Grand Hotel‘s “Long Night’s Journey Into Day” pits Santiago’s guilt about what happened to Javi, and his love for his son, against Felix’s supposed love and clear attempts to take advantage of both Carolina and Yoli’s desire to have a father.
Obviously, if we were just evaluating them on how good they are at, you know, fatherhood, Santiago would come out ahead, but this isn’t about black and white, good or bad. Santiago and Javi’s relationship hasn’t always been easy, and I would argue Santiago himself might not consider he is a great dad, at least not always. But he’s stayed, and he’s fought, and he continues to want the best for his kids, which is more than we can say for Felix.
Who is an asshole. I always suspected it, but to see it happen, to see how he’s gonna break not just Yoli, but Carolina, and likely Gigi, and how much this is going to hurt everyone just makes me want to *mimics shaking motion*
That is life, though, and this is one of the things Grand Hotel has done best in it’s first season, show us how life, and love – not just romantic love, but familial love as well – is messy, and complicated, and yet it’s just that …love. You don’t love people any less because it’s complicated. You don’t love them any less because they make mistakes. That’s not how love works.
And, like in life, these characters aren’t just good or bad, they’re …people. Who sometimes do good things, sometimes do bad things, but cannot really be put into stereotypes, because most of us can’t. That’s the inconvenient truth.
So hey, maybe Felix will prove me wrong. Most other characters have. But for now, this was an episode about how to be a good father and how to be a bad one – and that’s totally separate from how to be a good bad person.
Wouldn’t you agree?
- Javi, my baby.
- I thought this was going to be a bigger thing, but it was just about telling us his story with Santiago. Which, fair.
- Santiago praying in Spanish is a mood.
- “Let me help you, please.”
- Danny’s heart eyes are a thing of beauty. For that matter, so are Alicia’s. This is how they sell what’s going on with them, with the eyes, not anything else.
- That’s how all great ships do it, after all.
- It’s not about us believing they are good together when they’re making out, but when they’re not.
- You told me to handle the problem? Mateo, you’ve got some balls.
- Aunt Gigi!
- Awww.
- Lying is always a bad idea, Santiago.
- But I love that she was always part of the family. And it sucks that the way they handled it robbed the family of that.
- Oh, God, Mrs. P.
- I know she was meant to be the funny part of this episode, but boy, does Wendy Raquel Robinson kill it as high Mrs. P.
- Okay, fine, I admit it, despite what I thought at first, I actually really like Gigi now. I think she loves everyone and wants the best for them.
- LOL, I gave him life, says Mrs. P
- Alicia figuring out Javi’s problems is heartbreaking.
- OMG JASON’S COOKIES.
- OMG
- OMG
- Jason is right, Danny, don’t drop it all because of a girl. You’ll regret it.
- This whole thing with Felix is gonna blow up on everyone’s faces.
- “What the hell is wrong with you?”
- I love how fair Jason is, always.
- Danny, tell Alicia.
- Tell her.
- Santiago’s fight with Javi broke me.
- Javi thinks his dad is ashamed, but he’s just feeling guilty.
- Bryan Craig and Demian Bichir absolutely hit it out of the part as Javi and Santiago this episode. You can feel every second of what they’re feeling.
- Danny’s happiness at finding out it wasn’t Javi is so pure.
- Aw, Ingrid. Of course you lost the baby.
- Don’t believe Mateo, he doesn’t care, he just feels guilty.
- Also, what about others who got hurt? Don’t THEY get guilt?
- I knew Felix was the worst, and it doesn’t even make me happy to be right.
- That last scene with Danny and Alicia is the perfect combination of awww sweet and HOT
- HOT
- HOT
- HOT
Agree? Disagree? Share with us in the comments below!
Grand Hotel airs Mondays at 10/9c on ABC.
