Season 1 (2015)
18 episodes (that's a lot) for this very first season of
FBSF⛈️ were filmed between August 2014 and November
2014, and aired from March to June 2015. This season tells you everything that
you need to know about the official cast members. And for most of them, it's
NOT positive at all.
This season introduces us to the official inaugural main
cast, half of whom graduated from the sizzle reel – Enrique Sapene, Jason
Caceres-Lopez, and Estuardo Alvizures – and the other half of whom was
specifically cast for this season – Alex Paredes (aka Alex P), David Ty Reza,
and Rafael Luis Silva (aka Rafa).
And joining the cast as friend-ofs are Alex Caceres (aka
Alex C; also from the sizzle era) and Alastair Patton.
Compared to later seasons, Season 1 feels like a different
show almost, because of its “Jason & Friends” roots. So there’s a heavy
focus on the people who made it past the 2013 sizzle reel. This bothers most
people because it always seems like the majority of the cast is always out
attacking someone who doesn’t fit their status quo.
Similar to Basketball Wives' Circle, and RHOBH's Fox Force
Five, most of the main cast of Flaming Bros San Fernando is part of a clique
that viewers mockingly refer to as the Bullies & Snobs (or B&S). It's a
label that none of the said bullies or snobs care for, nor do they ever refer
to themselves as such onscreen, but their attitude and behavior make it more
than fair to insult them as such. And their heavy influence on the show makes
the viewing experience feel like a chore rather than a delight. Or, at least it
would’ve felt that way, if the true highlight underdogs never showed up,
especially one in particular who was last heard sitting on a bus stop, reading
a therapy pamphlet.
Until then, let’s get the mean girls out of the way, shall
we?
---
“Hola, my name is Enrique Sapene. I'm an international mega
superstar from the magic world of telenovelas.” - Enrique via confessional,
Episode 1
The leader of the B&S crew is 31-year-old Venezuelan
actor Enrique Sapene, who is also a journalist and FBSF⛈️'s
supposed executive producer – the Shaunie O'Neal of Flaming Bros San Fernando,
if you will, because he has NOTHING on Mariah Huq. He is a self-proclaimed
"citizen of the world" and " International mega superstar,"
having acted his whole life and starred in multiple telenovelas.
A lot of people don't believe that he's also a journalist,
but he is; at least he’s honest about that. But before that, he had grown up
acting since he was a little kid. Enrique has lived in Venezuela, France, and
the United States, the latter of where he attended the West Hollywood-based Lee
Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute for method acting in 2001 and received an
Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) in Acting degree two years later. This
is also where he met classmate and future costar David Ty Reza, with whom he
has a rocky relationship. His family was involved in the world of television
(including Marcel Granier and Eduardo Sapene, both from Venezuela's RCTV), so
if someone in the family wasn't carrying buckets of water, they were working on
the set of a TV series. And in Enrique's case, he was always cast as a villain,
so you can guess what his role is in this reality show, with his manipulative
method-acting skills. According to Enrique, telenovelas are typically the
center of a story that happens over and over again. "Just look at yourself
in the mirror as a Latino, and you're gonna find a telenovela," Enrique
confidently says in his Episode 1 confessional.
Since finishing his education at the LSTFI, he was living in
West Hollywood until early 2005 when he moved to the city of San Fernando with
his now-sidelined brother Carlos and their mom Helena Gonzalez following
suit. But his work knows no location as he can be in Los Angeles, Miami,
Caracas, Paris, Barcelona, or Mexico City.
Enrique is very... scary. And boring. Who knew you could be
both? Most importantly, however, he is manipulative to his enemies and very
classist and racially insensitive in a way that goes over most people's heads,
commenting on certain cast members’ behavior instead of acknowledging his own
behavior or that of his alliance. Despite being the leader of the unlikable
gang and the creator of the show, he’s not necessarily… the face of his
alliance, nor is he the first one people think of when they think of the show.
Side note: His 35-year-old brother Carlos would appear
sporadically. But if you didn't watch the sizzle (meaning you weren't an exec),
you would've never guessed that he was almost an official cast member. He's
very much the equivalent of an extra this season (you either notice him or
not), while Enrique happily does nothing as a so-called EP. Given how quickly
FBSF⛈️ evolves from its "Jason &
Friends" era, Carlos would've never lasted on this show anyway, friend-of
or full-timer.
Yeah, Enrique doesn't really give us anything other than
what he chooses to share. If there’s anything else worth noting, he and his
partner Daniel Garcia (who he had been with since March 19, 2010) privately got
married on March 19, 2014 (literally 5 days before his protégé Jason and his
fiancé Christian got married). We just see Danny (credited as Enrique's
husband) as an extra like Carlos, and we're just like, "Um, okay, does he
talk?" 😅🤣
Enrique is very close friends with Jason, Alex C, Estuardo,
and Alex P (or at least that’s what we're supposed to believe), and does *NOT*
like David, Alastair, or Rafa (especially Rafa). And while he obviously can’t
stand David’s “crazy ass” (Enrique’s words, not mine), he has no problem
helping David when need be. But Jason is Enrique’s true golden child (so to
speak).
---
Alongside Enrique is his 30-year-old best friend and fellow
Venezuelan immigrant local of San Fernando, Alex Paredes (aka Alex P), the
husband of 42-year-old Peter Monn (who we never see until Season 2) and a
lifestyle guru who lives and breathes music festivals and traveling, always
going to a Coachella music festival since moving to San Fernando in 2010. He
describes himself as the life of the party. There’s very little else about Alex
P (allegedly by choice), except that he’s kind of… ditsy, gullible, and biased,
especially against friend-of Alastair Patton. It's never clear why he's so
anti-Alastair.
Yeah… we don't know anything about Alex P. He's basically
the Marlo Hampton of the group in that sense, because the whole season, the
audience is asking, “Why is he here? What does he do? What is he hiding? Why
does he hate Alastair so much? What does Enrique have on him? Why is he even a
main cast member?" Seriously, what is he there for?! We never get an
answer.
Even Rafa hilariously forgets about him multiple times
throughout this whole season (and, really, throughout Alex P’s time on the
show, which isn’t that long) until someone has to remind him! Alex P is really
THAT forgettable this season, and it's honestly a mystery how he ended up on
this show as one of the three people specifically cast for this season (the
other two being David and Rafa), beyond the fact that Enrique recommended him.
He easily blends in with the sizzle crew as a result, so you'd be forgiven if
you thought that he was part of the sizzle reel from 2013.
Also, "life of the party?" Shit, it must be a
quiet party with only two people. 😆😅🤣🤣
---
If anyone from the B&S side of the cast deserves their
flowers - no matter how dead those flowers might appear to be - it's the
resident evil heartthrob himself, Jason Caceres-Lopez. The first time we see
Jason in the season premiere, he lets us know in his confessional that he
brings the *HEAT* from Miami. Now *THAT* is how you introduce yourself! But I'm
here to tell you, he doesn't get a lot of compliments or praise from yours
truly, because I'm actually not a fan of his.
This 24-year-old Miami-born Cuban actor has that adorable
presence that makes you think that he would never hurt a fly. But that fantasy
changes very quickly in Episode 1, as soon as he opens his mouth, and you
realize that he LOVES to pick on other people and gossip about them, and is
often one of the *BIGGEST* reasons why the B&S crew is so dysfunctional for
seasons to come. He shows himself to be a bully towards David, Rafa, and
friend-of Alastair - the three likable people that we'll discuss momentarily.
Believe it or not, Jason was a very shy and reserved child
growing up, which clashed with the more over-the-top personalities of his
brother and parents. It wasn’t until his 9th grade year (2004 - 2005) in Miami
Beach High School (where after 9th grade he joined the Creative Arts Academy)
when he decided that he didn't just want to be more expressive, he wanted to be
spicy and assertive like his family. And he didn't want to be nerdy, cute or
adorable anymore; he wanted to be HOT, so that way no man could ever dump or
reject him. And somehow, it worked, and he became one of the hottest guys in
his high school, hence why he brings the heat from Miami. The bad thing about
his transformation is that he ended up having a cocky attitude, and
belittled/bullied anyone who reminded him of... him, pre-transformation
(including the old friends that he ditched). Ironically, post-transformation,
he became very popular in high school leading to a lot of peers being drawn to
him, thinking like him, and following his lead, not even thinking about the
possibility that he could discard them whenever he wanted to.
After finishing high school in 2008, Jason and his family
moved to the City of San Fernando during the mid-summer, with his lifelong
dreams of becoming a celebrity in Hollywood, no matter what it took. Oh,
goody... another transplant with overhyped Hollywood dreams. Why doesn't that
surprise me?
Jason is currently married to his 21-year-old sweetheart of
a husband (and fellow actor and makeup artist) who now goes by Christian
Gabriel Caceres-Lopez. The two met in 2011 (when Jason was 21 and Christian was
18) shortly after Christian graduated from San Fernando High School with the
class of 2011. And according to Jason, he himself was very charismatic and
confident while Christian was a little shy but very lovely and warm; "Our
first date was at an empty Starbucks, and for Christian, it was the most natural
conversation he ever had with anyone," Jason says via confessional in
Episode 1. They got engaged in 2013 and got married on Jason's 24th birthday on
March 24, 2014, when Christian was going on 21.
Christian is not a cast member, but in a similar fashion to
certain husbands in the Real Housewives franchise, he appears frequently,
convincing Jason to stop with the hostility towards others. In fact, Jason's
storyline away from the group is his complicated relationship with Christian.
Jason's family is... too involved in their relationship, which NEVER makes for
good television or a healthy relationship. His parents (Alejandro Sr and Aymee)
and older brother Alex C find Christian to be the most boring person ever
simply because he's a nice guy and a little shy, which clashes with the
family's more spicy and feisty personalities. Hmmm, without saying so, I'm
guessing this is how they felt about Jason, which would be kind of sad if that
were the case. Jason doesn’t openly disagree with them, nor does he seem too
affected by their thoughts of Christian (he left that “shy boring” side of
himself behind at age 14, after all), which does NOT go unnoticed by viewers.
Even Enrique and Alex P wonder how Jason ended up with Christian "of all
people" (Enrique's words). Estuardo disagrees, only because he’s Jason's
follower. Don’t worry, we'll get to that Goddamn Estuardo later on, but just
know right now that he is a piece of work who ends up going from Jason's
mouthpiece to a worthless target. Keep the word “worthless” in mind because
that word is quite a supporting character. Anyway, even Jason has his own way
of treating Christian. Jason's condescending sense of humor (usually towards
Chris's personality) doesn't always land with viewers because what feels like a
joke to him, is viewed by us as a dig at Christian, and self-hate towards who
he used to be pre-transformation. And some of the things he says kind of
implies that he's more concerned about his status and ego, and less about
having a healthy relationship with his own husband. Seriously dude, that's your
fucking husband, for goodness sake! Christian, blink twice if you’re doing
alright. It doesn’t help that Jason looks up to Enrique as a person, an actor, and
a manipulator/gaslighter.
And actually, if Jason is that ashamed of who he used to be,
not only does it explain how he acts towards Christian, but it also explains
his behavior towards Rafa.
Jason - a gossip queen - is also a target for gossip himself
when midway through the season, David claims that he saw Jason in Sylmar making
out with another man who is White and sounds and acts just like Jason, which
may sound familiar if you pay very close attention ("I mean, seriously,
bro, single white female much?" says David via confessional in Episode 7),
and accuses Jason ON CAMERA of cheating on Christian... multiple times. Now is
David exaggerating? We don't know because there's nothing to prove anything!
This isn't Jason's first conflict with David, as evidenced by episode 1 (more
on that when we discuss David), but it leads to the infamous fan-dubbed
"Tidal Wave Trilogy" this season. Also, if David’s description of
this mystery guy he allegedly saw with Jason sounds familiar, then you must
have been one of the execs who watched the 2013 sizzle reel.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like Jason and the show's not
unwatchable without him, trust me. But he's an essential part of the Bullies
& Snobs alliance in particular, for better or worse. And without him, that
"friend" group is doomed to bore us to tears.
There is, however, a dark side to Jason which lets you know
that not only does he (try to) control the narrative of whatever goes on with
his enemies, but he also controls what goes on in his marriage to Christian. He
is THAT insecure with himself, that anyone who acted like his
pre-transformation self (Rafa, Christian) gets punished, while anyone who acts
like his post-transformation self is immediately accepted or (allegedly)
desired.
So yeah, Jason… is a heavy hitter this season. He’s kind of
the anchor on the B&S side of things. However, despite being the star and
main cast member that I’m sure many fans of trash TV were craving for, he is
actually not the real protagonist or the “bookender” for this season.
---
Next up we have Jason's 26-year-old older brother Alex
Caceres, aka Alex C (born Alejandro Caceres Jr), who is always down for a good
time and a *long* time, whatever that means. 😆😅🤣😂
One Caceres is bad enough, but two? Now, that’s just pushing
it too far, honey.
