Eva Lasting – Season 1 Episode 2 “The Lady of the Camellias” Recap & Review

The Lady of the Camellias

Eva is blasé about what Martin said about her in the last episode’s ending. The boys are incredulous as they cannot comprehend Eva not hearing Martin calling her a whore. Anyway, they move on from that incident for now. We meet Guzman, the class nerd, who is often bullied by Camilo’s group. While he is telling the class about his participation in a literature competition in Venezuela, Eva interrupts him. She talks about her extensive understanding of Shakespeare, inspiring Estela to give the class homework: a character in literature they relate to the most. Eva gives her answer straight away – Marguerite Gautier from The lady of the camellias.

Camilo takes that book for the assignment. While hanging at club 68, Martin once again mentions Eva possibly being a hooker. Camilo takes offence and they almost come to blows. But Alvaro stops them. He says the group needs to investigate her further to determine how she is getting so much money that she was able to treat them to a movie and beers. Camilo cannot sleep that night and hangs out with his mother.

He asks about her previous boyfriends and is shocked when she says seven. She catches on to what Camilo is really trying to understand. Ana asks him to be fearless in his pursuit of Eva and not think too much. He ditches her at school the other day to follow the plan the boys made at the club. But they cannot follow her in the car that picks her up after school. After finishing the book, Camilo is conflicted about what to do with his questions about Eva. He asks her directly. But Eva does not deny it. She even tells him rates for an individual experience and a group experience. Perhaps she is having her own fun!

The boys discuss if they want to be with her individually or in a group. Camilo asks for money from his father to go to the brothel. In bed, Ana confesses to her promiscuity and Jose is surprised. The boys start collecting money for a group session. They’re short but Eva doesn’t mind. She takes them to a house and asks them to strip. When she comes down, she has a camera and clicks photos of all of them. It is actually Eva’s house. His father is a bodyguard and is always travelling. And her mother died three years ago.

She says to the boys that she carries them in her heart and wants them to be more conversant with her. Eva also concedes she has been flirting with all of them to gauge their reaction. She sees them like little brothers and has someone in her life already. Eva uses the money to take the boys to the Bogota Bowling Club. She was a waitress at the place for six months. They play a game of bowling but Camilo and Rodrigo are not on her team.

On the way back, they discuss what happened at the bowling club. Camilo tries to play everything down but Rodrigo is unsure of Eva’s plans. The next morning she informs the boys that the walkie-talkies from her house are gone. One of them has taken them. The boys feel threatened and insulted. Eva can release their photos anytime in retaliation, while none of them is comfortable with the tag of thieves. Alvaro leaves the group under suspicious circumstances but his lie is caught by Camilo. It turns out he stole the walkie-talkies and suggests they sell them to visit the brothel. Camilo thinks it is a bad idea but everyone else seems to agree.

The Acuna twins bought them. Everyone except Camilo goes. He goes to Eva’s house and confronts her about her love life. The boys have a great experience and we see them maturing into men overnight. Jose is still upset with Ana about last night’s revelation. But she calmly tries to explain that her experiences before she met him ensured that Jose was the right man for her. In the knitting class, Eva suddenly breaks into tears. The boys confront her and learn that she is leaving school.

The Episode Review

Episode 2 showed even more personality in acquainting us with Eva and the other characters. There is a very likeable innocence and carefree attitude that makes the show so endearing. Even when it is tacky or frivolous, it does so with a grand Colombian flavour.

This high school experience is something most of us have never seen before. Full marks to the creators for exploring their past through these interesting characters. Eva is a constantly unfolding mystery that momentarily clamps up but one can never quite get two and two together about her. She holds her own, being a true feminist in the unlikeliest of places.

The boys have a coming-of-age element in the storytelling that starts with their visit to the brothel. Eva is bringing them out of their shell and making clear that she wants nothing to do with them romantically. But will that prove to be true? We’ll wait and see.