Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel Season Finale Review – Perfect Storm (1×13)
Grand Hotel has been a blessing for summer television.
There hasn’t been a show nearly as twisted and addictive in the summer months as Eva Longoria’s telenovela-inspired series.
And the finale was further proof that it’s a series with staying power. It deserves a second season, and a third, and maybe even a fourth. It’s not a guilty pleasure, it’s just pleasure.
The finale wrapped up the mystery of what happened to Sky while simultaneously closing the chapter on Mr.P.
Before we were taken back to the night of the hurricane, and Sky’s disappearance, the episode started with Danny wielding a knife and holding Gigi hostage as Santiago axed his way through a locked door and proceeded to dangle the waiter off a balcony while shouting that he knows his true identity and won’t let him take his wife down with him.
Then, the episode backed it up to “earlier” in the day to show us exactly how Gigi, Danny, and Santiago got to this very, very dangerous and dramatic moment.
The “who-dun-it” mystery unfolded like an intensified game of Clue, and the fandom was playing!
First, Sherlock and Watson aka Danny and Alicia (who made a solid team and proved that together they can move mountains, or at the very least, crack murder mysteries) broke down the contents of that letter: Jason is Santiago’s son.
Alicia was upset her father never told her, but Danny quipped that it’s possible Santiago didn’t know.
And he was right — Santiago had no idea. He may dabble in some shady dealings when it comes to the hotel but at his core, Santiago is a good guy who’s core values include putting family first.
If he had known the truth, he’d never allow Jason to work for him or serve his family.
In fact, Santiago ignorance played right into the core mystery amplyifying the importance of keeping the secret.
As Gigi talked Santiago off of a cliff, err balcony, she explained that despite what she led him to believe, she didn’t kill Sky that night he found her a bloodied mess in the closet.
Santiago wondered why she’d let him believe that she committed such an atrocity, which is where Gigi explained that she was protecting him.
As Yoli revealed, Sky stole the letter she found in Gigi’s secret compartment in order to extort money from Gigi.
Gigi kept Beatriz’s suicide note hidden because she didn’t want Santiago to carry the guilt of knowing he was partially responsible for his wife’s death.
Was it her place? Definitely not. But I can’t fault her for wanting to absolve him of that weight during an already trying time. She thought she was doing what was best.
Keeping the secret gave her motive but not enough motive.
However, there were two other people who wanted to protect the secret more than she did.
There were plenty of scenes that tried to steer the audience in the wrong direction and into believing that Mrs. P, who knew about Sky stealing the letter, was behind the murder.
Mrs. P’s motive was also significantly stronger than Gigi’s; she didn’t want Malcolm, Jason, or Santiago to find out.
Even the scene where she’s feeding Malcolm ice and eerily states that “she’d do anything for family” alludes to her being the killer.
And that’s where the ultimate twist comes in.
Alicia and Danny arrive at the hospital and while Alicia confronts Mrs. P, the woman she thought was like a second mother when Beatriz died, Danny confronts Malcolm and blames him for killing Sky.
Since Malcolm is already on his death bed, he comes clean almost immediately.
He admits that he always had a sneaking suspicious Jason wasn’t his son, but overhearing Mrs. P and Gigi that night confirmed it.
When he realized Sky was threatening to tell Jason, he stopped her by bashing her over the head.
He tries to claim it was an accident, but Danny knows that Malcolm knew exactly what he was doing — protecting his family while destroying Danny’s.
The reveal is shocking, but it’s also a cop-out.
Malcolm was made the scapegoat because his cancer diagnosis allowed him to get off without suffering any real consequences.
He was already going to die so finding out that he’d done this horrible thing lessened the blow.
Danny chose to keep his secret because he believed karma had already done Malcolm justice, and he refused to hurt Jason, the only person who was willing to help Danny since day one.
If the series were to snag a second season, it’s likely Jason would eventually find out, but for now, he remains in the dark about his real father, which may be for the best as he mourns Malcolm.
While that mystery wrapped up, we were left with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger which may or may not be connected to the previous mystery.
Santiago couldn’t just live knowing Jason was his son without telling him.
He tried to convince Mrs. P to tell Jason and informed her he was going to come down to chat with her in person.
On his way down, he noticed that the power was out and suddenly, someone shot him in the chest.
As he lay there bleeding out, the credit rolled meaning that we were left in the dark about yet again questioning “who dun it.”
Now, there are a few murderous suspects right off the bat.
Mrs. P would do anything for her family and since she didn’t want Jason to know, she has motive. She also knew he was coming down and could have had Malcolm’s gun.
Then, there’s the second obvious suspect: Mateo.
After sleeping with Ingrid, Mateo left in the middle of the night to “make one last mistake.”
Not only is that statement ominous and suspicious, but there’s also motive behind it considering Santiago ousted Mateo from being a shareholder at the Riviera Grand.
Third on the list? Felix.
On the Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 12 review, I said that there has to be a reason for why Felix was brought back into the fold. He threatened to cause Santiago harm, and Carolina told Yoli he was on his way back to Miami after she told him that the girls were written into Santiago’s will.
Santiago amended the will after finding out Jason was his child so even if Mrs. P shot Santiago to keep the truth from Jason, he’d be curious as to why he was included in the inheritance in the first place.
Carolina also has motive since she wanted Santiago’s money, though. I don’t think she has it in her to kill just to buy some new dresses.
Last on the list is Gigi who got the cold shoulder from Santiago after the funeral when he told her he’s not sure how they’re going to move past her lying.