What to say about Alex C... well, he's a friend-of this
season, who is just as messy and thirsty as Jason. Not much else is known about
him, especially outside of Jason. And that’s probably why Alex C didn't become
a main cast member and was instead demoted after the sizzle reel. Besides, two
brothers on the main cast with the same personality probably would've been a
little redundant, hence why the least interesting Carlos Sapene was given the
axe. Just look at the personality of Alex and Jason’s parents, especially
towards Christian, and you already know that Jason already has too much power
which becomes one of the major criticisms of Season 1.
But the friend role certainly doesn't stop Alex C from
joining in on the chaos and confusion that Jason causes. Alex C enables Jason
too much, but it becomes clear that Jason can handle himself and survive a
scene without his brother. The other way around? Uh-uh.
I guess if anything else is worth bringing up, it's that
Alex Caceres was the first B&S brat to openly say via confessionals, “I’ve
never liked Estuardo anyway. Never will,” on the season finale (Episode 17)
after Estuardo has his, uh... meltdown.
Speaking of…
---
Rounding out the Bullies & Snobs is Jason's 26-year-old
Bostonian best friend Edgar Estuardo Alvizures who describes himself as a
dancing fool, baby. To that, I say, “Dancing fool? More like a parrot fool,
period!” He prefers to be called Estuardo, so that's what we shall call him.
Estuardo was born in Guatemala City and raised in Boston, before moving to the
City of San Fernando in 2010. Estuardo is a dancer from Boston, who many
viewers will recognize from the 4th and 5th seasons of the 1999 revival of WGBH's
"Zoom." On this show, he's normally Jason's sidekick. If Jason
doesn't like you, then neither does Estuardo, and that's really Estuardo's
personality in a nutshell. And viewers don’t really buy that Estuardo and Jason
were really all that close (absolutely no way). Neither does Rafa.
And later on in the season, after the second of three tidal
waves between David and Jason, Estuardo finds out that he's been another victim
of Jason's gossiping and shit-talking, which becomes his karma. How did he find
out about what Jason's been saying about him (more on what exactly, later)?
David.
But that's not as memorable or widely discussed as his
conflict with new guy Rafa in episode 2, when Estuardo calls him
"worthless" via flashcard, and that word comes back to haunt him
sooner than he thinks. More on that later.
Still wondering about that supposed potential? Me too.
---
Alex P, Alex C, Enrique, and Estuardo start a trend
(exclusive to most villains on the show) of not sharing much/any of their
personal lives, which ends up working against them, not once but definitely
several times. So, you best believe, viewers, future fans, and even co-stars
criticize the Hell out of them for not sharing anything about themselves
outside the group.
And when you put them together with Jason, all five men
create a dynamic that can only be described as toxic beyond repair, with Jason
being the main reason, the Alexes enjoying it, and Estuardo eventually being
Jason's newest main target. And Enrique is just there seeing dollar signs
because this is "good TV." And while the Bullies & Snobs clearly
have issues with each other, they also have no problem coming together to go
after our next two main cast members; three if you count a friend-of who forced
himself into the show (thank you Jesus!) and became *way* more important than
Estuardo, and the Alexes ever were.
---
Now for the more likable/tolerable cast members.
First up is 32-year-old Mexican-American short film/stage
play actor David Ty Reza, straight out of Compton and living his life in
Dronfield, Sylmar. In fact, it becomes no secret that he moved to Sylmar,
simply to be on the show. But why Sylmar, and not the City of San Fernando?
Because it feels like home. Sylmar is a pretty rough area, just like Compton,
and David is rough around the edges, so it worked out. This ghetto hood bitch's
"don't mess with me" personality against the B&S makes him a fan
favorite with viewers. He is brash, outspoken, and "real." But it
doesn't take long for viewers to see that this gayngsta (yes, I said GAYngsta,
not gangsta) is... a lot.
He is the first underdog cast member we meet in Episode 1
after the Bullies & Snobs have all been introduced. He's brought into the
show by LSTFI classmate Enrique – they never liked each other (mainly because
David is beneath Enrique socially and financially), but David needed *someone*
to bring him into the show, so… it is what it is – and right away, David
struggles to mesh with Enrique's group. You would think that his outrageous
comic relief personality would be enough to let him into their circle.
During the last 20 minutes of Episode 1, at Enrique's
birthday bash (his 31st birthday), when Jason and Enrique make fun of David's
living situation in Dronfield, Sylmar (often viewed by Sylmar residents as the
ghetto), and Alex P, Alex C, Estuardo, and a cameoed Carlos join in (because
they're bored and need stuff to do), David takes this very personally and goes
the fuck OFF on them. The Alexes, Estuardo, and Carlos just stand there quiet,
almost scared.
David: Y'all have been so fuckin' mean to me since we met,
dawg. That makes no fuckin' sense.
Enrique: Oh okay. And you've been very sensitive since you
met my friends. Try focusing on that.
David: Sure, and y'all can work on your ignorance. Talking
about my living situation? Y'all don't know shit about what it's really like
growing up in the 'hood!
Jason: And you don't fit in this part of Los Angeles! You
don't belong in the suburbs, so just go back to Compton already!
David: I don't give a fuck if you guys think I don't belong
here! You two [pointing at Enrique and Jason] don't belong in Hollywood!
Jason: Whatever, I'm not ghetto.
David: Bitch, I ain’t ghetto either!
Suddenly, Jason puts his finger nearly at David's face when
saying, "Alright, first of all--", and David cuts him off by saying,
"HEY! Don't put your finger in my face. That's what you're *NOT* gonna
do," while simultaneously pointing at Jason for a SECOND time.
Yeah, David is... a walking contradiction, which viewers
clock immediately.
Jason: *sarcastically monotone, holding his hands up in fake
defeat* Okay, I'm sorry Compton Crackhead. It won't happen again. Satisfied?
Damn, not “Captain Crackhead.” Disgusted, David shakes his
head.
Christian: *walks to Jason to break up the fight* Jason,
babe, come on, that's enough.
David: *annoyed with Christian* Christian, butt out please--
Christian: *cuts David off and raises his voice* Don't tell
me what to do, okay?! You can leave.
David is shocked by "goody-goody" Christian’s
delivery.
Christian: Now!
David rolls his eyes at Christian. And Jason smirks at this
and says to David (while giving the shoo signal), "Shoo." And David
scoffs and says to Jason, "Whatever, man. You ain't worth my time. Shit,
let me get my drink. I'm thirsty [FORESHADOWING]. And this party's *WHACK*,
Enrique, just like you."
The B&S crew is just... confused and amused, with
Enrique saying via confessional, "I don't know if they do that gangsta
shit in Compton, but here in San Fernando, that is absolutely unacceptable.
It's a good thing he lives in Sylmar." That won't be the last time Enrique
says something ignorant like that, and David is often the brunt of Enrique’s
jokes.
And viewers immediately understand David; passionate, but
constantly defensive and always ready to spar with his enemies, but is
admittedly all talk.
And that "Tidal Wave Trilogy" between Jason and
David begins midway through the season.
Also, did you notice that during Enrique’s birthday bash,
the B&S crew (minus Jason and Enrique) didn’t hang out, or stick together
until Jason and Enrique started talking about David’s living situation? In
fact, they didn’t even talk to each other (minus Enrique and Jason) that whole evening
until David’s life became a hot topic. That’s all it took. Granted, friends
don’t have to hang out with each other every five minutes, but while David
didn’t notice the group’s strange distance (he was minding his own business
prior to his argument with Enrique and Jason), it quickly becomes something
that even Rafa (who we meet in Episode 2) begins noticing in Episode 2 shortly
before the “worthless” incident. And it becomes constant.
But back to David. He comes from a very dysfunctional family
of athletic brothers, sisters, as well as homophobic parents who immigrated
from the State of Mexico during the 1970s (and married VERY YOUNG). And from
what David admits to Alastair and Rafa in Episode 4, he’s still not close with
any of his immediate family members. He even admits that he never felt safe in
Compton had to stay on the DL as a gay teenager while living there to avoid
harassment and gay bashing from the environment. It was a very different time
in Compton during David’s early years in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, which makes
us viewers wonder, “Why would he be proud to be from Compton as a gay male?” It
may seem a bit contradictory coming from someone who moved to Dronfield instead
of San Fernando proper because it reminded him of his hometown in Compton. But
to be fair, if you’ve lived somewhere for most of your life, you grow used to
certain lifestyles, and sometimes there’s redeemable qualities of an
environment that you deem toxic. Maybe that’s why he defends his past as a
Compton kid. Either way, Rafa and Alastair don’t seem confused as they are
outsiders who had never been to Compton, and are learning through David. But
for viewers are familiar with or live in Compton and happen to be queer
themselves, David’s position on Compton as of Season 1 compared to the first 32
years of his life may seem a bit… confusing.
And David’s dynamic with Enrique was always strained and
contentious from the moment they met in 2001 at the Lee Strasberg Theatre
and Film Institute during David's second year in the campus (he graduated in
2002) and Enrique's first year. But perhaps Enrique’s manipulative power and
privilege prevents David from really going there with him. Still, it’s clear
that their tension is rather deep, which can mean anything.
David’s tension with Jason is very petty but also may be
deep, as Jason alleges during their first Tidal Wave incident that David wanted
him (if you catch my drift), which David vehemently denies. After all, Jason
lies a lot, so just take that accusation with a grain of salt.
When it comes to the clothes he wears, even though he's not
living in Compton anymore, David tends to still wear black and/or white to not
draw any unwanted attention. And when he was living in Compton, he never dared
wear blue or red for obvious reasons. Yes, even the Mexican-American David Ty
Reza knew what not to wear for his own good. He didn’t need to be Black,
African-American, or Afro-Latino to know this.
---
"Hey guys. I'm Rafael Luis Silva. But you can call me
Rafa, if you want. I'm 20 years old, and originally from Belo Horizonte,
Brazil. I'm an athlete, a farmer, an observer, an artist, and a survivor in
life. To be continued... 🙂" - Rafa via
confessional, Episode 2
And then we have the REAL protagonist and saving grace of
the show: Rafael Luis Silva, who we first meet in Episode 2. At the time, most
would actually argue that he’s also the lead (not that he ever wanted to be
one) because it’s believed that “lead” and “protagonist” are the same thing,
but not quite. The lead has the primary role, but the protagonist is *THE*
central figure who drives the narrative forward and undergoes significant
change, acting as the real main focus. Either way… I agree with the argument
that Rafa is the soul of the show. And I think the producers saw something
special in him from the moment he was scouted for this show; more on that
later. But know this: without him, the Bullies & Snobs collapse, and
perhaps even the show as a whole. With him, the show eventually adapts.
Rafa is also the *real* bookender for this season. And to
that I hear you ask, “How? He wasn’t even in the first episode.” And… you’re
right that he wasn’t. So, the bookender role only works if you disregard the
first episode. He opens Episode 2 and closes Episode 17 (the season finale).
While the rest of the original main cast are immigrants,
too, or immigrant-adjacent, Rafa is the only original main cast member who
actually shares his experiences as an immigrant (past and present). And we
actually see that he’s not the most appreciated in the city for who he is. He
is also the only cast member to date who also speaks Portuguese. And when a
producer asks him via confessional in Episode 2, "How do you say, 'Hi, my
name is Rafa,' in Portuguese?" Rafa says with a warm smile on his face,
"Oi, meu nome é Rafa." And perhaps most importantly, he is the only
original main cast member who was actually raised in the City of San Fernando,
once he immigrated from Brazil. And yes, he is the off-screen "country
kid" that Jason was mocking in the sizzle reel. He also deliberately
speaks Portuguese whenever he is seen talking to his family, even though they
also speak fluent English and Spanish from time to time.
He was born and initially raised in Belo Horizonte, Minas
Gerais, Brazil, but he and his family moved to the City of San Fernando in the
summer 2007 when he was 13. His one and only school year in the San Fernando
Middle School (8th grade) was very controversial as he endured the type of
racism that made him stand out. Rafa’s family is a farming family, he grew up
riding horses, and at first, he only spoke Portuguese. So, once he moved to
California, he experienced a big culture shock at school, where he had to take
ESL (English as a Second Language) and SSL (Spanish as a Second Language). And
because of that, he became more introverted, shyer and afraid to be himself,
the Brazilian with deep agricultural and equestrian roots and love for nature.
He even admits to have been called the N-word in particular (despite not being
Black himself) by a white middle school classmate, and that a Mexican teacher
even told him to just stick to speaking English and Spanish, because according
to that teacher nobody in California cares about the Portuguese language, to
which Rafa bravely said to the teacher, "A língua que eu escolho falar não
é da sua conta." When the teacher asked what that meant, Rafa said this:
“I said, 'The language I choose to speak is none of your business.'” This
shocked the teacher and Rafa’s classmates. Needless to say, the teacher never
crossed Rafa again, and to my knowledge, it seems as if the teacher might have
actually been scared of Rafa. The teacher revelation that he shares to David
(who was pretty shocked by this) in early Episode 2 gave us a now-established
warning about Rafa and nice guys in general: “Nice guys don’t finish last. We
haunt you forever.” Rafa learned very quickly in the eighth grade what it
meant to be an immigrant and that life was not so easy for immigrants, young
and old.
