Here we are. Cable Girls 5B. The last few episodes. El fin.
It’s hard to end a show, let’s start there. No matter what you do, there will be a faction of fans who aren’t happy. Happy ending? Why? That’s cliché! Tragic ending? Why? We deserve happiness? Pick one half of the love triangle? WHY? The other one was clearly better!
So, in many ways, there was really no way for Cable Girls 5B to win. Not with the setup it gave us, not with a show that, at least for its first two – superior – seasons, sold us soapy drama with a backdrop of feminism and the backbone of female friendships.
The problem, of course, it’s that it’s been years since Cable Girls has been that show.
It first tried to put an end to the love triangle by having Lidia end up pregnant with Carlos’ kid. Then there was a wedding, and a season of them presumably being “happy” together. Except they never dared to commit, so Francisco remained in the periphery, looking like a better choice (despite the unfortunate mustache of the last season) with every passing second.
Then Francisco was hurt saving Eva, the aforementioned kid, and that caused Lidia to reevaluate her feelings. This was, of course, made easy by the fact that Carlos didn’t trust Lidia enough to tell her the truth. And so, the definite choice Lidia made changed and now she was with Francisco. Forever. That’s it. Final.
I mean, I guess in the end it was final, there was nowhere for the show to go after offing Carlos in 5A, and really, no way for the show to go after having Lidia and Francisco leave Spain together, raise a family, and presumably find the love they had for each other once again.
And I’m not going to be the one to say that the final season was missing the love triangle – I hate love triangles with a passion, and had it been up to me Lidia would have never left Francisco in season 2, pregnant with Carlos’ kid or not. But the problem is the show revolved around a love triangle for two seasons, and then not only did it try to switch gears, it resolved the love triangle, in favor of one man, and then the other, and yet somehow managed to give fans of either couple almost no payoff.
If you loved her with Carlos, well, you got a wedding, and a kid together, a life ….and yet, did you ever get to see them truly happy? If you loved her with Francisco you got exactly the same, and many more years, presumably enough for her to be able to refer to their “infinite love” in the penultimate episode, and yet, did you get to enjoy them together?
The answer, in both instances, is no.
This, again, wouldn’t have been a problem if this show hadn’t hyped up this damn love triangle so much, if they hadn’t told us that this show was, at least in a little part, about that kind of love. Because, as the story of five women, and what it meant for them to be who they wanted to be, in the backdrop of the Spain of the 20’s and 30’s, this show not only worked really well, it had, dare I say, the only ending it could possibly have.
But, even though, as a critic, as someone who lived in Spain and learned about the Civil War, and even as someone who appreciates a well told story, I can understand why this is the perfect bookend, and how important to tell a story that is about women first and foremost, and about friendship second, as a viewer, one who believed the hype and got invested in the lives of these characters, I cannot help but feel disappointed.
Disappointed that Lidia didn’t get the happy ending she fought so hard for.
Disappointed that Marga could barely spend time with her newborn.
Disappointed that Carlota and Oscar didn’t get to find out what a life together could truly look like.
Disappointed that these women couldn’t usher a new era together.
But mostly, disappointed that even the good stuff the show gave us, they gave us off screen. Have you ever heard the saying “show, don’t tell”? Well, Cable Girls told us, over and over again, that these women had moments of happiness in their personal lives, that they had families that were worth sacrificing everything, including their lives for.
They just never showed us.
And so the last shot, as powerful as it is, will remain bittersweet. You can only do an ending like that one and have it feel earned if the audience truly believes not just that there’s no there’s no other way, but that the sacrifice was worth it.
We’ve been told both, and we believe neither. And that’s where Cable Girls failed us – and the story they were trying to tell.
Agree? Disagree? Share with us in the comments below!
Cable Girls is available to stream on Netflix in its entirety.
I was equally disappointed. I’m still trying to process all the tragedies the writers managed to pack into the last 2 seasons.
It feels like they switched gears on what they wanted the show to be midway, and I was NOT PREPARED!
