‘Vida’ Recap: ‘Episode 19’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Over the course of the past three seasons, the STARZ series Vida has worked hard to explore what comes next in life after we experience severe loss and trauma and thus far, what it has brought to the table has been nothing short of spectacular. For we have come to learn that the road to recovery is wrought with complications and challenges, the kind that can set us back if we let them. But while we’ve experienced some wonderful lessons on staying strong and staying the course, the series has yet to truly answer that all-important question… what comes next? But as we inch toward the series finale of this magnificent story, it’s clear that the Writer’s Room is preparing to answer that question in bold and philosophical fashion, as evidenced by last night’s episode.
​
For this particular tale saw several characters decide that something they definitely want in the next phase of their lives, is to live without fear. Because shedding that from their psyche, will allow for each and every person in this tale, to be bold and grab hold of what makes them happy. Plus, it will also allow for them to handle every tough situation that comes their way in a calm and logical manner, one that will help them process the situation and move along with confidence, and several characters in this story came to this conclusion in a manner that only they could understand. Take Eddy for instance, who found herself filled to the brim with fear when she ran into her attacker at the store. And rather than continue to let fear and worry control her life and keep her in the shadows as it has for some time now, she felt the need to confront it by returning home and that bold decision paid off in spades.

Because she was welcomed home with open arms and made a member of the team again, and just like that she’s happy and safe because she confronted her fears. But there was mention that several characters took the time to be bold in this tale and that includes Mari. Because she was witness to a horrifying moment, one that saw a man be ripped from his car by ICE without due process, and when she brought this to the attention of Los Vigilantes, the urgency of the matter and the chance to truly make a meaningful statement was ignored by the group and that brings us to Mari’s big moment. Because she quickly came to realize that the group was afraid to stand up and take actual action on something that truly matters in the community and it was quite wonderful to see this grieving young woman point out to everyone that they should be fearless in their message and be bold in how they get it out and it took guts on her part to step away from the group when they refused to stand tall.

---

As for Emma, well her particular journey toward internal peace revolved around the fact that she was afraid of constantly being hurt and possibly ending up alone. Which is why she took a little time to venture off and be wild in order to discover what it is exactly she wants in life relationship wise, and she also approached the situation with Nico in a supremely mature manner. For there was no fighting or name calling, just understanding because she really did want to see if by a chance a gentle approach would yield an honest conversation and some positive results. But alas, in the end Emma came to learn that Nico still can’t let Zoe go. But rather than be fearful that Nico was her last good chance at love, or any kind of stability, she took comfort in the fact that relationships fail, and humans falter and that it would only be a matter of time before someone came along that would treat her right. And it was quite lovely to see Emma embrace that message and keep fear out of her soul.
​
But truly, the most incredible storyline of the night, belonged to Lyn. Because she finally came to learn the most important lesson of all in regard to what comes next in that, life is short and fleeting. And if we don’t take the big chances when we can, we will miss out on amazing opportunities. Which is a lovely lesson to learn, one that comes with a big caveat in that, in order to truly seize the day, we have to be fearless and bold, and she was both of those things since she decided to meet her father. And for her brave efforts, she was treated to some truth and some genuine peace. For Victor was gentle and apologetic with his daughter and he also made it clear that he wanted a relationship with Lyn and Emma, if she’s willing to let that happen, and this was just incredible to watch unfold. Because this is about as brave and as fearless as it gets, and it was just wonderful to see Lyn take charge of her future in this manner.

If anything, this was just another incredible episode from an already magnificent series. Because it was all about the victories in this tale, and you can never go wrong with seeing your favorite characters work to lift themselves up when tough times push them down. But while it was great to see everyone face adversity in this tale and take control in fearless fashion, this episode also deserves some serious props for tackling a contemporary topic as well. Because there are some real problems in America right now when it comes to immigration and how immigrants are being treated. And this story made it clear that illegal actions against immigrants is something we need to be discussing and highlighting more often, rather than turning our backs upon this problem the way that Los Vigilantes did in this tale, and it would be wonderful to see this be revisited in depth down the line. Either way, this really was one brilliant tale, one that reinforces the fact that every single second of this final season is going to be powerful and moving and poignant and that is a wonderful way to say farewell. Until next time.

---