"I suffered a lot of bullying in this country for being
a ‘farm boy’ in the suburbs, even from adults," Rafa admits via
confessionals, Episode 2.
He attended the San Fernando High School (“The same high
school that Ritchie Valens attended,” as he points out to the B&S crew in
Episode 2, to which Jason says in his confessional, “Kid, no one cares.”) for
all 4 years (2008 - 2012), where after his freshman year, he was part of the
VPA Academy (Visual and Performing Arts). But in walked the same problem:
despite being around other Latinx teenagers in high school, most of them were
Mexican/Chicano, and had no interest in getting to know him as a Brazilian. “As
long as I was Latino and living in San Fernando, I was forced to just say that
I was Mexican or Chicano, which I always refused. I’m not gonna lie about
myself to impress other people.," Rafa says when opening up to the rest of
the cast in Episode 2 (I’m sure his refusal to impress other people triggered
Jason, whose sole purpose of changing himself was to impress other people). As
far as Rafa knows, the only schoolmate who actually wanted to know Rafa as a
person and as a Brazilian/Portuguese-speaking immigrant was his best friend
Alastair, a Mexican immigrant who transferred from Texas, and was two years
older than Rafa and two grades ahead of him (Alastair was a senior while Rafa
was a sophomore). More on Alastair in a moment, but by the time the two met in
Fall 2009, Rafa (along with his family) had become more fluently trilingual
(Portuguese, English, and Spanish). Little did 15-year-old sophomore Rafa
realize at the time, a 16-year-old Cuban-American from the VPA Academy –
Christian Gabriel Lopez (high school junior) – also wanted to know who Rafa was
(they shared a few VPA classes between Fall 2009 and Spring 2011), but was too
scared to approach anyone beyond the occasional hello/hi/good morning – having
his own experiences of bullying and racism – and mostly kept to himself. Rafa (who
remembers Christian) wouldn’t know this until Christian bravely approaches him
at Enrique’s mixer in Episode 4.
Rafa had his share of racism and colorism throughout his
time in America, and it’s truly inspiring that he never lied about his
background or identity no matter what. Occasionally, he even showed up in both
middle school and high school in shirts that had the Brazilian flag, Brazilian
colors, anything exclusively Brazilian, which turned the heads of teachers and
classmates for the wrong reasons. But it didn't disobey the dress code so he
couldn't get in trouble, no matter who thought wearing a Brazilian shirt in a
predominantly Mexican campus was "racist."
In addition to riding horses, another two of his only safe
havens have always been acting, and martial arts. Rafa learned Brazilian
jiu-jitsu when he was 10 for self-defense, and never stopped, ultimately
becoming a practitioner at the Mission Hills-based Phenom Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
& Mixed Martial Arts, aka Phenom Academy. And he started studying theater
during his sophomore year in high school, and that’s right there when his
acting career started. If he weren’t an actor, he would probably like to direct
or screen-write.
Rafa now attends CSUN as a freshman after taking a 2-year
gap from school, following his high school graduation in 2012 to work. Before
he was even approached by a producer at the San Fernando Mall for this show in
2014, Rafa was laid off from his retail job at a local Rite Aid by early 2013,
and had struggled to find a job elsewhere, ANYWHERE, since then. He saved as
much as he could to afford school if he ever decided to attend college or
university. But like many people who were constantly rejected from working,
Rafa was ready to give up. It was during one of those mornings in 2013 that he
was feeling absolutely down and he was sitting at a bus stop reading a therapy
pamphlet for depression while waiting for bus to take him home (he has yet to
go to therapy as of this season). Because he was deep in thought and focused on
his pamphlet, he didn’t notice someone from behind passing him by and seeing
what Rafa was reading, only to talk shit about him the filming of a sizzle
reel. What he was aware of in 2014 was that by joining this show, he was
stepping into a cast of an already-established friend group (which he later
realizes is a fake friend group of people who don't really like each other).
And he dreaded that, because he always hated being the new guy. But at the
time, he had nothing to lose. Key phrase: “at the time.”
Shortly after filming starts for FBSF, the still-unemployed
Rafa makes a life-changing decision during the last 15 minutes of Episode 3: he
finally comes out to his family. His
parents and brother knew that he was going to be on a reality show, but Rafa
never told them that it was a reality show led by gay men. That all changes
during this scene. The Silvas all sit down together in the living room of their
home and the revelation begins, even though wasn’t really giving them much eye
contact:
Rafa: “Vocês lembram quando eu disse que ia participar de um
reality show?” (English: “Do you guys remember when I said I was joining a
reality show?")
Lorena: “Lembramos, sim. Por quê? O que aconteceu?”
(English: "Yeah, we remember. Why? What's up?")
Rafa: “Bom, hum... Eu não fui totalmente honesto com vocês.
É um reality show gay e, hum... eu sou… gay.” (English: "Well, um... I
haven’t been completely honest with you guys. It's a gay reality show, and
uh... I’m gay.”)
The next few seconds were quiet and Rafa was still not
looking at his family, worried about their reaction. His older brother Dominic
cried and hugged him, telling Rafa, “Estou tão orgulhoso de você, irmãozinho”
(“I’m so proud of you, little bro”). And they all stood up and started hugging
him, and accepted him immediately. Via confessional, Rafa admits, “That was the
first time I just said it out loud,” and lets out a tear when discussing this.
Since Season 1, Rafa's main arc has always been his desire
to be accepted for who he is, not in spite of who he is.
And we see him literally live his life in front of the
camera. He is showing us his love for acting and riding horses, and is
searching/applying for jobs. We see him acting in various short films made for
school and local film festivals, and we even see him working on-stage. We also
see him showcase his skills as an equestrian (which plays an important part in
Rafa's emotionally grounded personality going forward), and a Brazilian
jiu-jitsu practitioner.
It's also because of Rafa that viewers get to see the San
Fernando City life from the perspective of a Brazilian immigrant who was raised
in the city. You would think that the Bullies & Snobs would share their immigrant
experiences before and during their time in San Fernando, but nope.
And after Rafa was cast on this show for his authenticity
and his fantastic knowledge of the City of San Fernando (because he has been
living there since he was 13 years old, unlike the rest of the main cast who
moved to/near the city when they were legally adults), he was told immediately
that he could be the one missing puzzle piece for this show because Enrique’s
clique was boring, didn’t want to share their experiences as San Fernando
residents, didn’t grow up in the City, and didn’t seem to know or understand
the City itself.
And that is exactly why in the opening scene of Episode 2,
Rafa’s first appearance is with his best friend Alastair Patton, and they are
both getting their haircuts at the Town Barber Shop (which they had already
planned to do that day prior to Rafa getting scouted), while talking about
Rafa’s continued quest to find a job (the fact that Rafa was very honest about
not having a job (besides this show) was probably the most authentic
introduction that any reality show cast member has ever had). We even see Rafa
confiding in theatre classmate and future cast member Calvin Seabrooks (an
African-American and Mexican-American comedian, singer and actor) about not
getting along with the Enrique’s friend group in Episode 5, while they are
grocery shopping at the local El Super. And in Episode 7, while hanging out at
the Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Park, he is talking to his older brother Dominic
about something that Dominic heard in the grapevine (about David spreading the
word about Jason cheating on Christian. "Olha, cara... eu também não gosto
exatamente do Jason... mas também acho que o David pode estar procurando briga,
como se quisesse que o Jason reagisse. Só... toma cuidado, tá?" (In
English that translates to, "Look bro... I don't exactly like Jason either...
but I also think that David may be looking for trouble, like he wants Jason to
react. Just... be careful, okay?")). By simply living his life on-screen,
Rafa literally (and unintentionally) became our tour guide for the City of San
Fernando.
But just because Rafa loves the history and culture of San
Fernando City, doesn't make him any less Brazilian, nor does it mean he is
trying to be Mexican. In fact, we also get invited into the Brazilian culture
via the Silva family. In a small town that has often invalidated
non-Mexican/Chicano identity (the greater SFV is guilty of this, too), Rafa
became the poster child for owning who you are, no matter what.
It's really cool that people behind the scenes saw something
special in Rafa. BUT it can be argued that he was set up (most likely by
Enrique) to fail. He was much younger than the rest of the cast - barely 20
years old - and therefore still treated like a kid; a “stupid little kid,” as
Jason refers to him in Season 2, but of course, we’re not quite there yet.
Socially, the B&S guys do not like Rafa at all,
especially Jason who already found Rafa to be too soft and dull, before
actually meeting him. Interestingly, that's how his parents and brother feel
about Christian, and that's exactly what Jason used to be criticized for being,
as a kid himself (basically, Jason is drawn to people who remind him of his
past life, and he hates that. He has a lot of insecurity problems that he
refuses to admit, spoiler alert). So, Jason's personal slave Estuardo proceeds
to call Rafa “worthless” via flashcard and fails to accept accountability for
his part. And there's only so much Rafa can say to Enrique because Enrique is
the self-proclaimed "boss" (sure, Enrique), so he never really
bothers engaging with Enrique throughout their time on the show together, until
the season finale which takes place at James’ Restaurant; the breakfast from
Hell. And the Alexes (Alex Caceres and Alex Paredes) are just forgettable
non-personalities to Rafa. It gets to a point where Rafa particularly forgets
who Alex Paredes is (multiple times) until someone (if they bother) reminds
him. For example, during the Season finale when Rafa, David, and Alastair enter
James’ Restaurant and they see that everyone else is there being very quiet,
Rafa does not recognize Alex Paredes, whispering to Alastair "Wait, who is
that again?" to which Alastair rolls eyes, giggles, and whispers back,
"Alex Paredes, or Alex P." And Rafa whispers, "Oh okay,
thanks." Such a cute Rafa moment lol. Hell, even at the Cesar E. Chavez
Memorial Park (Episode 7), after discussing David and Jason, Rafa talks about
the rest of the cast and accidentally leaves out Alex P. Dominic literally has
to let Rafa know that he left out Alex P, when he says, "Wait *laughs*
isn't there another Alex in the group?" Rafa’s reaction? "😳😨 OH!
Um... Yeah. Um... Alex... Peterson…? Parker" And Dominic says while
laughing, "Paredes. Alex Paredes," to which Rafa says, "Right,
whatever. Him." Rafa’s father Ricky might have something to do with Rafa
always forgetting about Alex P. More on that later. The only reason Rafa
remembers Alex Caceres (kind of…) is because he's just Jason's brother and
Christian's brother-in-law. That’s literally it.
And speaking of Christian, in Episode 4, at a mixer hosted
by Enrique (who proves to be a pretty bad host), we see that Rafa is the only
cast member who actually gets along with Christian. This bothers Jason, which
is so ironic given what he's allegedly been doing behind Christian’s back. And
what Jason fails to accept as the truth (but thankfully the footage was shown)
is that Christian and Rafa literally don't talk about Jason (or their marriage)
at all, and they're not flirting with each other. They're literally just
talking about life, fashion, outdoor activities, acting, their experiences as
non-Mexicans in the City of San Fernando and attending San Fernando High School
(Christian attended from 2007 to 2011 and Rafa attended from 2008 to 2012).
They both recall seeing each other around many times in the halls of the VPA
Academy and being too shy to really go beyond saying hi to each other at the
time. And what really seals the deal for Jason is that Christian, a fellow
Cuban-American, who – like the Brazilian immigrant Rafa – has had his share of
racism and being othered in the City, allows himself to just get to know Rafa
as a person and as a Brazilian immigrant in the very Mexican City of San
Fernando. Jason sees this as a personal betrayal, which is kind of stupid
because Jason and Rafa are not friends, Rafa was not trying to steal Christian,
and Christian was not trying to cheat on Jason.
When Jason confronts Rafa about this outside Enrique's
house, Christian quickly and bravely defends Rafa, admitting to Jason, "I
approached Rafa, because I wanted to talk to him. I recognized him from high
school, and wanted to get to know him. I don't have a lot of friends, and this
is a mixer. We should be free to talk to whoever we wanna talk to, right?"
Jason doesn’t believe this, and sticks with his belief that Rafa wanted to
steal his man, which leads Rafa to say, "Jason… just watch the footage and
you'll see that you're wrong." And immediately a producer shows Jason
footage of Christian and Rafa’s conversation, and... even though he won't admit
it, he felt dumb. All he could say was, "Oh. Well, alright, fine."
Rafa and Christian look at him with an expression that can only be read as
"We're waiting," to which Jason says, "Okay, I'm sorry!
Damn." And Rafa and Christian say in unison, "Thank you," which
makes them look at each other in shock by the unison and trying not to chuckle.
