Starz Vida was the little show that could that fought with every bit of its being to survive, thrive, and leave it’s mark when it comes to diverse TV. And I will always love it because of that. I will always compare other shows to Vida, especially if they have Latinx and queer leads. And I will always remember how free, liberated, and loved I felt in Vida‘s arms.
For that, thank you Tanya Saracho and the rest of the crew on Vida. You have changed me forever and I’m proud to have known you and watched you grown. It matters, you matter, and I can’t wait to see what doors your show has opened for other members in the Latinx community.
The Good
I want to thank everyone at Vida for the 3 amazing years that we have had together. From the very start, I knew that this story would be different. There you had two sisters, unlike each other in every way possible, coming together to take care of the life and bar of a woman they didn’t understand one bit. And even when times got hard, when things got ugly, these two women stuck to their guns and tackled things as family.
Was everything perfect? Absolutely not. But perfect is boring in my book. Messy is where it’s at and I’m here for that every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Messy is where characters grow, flourish, and prove their worth. And messy is where change that lasts a lifetime happens. And I want to hold onto that thought, that feeling that Vida gave me for as long as I can.
For that I feel lucky and blessed to be part of this world. Emma and Lyn are my people, my family, and watching their experiences on TV, no matter how different they are from my own, felt liberating. I’m worth it. Every last bit of me. And it’s because of shows like Vida that reinforce that concept or idea.
The Bad
That argument between Emma and Lyn broke my heart in all sorts of ways before putting it back together again. They needed to hash it out. They needed to lay the words out in between them and speak their truth because they needed to erase that turd of father from their life, especially because he’s been a form of contention between them for episodes.
I believe that their words, no matter how angry they were, brought them closer together. Is everything perfect? No, absolutely not. But speaking their truths, hashing it out, and entering Vida together, well it means something. It means that they’re going to survive this, together and at each others side. And that matters more than anything on this show.
When I picture the future of Vida, I picture Lyn taking care of things at the bar. The turd of a father would be taken care of before Emma would leave with Nico to do something Emma has never done before: the unexpected with no plans at all. Eddy would be helping Lyn run the bar. And everything would work out. That’s my ultimate ending and I’m sticking to it.
The Ugly
How dare that turd of father talk to Emma in that manner. Just in case it bears repeating, there is nothing wrong with Emma. There has never been anything wrong with Emma. Because being queer isn’t a problem. It’s just a part of who you are and no one, especially your parents, should open their mouth and talk the crap that that turd of a father did.
Emma deserves better. Sure, she’s not perfect and she has a hard time trusting people, leading to hot messes left and right. But she deserved better than a turd of father who saw or felt that there was something off, disgusting, or messed up about his daughter just because she liked girls. There’s nothing disgusting about liking girls.
As someone who has spent time in the church, the way that his “flock” surrounded Emma, made me have flashbacks to old and Latinx churches. They don’t care what the asshole of a father is doing because in their eyes, the one accusing him needs help and spiritual guidance. And I call bullshittttt! They have no right, just like the dad has no right to the bar. And that’s the tea.
