Episode 10
Episode 10 opens with the Hernandez sisters cleaning up Vidalia’s office at the bar. In typical fashion Emma’s grinding, while Lyn is reminiscing. When a rodent disrupts them both. And so, opens the episode.
As Emma calls for pest control they go over old boxes of family items, Emma mentions it looks as if Lyn were an only child, as Vidalia only seemed to save things of Lybn, when Emma uncovers a pic of Lyn from dance class. “You’re basically a Latina Joan Benet”. Emma earns the line of the episode.
She also breaks it to Lyn that she’s signing a lease for her own place. When Baco the maintenance man comes in. Emma barks orders for the next items to be completed – you can the tension with a knife between these two. Baco even offers to help with the rodent problem. Interpreting the help as eavesdropping, Emma doesn’t take to kind to it. But Baco gives as good as he gets. “You’ve got a voice on you, you have open doors, plus any idiot can see you have rat problem”. Go Baco!
On the other side of town Karla is prepping for her baby shower, when in comes Johnny trying to make things right. Good, get your butt down to the panaderia and get the cake fixed. Yes, ma’am! At the panaderia Johnny is having some issues doing just that, lots of double entendre going on here. Johnny trying to fix it – the cake and the relationship. But the baker is not having it and basically gives him a thrashing for what he’s done to Karla. Lyn happens upon the squabble. She manages to fix it with some charm on the young helper. Johnny is none too happy. Lyn up to her old tricks. Well, in the prior episode Dona Tita did tell her to use her looks. Look like she’s heeding the advice.
We cue to Emma opening the bar for the day when in saunters Nico. Taking her up on that drink offer we see. As she looks around Nico calls it – the bar is a safe space for LGBTQ. Emma calls out the irony, as it was never safe for her. Nico says the bar has “good bones”, it something that can’t’ be renovated and shouldn’t. Go dive, stay local she encourages.
Back upstairs we get treated to more awkward Mari, Lyn, Eddy interactions. When Eddy and Mari are flipping though an old photo album Mari comments on a baby picture of Lyn, “Damn she looks like a baby drag queen. It explains it all. I get it, if it’s the one thing you got going for you”. Another dig at the Lyn beauty sends her to the rooftop to cool off. When low and behold who should encounter, Dona Tita. who gave Lyn the beauty advice to begin with. Dona’s got a special tamale this time. It’s like they’re going to shroom together. By the end of the night Lyn and Dona Tita are in full edible mode. Lyn high as a kite, thinks life has passed her by, while Dona Tita counsels her, sometimes people take different paths. She doesn’t allow Lyn to go the self-pity route, “don’t’ come with mommy fucked me up. She made you a peacock. Learn to use your feather’s chingao.”
Downstairs, Nico and Emma catch up, learn a little more about each other. Before Nico splits, Emma makes offer. Come work for her. Come work for the bar. Help her figure out to shape this place. Nico resists, but Emma’s not taking no for an answer. As Nico leaves, Emma heads to the bathrooms where Baco is cleaning off the graffiti on Emma’s prior order. She tells Baco to keep the graffiti in the bathroom and follow Emma to her office. Next thing you know Emma is straight f*&cking Baco. Whhaaat! Post booty call, Emma tells Baco to order the rodent traps. At this point Baco is just confused.
Emma then goes back to cleaning and finds a box of all the childhood memories Vidalia saved of Emma, bringing her to tears.
Chingona Level Winner
Dona Tita – Her old school tough love with Lyn, mixed with her new school hash laced tamales shows this OG is operating at the highest of Chingona levels.