Interestingly, Jason doesn't forbid Christian to see or talk to Rafa again. But
he still doesn't trust Rafa, and sees him as a threat to his and Christian’s
marriage. "You gotta watch out for the boring ones," Jason says via
confessional. But was he referring to Rafa as the boring one, or Christian?
Hard to say, knowing how Jason's brain works. For all we know, he could've been
talking about his past life. And the fact that Jason sees Rafa as a threat to
his and Christian’s marriage is very ironic and hypocritical given what is being
alleged about him, and given we observe and learn, the more we get to know
Jason during his duration on the show.
If Rafa and Christian *did* receive pushback for their
friendship from viewers (aka the B&S stans who are strongly and vocally
anti-Rafa), it's because many haters see it as Rafa being messy and Christian
being two-faced, when really, all the two "boring" guys are doing is
coming together and getting along, laughing, officially connecting after
crossing paths in high school as strangers, having a nice stress-free
conversation, pretty much forgetting (or perhaps not caring) that one is a
fan-dubbed Amigo (and associated with someone – David – who was rude to
Christian in Episode 1, leading to Christian to immediately snap at the guy)
and the other is married to a bully/snob (who used to be like Christian and
Rafa once upon a time, is very mean to Rafa, and hardly defends Christian
against Christian’s in-laws). They don’t even talk about each other’s
alliances.
As of this season, Rafa is the only cast member that
Christian dared approach on his own terms, and as we'll see in the future
seasons that they never stopped interacting or being friends, but are
nonetheless very careful, keeping most of their interactions to a minimum
(unfortunately) because of Jason. If there’s one thing that both Rafa and Christian
respect better than the B&S crew, it’s boundaries. There are certain things
that Christian tells Rafa that we never know about because Rafa can keep a
secret, and does not repeat other people’s secrets. This could sadly reinforce
haters’ shared opinion on Rafa: that he’s boring. Still, the fact that Rafa was
able to get along with someone that audiences would consider B&S-adjacent,
and Christian was able to do the same with a fan-dubbed Amigo is quite the
accomplishment if ever I’ve seen one!
Rafa doesn't really interact with the Bullies & Snobs
until he has to. You can only avoid them for so long when you're a full-time
cast member.
But it's actually during the solo scenes after choosing to
disengage with the B&S that we see that he is less claustrophobic or
defensive outside of the City of San Fernando, especially when he’s fooling
around in his theater class at CSUN.
In Episode 11, during the latter half of the season, his
theater class is doing improv raps which look like so much fun. It's actually
during the improv rap scene that we see another cameo appearance from classmate
and future cast member Calvin Seabrooks. Rafa sucks at rapping (according to
Rafa himself; I’m not trying to be mean), but he has a great time, and Calvin
is cheering him on, which helps Rafa be less nervous and more comfortable. Rafa
is really in his element in his class, showcasing his acting, comedic timing,
and ability to act out words. "The class definitely showed me that I don’t
have to be perfect at everything, and that my passion and love for the arts
always outweighs any imperfection," Rafa says via confessional.
To viewers' shock, the only main cast member who seems to
like Rafa is David, and miraculously they hit it off very quickly when they
first meet in Episode 2, so Rafa is not on an island alone. Their friendship
becomes one of the FEWEST positive highlights of the season. And the addition
of Rafa's friend since high school - Alastair - helps Rafa feel more at ease in
the show… for the time being.
In Episode 3, David admits to Rafa that even he's shocked
that Rafa took a liking to him, saying, "Normally, I'm known for having a
smart mouth, and this group is super mean, so I wasn't sure you'd wanna take a
chance with any of us." And Rafa says, "Well I will say that you're
very unpredictable," leading to David's shocked "Oh, for real?"
And Rafa says, "And I mean that as a compliment, I promise 🙏🏿."
David took it as a compliment, however, fans of trash TV who STAY looking for
reasons to hate Rafa argue that Rafa was being shady when he said
“unpredictable,” insisting that he really wanted to say that David was
inconsistent. Look… unpredictable, inconsistent, the point is David contradicts
himself. A lot. And Rafa probably knows this, but won’t hold it against David.
"David and Rafa are buddies? Well, hopefully David
treats him right," says Jason (sarcastically) via confessionals (Season 1
Episode 3).
If anyone on the show withered the storm better than anyone
else, it was Rafa. He has the honor of being the main focus during the majority
of the Season Finale (Episode 17), especially during the last 15 minutes; first
with his dragging of the group’s overall dynamic at James' Restaurant (I can't
wait to talk about that), and later applying for a job in the Sylmar-based
Monteverde Ranch Equestrian Center, as suggested personally by Alastair's
fiancé Zachary Garcia, who ironically is deathly afraid of horses lol.
One fascinating (yet overlooked) trait of Rafa is that by
simply observing and listening, he’s kind of a detective without realizing it
or presenting himself as such. It’s not about being suspicious or paranoid.
It’s about pattern recognition and self-protection. And he acts only when he
has enough information — never impulsively. You’ll see what I mean real soon.
But for now, let’s just say that Rafa is a detective under your nose.
---
So, about that “worthless” comment…
In Episode 1, the bullies and snobs were not impressed by
David’s defensive attitude. Therefore, in Episode 2, they were not looking
forward to meeting Rafa, who sounded like a boring person to be around,
according to Jason in Episode 2 who recalls seeing “that country kid” at a bus
stop reading a pamphlet about therapy, leading to a flashback of the unreleased
2013 sizzle reel, in which he says, “I mean, if y'all saw the way he looked,
and dressed… shit, y'all would be depressed, too.” This flashback is the only
sizzle reel scene that viewers have ever seen to this day. Execs who watched
the sizzle reel themselves will instantly realize that Jason was referring to a
then-unknown Rafa Silva, who would’ve been 18 going on 19 during the making of
the sizzle reel in 2013. And if Jason doesn’t like someone… you guessed it!
Neither does anyone else in his clique, especially that spineless-ass Estuardo.
After Enrique, Jason, Alex C, Alex P, Estuardo, and David
meet Rafa for the first time and each get a feel for him, it’s very clear to
anyone with common sense that the Bullies & Snobs are very judgmental
towards Rafa, with Jason being the harshest in his confessional, especially
after Rafa says to Jason, "And yes, Jason, I'm that ‘sad-looking country
kid’ that you saw at a bus stop reading a therapy pamphlet in 2013. Hopefully
my presence doesn't make you depressed." OOOOH... This sly comment
instantly takes Jason by surprise, and Jason (who doesn’t even try to deny
saying such a thing) asks him, "How did you know about what I said?"
to which Rafa calmly says, "Don't worry about that; that's not
important." The rest of the cast is just speechless and in shock, with
David (who is intrigued by and curious about Rafa) saying in his confessional,
"Jason said that about you? Wow..." Rafa says in his confessional,
"If you're the type of person who judges and jumps to conclusions without
getting to know me, then that says everything about you."
Later on, Enrique decides that everyone should come into his
house so they can all do some… group activity thing (?) with his life coach.
Who the hell died became Enrique’s life coach (although to be fair, after
looking back, he does need help for his delusion)? It just felt like a setup. I
can see why Jason looks up to Enrique.
Remember that little detail in Episode about B&S not
really interacting at Enrique’s birthday bash until Jason and Enrique started
talking about David’s current living situation? Well David didn’t notice that at
the party, but Rafa immediately noticed it himself in Episode 2 after finally
making it to Enrique house. Everyone else is there, but it’s quiet because no
one is acknowledging each other. Rafa is very critical about the what he sees
when saying in his confessional, “I expected everyone to leave out David after
the way they treated him at Enrique’s birthday party. But I thought everyone
else would be talking to each other like, ‘Heehee haha’ since they’re supposed
to be this ‘friend group.’ And yet… no one is acknowledging each other’s
presence. I don’t remember seeing them this distant when I met them the first
time. What did I get myself into?”
For one of the very last of a few activities, the female
life coach suggests that each cast member write an adjective in a flashcard to
describe each costar and put it in a box (each box has a cast member’s first
and last name, which is perfect for the Alexes lol). Of course, the B&S
group wrote positive adjectives towards each other (which is all bullshit in
retrospect because positive ≠ honest), and the life coach reads them
out herself.
But when she got to David and then Rafa, the vibe was
different. She was clearly bracing herself.
The words to describe David were
· Passionate – Rafa Silva
· Ghetto – Enrique Sapene
· Dramatic – Estuardo Alvizures
· Immature – Alex Paredes
· Hideous – Jason Caceres-Lopez
· Annoying – Alex Caceres
And the words to describe Rafa were
· Authentic – David Ty Reza
· Passive – Enrique Sapene
· Sneaky – Alex Paredes
· Questionable – Alex Caceres
· Boring – Jason Caceres-Lopez
· Worthless – Estuardo Alvizures
David heard worse, but Rafa was hurt and did *not* hide it.
David with his charisma (who knew that David was a charismatic gayngsta?) tries
to soften the blow and tell Rafa that he is not worthless, and nobody deserves
to be called that.
But the life coach ends up putting each B&S brat on
blast, revealing who wrote what to David and Rafa, respectively, which left
every B&S brat looking like fools. But no one was as embarrassed as
Estuardo (ooooohhh, BUSTED!) who is COMPLETELY caught off guard after the life
coach revealed that Estuardo wrote “worthless” for Rafa. And, surprise
surprise, Estuardo couldn’t explain why he called Rafa such a word, stuttering,
"Look, I-I’m… I'm sorry Rafa, but... I don't… I don’t think this is the
time or- or place--" until Rafa cuts him off by saying, “Make time,” which
shocks everyone, even Estuardo who looks… scared.
"The boring kid's got balls. I stand corrected,"
says Jason via confessional, unimpressed by Rafa’s “attitude”.
And Estuardo gives this big speech about how he doesn’t have
a lot of gay friends because a lot of them can be very messy, and blah blah
blah (if only he knew at the time what his so-called best friend was saying
about him). And Rafa cuts him off again: “That has nothing to do with me. Now
focus. Stick. To. The subject.” Estuardo is just speechless by Rafa's cold
response, going, "Um… I'm-- eh *sighs*," before holding his hands up
in defeat, completely giving up at that point, and silently saying, "I
don't know. I'm sorry. Never mind." David says not-so-quietly, "Well,
Estuardo, that was pretty typical," which causes Estuardo to give him a
dirty side-eye.
"This is what happens when you use Jason as your
personal brain. If you can't even think for yourself, zip it," David says
via confessional, Episode 2. Yeah… whatever potential Estuardo had based on the
sizzle was nowhere to be seen throughout the WHOLE season. Yes, Estuardo was an
instant flop from this episode forth.
Rafa’s statement to the group is quite intriguing and
forever memorable, accurate, timeless, and just downright haunting: “Okay… So,
this is the second time in less than a day that I had to put someone in his
place. First Jason, now Estuardo,” and then comes the prophecy, “But I can
promise you guys one thing: nice guys don’t finish last. We haunt you forever.”
The B&S brats give him a side-eye of disbelief mixed with uneasiness and
confusion, and David is just as surprised. Are the Bullies & Snobs scared of
Rafa? Do they think he’s crazy? Or do they think he’s just boring? Whatever the
case may be, Rafa has to know that he had them in stitches, not that I’m
bothered, honestly. Rafa was certainly not impressed with any of the B&S
brats.
But what we the viewers realize by the end of Episode 2 is
that Rafa is indeed a nice person until you cross him, a lesson that many
villains learn in the future, some worse than others.
"As far as I’m concerned, I never tried getting off on
the wrong foot with anyone, except Jason and Estuardo, but they deserved it. I
guess David likes me? Maybe? But as for the rest of the group, I don't think
they're gonna grow on me. It's clear that I remind Jason of himself, and
that’s… sad. Estuardo... he's Jason's parrot. Enrique is Enrique. And Jason's
brother Alex... I don't know what to make of him. This is gonna be a *long*
season," Rafa says via confessional in Episode 2, and unfortunately, he was
right because the season ends up having 18 episodes in all. Geez. Also, did you
clock that he left out Alex Paredes? 😂 Even viewers are
like, "Wait... he just left out the other Alex!" You could say that
his forgetfulness of Alex P was foreshadowing Alex P's relevance on the show,
but as mentioned earlier, it is believed that Rafa’s own father is responsible
for that, which sounds absolutely unhinged.
