‘Women in Blue (Las Azules)’ Recap: ‘Gabina’

9/18/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Amorita Rasgado and Miguel Rodarte as Gabina and Romandía in Episode 109 of ‘Women in Blue (Las Azules)’ – ‘Gabina’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Nine of ‘Las Azules’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

One unfortunate trap that many television shows fall into when they offer up something unique and new, is slipping into familiar territory and using it as an outright crutch. And what makes this so problematic, is that it tends to detract from every wonder that the show has put forth, since now it is more, what we know, than undiscovered country, and that truly disappoints and it has at times, served as a death kneel for a show since there is almost a sense of betrayal that accompanies such a move. So, it is definitely safe to say, that particular sense of worry and dread washed over fans of Women in Blue (Las Azules) on Apple TV+.

For the penultimate episode of season one, felt as though the raw brilliance of this series was going to slide into familiar and conventional territory. Because ‘Gabina’ opened up with a pact between Gabina and Benito. Where they swore to leave their lives behind and run off together, a signal that our killer was ready to make her the next victim. Plus, back at the station, the case was finally coming together. For Mária and Ángeles were ready to present their case to Gerardo. Who was finally impressed with everything they’d put together and as an added bonus, Gabina changed her mind about walking away when she understood how close they were to capturing the killer, and that she could outright help in putting him away.

Which was why she offered up her meeting with him, as bait. To bring him in and bring him down. All of which felt to be so by the numbers and so of the norm, as though this was it… we were going to wrap this story up in standard ways. But thankfully, that was all part of a plan to make us comfortable so that what lie ahead would truly stun us and truly take us on a journey as refreshing as the concept of the show. For as the police closed in on the meeting place, which was Gabina and Valentina’s apartment, little did anyone know that Valentina, who was doing her best to rest up away from home, was returning there, at the very moment that the trap was being laid. Which Mária learned about at the last possible second and worked to warn her, to no avail.

For Benito was waiting there for her and he, of course, was kind and relaxed enough to convince Valentina to let him into the apartment, wherein he figured out that an important phone call that seemed to be between Valentina and her family… was in fact, an advance warning. Which meant, it was Valentina that was taken by the Undresser, and that led to a frantic and emotional search. One that pushed Mária to her breaking point mentally and emotionally and forced all kinds of lines to be crossed. For Escobedo wanted little information revealed about what was happening here, especially that a member of Las Azules was kidnapped since that would blow the program up. But truly, the team felt helpless and needed to do something to move the whole thing along.

Which prompted them to try Benito’s home address, but all that revealed was his little sanctuary of madness, and the lack of solid clues there, pushed Mária to go on television and showcase that her sister was missing and to use her intimate knowledge of what formed this monster to make a plea and make a deal. Which did not offer the result that she wanted, in fact… it outright put everything in peril. Since Escobedo was relieved and replaced with Commander Herrera. Which pushed the team to figure out a fast solution since this was their last chance to find Valentina the right way, before brute force was involved and they came up with quite the solve. In that, to complete his kill, he needed a mannequin to display the uniform of his victim. Which brought everyone to the mannequin factory and brought forth, a stunning ending.

Wherein to save his own hide and buy himself more time upon being caught, Benito sent Mária and Romandía to a false location to ‘find’ Valentina, and sadly… that brought forth disaster. For while they were off, Gabina and her father spoke to the monster on terms that became unsettling, and the old school Commander… killed the Undresser in a fit of fury. Stopping any chance of quickly finding Valentina and such a move, left us with a stunning cliffhanger, and the wonder of a stunning episode. Because nothing that happened here was conventional in the slightest, and that truly made for one incredible tale. One that leaves us wondering how the season will end. For Valentina is in genuine danger and her whereabouts are indeed unknown and that will make the wait for next week’s episode as painful as can be. Since we are all hoping she will be okay so that the Undresser does not win the day.

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