I agree. It was just too much.
Didn’t care for the Thelma and Louise type ending but after dragging the show for a couple of more seasons it makes sense. It really should have ended with season 3.
Once they went into the Civil War it was hard to see it ending any other way, on that we agree. But yeah, the first 3 seasons were the superior seasons.
Agree. Very dissappointed. They took us through 5 seasons of unrealistic events happening. Lidia’s fall and not only is she not paralyzed or dies, but has the baby. Francisco in a coma for a year…but then reovers in 5 minutes to participate in a prison break. Lidia’s bag of pharmecuticals to knock out men. So why not make it back to the train?
It wasn’t “life” It was a show. There was always telenovela looming. It was about friendship among women, the family you choose, and striving for your dreams.
Season 5 was a disconnect as 7 or 8 years had passed since the chicas were involved in each others lives.
It woulld have been more empowering if once they drugged the army men, they made it to the train, and ended with us believing that their future was uncertain, but they could continue thier fight in South America.
I just finished the series and I can only say that this is the most disappointing ending I’ve seen. I mean, sure, the writers wanted to show the power of women, and how they sacrificed their lives to save hundreds of others. It seems like a fit ending. But it was soo disappointing. Like why? Why don’t I get to see a happy ending, just for once? I think the ending would’ve been much better if it had just ended 20 mins earlier, just at the time Francisco got on the train and they were heading to Bordeaux. There was no need for them to get caught and….. After two weeks of watching this show, I currently can’t feel anything but utter and absolute disappointment.
I absolutely understand you. I feel the exact same way – that would have been a fitting ending. This was just pain for the sake of pain.
I needed to check why the characterisation of the women was so different in Season 5, looks like the authors changed in part. Formerly the women appeared resourceful and strong, however in season 5 they appeared unrealistic and over the top about their confidence to effect change. Lidia at the front walking around the countryside in high heels, then seductively bribing the guards with money, the inflated deals with art works and photos etc, it seemed way more contrived than former seasons. Sofia was frustrating and naive as a character and in some way it made me feel that the women had been diminished by presenting them in this season. It was inconsistent with the other seasons. Disappointing.
I’m so disappointed, to build you up as Nd just drop you. These woman fought so hard and were unable to reap the benefits. Why??? Are the writers that unhappy with their lives.
Were there any women writers for this show? Felt to me like once again men dominated and women were the victims. What a lousy ending to a message that women are strong and can be free. Total betrayal of what I thought the show was about.
Still so frustrated by this ending. When they all rescued Oscar from prison in season 4 they made Sofia a motherless child. Now this ending. Both Eva and Marga’s newborn are motherless. Seems pointless. Perhaps the writers could have let Carlotta and Oscar leave the train just the 2 of them…. protected their friends who had children who needed them. Why all 4 of them? It was just a writing stunt for affect. Also, Francisco would never have let Lidis die, after 5 seasons of being there for each other, this ending was the worst possible ending.
They went for sensational and lost the spirit of the series. We , the loyal fans deserved better.
Absolutely HATED series 5! The characters and dynamic of the show was completely different than previous 4 it’s like there was a different writer came in and hadn’t watched the show before. Utter garbage. Carlos being done away with like that and the girls at the end. What a let down for this amazing series. There’s no way frincisco would let Lidia leave. Theres no way she would leave her kids. Should’ve finished at series 4
The ending of the show felt like a desperate attempt for a heroic ending which turned out to be even unrealistic- there was no communication between then present officers and others so how did they come at the end moment to arrest the girls? Marga gave birth 2 days ago and she could run like anything? Also Carlota and Oscar were basically malnutritioned in the prison still they ran?- Also they did so much building up only for it to come crashing down in the end. Lidia and Francisco couldn’t be together even though he recovered and didn’t lose her at the train station again. Oscar and Carlota reunited only to die and so did Marga and Pablo. The ending felt forced and illogical at the same time.