Now, all you viewers are probably wondering, "How did
Rafa know about what Jason said about him? He wasn't even part of the pitched
cast from 2013." Well here's a behind-the-scenes fact, and it’s an example
of his unintentional detective work: after being cast on the show in 2014, Rafa
was given his own copy of Enrique's sizzle reel of the show to help himself get
familiar with who's who, who's in, and who's out. So yes, he was aware that
Carlos and Aiden were left out - especially the latter for painfully obvious
reasons. And when it got to Jason talking crap about a "sad-looking
country kid," Rafa immediately recalled sitting at a bus stop in 2013
reading a therapy pamphlet. And he knew right away that he was not going to
like Jason. This is on Jason for absent-mindedly pitching Rafa in 2013 before
he ever knew Rafa’s name; all it took was for him to talk about Rafa, only for
it to come back and haunt him. But to say that Rafa was attached to Jason
(albeit loosely) in any kind of way would be doing a disservice to Rafa, who
never needed Jason to be relevant; it was always the other way around, leading
to the belief that in the sizzle footage, Jason was mocking a then-unknown Rafa
because Jason had nothing about himself to talk about. Hence why I said earlier
that the show is not unwatchable without Jason.
This sizzle reel callback is the first real sign that Rafa
sees more than he lets on. While the B&S crew and their loyal supporters
convince themselves that he’s “boring” and “passive,” he’s actually SMARTER
than B&S and is already proving he’s one step ahead. He doesn’t need to
yell or throw shade back immediately. He just needs to wait for the right
moment and let the truth do the work.
It’s also the first time we see the “nice guy” weaponize
politeness. Rafa could have come in hot and accused Jason of being mean.
Instead, he delivers the line with a gentle smile and a touch of sarcasm
(“Hopefully my presence doesn’t make you depressed”), which makes the burn land
even harder.
From this moment on, the audience knows: Rafa is paying
attention. He remembers. And when he decides to speak up, it counts.
This early detective skill is the foundation for later
moments throughout Rafa’s time on the show. The pattern is consistent: Rafa
doesn’t forget, and he doesn’t let people rewrite history when it suits them.
It’s a small scene, but it’s one of the first times we see
why Rafa becomes the show’s moral and emotional center.
---
Rafa's best friend, 22-year-old Alastair Patton joins FBSF
as the show’s second friend-of. We meet him in Episode 2 when he and Rafa are
getting their haircuts at the Town Barber Shop. But it’s in Episode 3 where after
learning from Rafa about the "worthless" incident, and how judgmental
most of the cast is, Alastair makes it a point to join Rafa on this journey,
officially making himself a friend-of without needing to audition or be
scouted. Enrique would never allow such a thing to happen! But this is not
really his show ANYMORE. And frankly, Alastair couldn't care less because
Enrique is NOT his boss, something that Alastair has no problem reminding
Enrique during the reunion.
Retired from the army, the Mexican-born Alastair shares with
us how he was eventually frustrated with always having to leave his family and
his best friend Rafa.
Alastair (a fellow immigrant himself) was born in the
Federal District of Mexico. His family moved to Arlington, Texas in 1997 when
he was only 5 years old. He has two older sisters (Amanda and Tiffany) and a
younger sister (Jamie) and has always been very close with them, as well as
their mom. But as of the making of Season 1, he and his dad have an almost
non-existent relationship. Either way, his family does NOT get involved in his
relationship with his fiancé, 20-year-old Zachary Garcia.
While living in Texas, he and his family pretty much adapted
to the Tejano culture, and this is despite Alastair being a “Mexican with White
skin,” a racially insensitive label that he would receive during his time in
the army. At age 17, he and his family moved to the City of San Fernando (where
he could freely be an openly gay teenager, at least in school; it was
acceptable t home, as per his father’s orders) in the year 2009 ahead of his
Senior Year in San Fernando High School where he joined the CTE Academy (Career
Technical Education) and graduated with the Class of 2010. Shortly after the
beginning of the Fall 2009 semester, he met his Sophomore best friend
15-year-old Rafa, after the two bumped into each other during their lunch
break. And the two instantly clicked, and became inseparable, like brothers.
Their friendship would become one of the most important for the show going
forward. They always stayed in touch when Alastair was in the army, and Alastair
would visit as much as he could. What Alastair doesn’t reveal to us until next
season is how much of a mental toll the army took on him, but his family and
Rafa were immediately made aware years ago of what happened to him. Until then,
what ends up being a symbol for Alastair is his dog tags that he wears around
his neck for good luck, which (because of the superstition behind good luck
charms) you wouldn’t expect from someone who grew up in a devout Christian
family. But for Alastair, who’s a progressive liberal Christian, his dog tags
were his only army best friends, during a traumatic time in his life when he
could no longer trust anyone in the army.
Alastair reminisces about the first time he saw Zachary
Garcia, a Tejano who (unlike Alastair) is NOT fluent in Spanish. In 2013, he
saw that “Zach had such a magnetism when I looked him up on Instagram, and so I
followed him right away.” Zach also followed Alastair and they started “liking”
each other’s pictures, which led to private messages, and then an in-person
meeting after Zachary (who wanted to move to Los Angeles anyway for better job
opportunities) moved to the City of San Fernando for work and an education.
They decided to become official boyfriends when they met and never looked back.
Were they moving a little fast? Maybe. But nonetheless, they got to know each
other as they were dating, so it worked out regardless.
He currently works as an usher for the Regency Granada Hills
9 movie theater. But while he’s a very social person in his job, which is
always great, his real passion is writing, something he felt forced to give up
before joining the army because “it doesn’t pay the bills,” according to his
father. But even Rafa can tell that Alastair still has that creative spark
verbally and misses writing, and he thinks that Alastair should return to it,
even with his current full-time job.
Alastair learned Portuguese through Rafa, but doesn’t speak
it often because, “My Portuguese is terrible,” he says via confessional in
Episode 3 while chuckling. He has always been Rafa’s guardian angel since 2009
(and vice versa) and really helps Rafa be less miserable in the group. And he
manages to get along with David quite well. And a new trio of sorts has formed,
and fans dub them the 3 Amigos.
We get to see Alastair's relationship with future husband
Zachary Garcia (who sometimes refers to Alastair as “daddy,” “papi” or the more
popular "Big Daddy Al," and is hardly comparable to Christian Gabriel
Caceres-Lopez, because Zachary is Alastair's rock, not a forced babysitter –
sorry Christian, I like you though), which becomes another highlight in
addition to scenes that Alastair, Rafa and David have together, individually,
and/or 2 at a time.
And Alastair (who was made aware by Rafa in Episode 3 of how
mean and judgmental the B&S crew was to Rafa) has his good eye on those
damn bullies, especially Enrique, who Alastair never treats like a boss or EP,
calling him a bitch at the reunion (Episode 18).
Yeah, Alastair makes it crystal clear (in the most quotable
moment possible) to Enrique during the reunion that he is not buying the EP
act; never mind the journalism part: “You want me to bow down to you and be
scared of you, while you keep saying, ‘This is my show, this is my show, this
is my show.’ Bitch, sit down. You may have the EP title for whatever reason,
but it’s only a VANITY title, honey. You don’t write our checks. You don’t pay
our bills. You don’t have the authority to hire or fire anyone. And everyone
knows that, man. Everyone.” Every cast member, and host Ross Matthews are
shocked by Alastair's (arguably iconic) monologue, and Enrique is LIVID.
Buuuuuuut, because of his already-established history with
Rafa, we're not supposed to like Alastair at all. You know, if we were that
dumb to be on the side of the Bullies & Snobs. At least Estuardo still has
THAT in common with the rest of B&S.
Speaking of, throughout a large chunk if the season,
Estuardo constantly harasses Alastair because in the end of Episode 3, when
Estuardo is trying to be his typical mean girl self (under Jason’s mind
control, that is), Alastair calls Estuardo something that literally reinforces
Rafa’s opinion on Alastair having a verbal creative spark: "Estuardo, you
are a spineless moron." As a result, many viewers continue to refer to
Estuardo as a spineless moron (in addition to “parrot” thanks to Rafa) for many
years to come, and he HATES it.
But back to the show: even Alastair was tired of the
constant attacks from Estuardo, so much so that on Episode 15, while the cast
is on a trail walk through the Pacoima Wash Natural Park (renamed Cindy
Montañez Natural Park in September 2023), Estuardo and Alastair nearly got into
it, FACE. TO. FACE. With Alastair confidently asking, “What are you gonna do to
me? Huh? What the fuck are you going to?” But luckily, David and Rafa (and his
dog tags) were there to break it up. Most viewers agree that the intimidated
Estuardo would've lost that match. “You may be from Boston, but I’m a veteran
for life, understand?” Alastair says to Estuardo who says, “More like a veteran
for five minutes, bitch.”
And it becomes clear that Alex P absolutely despises
Alastair, but it’s never clear why (outside of Alastair's close friendship with
the group's mortal enemies Rafa and David, which is such a biased reason),
because that would require us to actually get to know SOMETHING – ANYTHING –
about Alex P. No wonder Rafa constantly forgets who Alex P is.
------------------
Early in Episode 4, Enrique invites David to a sit-down at
Truman House Tavern. And it’s… quite sad. Like, DAMN, Enrique.
Enrique cuts to the chase and says, “I just wanna make
something perfectly clear so that we’re on the same page: I brought you into
this show, but that doesn’t mean we’re friends.”
David shrugs and simply says, “Okay. Noted.”
Enrique continues, “And you really need to work on your
attitude because the way you behaved at my birthday party was absolutely
unacceptable, and you know it.”
David is bothered that Enrique won’t take responsibility for
the fact that he and Jason started that, and says, “Excuse me, you and Jason
were the ones who decided to talk shit about how I’m living. I don’t play that
shit. If you mess with me, I will give you the same energy. Believe that.”
Enrique is over David’s defensive delivery, saying
“Seriously, David? If you can’t take a joke, that’s on you,” to which David
says, “That’s not no joke, Enrique. Stop it.”
Enrique: “Okay, we’re not even on the same level David. I
will not put up with your antics or your bullshit. It’s obvious that you’ve
always wanted to be me.”
In shock, David asks, “I wanna be you?” And Enrique says,
“Yeah, you do. You do. Meanwhile, you are down here *lowers his left hand*, and
I’m way up here *raises his right hand*. And that’s how it’s always gonna be.”
David is offended by this and insists to Enrique, “Enrique,
the only person who wants to be like you is Jason. I ain’t trying to be your
friend, I ain’t trying to kick it with you, I ain’t trying to fuck your
husband. You’re a non-factor to me, you know what I’m sayin’?”
Enrique responds, “So why did you reach out to me?”
David, shaky voice and all, confesses, “Because… I needed
your help. I wasn’t doing much in Compton and I needed a fresh start.”
Enrique throws the infamous accusation, “Oh, so you used me,
okay. I got it.”
David reminds Enrique, “Enrique, you’re the one who reached
out to me on Facebook about this show, so you started it.”
Enrique: “You didn’t have to take the offer, especially
since I’m a non-factor.”
David is struggling to argue back but says, “Every job has
assholes. You can’t avoid them forever.”
Enrique: “That’s true. But you also have the power to turn
me down. And you didn’t. And for 13 years, you’ve always needed me. So just own
it, David. Because it seems to me like you need this job more than it needs
you.”
David has glassy eyes and says to Enrique, "You’re a
real piece of work."
Enrique says with a sinister smile, "Sure, David. Let's
go with that. But remember this: you need me. You always have, for 13 years and
counting. I'm always gonna help you because no one else will, or you'd still be
struggling to find work in Compton. We wouldn't be caught dead being friends
with each other. But I'll always be the main man that you need, whether you
like it or not, Mr. Reza."
David looks defeated and just calmly says, "Okay,
fine."
Enrique, "Uh-huh. So, I'll leave you alone to think
about what I just said. God bless you."
David says nothing and stares down at the table, visibly
upset. And now you know why he doesn’t go to Enrique’s mixer later that same
episode. And it’s also why David mostly avoids Enrique for the rest of the
season, even though he just said and I quote, “Every job has assholes. You
can’t avoid them forever.” Walking contradiction, but I get it. David does not
have it in him talk to Enrique the way he would do Jason because… he's scared
of Enrique and sees him as superior and powerful (not that David will ever
admit that).
---
So, one of those unintentional detective moments of Rafa is
subtly revealed in Episode 5,
Rafa visits David in Sylmar and they eat at the Glenoaks Blvd,
a Sylmar-based El Tarasco Mexican Restaurant. As they’re eating, Rafa tells
David about what he noticed from going to Enrique’s mixer.
Rafa: I don't know if you noticed this yourself, since
you've met these people before I did. But last night when I was at the mixer, I
noticed that whenever I wasn't around the other guys in the cast, they didn't
seem like this close-knit group that they always claim to be. But as soon as
Jason started complaining about me talking to his husband, all of a sudden they
were talking like BFFs.
David: *wide-eyed and shocked* You don't think they're
close?
Rafa: No. I don't even think most of them care for each
other like that. At all. I mean, for sure, Jason and Enrique, they love each
other. They look out for each other. I really don't think that anyone likes
Estuardo. And Jason and his brother Alex are always gonna have each other's
backs. They have to. But as a unit, I don’t think these people would’ve
bothered to talk to each other if Jason wasn’t in their orbit.
David: Geez... *comes to a realization* wait a minute.
Rafa: What?
David: What about the other Alex? Alex Paredes?
