In The Community
Caution: Part 2 Spoiler Alert!
When you’re gone, how do you want to be remembered? Selena is asked in an interview before her Astrodome concert. For which she responds “…I want to be remembered as somebody who gave it her all” and for that reason she deserved to have her story told in a superior manner.
Consisting of 9 episodes, like part 1, Part 2 of Selena: The Series takes off right where part 1 left off, in a parking lot as the bus drives away leaving Chris behind after Abraham finds out Selena and Chris were romantically involved. For the remainder of the first episode Selena is heartbroken and attempts to move on. The episodes, titled after some of her beloved songs (or lyrics from them), continue to consist of ugly wigs, horrible green screen sequences (mainly while driving), and a weak script. But it does have a few compelling stories including songs’ origins, Selena’s struggle going solo on her English album, and Yolanda’s involvement in Selena’s life. An interesting detail, I wasn’t aware of, was that Selena wrote Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.
I was hoping Serrato’s interpretation of the queen of Tejano music would improve as the series progressed, but instead it gradually became frustrating to watch her throughout part 2. This version of Selena comes across as a poor imitation of JLo’s Selena. She still fails to convey Selena’s essence, organic charisma, and onstage presence. During many of the singing numbers the lip synching was off and many of the iconic music videos felt lazy.
Her lack of chemistry with Jesse Posey, who plays Chris Perez, makes every single one of their scenes nearly unbearable to watch (and in part 2 it’s a good amount of screen time together). On the other hand, the supporting cast portraying Abraham, A.B, Suzette, and Marcella, were great. In the first half I wasn’t completely fond of the supporting cast but it appears they became comfortable with their characters as the series progressed. Abraham and A.B take a back seat while Suzette and Selena (with Chris) take center stage.
Episodes 1-7 were decent. I was on board to learn about Selena’s dreams outside of her singing career. Although I was distracted by Serratos performance (not once did I believe I was seeing Selena), her ambition to open the boutique & her fashion line kept my interest.
Episode 5, Oh No, gives insight to being Selena for 24 hours. She struggles to be on time to her meetings, forgets to contact music producers, misses lunch with her mother and sister, all while trying to interview potential candidates for her soon to open boutique.
Episode 6 titled “Lo Mas Bello” is responsible for making me shed a tear or two. Selena is in the studio recording “No Me Queda Mas” while Ricky, the band’s keyboardist, and A.B are sitting across from her in the next room. Ricky’s face is subtle as he watches Selena singing, then gradually becomes overwhelmed with emotions the moment Suzzette places her hand on his shoulder to complement his songwriting. Selena notices Ricky’s reaction and realizes the song carries an emotional weight which prompts Selena to learn the origin of the song. Ricky’s subtleness and profound heartbreak transcends through the screen; making it perhaps one of the most emotionally moving sequences in this whole series. Reminding audiences that heartbreak can inspire the most beautiful songs.
The last two episodes were so bad that it ruined the entire series for me.
Which brings me to the exact moment it happened; the Astrodome concert towards the end of episode 8. A sequence that’s supposed to be a grand spectacle due to its iconic significance becomes borderline offensive with atrocious lip synching and choppy editing with a back and forth between the fans and the musical group that feels chaotic and disjointed. The stage felt very much like an artificial stage lacking a magical atmosphere or any real sense of musical event. I appreciated the details including the bandaid on the finger and the lipstick on the microphone. But Serrato’s inability to capture Selena’s on-stage presence completely ruined the concert scene; so much so that I had to pause it to watch the actual concert as a palate cleanser.
The final episode takes us to Selena’s last day where the inevitable happens – we all know the sad ending to this story
I understand the decision to not sensationalize Selena’s death, but I wasn’t happy with the handling of her passing. Nobody truly knows what happened that day aside from Selena and Yolanda which explains the viewers hearing the gun shot through a different perspective; the cleaning lady.
We then see Abraham and A.B receiving the tragic news which is then confirmed via a radio announcement. In the last 3 episodes we’re introduced & re-introduced to some of Selena’s fans, who were all present in the Astrodome concert. But those stories unfold so quickly it prevents any emotional stakes in those fan experiences from developing. So when the fans learn about Selena’s death their heartbreak isn’t convincing and the whole sequence falls flat.
