‘Vida’ Recap: ‘Episode 21’

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 done a phenomenal job of exploring the power of loss of trauma and the long road to recovery that comes with that, in a frank and powerful fashion. Because at every single turn, this series has held nothing back in regard to the struggles and the roadblocks that come with reaching our ultimate goal of peace and contentment. For we’ve seen the Hernandez sisters face challenge after challenge, the kind that has forced them to rise to the occasion and see their lives in new light. Which truly has made it seem as though they’re finally ready to step into the next chapter of their lives.
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But while stories in this vein often show the characters going full bore toward a glistening dawn and a new day, this particular series believes firmly in keeping it real and reminding us at every turn, that such an ending is difficult to achieve, as evidenced by last night’s powerful episode. For this particular tale took the time to remind us, that while we are on the road to recovery, we have to work hard every single day toward becoming a better person and transforming our lives. Or else complacency settles in, or worse, bad habits that that we thought we left behind will return to our everyday lives, an unfortunate lesson that both of the Hernandez sisters helped us to learn this in this penultimate episode.

Because despite realizing that a carefree lifestyle wasn’t for her anymore, and that she wants to be a respected business owner with a stable relationship; Liz hasn’t taken the time to deal with the more unsavory aspects of her soul. Instead, she has pivoted to different pursuits, in the hope that they will heal her. Which means she hasn’t figured out how to make herself happy since she’s still working to please others, as evidenced by her attempts to please Rudy’s mom. Plus, her deep-rooted desire to present a perfect image served as the motivation for her to avoid ‘Drag King Night’ at the bar so she didn’t have to be associated with something that wasn’t part of her vision for Vida. And to top it all off, spending the day with Rudy and Victor, speaks volumes to how she expects success without hard work, since she figured Emma could handle everything without an ounce of support.

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But there was mention of both sisters struggling with old and unhealthy habits and Emma’s return to form came about by way of the reintroduction of some key elements in life that she simply cannot handle; bad news and excessive stress. Because Nico was in a tough place mentally, since she was struggling to reconcile a romantic encounter with Emma, she should have put a stop to, and she was also struggling with her life and where it was in general, which prompted her to turn in her two weeks’ notice. And having someone she cares about leave her life again, combined with being abandoned by her sister when she needed her help badly, since she was feeling ill from taking an abortion pill, and running into her father when he dropped off Lyn; put Emma in that sour place where she wants nothing to do with anyone because they clearly want nothing to do with her. 
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Which makes it seem as though we are right back where we started three years ago, and that perhaps these characters have learned nothing over the course of their journey. But that’s not what this surprise stood for in the slightest. Instead, this speaks volumes to how we stumble, how we fall and how hard it is to change and shake the bad habits that we are comfortable with. If anything, it makes Emma and Lyn the most relatable characters on television right now because we’ve all been in their shoes and allowed for the person, we thought we left behind to take control once again. But what makes this ‘regression’ so relevant and so stunning, is that it sets the stage for one powerful series finale, one where Emma and Lyn are going to have to do something they’ve never done before; and figure out their lives and what they want out of them.

Because the paths they are both on are clearly unsustainable, which means these strong women are going to have to dig deep and face their demons, their past and everything in between in order to figure everything out. Which means that the series finale of this beautiful and moving story, may not be all rosy and cuddly. Instead, it will likely be filled with tough and tender moments, and decisions that may not settle well with the audience or our characters. But that’s life, and it doesn’t always end in with a musical sting and smiles at sunset. It is rough, it is raw and it is messy, and whatever the Hernandez sisters decide will fundamentally change them forever and it should be interesting and moving to see if this familia finds a way forward, or if they decide to make drastic changes to their lives, in order to find the peace they’ve been searching for. Until next time.  

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