Rafa: OH! Um... right. I don't think he and Enrique are
really close like that. Enrique brought him on the show because they’re both
Venezuelan, but I never see them interact. Ever.
David via confessional: Oh, man. I never actually noticed
this dynamic that the others got with each other. But if what Rafa’s saying is
true - and I betchu it is - that's bad look for those fools.
This conversation becomes very important when Rafa is being
ganged up on during the last fifteen minutes of Episode 17 (the season finale).
And throughout the season, whenever he IS around B&S, he studies these
people and watches their every move and body language.
--------------------------------
In Episode 5, David and Alastair are hanging out at Paxton
Park in Haddon Ave, Pacoima, and it’s the first time that they are seen without
Rafa. He had to go to school that day and train at , but it gave David and Alastair
time to get to know each other and pick each other’s brains. They both talk
about their Mexican backgrounds, with David being a child of immigrants, and
Alastair and his family being immigrants themselves. And we see that they both
love horror and action movies (so does Rafa), and are both very militant and
serious, even when they don’t mean to be.
-------------------------------------
Also in Episode 5, we see another trait from Rafa, that he
is a fighter. He is seen training at the Phenom Academy. And it’s another
example of Rafa feeling less claustrophobic when he’s outside the City of San
Fernando. “I learned Brazilian jiu-jitsu when I was 10 years old and still
living in Brazil. For self-defense, of course, and physical fitness. And I just
never stopped. My parents didn’t want me to learn martial arts initially
because to them, it was all about fighting, but I had to tell them that it’s all
about strength, confidence, respect, and connection,” Rafa says in his
confessional.
After his training is over for the day, Rafa hangs out with
his CSUN friend and future cast member Calvin Seabrooks. And after they leave
the El Super supermarket and head to Calvin’s Pacoima apartment to get dinner
started, Calvin asks him about the overall vibe of the rest of the cast, Rafa
says to Calvin, “They’re just, like, a little bit older than me, much more
conservative and judgmental, and I’m just this lame and boring little kid in
their eyes. Only one of them – David – is the sole exception and has been really
cool with me. And my best friend since high school – Alastair – has stepped
into the lion’s den uninvited,” both Rafa and Calvin chuckle at this and Rafa
continues, “So they both give me a reason to just get through this season, for
better or worse.” Calvin asks, “The rest of the group is that bad, though?” Rafa
says, “Yeah, and they’re not very open to me or even each other.” This takes
Calvin by surprise, “What? What do you mean, each other?” And Rafa, “Well, the
few times I’ve seen them, most of them don’t really interact much or even
acknowledge each other until they have a common enemy. I’m like, ‘Are they even
friends?’ I never feel this brotherhood when I see them. They don’t even get
out of San Fernando to see the rest of the valley!”
Calvin asks what a lot of us are wanting to know, “Were they
even raised in San Fernando?” And Rafa answers, “No. Just me. And it baffled
them how much I knew about San Fernando’s history and culture and lifestyle,
whereas they knew nothing about the City. They didn’t even know that Ritchie
Valens went to San Fernando High or the James’ Restaurant is a favorite amongst
locals.” Calvin says to Rafa, “Oof, if that ain’t transplant energy…” which
makes Rafa laugh out loud. And Rafa says, “To my knowledge, there was already a
lot of criticism that no one in the group was even 1% Mexican until David joined.
They’re either Venezuelan, Cuban, or Guatemalan, or in my case, Brazilian.
Like, I’m all for diversity, but I was the only one who acknowledged that San
Fernando is historically a Mexican city.” Calvin says to Rafa, “It seems to me
like you might have accidentally become the bridge between the non-Mexican old
guard and the new Mexican blood in David and Alastair.” Rafa’s listening and
says, “oh yeah?” Calvin: “Yeah, because you’ve been living in the area since
you were 13 and adapted to the culture and lifestyle of the Mexican and Chicano
community without ever losing yourself as a Brazilian.”
Rafa says, “Wow, I… I never thought of that. But I think you’re
right.” And Calvin jokes, “I’m always right, boo,” which makes both men laugh.
And Calvin asks, “Have they seen your ‘don’t make me mad’ side yet?” Rafa is
taken aback by that question but answers with a deep breath, “Yeah. They did.
After one of them called me worthless – and you’ll see who it was when you watch
the show – I had to let him and the rest of the cast know that I’m a nice guy
but I can also haunt them.” Calvin is stunned and says, “Oh Rafa! You did not
say that.” And Rafa says, “Oh, I did. And… I won’t take it back.” Calvin
chuckles and says, “Well they better not get on your nerves or nothing, I know
that.”
----------------------
About that Tidal Wave Trilogy...
ROUND ONE
Since Episode 1, there was always tension between Jason and
David over David's living situation. And in Episode 7, we find out from Rafa’s
brother Dominic during his talk with Rafa at the Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Park
that David claimed that he saw Jason with another man recently, and that Jason
was cheating on Christian with this man multiple times. There were already
rumors within the city’s gay community that Jason "got around" which
Jason denies and Christian doesn't believe (or at least to the viewers, he
doesn't WANT to believe), and when Jason finds out from Alex C that David was
making this latest accusation and spreading the word on Grindr, Jason is pissed
wants to kill David.
Accompanied by his brother Alex C, Jason confronts David who
is hanging out with Rafa and Alastair at Carrillo's Tortilleria, a major staple
restaurant in the City of San Fernando. Rafa and Alastair are already aware of
what David was saying, with Alastair saying to David, "Dude, you are
literally stepping into the lion's den." When Jason and Alex C show up
with Jason saying, "So I hear you been spreading lies about me,
bitch," David is blindsided by this but owns it by saying, "Yeah.
Yeah I did. And guess what I was doin' a lot of folks on Grindr a huge favor by
warning them about you." After denying that he cheats and gets around,
Jason deflects by accusing David of wanting him; "You're just doing this
because you wanted me and I rejected you." David's response: "I DON'T
WANT YOUR CRAZY ASS! WHAT THE HELL YOU TALKIN' ABOUT?!"
Jason says, “Oh really? You could've fooled me,” to which
David insists, "I CERTAINLY don't wanna be with a cheater, bruh. Ain't you
engaged?" Jason: "Yes, I am engaged, something that *you* will never
be!"
Rafa notices people staring at them, which makes him very
uncomfortable.
David hits a nerve when he says, "I'm surprised Chris
is even engaged with your smug smug ass. You don't even give a fuck about him,
man."
When Jason mutters, "You know what?" and walks
forward to David, both Rafa and Alastair try to calm both of them down, but
Alex C makes things worse by tag-teaming Jason. David shuts Alex C down real
quick by saying, "Yo, Alex. You ain't even in this, man. This is me and
him." Jason says, "Don't talk to my brother like that, you fuckin’
puto!” which warrants a gasp from Rafa. Jason continues to say, “At the end of
the day, this shit is your fault! You're the one spreading lies, you fuckin’
fraud!"
And as David says the one thing you should NEVER say:
"So you gon’ do something about it?!"
Jason happily DOES do something: while he is yelling to
David, "I WILL FUCKIN' DO SOMETHING, BITCH!" he throws Pepsi in
David's face, and throws the cup at his head.
And before Jason could actually put his hands on David -
because he really wanted to kick David’s ass at that point - Rafa and Alastair
block Jason, with Rafa shouting at Jason "WOAH WOAH WOAH" and
Alastair saying "HEY HEY HEY, OK OK OK", and a worn-out Jason says to
Alex C, "You know what, that actually felt good enough. I think we're done
here. Come on, Alex."
And as they're about to leave, David (who has barely
finished wiping his face) stands up and shouts to Jason, "BITCH, WHO THE
HELL DOES THAT?!" Jason turns around and says: "I DO, YOU FUCKIN’
FAGGOT!"
Alastair is in shock and says under his breath, "Oh my
God," and all Rafa can say is, "Wowww..."
ROUND TWO
After that crazy screaming match at Carrillo's Tortilleria,
Jason decides to get back at David by basically going on Instagram and Twitter
to BASH David and air out David's dirty laundry (aka make up shit about David),
at one point calling him a "lonely and desperate old bum," and even
threatening on IG to sue “the old hag” if he ever lies on him again. We find
all of this out on Episode 9, during which Jason is absent the whole episode.
But if one thing is true about David, it's that he was smart to screenrecord
opening the apps of IG and Twitter to open the threatening and disparaging
messages. Yes, he also took screenshots, but everyone does that. Almost no one
thinks to screenrecord, which is an even more effective. He's the reason why I
screenrecord to this day.
It's not until Episode 11 that David decides to confront
Jason about this once and for all. And this time, it's just the two of them in
person, no one else. Jason meets David at a picnic table at the San Fernando
Recreation Park and Aquatic Center, and does his usual, "Hey babe, how you
doing?" David doesn't play that shit, and he just cuts to the chase.
Jason: "Damn... why you look so pissed off? Someone
took your imaginary boyfriend?"
David: "I have a better question: when have I ever
attacked you online?"
Jason: "Well, lying on me via Grindr counts, as far as
I'm concerned."
David: "Well since then, have you been DM'ing me?"
Jason: "No."
David: "Have you been posting disparaging shit online
about me?"
Jason: "Nope."
David: "Well that's not according to what I have found
and kept as receipts."
Jason: *Annoyed and Confused* "Excuse me?"
David: "Yeah, that's right. I recorded and took
screenshots of everything you said to me, ya dumb bitch."
In his confessionals, Jason denies saying these vicious
things about David, even though it came from his ONLY IG and Twitter accounts.
He doesn't even try to say that someone else was using his account (which is
always a possibility, to be fair). So because he talks a lot of crap and lies A
LOT, it's easy to believe that it was him. Of course it was him, but he will
take that to his grave, honey! "Shame on him to think that I would do
that. Not that he doesn't deserve it. 😈 "
David: shows the printed receipts to Jason "I printed
everything you said to me, so you can save your lies for your minions! And by
the time this scene airs, you’ll already be exposed! EXPOSED, ya dumb
bitch!"
Jason: calm yet sinister and unbothered “I know what I said,
ya old hag. And now that I think about it, I just might sue you.”
Fans clocked that quote immediately and said, “Wait a
minute. Does that mean that you DID say those things about David, or not? WHICH
IS IT?!” Classic Jason – the Master of Confusion. And he does it so
effortlessly.
David: “Wha – so – what? What's the point of all this?! I’ve
never attacked you!”
Jason: “You did when you call me a cheater, dumbass!”
David: “You know what? You are wasting my time right now.”
Jason: “You wasted my time by existing! Why don’t you do
what you normally do and go hide behind Alastair and Rafa!”
David: "Well, let me tell you something: at least I
don't hide behind a keyboard or a cellphone! That's what you do! I deal with
problems head-on! THAT'S the fuckin' difference between me and you *throws his
water from a bottle at Jason's face * you stupid bitch! *Gets up from his seat
and shouts* TRY ME IF YOU WANT TO! TRY ME IF YOU FUCKING WANT TO! THIS HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH TV, YOU UNDERSTAND ME?! I WILL FUCKING TAKE YOU DOWN, BITCH!
ALRIGHT? JUST TRY ME! YOU’RE LUCKY I’M NOT GONNA SUE YOUR ASS, ‘CAUSE YOU AIN’T
GOT SHIT!"
Jason: *gets up from his seat, and nonchalantly says* “Well
hey, babe, I have way more than you ever will. And when you find out it’s not
me, then what? Whatchu gonna do?”
The fans yelled at their screens saying, “Jason, MAKE UP
YOUR MIND! Did you or did you not say those things about David?”
David: “You better stop with those mind games, man. You know
EXACTLY what you’re doing, okay?”
Jason: “Alright so whatchu gonna do? Call Rocky and them to
whoop my ass, Mr. “I’m from Compton”? I ain’t scared of you.”
David: “I AIN’T SCARED OF YOU! You da one who SHOULD be
scared!”
Jason: “Men from Compton don’t throw drinks, old man!”
David: “Alright, you know what? I’m done here. You can do
whatever the fuck you want. You are the biggest slut in San Fernando and
everyone knows it, okay? Even your own fucking fiancé no matter how much he
don't wanna believe it.” *walks away and mutters* “Fuck outta here with your
lies, boo.”
Jason: *dries his face off* “Whew. Well, that was a waste of
time. I wonder what my hubby’s up to right now.” *evil chuckle*
ROUND THREE
David and Jason would not stop throwing jabs at each other
at the reunion, which was thankfully only one part because the season had gone
on LONG ENOUGH.
David: “I ain’t even gonna talk to you no more, ‘cause you
are not worth a DAMN, honey.”
Jason: *talks to Enrique* “Mm-mm-mm, he’s gonna talk to me
again, just watch. Thirsty ass…”
David: “No, your whole *family* is thirsty.”
Jason: *chuckles to Enrique* I rest my case.
