Up Here 1×03 “Signs” is all about…well…signs. Signs two people are meant to be together. Signs they’re meant to be apart. Signs that maybe they should clean out their oven every once in a while. (Or at least look in it on occasion.) I don’t know if I believe in signs, but I do know this: Lindsay (Mae Whitman) and Miguel (Carlos Valdes) are both so bad at this that they are at least equal in their level of train wreck-itude. And I do believe in equality in relationships.
This episode, it’s Lindsay’s turn to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But make no mistake about it. Miguel is as apt to ruining a good thing as she is. And, all joking aside, I do hope that “Signs” is the last time we ride this particular narrative merry-go-round. I know we’re not even halfway through the season, so the story is nowhere close to putting these two adorable and endearing dumpster fires together. But there’s only so much “they come together, one of them does something awkward, they call it quits, there’s an apology tour, they come together…” that a person – or a story – can take. You’ve known each other for fifteen minutes, you two. Just walk away!
They’re not quite ready to walk away just yet. And I’m not quite ready to let them. Though I do think someone needs to take Lindsay aside and talk to her about timing.
Honesty is important in relationships, so I do applaud her for realizing she needed to be honest that she didn’t “coincidentally” bump into Miguel outside his office. I also commend her for owning up to the fact that she’d used him as “inspiration” for her story. Particularly since I thought she’d already decided she wouldn’t write about him anymore. At least (I assume this is where she was going with her confession) not without his consent. And that it seemed she’d decided his confession to her – heartbreaking as it was – would remain private.
But…again. Timing.
It’s true that writers often use real life for inspiration. But that’s all it is: inspiration. A line here. The foundation for a scene there. They don’t usually “fictionalize” events that actually happened to them. Particularly when those events are embarrassing (or downright humiliating) to the people in their lives. Frankly, I think Lindsay crossed a line when she wrote about her first “date” with Miguel. Even if she changed his name. So I was glad that she decided to leave him out of the story moving forward. And he did deserve the conversation. But maybe – just maybe – telling your booty call that you’re laying bare his deepest insecurities on the page could wait for a moment when you don’t have your tongue halfway down his throat. Like, take a break for some cookies and a chat first.
Or, rather, don’t. I can’t remember what was in the oven without shuddering.
As for Miguel…man, my heart breaks for him again this episode. Because that thing that he confessed he feared? Getting something wonderful only to know it’ll be taken away a minute later? That’s kinda what Lindsay did to him by standing him up for breakfast. And, sure, she didn’t mean to hurt him like that. She had no way of knowing it would hurt him as much as it probably did. But still. Ouch.
Up Here 1×03 “Signs” hopefully puts Lindsay and Mighel on the same page at last. I’m looking forward to seeing where their relationship goes next. As long as Lindsay never goes anywhere near an oven again.
