The Final Episode

When I reflect on this semester and the different classes I've been taking, there is no competition for my favorite course - Telenovelas, Culture, and Society. I found this class to be both fascinating because we were given a glimpse into the real world of telenovelas and their production, and eye-opening for several reasons. Not only did I have absolutely no idea about the amount of work and thought that goes into creating these drama-filled shows, but I also was shockingly unaware of the ways in which these shows make very real statements about very real issues in societies. I am walking away from this class with a greater appreciation for telenovelas as well as with a greater awareness and knowledge of issues that countries around the world are facing.

Further, in my final blog post, I wanted to comment on the lecture given at Dr. A's house for our final class. In addition to eating an incredibly remarkable piece of tres leches cake, we wrapped up the semester by discussing final telenovela episodes. It was both interesting and cool to be able to watch clips of different telenovela finales and see how different directors/producers handle final episodes in different ways. Final episodes carry so much weight because the fans are expecting to be satisfied with how the series ends and they anxiously wait to see how the lives of their beloved characters are going to turn out. This is something that I, and so many other avid TV watchers, can relate to and something that is not restricted to the telenovela world, although that's not to say that the pressure isn't the highest in the telenovela industry.  

The telenovela finale that most caught my attention, however, was the episode that featured the one, long sequence shot. I thought the scene was absolutely amazing, especially after seeing Dr. A's behind the scenes footage. The fact that they were able to film that whole scene in one consecutive shot was very impressive. Even more, I was astounded at the fact that they did not even rehearse the scene very many times - I'm almost positive Dr. A said they only practiced once. It flowed so smoothly and seemed like it was choreographed. It was one of the most intriguing shots that I've seen in a telenovela and it made me want to start watching the show.

I'll end my final blog post by saying that our final class, much like many final episodes, did not disappoint. Similar to the feelings of telenovela fans when their favorite show ends, I am just sad that the semester is over.

Here's to many more years of watching telenovelas!