The viewing audience isn’t given time to process her passing when suddenly one month has passed and her song “Dreaming of You” is released. We see the family grieving and even the music producer gets his time to shine, but the way Chris was handled in this last episode has the Quintanilla family’s disdain for Chris written all over it. The music producer is given time to cry and mourn but somehow this series decides Chris can lay in bed facing the ceiling then turn sideways for no more than 10 seconds of screentime? This didn’t sit well with me and I can’t imagine it will sit well with millions of Selena fans who know their impossibly romantic love story.
I acknowledge the limited opportunities to know Selena’s journey as accurately possible. Afterall, we’re different and interpret life based on our perceptions and perspectives. I’m aware we’ll never know her story from her lens, but instead from her family’s, which has both its pros and cons.
Overall, Selena: The Series Part 2 finishes telling the story of the Quintanilla family and their rise to stardom. The poor writing, ugly wigs, noticeable green screen, and rushed last two episodes keeps me from recommending it. This was another missed opportunity to introduce newer generations to a Latina icon whose undeniable impact on the community, culture, and music industry still resonates deeply today.
As we’re nearing the end of 2020 we’re highlighting Luz Collective’s most read stories of the year made popular by you, the reader! We’ve been able to keep these stories going because not only did you read, but you also gave to the Luz Collective Writers’ Room which keeps this important work going.
You’ve told us what you like and what you want to see more of and 2021 will be a year of uplifting more Latina stories and bringing them to the forefront. Cheers to you!
Selena: The Series Fails To Tell A Nuanced Story by Rosa Parra
The most hyped-up show to come out this year, Selena: The Story, fell flat to many viewers who grew up listening to the Tejano pop star. Take a look at this article examining the show’s faults by Rosa Parra, who takes a closer look at everything from the corny lines that fail to inspire, to the critics of interference by Selena’s family in the production of the story.
The Cult of Pink by Myriam Gurba
Female genital shaming is something you might not be familiar with – something our columnist Myriam explains in this introspective piece about the shame women face in not having ideal looking genitals. Not having a pink pussy is something most women are surprised and shamed by, but we’re here to call out the BS surrounding this narrative while dispelling the insecurity around your (maybe) brown ass pussy.
Black Lives Matter Protest Shines Light On Racism In A Small West Texas Town by Sarah Vasquez
Alpine is a small Texas town that you might not know of, but it serves to provide a very important context on the existence of a divided racial identity in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement. Author, Sarah Vasquez dives deep into her experience as a biracial woman growing up in the small West Texas town, the microaggressions she experienced in her upbringing, and how speaking at the locally-organized BLM rally helped her understand the racism that exists in Alpine – and how people can combat this in their own communities through sharing their own lived experiences.
Confronting Anti-Blackness in the Latinx Community by Marielys Cepeda
After this year of advocacy in regards to BLM, many members of the Latinx community are taking time to confront anti-Blackness in themselves and their families. Author Marielys Cepeda describes anti-Blackness as the elephant in the room for many Latinx people where colorism has long-dictated harmful behaviors against members of our communities in addition to Black Americans.
In an industry where the Latinx community is overly underrepresented, the latest Latinx centric show, Selena: The Series is long anticipated. Part one containing nine episodes, will be streaming on Netflix starting December 4th. The much expected series portraying the life of the Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla tells her story from her humbling beginnings to her successful stardom and will appeal to longtime fans while introducing newer generations to the queen of Tejano music.
Selena the Netflix series’s extensive run time is the perfect opportunity to incorporate extra content potentially depicting never before known occurrences due to the family’s involvement with Suzette Quintanilla, Selena’s older sister, as executive producer.
