Gentefied Season 1 Review

I was amazed at the trailer that dropped for the show. As soon as I watched the whole thing, I saved it on my list immediately. I took my sweet time on this show, like it deserves. I swear this show gave me a wide range of emotions that was hard to imagine that this was only 10 episodes. 10 episodes of wonderful goodness.

 Executive-produced in part by by America Ferrera, best known for Ugly Betty and for Superstore, this show was originally produced for Sundance for 7 episodes. It was eventually picked up for Netflix, with several of the actor and actresses coming back for the Netflix show.

This show explores Echo Park primary through the Morales family shop's Mama Fina, a taco shop going through money trouble.

The show is based in Echo Park, Los Angeles, centered primary around the Morales' family shop Mama Fina, which is going through a bit of money shortage. Joaquín Cosío, who plays Casimiro Morales, otherwise known as Pop, is the clear patriarchal role in the show. While he has some employees in his shop; Erik, as played by J.J. Soria, and eventually Chris, as played by Carlos Santos, his grandchildren also work alongside him. Ana also frequents the shop as well as helping once in a while to save it, in between her job as an artist, as played by Karrie Martin.

With this show, there are episodes that centered on other people through their life. Episode 6 concerns a mariachi man and his son who frequent their taco shop, while a later episode focuses on Ana's mother and her work in a sweatshop.

I think this is the first time I have watched a show where I knew none of the main characters were on other shows that I watched. That is to their strength as they had people coming in from the trailer alone.

With what the name of the show suggest, a large part of what the show is about; aside from showing the generational family of the Morales, is showing what Genderfication does to a community. Ana's artwork was neglected throughout the show, until Tom, a white gay man from one of the parties Ana had done, helped financed her works, while displaying some common occurrences of racial objectification. Eric, the man who seemed set in his ways as a macho latino male, eventually sets off a chain of events that lead to the betterment of Mama Fina and the cliffhanger of the season finale. Chris, a man who wants to be a chef in Paris, to the extend of trying to erase his own personal identity.

 If you have a chance to watch a show about a Mexican Latino/Latinx family, watch this one. You will not regret it. It will give you feelings. It is a hard unflinching look at what gentrification can do to Latino/Latinx families.