Envidiosa is the embodiment of this phrase. The second season of the Netflix series continues Vicky's story, but this time in a more entertaining way. The series definitely feels more realistic and less over-the-top than the previous season, which is a nice surprise. I think season 2 is more aligned with what I expected from the first. In the first season, Vicky is shown as an insecure woman who keeps digging her own hole. In season 2, we get to see more vulnerability in Vicky. In the series, Vicky is ready to marry Daniel, her longtime boyfriend, who made her a last-minute proposal just when she was ready to tell Matías that she likes him.
I didn't realize that my opinion mattered so much before my review of the Argentine Netflix original series Envidiosa started receiving a lot of negative comments. Maybe it's true that I judged the series too harshly, but I certainly still feel the same way about the protagonist as I did back then. Although maybe I'm a little more empathetic towards her now.
Stars: Griselda Siciliani, Carolina Hoyos, Pilar Gamboa
After the first season, I called Vicky an unlikable protagonist, and I stand by that. Now, to clarify, this doesn't mean I'm invalidating her feelings; all I'm saying is that the way she expresses them is certainly outrageous. Yes, Vicky's life has been difficult and she's suffered a lot, but that can't be an excuse to go around being a jerk to everyone. No, I don't think Vicky is a bad person; she's just not very nice, and that can get a little irritating over the course of the show.
It's true that there are people whose personality type is to just snap at others. Whether it's out of jealousy, anger, or insecurity, they can't help but speak up about what they don't like. Vicky is exactly like that, and in the second season, many of her close friends and family members call her out for this behavior. It takes a long time, but by the end of the second season, there's definitely some character development, because instead of being self-centered and feeling singled out for being singled out, Vicky actually reflects on what she's been told. This is what makes the second season so much better than the first. Yes, Vicky’s insecurities, her fears, her reasons, and even her judgments were all realistic, but the way she reacted to them felt very over-the-top to me. There’s a lovely scene near the end of the series where one of the characters explains to her why she always feels abandoned, and that’s a perfectly eloquent representation of how I perceived Vicky. I guess sometimes entire seasons are just preparations for something better that’s yet to come. It’s a good thing she set the bar so low.
In terms of comedy, I think some of the slapstick just doesn’t work for me, plus as someone who doesn’t understand the language, I can’t really speak to the humor of the show. But I can speak to the fashion, and I thoroughly enjoyed this season as well. Not only Vicky, but her friends have cool outfits, too, and with some rich new characters in the mix, you can imagine a lot of funny stuff happening. Yes, there is a makeover scene, but it's not what you'd imagine and it actually has a really good emotional punch. In terms of performances, everyone is great, and I really enjoy the chemistry between Vicky and Matias. Rotto certainly makes the show worth watching.
In my review of Season 1, I said that it didn't make sense for Vicky to feel lonely when she had so many friends, a great job, a loving family, etc. I admit that was a low blow on my part, and on reflection, it's definitely possible for someone to be "successful" but feel like they have nothing going for them, but I think at the time I felt like the way she talked about other people just wasn't working for me, and I didn't quite understand why her friends still supported her. The best word I can use to describe her personality is "demanding." However, in Season 2, I felt more empathy towards her.
I really appreciate that the episodes are under 25 minutes long and the series is easily binge-watchable, but to get to the good stuff, you have to finish a season of almost unbearable content. I may not relate to Vicky as a character, but I can certainly appreciate her feelings more this time around. I think it helps to know her, or that she's an already established character, so I'm aware of how bad she can get.
In terms of plot, this season is somehow more complete and I really appreciate that we get to know Matías more. Besides Vicky's story, there's also the story that Caro and her husband are going through, Lu is dealing with the loss of Peter and we see a lot more of her, one of the other friends has a big secret, and Matías and Daniel have their own things to reflect on.
Comments
Post a Comment