TV Breakdown: Selena: The Series
Pre-Screening Stance:
Series reviews aren’t at all a focus here at SOTO (in fact, this is the first one ever), but I’m from Texas, my Mexican mother adored Selena (and the 1997 film), and I still really dig her tunes, so it’s getting covered. Here’s hoping it doesn’t disappoint.
Post-Screening Ramble:
The first thing I should note here is that I thought this was a limited series that would expand on whatever didn’t make it into Gregory Nava’s Selena, but it’s actually a full blown show that intends to stretch across multiple seasons. If you’re a huge fan of Selena (and were not aware of that detail), then I’m guessing the thought of a bigger, longer focus on her life has you jazzed.
Well, I’ve got good news and bad news there.
The good news is that Selena: The Series does take a deeper look at Selena Quintanilla (Christian Serratos) and her family – Abraham (Ricardo Chavira), Marcella (Seidy Lopez) A.B. (Gabriel Chavarria) and Suzette (Noemi Gonzalez) – but the bad news is that there isn’t exactly a whole lot that wasn’t covered in 1997’s Selena. If you’re wondering what the point is then, that’s OK. I was in that exact boat for roughly the first half of the season, and then it dawned on me that while Selena is certainly the main figure in the show, it’s actually more about a Mexican-American family trying to better themselves. You do see the beginning of this stylish look or that hit song, and big moments – like Abraham hearing Selena sing for the first time – are present, but the story trudges forward with all of that in place as just interesting asides. This show, again, doesn’t seem overly interested in blowing out Selena’s story and is instead a lot more geared towards exploring the dynamics of a minority family. In other words, the coming-of-age moments for Selena and her two siblings far outnumber everything else.
If you just want to know Selena’s story, I recommend the movie. If you want a nice, generally enjoyable family drama, I recommend the show. It’s a little over-done, especially the writing, but it has some solid performances and its Mexican-American-focus is not one you often see on TV. The first season will be on Netflix this Friday.
One Last Thought:
Christian Serratos looks more like Jennifer Lopez than Selena, which sort of works but also doesn’t – it’s kind of a strange situation. Also, Serratos, who is 30, often doesn’t feel like the right fit age-wise (Selena died at 23). I’m not sure how well that’s going to play out if this show actually runs for multiple seasons.