David: "That’s why your own brother wasn’t invited to
the reunion. Okay? Remember that. You're lucky that Christian’s even here at
all. Just pray to God that you’ll be back next season, okay?”
Jason: “I thought you said you were gonna stop talking to
me. Yet I contradict myself, right? Right?”
David shuts up after that, and gives the “talk to the hand”
signal.
Moments later, the cast is taking a break backstage when
Jason sneaks up behind David (who was minding his own business) and
deliberately spills a pitcher of water on his head, shocking David who now has
soaking wet clothes. He is livid, but decides FOR ONCE to just take the high
road and just get himself dried up and change into a spare pair of clothes
(same type of outfit) that he brought just in case. Child, at least he was
smart enough to do that. But after everyone sat back down on their seats, he did
say one more thing to Jason after getting redressed, “Watch your back, Jason.”
Lord, have mercy.
TIDAL WAVE VERDICT
So, did Jason win that Tidal Wave match? As much as I hate
to admit it… yes. He absolutely did.
However… he did NOT win by likability; he only won by
technicality.
Clearly Jason wanted it his way or the highway. Girl...
-----------------------------
After the second Tidal Wave incident, something miraculous
happens: Jason has been talking trash about Estuardo not having a backbone,
which baffles Estuardo; “I thought we were friends, Jason.”
At Enrique’hen Estuardo tries to talk to Rafa about this
situation in the Season Finale (Episode 17), Rafa’s response to him is, “And?”
Estuardo is basically like, “Excuse me, I’m trying to be nice here, you don’t
have to be an asshole.” Rafa’s response? “Well, what do you want me to say? You
*DON’T* have a backbone, and your entire existence is worthless. Now, go away.”
Oop! There goes that word “worthless” again! Normally, Rafa will listen to
reason, but he will NOT listen to anyone who disrespects him. And we will see
that, time and time again.
And Jason’s constant shit-talking about Estuardo causes
Estuardo to reach his boiling point with Jason early in the Season Finale
(Episode 17) when they along with Christian, Alex C, Alex P, Rafa, Alastair,
David, and Enrique are all hanging out at Enrique’s backyard. Even Christian
can't save Jason out if this one. But at least Jason's brother Alex Caceres
will always have Jason's back; Alex C never liked Estuardo anyway and he never
will.
And that’s Estuardo’s problem that nobody in the cast likes
him. NO. BAH. DEE. You kinda wanna feel bad for the guy, but then you're
immediately reminded of how nasty he is.
Estuardo: YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!
Jason: *talking over Estuardo* BABY, I AIN’T GOTTA MAKE
*NOBODY* MY PARROT; THAT’S ON YOU, BOO! FLY AWAY!
While the two are yelling over each other, Rafa accidentally
breaks the fourth wall when he rolls/crosses his eyes to the camera, pretty
much wanting to get out of there.
Rafa via confessional: I have had it up to here with this
group. They are so exhausting. I just want both of them shut up already. Today.
Estuardo: Be a man and tell what the fuck you said about me!
Talkin’ about I have no backbone?!
Jason: You don’t.
Estuardo: And I don’t think for myself?!
Jason: You don’t!
Estuardo: *Stands up and walks to Jason but is immediately
blocked by security* You never said it to my face! You don’t know who the fuck
you’re dealing with, bitch! *tries to fight off security while still yelling at
Jason who's calmly sitting down laughing at him* I WILL FUCK YOUR ASS UP, YOU
HEAR ME?!
Alastair via confessional: *trying not to laugh* Ohhh shit.
It’s about to go down now!
Estuardo: MOTHERFUCKER! I WILL FUCK YOUR ASS UP! *to the
security* GET THE FUCK OFF ME *to Jason* I WILL FUCK YOU UP, BITCH!
The rest of the cast and Christian get up and move out of
the way for their own safety
Rafa via confessional: *looks down on the floor and shakes
his head* I feel like an awful person. I wanna feel bad for Estuardo. But
they’re both horrible people, so… whatever.
Estuardo: YOU WERE LIKE A BROTHER TO ME, YOU STUPID BITCH!
*Jason walks back into the house unbothered as always* YOU’RE WHACK! YOU’RE
WACK AS FUCK, YOU FUCKIN’ BITCH! HOW FUCKIN’ DARE YOU?!
Jason via confessional: If Estuardo wants me to be his worst
nightmare, I will be that for him. Fuckin’ parrot. *evil laughs*
Estuardo: DO YOU KNOW HOW I FELT WHEN I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID?
HUH?!
Estuardo via confessional: I really thought that he was my
friend and would never do anything to hurt me. But when you are shamelessly
talking crap about me, that just shows me who you are.
Estuardo: HOW FUCKIN’ DARE YOU?! *to Christian* YOUR MAN’S A
FUCKIN’ DICK!
Christian: Why are you yelling at me? I don’t have anythi-
Estuardo: ‘CUZ THAT’S YOUR HUSBAND AND YOU HAD A LOTTA SHIT
TO SAY, TOO!
Christian: No I didn’t!
*everyone tries to break it up*
ESTUARDO: YES YOU DID, BITCH! YOU THINK I’M SCARED OF YOU?!
Christian: I don’t even know you like that! What is wrong
with you?!
ESTUARDO: You know what?
Christian: Have another drink Estuardo. I don’t have time
for your bullshit.
Rafa: *takes Christian out of the situation* Chris, come
with me.
David via confessional: Jason is a fake-ass bitch. And he
always will be. But Edgar – yeah, I said your government name. You ain’t no
better, okay. Grow some balls, and a backbone. And find Jesus on your way out.
*rolls eyes* Girl, bye.
Christian: *to Estuardo* DROP DEAD, ESTUARDO! DON’T YOU EVER
COME FOR ME!
*Estuardo tries to break free from security, but they won’t
let him go.*
Rafa via confessional: Who does Estuardo think he is? Trying
to get Christian involved, just because he’s Jason's husband? Like, dude, leave
him alone, and get over yourself.
*Rafa and Christian walk back into the kitchen*
Rafa: Chris, are you okay?
Christian: Oh, I’ll be fine… as soon as he *referring to
Estuardo* leaves.
Rafa: Luckily, the security’s way ahead of you, dude.
-----------------------------------
Later in Episode 17 couple of days after that meltdown from
Estuardo, the all mains (minus Estuardo) and friend-ofs are inside James'
Restaurant, a historic, family-owned diner in the City of San Fernando. What
could've been a brunch from Hell for Rafa was eye-opening for viewers. Jason
says in his confessional, “Rafa needs to make sure that everything is about
him. And once somebody says something he doesn’t agree with, he’s gonna play
the victim as per usual. He just has to control everything because he’s the
baby of the bunch.” Enrique immediately scolds Rafa for talking about the group
– “Rafa, you’re gonna stop playing with me right now. You know what you said
and what you’ve been doing. And you should be man enough to just stand up and
say it.” Rafa asks, “What, that I don’t like you guys? That’s not a secret.
Y’all started it by deciding not to like me, before you even met me. And none
of you listen to me anyway, so why should I talk to you?”
Enrique says in his confessional, “I can’t believe Rafa
would even have the balls to try to buck up. Like, bitch, you are nothing. If
you continue to talk crap about us, you will be sorry.”
Defending Rafa, Alastair says to Enrique, “Well you can’t be
saying that your group has an unbreakable brotherhood when there is none.”
Enrique quickly says, “No, I just don’t have a brotherhood with you, Rafa, or
David. And David asks Enrique, “Well are you ever gonna put the truth on the
table? Because the three of us see right through you guys.”
Alex P asks, “What the Hell are you even talking about,
David?” And Alex C says, “If anything, we see right through you, David! Why are
you constantly needing Enrique’s help anyway? Don’t you work?” David doesn’t
have an answer for that, but is caught off-guard with Alex C’s question.
Enrique says via confessional, “We're not getting anywhere
with Rafa. He’s not admitting to anything, he still hasn’t apologized to Jason
for talking to Christian behind his back. He never acknowledges Alex Paredes.
He's making everything about himself and always using Tweedledee and Tweedledum
[referring to David and Alastair] for validation. He's constantly talking shit
about us. 🤷🏾 You know? Like, just own your
shit so we can move on.”
Rafa calmly says to Enrique, “Look, I’m just doing what
you’ve done to me, and everyone else: talking behind your back. You’re not
gonna sit there and suddenly say that what I’m doing is wrong when you’ve been
doing the exact same thing and did it *first*--” At the same time, Enrique
talks over Rafa off by yelling, “RAFA! WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT US?!” Rafa gets
heated and says, “Will you stop cutting me off?! Stop talking!” And Alastair
says to Rafa, “No, just keep going, Rafa.”
Enrique says, “If you didn’t wanna have a problem with me,
you should’ve kept your fucking mouth shut.” Rafa shouts over Enrique, “No, let
me finish! Stop disrespecting me!” Enrique gets even louder when he says, “NO,
I’M NOT GONNA LET YOU FUCKING FINISH! IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA TELL US THE TRUTH,
YOU CAN JUST BE QUIET!
While Enrique is shouting, Rafa (who has had enough) yells
over Enrique by saying, "ALRIGHT YOU KNOW WHAT, ENRIQUE? DON'T TALK TO ME
LIKE THAT, OKAY? I'M GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR BIG-ASS MOUTH [bangs on
table very hard while he says, " BIG-ASS MOUTH!"]! SHUT UP!"
Everyone (even Enrique) jumped when Rafa banged on that table ("Oof, go
ahead Rafa!" - David via confessional), minus Alastair who says via
confessional, "Rafa had all that he could take. Enough is enough.” And a
stunned Enrique, who stopped talking after Rafa banged the table while yelling
“BIG-ASS MOUTH,” lets out a frustrated sigh and says, "Whatever. I've
nothing more to say to you. You win." In his confessional, Enrique says,
"Are you fucking kidding me? You're gonna attack me on my show? You are
lucky that I can’t spank you, little boy." Why did he say that? And then
Rafa says the truest following to all the bullies and snobs, "I'm sorry, I
know I'm new here, and my opinion doesn't matter to you guys, but I gotta say:
whatever dynamic you guys have with each other is SO fake, it's not even funny.
Y'ALL DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER! You guys talk so much shit about each other ALL
THE TIME! But then all of a sudden, you're one big happy family when I show up,
or when David shows up, or when Alastair shows up. But I'm the problem because
I'm 'boring,' I'm the 'nice guy,' I'm 'quiet,' I’m the ‘stupid little kid.’
MEANWHILE, Y'ALL ARE FULL OF SHIT! Get help." And with that, Rafa gets up
and leaves the restaurant, and Alastair and David leave with him. And the rest
of the table stays quiet...
Jason’s confessional is quite menacing, “Well kudos to Rafa
for finally standing up for himself... I guess. But if he thinks that Enrique
is gonna let him off the hook, then *bay-bay*... Rafa’s got another thing
coming, and I can’t wait to see what that is.”
Notice that Jason was quiet during that whole table scene.
He didn’t have to say anything.
----------------------
The last twenty minutes of the episode is all Rafa. He and
Zachary visit the Sylmar-based Monteverde Ranch Equestrian Center. Rafa had
been to the Ranch plenty of times to ride horses, and Zach (who is deathly
afraid of horses despite being a country kid himself) suggested that Rafa apply
for a job there. He figured that working
with horses would be a special and unique job for Rafa, something that he has
grown up familiar with. Being a horse-rider and farmer, Rafa manages to look
the part when visiting the stables to speak to the owner Antione Parker
(African-American), who’s seen and ridden with Rafa enough to know and remember
who he is, and is always happy to see Rafa. Zachary almost looked the part
himself, but didn’t wear mucking boots (not that it’s a requirement if you’re a
visitor), so you can imagine his embarrassment when he – while wearing sneakers
– accidentally stepped on manure. Hehe, poor Zachy. Rafa could not help himself
and started laughing at Zach’s accident. Anyway, they’re both given the tour in
and around the stables and Rafa is an awe of what he’s seeing and hearing, and
Zachary can tell that Rafa is most likely gonna apply. And we see him do just
that when he and Zach are hanging out at the stable’s lounge. To be continued,
as they say…
------------
Also, one thing that Rafa never points out is that the
Silvas seem to have a special gift of foreshadowing things. His mom Lorena
Silva once said to Rafa in Episode 2 that one day Rafa may have to do more than
just scold a future boss (“Querida, um dia você vai ter que fazer mais do que
apenas repreender um futuro chefe.” Lorena says in Episode 2). And in the same
episode, when Rafa revealed that six other people are already on the show – the
only time Rafa remembered that Alex Paredes exists – his dad Ricky Silva said
to Rafa, ““Filho, tem muita gente. Como você vai lembrar o nome de todo mundo?”
