‘Lopez vs Lopez’ Recap: ‘Lopez vs Halloween’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

LOPEZ VS LOPEZ -- "Lopez vs Halloween" Episode 304 -- Pictured: George Lopez as George -- (Photo by: Nicole Weingart/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 302 of ‘Lopez vs Lopez’. To revisit the Season Three Premiere, click here.
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If there is one particular aspect of the hit NBC series, Lopez vs Lopez, that we’ve praised often here at NTG, it is the sheer fact that this series does a phenomenal job of educating the general public on the outright majesty of Latinx Culture, and its many rich traditions. For this show truly does put all of that on display in a stunningly creative and impactful manner, one that truly does offer up amazing lessons about said culture, and well, this is top of mind today simply because once again, another fascinating aspect of Latinx Culture was explored during last night’s Halloween themed episode.

A feat that ‘Lopez vs Halloween’ accomplished by plunging us into the heart of this beloved holiday, where in the Lopez and Van Bryan household was preparing to celebrate the wonder of the hour, despite running into some family roadblocks. Because it was tradition for the family to dress up in themed costumes, but Chance wasn’t feeling that this year. He just wanted to hang out with friends and enjoy the vibes and well, that led to a fascinating exploration on family life in general. About how sometimes, when kids grow up, they tend to split off and do their own thing and how that can be hard for mom and dad, but they need to let kids find their way back and not do toxic things to motivate that… such as Quinten and Mayan did here. Which of course, doesn’t make them bad parents, just ones that are learning, and they got there eventually, with Rosie’s help no less.

But the real education in this story revolved around George’s journey. Because in the midst of trying to keep Chance around, another important holiday took place, one that is widely celebrated in Latin America, Diá de Los Muertos, which translates to the Day of the Dead. A time-honored tradition where every family pays tribute to the family members they’ve lost along the way, and the lives of the fallen are revisited and celebrated, sometimes in a humorous manner, sometimes in a somber one, and now and again, some families leave out offerings to invite the spirit home to visit their loved ones. But what matters most, is that the dead have their day and respect is paid, and well… seeing this on display here was quite amazing. Simply because, it is not showcased enough in popular media, but here it was, on prime time on NBC no less, and it was just incredible to have this show teach everyone how it works in that organic manner that the show always does, and to just see it paid tribute.

But of course, since this is the smartest sitcom around, it also used this event to help George grow and learn lessons. Which he did by speaking with the spirits of his ancestors, including his Abuelita, Dolores, who treated him rough and believed his legacy would be as sour as hers. So, George worked to change that through spooky acts of kindness. The kind that paid tribute to The Shining and other horror films, but truly was an effort of George’s part to be remembered as a good father and grandfather, so that he would not be spoken ill of down the line. For that truly did worry him. But some admissions to Dolores about his work toward being better, not only garnered him respect from the spirits, but respect for himself. For with an assist from his family, he was reminded of how far he’s come and how much work he’s put in to be better, and how his family will indeed remember that.

Yet what’s amazing, is that there was another lesson to be found in this, since it also reminded us… that truly honoring those who came before, involves looking at who they were completely, with the good and the bad, because that paints a proper picture of those who came before us. All of which made for a supremely brilliant episode. One that did an amazing job of offering up some powerful lessons on legacy. Plus, it did an amazing job of exploring the majesty of Diá de Los Muertos and educating the audience on the matter and of course, the episode was just downright funny. Because George’s brand of good deeds was outright hilarious, as was Rita Moreno’s performance as George’s spicy Abuelita, Dolores, and of course… the whole mess with Chance put a smile on our faces. But that’s what this show does, it uses humor to accomplish wonders, and it will be interesting to see what else we can learn about family and Latinx Culture as season three of this show continues along. Until next time.

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LOPEZ VS LOPEZ -- "Lopez vs Halloween" Episode 304 -- Pictured: Rita Moreno as Dolores -- (Photo by: Nicole Weingart/NBC)

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