban’s climactic fight against Felix.
Pretty much everyone gets at least one excellent scene in the finale. Like Esteban, Irasema feels penned in when she faces threats over her investigation. Ghoulishly, she’s told, “You’re just like your father. Remember what you felt when he died? Don’t do the same to your kids.” Sixto proves once and for all that he’s the dad all these messy 30- and 40-somethings need, coming through for both Esteban and Andy at critical moments. And Carlota shares a lovely scene with Andy as they reflect on the end of their marriage.
Then there’s Diego Luna. This episode gives us Andy at his most introspective. Throughout the miniseries, he’s been avoiding and denying a lot, wanting to evade culpability even as he scrambles to try and fix things. Here, he’s forced to confront so much about himself, and he digs deep as he searches for a way out of this.
So many highlights for Andy/Luna here. There’s yet another incredible scene between Andy and Esteban at the start of the episode. This one is quieter and more heartfelt than a lot of their scenes together, and there’s a real gut punch moment when Esteban admits that he feels Andy has been taking control from him his entire career. “Man! I didn’t know you felt that way,” Andy says. And his wordless reaction to Esteban’s reply is so beautifully done.
Over the course of the episode, Andy goes from dejected to determined. The moment that shift happens is another serious highlight—it’s just soooooo good. Even though it’s relatively understated, I felt my bones that this was it. Sitting alone, Andy says to himself, “Last round. How are you going to finish? What should I do?” On the other side of that scene, we see a different Andy.
There are more highlights that I don’t want to mention for the sake of spoilers, so the last one I’ll talk about is Andy’s heart-to-heart with Carlota. Andy’s wildly unhealthy relationship with his mom had already been interfering with his marriage, and everything that goes down during the miniseries is understandably a bridge too far for Carlota. But I really like seeing Andy acknowledging his continued love for her, not because he thinks he can paper over what he’s done, but simply because he wants her to know she’s loved. This is such a good exchange between them:
Andy: “It’s just that our marriage always was—”
Carlota: “Weird?”
Andy: “No, not weird. I mean, it was a mess, but a pretty one.”
Love it! Okay, final thoughts.
Recommend?
In General – Absolutely. This miniseries is fantastic, and everyone involved just crushed it.
Diego Luna – Yes. I know, I know, recency bias, but I think this is Top Five Performances material. Luna does incredible work as Andy from start to finish. This character could’ve been gimmicky, but Luna plays him with such humanity!
Warnings
Violence, sexual content, language, drinking/smoking/drug use, and strong thematic elements (including suicidal ideation and emotionally abusive parents.)
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