De Profundis
Martin wants Camilo to lie to the authorities as Eva Lasting episode 11 begins. He is fearful of his reputation going for a toss if Camilo tells the truth that the act was consensual. Quite astonishingly, he asks Camilo to say that Gustavo took advantage of Martin while he was sleeping. Camilo is silent for a minute but agrees and sides with his best friend. His decision does not reflect his moral fortitude about homosexuality, though. But there is a sense of selfishness as Camilo thinks if he helps Martin out and if Luisa’s secret ever comes out, he would have something to hold onto.
Camilo says what he promised he would to Alicia and the other staff. Alicia is mindful to remind him of the severity of his allegations; that it would mean Gustavo committed rape and sexual assault on Martin. But Camilo goes on with his statement. Eva is unhappy with Camilo and does not approve of his attempts to protect Martin. Gustavo comes with his mother, who thinks she has been called in for the underage drinking charge. When she learns the truth, she is inconsolable and instantly disowns Gustavo’s acts. She is also terrified of what her husband, Henry will do to her if he finds out.
Gustavo sits alone in the square while the meeting goes on. No one sits with him, except Eva. In class, she tries to make a statement by reading an excerpt from Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis. Wilde was gay and even though homosexuality was seen as the worst of crimes in those days, he stuck with Alfredo, his lover. Eva tries to make people see that Wilde’s homosexuality did not affect his writings or creative genius. The class must treat Gustavo the same, even with his different sexual orientation. It is a telling statement that only Eva can make so articulately and with such an impact.
Camilo borrows the book from the library, which was banned until recently, tells Sara, the librarian. Eva has refused to talk with Camilo about changing his statement and protecting Martin. Jose gets the notice for the PTA and Camilo informs him of the reason. Jose asks his son to immediately cut off all communications with Gustavo. But Camilo defends him, inspired by Eva’s efforts. Quite shockingly, Ana, who is sitting with them, does not support Camilo. Jose over bearingly tries to filter his point and commands Camilo to go to his room.
Camilo is conflicted about what to do. The next day, Jose asks Camilo to visit the priest after school. Ana speaks up for Gustavo in the meeting. She vehemently denies the decision to expel Gustavo on the basis of his orientation. And her protest ensures that Gustavo’s life is spared. But, he must undergo a psychological programme before he can join. Jose reprimands Ana in the cab. She says standing up for herself and having a voice of her own does not mean she does not respect or love Jose. Gustavo’s mother says she is taking him out of school. She even outs Eva’s marijuana session to Alicia, which gives her a reason to target Eva, something Alicia has wanted for long. Ana and Camilo insinuate that Jose belongs to the class of backward bigots who think they have the right to tell other people how to live their lives. Jose cannot say anything as Ana is there. But the next morning, he takes Camilo in his cab and warns him against disrespecting Jose like that in the future. Instead of school, he takes Camilo to church.
He forces him to confess to Father Angarita. But to make sure it backfires, Camilo tells Father about the time Jose took him to the brothel. Jose goes into the box and Angarita asks him to confess his own feelings. Eva encourages Camilo to make things right. He tells Martin about what he is going to do. Martin breaks down with guilt and confesses to Camilo it was consensual. He says he is burdened by the fact that his lie has got Gustavo into so much trouble and people think he is a pervert. Eva arranges a meeting between Gustavo and Camilo.
He tells Gustavo why he lied and what he is going to do. But Gustavo asks Camilo not to out Martin. He is already screwed over and he doesn’t want Martin to go through the trouble as well. Gustavo confesses he is in love with Martin. At home, Jose confesses something similar. He tells the family about his uncle Ignacio. He was homosexual too but had to commit suicide because the family found out and turned their back on him.
Jose regrets not supporting him like Camilo is supporting Gustavo. Alicia’s talk about marijuana goes more pleasantly than we initially expected. She gathers the group and advises them against taking marijuana again. She decides to let them go but Eva confronts Alicia. She is not letting it go. Gustavo and his mother are leaving town and the group goes to his house to bid farewell. It is an emotional moment, especially between Martin and Gustavo. The group learns an important lesson: a person’s quality does not depend on his sexual orientation.
Days later, Eva calls Camilo’s house and asks him to come to her house immediately. The Acuna twins have been surveiling Eva’s house for a bit. They tried to break in and steal her valuables. She holds them at gunpoint. The reason she has called Camilo is to ask him to convince the twins to go to the school and steal the register with all the grades.
The Episode Review
Gustavo’s farewell was touching. This episode squarely explored the vile perception of homosexuality and how those against people of a different orientation need time to reflect. There is no doubt that Martin and Jose, while comfortable in their masculinity, felt threatened by this incident. But both came out to be incredibly understanding once they reached the depths of their feelings.
That contrast is so beautifully balanced in this show. All characters have different opinions about the ongoing events that they see through the lens of their ideologies. The lesson came at a great cost for the group as they lost their good friend. But just as we thought we’d mope a bit more about this episode, the ending sensationally throws the storytelling into a new direction.
I don’t know how many times I have written that while covering the show but for sure it is a great positive!
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Episode Rating
(4.5)