Selenas Biggest Problem Is That Its Not About Her

Selena’s Biggest Problem Is That It’s Not About Her

Netflix’s Selena series hasn’t been well-received, seemingly because it doesn’t primarily focus on the main subject. We break down the series’ flaws.

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Selenas Biggest Problem Is That Its Not About Her

Selena: The Series hasn’t been well-received by critics and streamers, seemingly because it doesn’t primarily focus on the main subject: Selena Quintanilla. Rather than providing audiences with an in-depth look at the late Mexican-American icon and Tejano superstar, the Netflix series anchors the narrative with a tale about Abraham Quintanilla, the subject’s father and manager. Unsurprisingly, many Selena fans aren’t pleased with the storytelling approach.

Starring Christian Serratos in the title role, Selena: The Series dedicates the first nine episodes to the subject’s formative years as a teenage performer. Just like the 1997 movie starring Jennifer Lopez, the storyline begins in Lake Jackson, Texas, as Abraham (Ricardo Chavira) learns that young Selena has an impressive singing voice. Mr. Quintanilla subsequently forms a family band that consists of his other children, A.B. (Gabriel Chavarria) and Suzette (Noemi Gonzalez). From there, the Netflix series follows the experiences of Selena y Los Dinos, from their humble beginning playing in backyards to their eventual recording contract with EMI. As a whole, Selena: The Series invests plenty of time depicting the Selena persona, but unfortunately offers little insight about the actual woman, at least aside from her interests in pop icons (Madonna, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul) and designing outfits.

Selena: The Series wisely establishes the appropriate context for the subject’s career though expositional sequences about Abraham’s influence. Whereas the 1997 movie dedicates an opening scene to Mr. Quintanilla’s early ’60s doo-wop group ( along with the racism that he experiences), the Netflix production centers on his managerial approach with his youngest daughter. For example, Abraham educates the Texas-born Selena about traditional Mexican music and emphasizes the importance of not only being able to sing in Spanish, but to perform in a manner that will resonate with native Mexicans. The first two episodes of Selena: The Series inform audiences about Abraham’s business acumen — along with A.B.’s musical talent as a producer (and his ability to connect with industry insiders) — but the narrative crucially stays locked on the male characters instead of veering away for a tighter focus on Selena.

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To be fair, Selena: The Series needed to invest an appropriate amount of time on Abraham and A.B.’s influence over Selena’s career. It’s beneficial for audiences to understand how the group’s sound was formed, and how they were able to progressively receive more and more opportunities through Abraham’s leadership. The problem, it seems, is that middle Netflix episodes chronicle the band’s road experiences and Selena’s rise without fully exploring the complexities of the primary subject. Incidentally, there’s little depth to Selena, the character, when she meets her future husband, Chris Pérez (Jesse Posey), in episode 6. Their PG conversations and bubblegum romance contrasts with the more edgy depiction in the 1997 movie, and the overall portrayal of Selena heavily differs from the layered explorations of her father Abraham and brother A.B.

A more transparent marketing approach would’ve benefitted Selena: The Series. Meaning, it would’ve been helpful for streamers to know from the start that it’s a two-part production, with the first nine episodes covering Selena’s career through 1990 — a full five years before her tragic death. From Netflix’s perspective, part 1 may have been designed as a primer that’s meant to spotlight Selena’s youthful innocence, all the while covering the essentials about her siblings and bandmates. In that case, it makes sense that Serratos delivers a restrained performance, at least when she’s not on stage. But therein lies the problem, as the actress clearly doesn’t match the energy and charisma of Lopez’s 1997 performance. As a result, the Netflix series inadvertently focuses on the primary male characters, Abraham and A.B, and their quest to realize their dreams.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/selena-netflix-abraham-story-problem/

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