Devious Maids - Private Lives - Review

Please note: English is not my first language.

For this episode, I'll try a different mix of a review because I felt that it was a little bit too much recap, that I wrote previous week.

Overall, the episode was for 80 percent predictable but it's an okay episode because some moments managed to surprise me and that made up for the other worse storylines. In this episode, storylines made process (some more and some a little) while one was a filler in my opinion. Zoila meets a handsome man at the market while Rosie tries to reconnect Lucinda with her lost daughter. In the meantime, Carmen can't find words for her song and steals some from Tyler. Marisol gets more suspicious about Opal and Dahlia.

Let's start with Marisol. Can't she be more subtle about interrogating Opal about Dahlia? Again, again, again!!! Marisol knows that Opal won't tell anything, so why should she ask her again? I think she should go back to asking some acquaintances of Dahlia like Evelyn two episodes ago. Okay. When Opal tried to fix the chandelier, I immediately knew that she would fall of the ladder. So predictable. But then, Opal ends up in the hospital which unknowingly gives Marisol the opportunity to going through Opal's stuff. Ah well, it was Carmen who pushed her into that direction. Marisol and Carmen finds pictures and clothes from Dahlia in the drawer. They think that Opal might be the lover of Dahlia. I thought that it was a little too far fetched but I guess it's surely original if it's true. But that would be a little weird if Nicholas had an affair with Opal too or at least some tryst with her. Another love triangle! SOAP! OH MY GOD! No, that's too far fetched.

Although the four leading ladies discuss the lesbian lover possibility, it still feels too dumb. But that's because we know that Nicholas was with Opal first, I think, and that Dahlia got her love from someone else. Please don't let it be Adrian. That old man couldn't keep his thing in his pants, we know, but it would be stupid if Dahlia was with him too. A little later, Marisol makes a promise to Carmen that she's going to step back figuratively and watch Opal. Carmen likes it, commenting that it's good to have this elegant badass back. She wasn't herself for a while, Marisol comments. Finally! When Opal returns from the hospital, Marisol makes an "apology" about interrogating Opal and says she won't do it anymore. Then Opal gets to her room and notices something is off. She immediately goes through her drawer and finds out that the lock is open. Opal gets back to Marisol with a little frightened face while Marisol gives her a badass glare.

Grade: C.

Zoila. Hm. A refreshing story, and I think you all think the same too. Zoila goes to the market for some vegetables. An handsome man slightly recommends other ingredient than Zoila was going for. Zoila was put off by this. They bicker about which ingredient is the best. The man says that she must try it and she did. It's too hot for her and she gets milk from that man. The man is a little bit impressed that she tried it immediately. He gives her some book and suggest that she could read it. The man leaves, and Zoila is surprised that the man she've just met is Javier Mendoza, a world-renowned chef. I liked this scene. Especially because Javier wasn't scared off by Zoila's attitude. Nothing more to comment about it. Just like it is.

Later on, Zoila goes back to the market and says to Javier that she read his book but still thinks that her own recipe is the best. To prove this, she had brought her recipe for Javier to try. Javier is impressed and wants to cook her dinner at his place for the secret ingredient in the recipe. Blushed, Zoila tells Javier that it's nutmeg and ask if she still could come. This was really funny. Never thought that Zoila could be off her game. But I think she's hurt from her husband leaving her. She's just not used to some flirting or something like that from a new guy.

Zoila enjoys her dinner with Genevieve's comment in her head about the thing that if a man cooks for a woman, it means that he wants something from her. Zoila makes a thinly veiled comment about that she's not ready for it, so soon. Javier, being the handsome gentleman, tells her that he enjoys her company and that he likes her. He wants to be friends first and then maybe some night, the magic is on! Zoila is touched by this and they hold hands. Now all in unison: Aaaawww. I so hope this doesn't go wrong. I like Zoila with Javier already. But like I learned from my mistake with Ethan last episode, I'll reserve my opinion about Javier and just enjoy this episode for the time being.

Grade: B+

Rosie. A intriguing story. Lucinda gets Rosie all dolled up for Reggie. She seems genuinely happy for herself and for Rosie. Rosie wants to repay the favor. Dumb! Dumb! Lucinda remarks that her allowance is a little bit behind and if Rosie could talk to Reggie about this. At the dinner with Reggie, Rosie wants to reconnect Lucinda with her daughter. Uh oh. I really like Rosie, but sometimes she could be too naive. Reggie says that the adoption files is somewhere in the family archive and that he could help her. Mmh. That's all I can say.

Rosie quickly finds Lucinda's daughter and brings her home. The scene starts beautiful but ends with reality, when Natasha hits Lucinda in her face. Wow. I didn't expect that! We then finds out that she came to this home, four years ago. But Mr. Kenneth opened and said that Lucinda didn't want to see her. Lucinda says that she never did. Natasha realizes her mistake and they embrace. But the happy feeling quickly turns into anger and she's about to hit Mr. Kenneth until Rosie comes in between. Lucinda says that he's lucky. Hmm, I suspect that Lucinda will kill him later. Mr. Kenneth wants the power of attorney reverted back to Reggie. Reggie devilishly smiles. Does Reggie have an agenda?

Grade: C+

Back to the Valentina's love triangle. Remy gazes at Ethan from the inside, like he's some forbidden lover. Haha, did I make say that? Well, the picture of those two. Ah, back to the story. Gen asks Remy about what's wrong. Remy is almost giving up his game. Gen then remarks that she will do everything for him. At the pool, Gen makes up some conversation with thinly veiled questions about his future. Ethan doesn't realize this, although it seems so. Ethan wants to get into Brown but is on the wait list.

Ethan comes to Valentina the next morning and happily announces that he got into Brown. He says something about Gen and the alarm bells goes off in Val's head. Val then visits Gen. They make some polite conversation until Val calls her on this. Gen then tells that she loves Valentina and Remy. So much that she will do everything in her power to make sure that Val and Zoila isn't some family but real family in the future. Val gently tells her that she loves Gen like a second mother. So much that she will tell her what she tells her real mom: BUTT OUT! This cracked me up. I think it's good that Gen heard it from Val herself.

Ethan then meets Remy for the first time. Remy stays polite until Ethan says that he isn't going anywhere because he has Val. Some money can't buy her back. Ethan leaves and Remy remarks to Gen that he wants Val back and that Ethan is some jerk. YES!

Grade: B-


Carmen. I'll say this: Carmen not cleaning the house for a few days and stealing Tyler's poem in order for some words to record for her song is lazy and horrible. Even for Carmen. And Tyler turns more creepy for falling in love with Carmen. I'm not going to comment on this!

Grade: F!


What did you think of this episode? Share your opinion in the comments!

Notes:
- Best storyline of the episode: Zoila's encounter with Javier at the market and the worst storyline award goes to Carmen stealing Tyler's poem.
- Do you like this style of review better? Or should I get back to my original one?
- Best snappy oneliner: Carmen. Marisol: Can't you pick the lock? Carmen: Why would you ask? Is it because I'm Puerto Rican? Because that's racist *picks lock*. Marisol: I'm sorry. But still, where's my Evelyn Powell fix?
- Honorable mention to Remy stepping up his game. While I was impressed by Ethan last episode, his attitude fell flat this week. Remy managed to keep civil. #TeamRemyFTW
- A little wink to Marisol saying that she hasn't been herself lately. Finally! That glare at the end was surely deliciously devious!

About the Author - Rama van der Garde

Rama is a deaf man from the Netherlands who loves drama shows. His favorite show is the dearly departed One Tree Hill. In his time, he studies at the academy of arts and plays volleyball in the free time. He will almost watch anything teen-soap related.