The Cleaning Lady: Scenes at home in 2x08
This was supposed to be just a quick text message to @idealisticrealism, but as with everything TCL, it grew a life of its own, kicked my shins, stabbed me in the heart and then took off running. Sigh.
Amidst the bombshells and revelations in 2x08, the show finally deigned to grace us with Arman dropping by the De La Rosa abode not once or twice, but four times. Throughout the ep, it was striking to see Arman in Thony's space and the way they navigated around each other in that space.
So here are some very brief thoughts about the four scenes -- they are not fully formed, so please feel free to disagree or add to them!
(NB. To be fair, 2x08 shows us three different homes: the De La Rosa's, the Morales's, and JD's. There's a meta somewhere in there to be written about the contrasting visual design and interactions in all three spaces. Please, someone [not me], go write it.)
Well, I'm staying here... you shouldn't be alone.
In the first scene, we know that this is the morning after the harrowing events of 2x07. Arman comes in through the back door. While the conversation takes place in the laundry room, he has also walked in some ways inside to get a sense of the space, checking out Luca's room and clocking the fact that Thony's family has left.
Thony remains standing near the door. As she speaks of her anguish of what Arman was forced to do, and her discomfort of lying to Garrett, he walks to her, closing the distance between them and she accepts his embrace.
Please, come in.
I love the second scene so much. Thony brings Arman through the front door -- so his motorbike is parked out front too?? -- swinging open the door widely as she walks in. In my favourite recurring detail of the De La Rosa household, Thony slips off her shoes, and Arman -- probably too distracted with being around her in her space -- does not lol. But as she welcomes him to the living room, 'Please, come in', she keeps her jacket on, tying her visually (and emotionally) with Arman.
She sits on the sofa, cross-legged and tucking her feet underneath, while he chooses the smaller couch, perpendicular and closest to her. Despite the stresses of what is ahead of them -- and her hands, as usual, are folded in front of her in a protective gesture -- she is disarmed by his presence, as comfortable as she would ever be in this episode.
Look, Thony- // It's fine.
So much of the third scene screams caution, an emotional pulling back: it is now dark out; Thony, startled awake, wields a knife before hearing Arman's voice, and peeks through closed blinds before opening the back door to let him in. Like the first scene, they are meeting again in the laundry room, both now standing close to the door. But their stance is markedly less comfortable than earlier that day, though not (yet) as confrontational as in the next scene.
I sighed so loudly when she opens the door -- an unmistakable cue for him to go. She even holds on to the door as he hangs on to the frame, not quite ready to leave yet. As she closes the door behind him, a last glance at him as he goes home to Nadia.
I'm sorry.
Oh boy. The fourth and final scene is in her backyard -- our boy doesn't even get through the door this time. The visual arrangement of the scene is somewhat confrontational : arms braced on knees, Thony has been waiting for him to arrive, and walks up the path to preempt him halfway; he doesn't get anywhere near the house. And she's even got shoes on lol.
I love that as they walk toward each other, we see the clutter behind Thony -- fairy lights and window decals, mismatched pots and lounge chairs (JD and Fi's 'Sorry about the mess // Don't worry, it makes us feel right at home' comes to mind). It's proof of the home and the family that Thony is adamant about protecting, and with Arman intending to do the same with Nadia as well, they are uncomfortably at odds in that closing shot.
To end, I'm just gonna quote @idealisticrealism here, because she says it in words better than I can:
The way it reflects their relationship over the show so far, too? Growing closer and then being pushed apart again by outside circumstances, having to distance themselves when they don't want to? Help
Yeah, help is right; god help us all. This effing show, I tell you.
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just wrapped up my trip in the north of the uk. i went to newcastle in england and edinburgh in scotland. i just wanna say that this trip changed me. and i say this from the perspective of someone who was living in the netherlands and also belgium (and who soon will go back to living in the netherlands), and i have to admit that i’ve never felt so welcomed in an european country. (i know i’m constantly shitting on the british but jokes aside now). british people can be so lively and kind and, for the first time since i moved to europe, i felt this huge sense of belonging. my intuition didn’t lie to me. i was obsessed with newcastle for a reason. i felt home. i never felt so at ease at a place like i did when i was there. and it’s so easy to make friends cause people are extremely nice. same goes for edinburgh. i was “adopted” by this group of seniors that saw me drinking by myself last night lol. wonderful people the scottish. it’s been a beautiful trip and it saddens me that it has to come to an end. i, however, believe that at some point in my life i will end up in one of these two places. specially newcastle! i feel like i’ll take all the steps i need to eventually end up there. even if for a while. i’m overwhelmed by how intense this trip has been. i’m so happy it happened and extremely sad that it’s about to end. i wish i could stay forever cause i legitimately think this is where i should be. wow
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