*A few spoilers from episodes 4 and 5.*
Great episode! For most of it, we follow two separate storylines, both of which are excellent. And the way they come together at the end is really good.
Ruy and Julia’s divorce has been finalized, but the case of Andrea’s custody is still pending. While Julia tries to get through a feminist art fair with everything hanging over her head, Ruy’s lawyer advises him to bolster his case to the judge by attending sexual harassment training.
Everything about the art fair is done well. There’s an element of satire here, but it stays so grounded that it still feels really authentic. When Julia and Andrea turn up, one of the staff side eyes Andrea’s princess dress and tells Julia, “Check out the mother-daughter activity. ‘From Damsels to Warriors.’ It’s this afternoon.” Andrea later amazes the other kids at the fair, who wonder how she convinced her mother to let her get it. “I told my mom that since everyone is entitled to be free, I’m free to be a princess,” Andrea explains. “She totally got it.”
Meanwhile, Julia and her partner are stuck at a crappy table by the bathrooms. Julia isn’t sure if it’s retaliation for Ruy’s sexual harassment scandal at work, which was revealed live on the radio, or if she’s considered a sellout now because she’s doing a Nike campaign—“You’re the official representative of marketable feminism,” one of the organizers points out. All this is on top of Julia’s swirl of feelings about the divorce and her fears about what’s going to happen with Andrea.
I kept the details vague in my review of episode 4, but while Ruy was taking part in a panel discussion about the women’s march at his radio station, Rebeca opened up on air about how entirely up his own ass about it. When he attends the training, he’s quick to point out that he’s always supported feminism and explain that he’s only there at his lawyer’s suggestion. But even as he distances himself from the other men in the room, their stories echo his almost word for word. One man introduces himself about sharing about a “misunderstanding” with a female colleague, adding, “Nowadays, in my opinion, you can’t say anything to women. You can’t even be nice to them ‘cause you might strike a nerve.”
There’s a little satire here too, as the training starts with a cheesy sexual harassment PSA hosted by José María Yazpik (Amado from Narcos: Mexico!), but the trainer explains that he only showed the video because it’s mandatory. Once things actually get underway, he gradually gets under the guys’ resistance and helps them to open up and examine themselves, whether it’s the man who initially shrugs off that his dad used to spank him for crying or Ruy who uses feminist buzzwords to try and deflect any culpability.
After they both get through their pretty difficult day, Julia and Ruy see each other when handing off Andrea. This scene is really effectively done. I love the contrast of their conversation, which is emotionally honest and vulnerable, with the physical blocking of the scene, with Julia facing away from Ruy and so much distance between them that they’re in two different shots. The whole episode is put together so well, and this scene really brings it all together.
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