(which, in English, translates to, “Son, that’s a lot of people. How are you
going to remember everyone’s name?”) Heck, even Dominic’s concerns about David
were foreshadowing. Interestingly, Rafa's observation of the group
allegedly not liking each other (dating all the way back to the life coach
scene in Episode 2 when Rafa noticed that no one was speaking to each other)
and his suggestion that they get help is perhaps the most iconic foreshadowing
from Rafa himself. The drama that B&S had with each other occurs not once,
but a few times, and Rafa can either be present or omnipresent. What the Silvas
don’t realize is that certain predictions can end up painful and unforgivable,
especially for Rafa. They watch quietly, listen carefully, and notice
inconsistencies or tensions that others miss. This isn’t psychic ability — it’s
the kind of attentiveness that comes from living in a tight family unit where
reading the room (and each other) was necessary for harmony and survival.
Having moved from Belo Horizonte to San Fernando when Rafa was 13, the family
developed a heightened awareness of social dynamics, power imbalances, and how
environments can change people. They learned to anticipate problems before they
explode because they had to navigate culture shock, racism, and the pressure to
assimilate without losing themselves. Unlike many of the other families on the
show (especially the unseen Reza family or the obnoxious Caceres family), the
Silvas encourage open expression of feelings. They don’t shame vulnerability.
This creates space for honest conversations that often reveal underlying truths
early. When someone in the family says something offhand about the future, it
usually comes from a place of genuine care and pattern recognition rather than
gossip or drama. And it’s the type of dynamic that even Alastair was blessed to
experience between himself and Rafa after his traumatic time in the army.
The Silva family’s “gift/curse” of unintentional
foreshadowing feels deeply rooted in authentic Brazilian cultural values: sharp
pattern recognition, emotional attunement, strong family bonds, immigrant
pragmatism, and a blend of Catholic, folk, and relational wisdom that
emphasizes reading people and situations before they fully unfold. In Brazilian
culture, families — especially immigrant ones — often develop heightened
observational skills. Close-knit extended family life (where loyalty, mutual
support, and frequent interaction are central) trains people to notice subtle
shifts in mood, tension, or behavior. This isn’t magic; it’s practical survival
and care. Brazilians value warmth, affection, and living in the present, but
they also carry a cultural tendency toward intuitive understanding of social
dynamics, influenced by the country’s rich mix of Indigenous, African,
Portuguese, and folk traditions. Superstitions (like upside-down flip-flops
signaling death, knocking on wood to dispel bad omens, or avoiding certain
combinations like mango and milk) show a cultural comfort with signs and
patterns that hint at what’s coming. While the Silvas don’t lean heavily into
overt superstition on the show (it is a reality show, after all), their
foreshadowing echoes this broader Brazilian comfort with noticing “omens”
through everyday observation and emotional intelligence.
Brazilian families often prioritize collective well-being
and open expression of care. The Silvas talk honestly about worries. This
openness creates space for intuitive insights to surface naturally. They don’t
shame vulnerability; they express concern directly, which allows patterns to
become visible early. As a Brazilian immigrant family in San Fernando, the
Silvas learned to navigate cultural shifts, social hierarchies, and potential
conflicts. This heightens awareness of power imbalances and hidden tensions —
exactly what Rafa uses when he clocks the B&S crew’s fake unity or David’s
unpredictability. Immigrant families often develop a “read the room” skill to
protect each other, turning observation into a quiet form of foresight.
Brazilian culture blends affectionate relational focus with a grounded
acceptance of life’s complexities. The Silvas’ comments are caring but
realistic.
In Brazilian cultural context, this kind of intuitive wisdom
is a strength — it helps families stay connected and protective. But for Rafa,
it can feel like a curse when the predictions highlight painful truths that he
can’t always prevent or accept. The “haunt you forever” prophecy captures this
perfectly: his gentle, observant nature lingers with people because he sees
them clearly, even when doesn’t want to believe it. The Silva foreshadowing
grounds Rafa in something culturally authentic rather than contrived. It makes
his growth feel real — he inherits his family’s observant wisdom, refines it
through painful experiences, and uses it to set boundaries and protect his
peace. It’s never flashy or supernatural on the show (it’s a reality show,
after all). It’s just a Brazilian family being Brazilian: warm, watchful,
honest, and quietly wise. This cultural thread makes Rafa’s “nice guy who
haunts” energy feel even more layered and believable, never sociopathic. It
ties his personal growth to his heritage in a subtle, respectful way.
At the time that the show was airing, Rafa was aware that
viewers found him and his family to be rather superstitious, but he’s naturally
in denial about such a belief. He doesn’t even want to believe that he has any
gift/curse of any kind, nor does he want to believe his brother who worries
that David is trying to start trouble. But some even say that his father
"cursed" him with forgetting Alex Paredes once he doubted that Rafa
would remember everyone’s name. So, take your pick. 😆🙈
------------
Season 1 Reunion Seating Chart
At the reunion, the cast is seated from left to right as
follows: Alex Paredes in the fourth chair, Estuardo Alvizures in the third,
Enrique Sapene in the second, Jason Caceres-Lopez in the first, host Ross
Matthews in the center, then Rafael L. Silva in the first chair on the opposite
side, followed by David Ty Reza in the second and friend-of Alastair Patton in
the third. Alex Caceres is completely absent and does not participate.
The good thing about these reunions is that nobody has to
dress all fancy. They can just show up in whatever makes them comfortable.
Rafa shows up like a cute country boy, in sneakers 🤭😄.
David's all-black in a tank top, jeans, and converse. Alastair is wearing his
dog tags and has a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants. Estuardo has on a
Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts (uh, okay). Jason looks so preppy, like a gay
Zack Morris. Alex P clothes are a mess, as if he woke up hungover; even his
hair is a mess! And Enrique is wearing... a suit, making him the most
overdressed. It's almost like Enrique FORGOT that Ross Matthews was the host.
The reunion was something crazy.
A truly underrated moment is when Jason says to Rafa,
"You didn't like me calling you boring, did you? You are VERY exciting. I
swear."
Rafa: YOU'RE WHOLE FRIEND GROUP IS BORING. WHAT ARE YOU
TALKING ABOUT?! I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER... *points at Alex P*... THAT GUY'S NAME!
*Alastair and David burst out laughing, while Jason and Ross
Matthews cover their mouths, not wanting to chuckle.*
Alex: *annoyed* My name is Alex.
Rafa: ALEX WHAT? THERE’S TWO ALEXES!
Alex: *more annoyed* Alex Paredes!
Rafa: And there's another problem: you and Alex Caceres have
last names that sound *WAY* too similar.
Alex: *yells at Rafa* What do you want me to do, Rafael?
Change my last name.
Rafa: That would be helpful, thanks.
*Jason quietly chuckles and shakes his head*
Oh, Rafa.
--------------
Of course, Jason didn't get in trouble by production for
saying "puto," an anti-gay slur towards Mexicans. But in the reunion,
Rafa and Alastair call him out for it. Rafa doesn’t actually repeat the
word, refusing to do so because he’s not Mexican. But Alastair is more than
fine with telling Jason point blank, “You had absolutely no business saying
‘puto,’ period.” And David (who is tired of wasting his energy to Jason) says,
“You really think that you can call me a puto and get away with that?”
And Jason's excuse is, "Ugh, so what?! I'm Latin! Lots
of Latin people say the same shit and speak the same Spanish language. Who
cares? What, you gonna punish ALL OF US?"
Alastair says, "You *should* be punished for
existing," which gets an "OHHHH" from the audience.
Rafa says, "And Brazilians don't speak Spanish; I had
to learn it," and Jason says very lougly, "Oh, my God, Rafa, I GET
IT! You're Brazilian! You're not Mexican! You speak Portuguese! Now shut up
with that!"
Rafa hits him back with, "And *you* appropriate Mexican
culture despite being Cuban! Why is that you’re older than me, yet I’m *way*
smarter than you?"
And the audience lose it when Rafa says that!
I think at this point, Jason knows that he can't intimidate or
outsmart Rafa.
-------------
Another iconic moment during the reunion also came from
Rafa.
After David's "Watch your back" delivery to Jason,
Enrique brings up his disgust with Alastair’s "vanity title" insult,
leading to a debate of who's the real reason that the show exists.
Ross Matthews asks the cast, "Well is there anyone on
this stage who thinks they're the reason this show exists?"
Jason: Well I'm sure those 3 losers [*pointing to the 3
Amigos*] believe that they're the reason. But the truth is, *I'M* the reason
David: *to Jason* Well it ain't none of your so-called
friends [*pointing to Alex P, Enrique, and Estuardo*]. They brought nothing to
the show. *NUH.THING*.
Enrique: Well, I beg to differ. I created the show and
casted everybody in this stage. And if it wasn't for me, there would be no
Flaming Bros San Fernando, period.
Rafa: Um, you didn't cast me; I was scouted by a producer at
the San Fernando Mall.
David: I'll admit, Enrique, you brought me into the show,
but *only* because you offered it to me. But you don't even do shit on the
show."
Alastair: I just showed up uninvited, so... *the audience
laughs* ... it is what it is.
Rafa: And your name is not on our checks; *to Ross Matthews*
I brought one to show you if that's okay. *the audience is reacting out of
shock and amusement*
Rafa ends up showing the check to Ross, and Ross (without
the need to reveal who actually writes the check) confirms that Rafa and
Alastair's claim against Enrique is true.
Ooh, poor Enrique. 🤣😅😭 His
reaction to Rafa is just a death glare.
----------------------------------
Ross Matthews says to Rafa, “So, Rafa, you said that you
wanted to admit something to Jason during this reunion. Would you like to do
that now?” The rest of the cast is confused, but Rafa bravely says, “Yes.
Jason, since you’ve been wanting to know how I knew about your “sad-looking
country kid” comment, it should be obvious, but here it is: shortly after I was
casted on this show, a producer gave me a copy of Enrique’s sizzle reel, so I
saw *exactly* what you said about me. And just so you know, I also saw what –
or rather *who* – was left on the cutting room floor because of you.” The
“cutting room floor” revelation (which just SCREAMS “foreshadowing” to me)
causes the audience to go, “Oooooooh…” Rafa doesn’t say who the person is or
describe the person, but says, “Don’t worry. I can keep a secret, because my
job, unfortunately, is to protect you. But you need to start being honest.”
Jason says nothing, but is clearly shocked and embarrassed,
because he knows exactly what Rafa is talking about. The audience doesn’t know,
obviously, because they’ve never seen the sizzle reel. Unbeknownst to a shocked
David, who’s never seen the reel either (neither has Alastair), he *has* seen
this rejected person before.
Jason may have too much power, but he has absolutely nothing
on Rafa, and he knows it.
As for Rafa, he was a clear reminder of why nice guys haunt
villains forever. Unfortunately, karma is a bitch, and she comes for Rafa next
season, no thanks mainly to one Enrique.
------------
So yeah, already a jacked-up dynamic within our cast of
young queer Latinx men. And while the B&S team are insufferable, and David
is entertainingly a mixed bag, it's Rafa who is truly the most likable and
essential cast member of the bunch. And if I had to give a bully/snob any
credit for relevance, it would be Jason, without a doubt. At least he has an
interesting storyline for a villain, which is more than I can say about most
villains on this once-asinine show. But it ends up working against Jason (if David's
cheating accusation is any indication) and gets stale sooner than you think.
I know one thing: without the dynamic known at this point as
the "3 Amigos," especially Rafa, we would have no REAL reason to
watch Season 1 of Flaming Bros San Fernando ⛈️ (or FBSF⛈️).
They are the real stars this season. Jason is, too, but he’s just tolerable –
barely.
Many people have acknowledged that the show doesn’t have a
balance, and I agree.
And whether you thought Rafa was boring simply because he
wasn't a bitch, a baddie, or a bully, you cannot deny that the show got better
because of him. He took us into the world that is the City of San Fernando,
while the rest of the main cast just happened to live their (or live in Sylmar,
in David's case).
Even Alastair argues today that the show would've been
canceled after Season 1 had Rafa not joined, and had the show not been largely
told from Rafa's POV, especially as the season progressed. Yes, Enrique was the
first person we met on the Season Premiere, but Rafa closed the Season Finale.
Rafa may not fit the messy archetype, and he may want to be the lead, but lead
or not, he's what many trashy reality shows fail to have: a protagonist.
Also, the diversity within the cast in Season 1 (2015) was
still not perfect, but definitely better in comparison and contrast to that in
the Sizzle Reel (2013), especially with Rafa being that Brazilian bridge
between Enrique’s non-Mexican friend group and the Mexican cast members (David
& Alastair)
And poor Carlos Sapene didn't get a chance to at least be a
friend-of, but given how to show eventually turns out, I'd argue that maybe the
show was better off without Carlos. 🤭
Rafa being the unintentional tourist for the City of San
Fernando (simply by just being Rafa) is honestly the coolest and most adorable
thing ever. It introduced even a bunch of locals of Los Angeles and SFV to a
world that they had never noticed or heard of before Rafa's first appearance on
the show.
And the fact that B&S found Rafa boring, while
production found B&S boring is just absolutely amazing!
"Enrique's show," my tail!
