‘Primo’ Recap: ‘The Cookout’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Christina Vidal as Drea in Episode Two of ‘Primo’ – ‘The Cookout’. (Photo Courtesy of Jeff Neumann/Amazon Freevee.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘Primo’. To revisit the Series Premiere, click here.

Once particular mantra we hear often regarding television these days, is that there is a great need for better representation in television, and it makes sense as to why. Because for decades upon decades, television has been dominated by Caucasian stories and faces. Which means that television rarely showcases what America actually looks like these days and that is problematic. Since the wonder of the other stories that exist in our nation are being ignored and are being hidden away, and that can help maintain much of the close-minded views that exist today because we aren’t able to properly see how people, period, struggle with problems that are shockingly similar, nor can we properly celebrate one another’s cultures.
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Not to mention, improper representation also allows for stereotypes and negative tropes regarding the various cultures and peoples of the world to persist. Because if that is all we see, that’s a powerful narrative that persists and well, that’s why it is wonderful that we are getting more representation on television and one particular show that is excelling at this is Primo on Amazon Freevee. For each episode continues to showcase the Latinx/Latino experience in America and how it isn’t filled with stereotypes and tropes that people have come to associate with Latino culture. In fact, the next episode of this magnificent series does an incredible job of utterly shattering a long-standing stereotype and that made ‘The Cookout’ quite the special tale.

For this is a story… that finally addressed the stereotype that anyone who is Latinx, is some kind of master chef. Who carries with them generations of cooking secrets to make rich and endearing Latin foods that are savory and mind-blowing to anyone that tastes them. But that really isn’t the case. For not everyone knows how to cook, and not everyone who is Latinx can magically whip together the greatest tamale you’ve ever tasted. Like anything else, mastery of cooking takes time and practice, and oddly enough, that was explored in a fascinating and surprising manner. For the annual family cookout had arrived and Rafa was hoping that his mom would make the delicious food she was known for to impress his crush and his friends and that led to the surprise in question. Since the hermanos revealed, that Drea could not cook. She thought she could, but she couldn’t, and she continued to think that was a top-tier chef, because the hermanos stepped in and fixed her awful food when she wasn’t looking because they took the time to learn, but she did not. And they kept this way of cooking alive and a secret to spare her feelings.

Of course, that truth was revealed the day of the cookout, and that led to a tamale cookoff. Because Drea wanted to prove that her brothers were wrong about her skills, and that ended in the most hilarious manner possible. With cries of disgust over Drea’s cooking, the kind that prompted flying tamales. But that aside, the cooking stereotype was blasted out of the water in a cool and comedic manner and for that matter, another trope was busted here as well. Since there is a persisting one that celebrations in this manner from Latinx families require all kinds of iconography. Such as a full mariachi band and piñatas and the like. But again, that’s not an everyday thing in Latinx culture. Sometimes, a cookout is a cookout, and good times are had, and that is precisely what we saw here. If anything, the only lavish bit came about by way of one incredible fireworks show, one that great care and love went into.

But what mattered most here, is that this was representation at its finest. Since stereotypes were shattered and Latinx individuals were presented in such a positive and quite frankly, normal light and that’s huge and that matters. But that aside, make no mistake about it… this episode was also rip-roaringly hilarious. In fact, this writer damn near fell out of his chair during the tamale cookout because of how perfect that sequence was from a comedy standpoint. Which informs us that fun can be had while incredible lessons are being sent our way and truly, this is an episode that leaves us hungry for more (of the story, not those gross blue tamales), so we can see what other important moments and lessons and laughs await us as season one of this intelligent and thoughtful series continues on. Until next time.

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