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom @SelenaLaLeyenda\u2019s incredible life story is coming to Netflix as a scripted series! @selena_netflix was developed alongside and will be executive produced by The Quintanilla family #NetflixNewsWeekpic.twitter.com/5rljwl8k37— Selena: The Series (@Selena: The Series) 1544551194
The series opens with a scene from a 1994 concert in Chicago, one of Selena’s last shows, reminding the audience of the magnitude of her success. Episode one looks into the origins of the “Selena y los Dinos” musical band consisting of siblings Selena, Suzette, and A.B. Quintanilla. The band is formed by their father, Abraham Quintanilla, soon after eight year old Selena, remarkably portrayed by Madison Taylor Baez, displays her talents. Baez is prevalent throughout the first episode and her performance is the most memorable from part one of the series. Effortlessly conveying an innocent and joyous young Selena, the singing capabilities that Baez brings to the table elevates her performance to another level.
Every musical group’s beginnings differ but what sets this particular story apart is the family aspect and their Mexican-American cultural background. Selena’s Mexican-American identity is one angle many Latinx viewers will relate to. According to the Pew Research Center, over 60% of Latinos in the U.S are of Mexican origins, so seeing their experiences represented in the series brings important representation. Selena exploring her bicultural identity will also transport viewers to some familiar experiences. For instance the constant struggle of having to choose one identity over the other (Mexican or American) to appeal to certain demographics. Also, being forced into stereotypes, for instance being labeled “exotic,” simply because of our complexions. Selena’s father’s analogy entirely captures the Mexican-American experience when he says, “We’re like a tree with the roots over there and we’re growing here, both countries, Selena, come together in you.”
Sadly, this first part of the series missed an opportunity to tell a nuanced story about one of the most beloved Latina musicians of all time. It heavily suffers with the writing causing various scenes to completely fall flat with cringey, eye-rolling inducing dialogue. Its generic cookie cutter feel will frustrate many viewers, particularly those eager to see Latinx representation. Some sequences hit you over the head with cheesy motivational lines that completely ruin any possible emotional impact. For example, Abraham sits next to A.B. to encourage him to write their songs by comparing him to the popular songwriter Luis Silva “…Is he a man? you’re a man…He has a brain, you have a brain. You’re a musician, so write a song.” While it was amusing to discover A.B.’s evolution to becoming a songwriter, the story is partially ruined by comical motivational dialogue.
The most disappointing element of Selena: The Series is Christian Serratos’s interpretation of Selena. Serratos, who plays Selena in the Netflix series, delivers a bland, uninspiring, forgettable performance that is entirely lacking Selena’s essence, charisma, and bubbly personality. Sorretos’s Performance leaves the series feeling like another simple common music biopic. As a romantic enthusiast, I was especially anticipating Selena and her husband Chris Pérez’s love story which sadly is one of the most disappointing storylines in the series (for now). The chemistry between Serratos and Jesse Posey, who plays Chris, is nonexistent and their romantic affection development is cringey to view. This love story is at its worst when songs (from soundtrack) are played as narrative.
Netflix series shows provide a great amount of creative freedom, so it is even more upsetting that the show’s creators missed the mark with this project. However, it doesn’t escape me that this end product is possibly due to Selena’s family’s direct involvement. Perhaps because of this involvement, A.B. and Suzette, two members of the family who are often overlooked in other stories about the family, receive their deserving spotlight acknowledging their responsibilities and valuable contribution to “Selena y Los Dinos.”
One of the memorable scenes is with Suzette, involving a fan who aspires to be a drummer. Assuming the fan wanted Selena’s autograph, Suzette instinctively directed her to the van where Selena was, but was startled when the fan was actually looking for her. The scene ends with a symbolic gesture with Suzette handing the fan her drumsticks. A moving scene spotlighting the importance of representation, particularly of female musicians. Also, Suzette’s storyline involving a romantic interest was one of the few nuanced scenarios I pleasantly liked.
(Photo Credit: Netflix)
Overall, Selena: The Series misses the target of telling a compelling and nuanced story by instead delivering a generic musician’s journey to stardom. While the series contains some great facts about Selena Quintanilla, Queen of Tejano, unfortunately, these glimmers in the storytelling are overshadowed by frustratingly poor dialogue. Hopefully part two will conclude the series on a higher note by featuring the backstory to Selena’s well-known mainstream songs plus a deeper view and incorporation of Yolanda Saldivar, the woman who murdered the Tejano star.
Selena: The Series will arrive on Netflix Friday, December 4.