And he’s right — Gigi is a damn hypocrite. She made such a stink about him keeping secrets from her when she kept this massive thing to herself. Santiago has every right to be mad and bitter about it.
Who do you think pulled the trigger?
Ending on such a cliffhanger is the show’s way of remaining optimistic for a second season from ABC.
And look, I say shoot your shot, no pun intended.
ABC has seen the overwhelming support from fans for this series. As I said, it’s better than half the programming on television nowadays. And if they get a decent bump from DVR viewership, it may be enough to convince them to give the people what they want. (Also – they need to consider the fact that two weeks ago, programming was uprooted for hurricane coverage resulting in low ratings (it’s necessary but still needs to be noted), and this week, plenty of folks didn’t get the broadcast because of football. If ratings are what ABC uses to gauge the success of a show, it needs to take every little inconvenience into account. Sadly, Grand Hotel was the subject of many programming snafus beyond its control.
Now, back to the review:
It’s unfortunate that Danny wasn’t able to get more peace of mind.
His whole mission was to find out what happened to his sister and even though he did, he wasn’t able to get any revenge.
The truth didn’t make him feel any better, it didn’t change anything, and if he stays in Miami to be with Alicia, which it seems like he will, he’ll be reminded of what happened every single day.
Plus, now he has to sit there and lie to one of his best friends about it. Did you see all of their faces in the crowd during Jason’s speech about his father?
I just wish there was a bigger moment with Danny’s storyline at the end than just being content with getting the girl.
It would have been an epic twist if Sky was still alive. In all honesty, they never showed a body nor did they reveal how they got rid of Sky. It may be far-fetched, but could she be alive? This is a telenovela after all.
Other Riviera Grand Musings
- Javi slept with Roxanne, who turned out to be Ingrid’s mother. There were plenty of breadcrumbs that foreshadowed the reveal, so it wasn’t as shocking as it should have been (Ingrid admitting she’s dealt with addicts before just as Roxanne, an addict who didn’t take her sobriety too seriously was introduced, Ingrid calling Mrs. P the perfect mom (which had a double meaning in this case.)
- This new relationship is worrisome because aside from being disturbing, Roxanne is a terrible influence on Javi as she’s lying about her own sobriety and seemingly trying to take him down a destructive path. He doesn’t need that in his life. It may have been a secondary twist, but it also raises the question of why she’s here and what she wants. She seemed to target Javi, so this cannot just be about sex.
- Wasn’t it convenient that the front desk found the phone right as Danny was getting closer and closer to the truth? And then it had the whole exchange between Gigi and Sky recorded. Why didn’t Sky send it immediately? How was the phone not dead? None of this matters but inconsistencies or situations that are flat out contrived and unbelievable are frustrating.
What did you think of the finale?
Does it deserve a second season?
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With The Bachelor taking a hiatus (well, until their spinoff Listen to Your Heart premieres in April), you need to fill that reality TV dating void in your heart with some shows that are equally as hot and steamy.
While there are plenty of choices to make from the Bachelor franchise, if you’re looking to shake things up the same way Peter Weber did on his season, we suggest these shows!
What/If
Young scientist Lisa is strapped for cash and needs it to fund a life-changing project when Anne Montgomery (Oscar-winner Renée Zelwegger) approaches her with an offer she can’t refuse: one night alone with her husband. The only condition: she cannot ask what happened.
Grand Hotel
The telenovela lasted only one season before ABC canceled it, but it was a sizzlin’ drama focused on a forbidden love story and a who-dun-it murder mystery. Two of our favorite things.
Younger
Liza, a 40-year-old single-mom struggles to re-enter the working world. But when she meets a 26-year-old guy who believes she’s his age, it all becomes so clear as she fakes her age, gets a publishing job, and gets a second shot at her crazy 20s… that is until people start figuring out her secret that she’s trying desperately to protect.
The Bold Type
Fashion meets sex on The Bold Type. Three besties — Kat, Sutton, and Jane — are living their best lives in New York City and working for a fashion magazine, Scarlett. As they “push the envelope” in their career, they’re also doing it in their daily life as they find themselves, have plenty of sexual experiences, and learn how to be comfortable in their own bodies while feeling as lost as most millennials do.
Good Girls
Sisters Beth and Annie and best friend Ruby get fed up with playing by the rules and constantly losing, so they get a crazy idea to rob a grocery store. One illegal decision suddenly lands them in hot water and starts a dangerous life of crime and even a crime of passion with one sexy “gang friend.”
The Affair
The series explores the emotional and psychological effects of two affairs. Newlyweds Alison and Cole are experiencing problems in their marriage and she finds solace in the arms of Noah, a teacher vacationing at his in-laws’ Hamptons estate with his family. What starts off as a summer affair quickly becomes much more complicated.
True Blood
Described as the “adult Twilight” and the more intense version of The Vampire Diaries when it first came out, Sookie Stackhouse, an oddball at school who can read minds, falls for a 173-year-old vampire named Bill Compton. Bill and his vamp clique have joined the land of the living after a new synthetic blood allows vampires to survive without human blood. Sex, lust, and bloodlust all fuel this HBO series.
Elite
A private school in Spain becomes the scene of a murder brought on by a clash between the rich and the poor. The murder mystery begins as no one knows who’s responsible, and there’s a lot of sexual tension between the good looking students that leads the storyline.
Reality TV Shows
Love Island
In the same vein as many other dating reality shows, Love Island brings together a cast of hot singles ready for love and romance that’s fueled on by warm weather on the island and a grand prize of £50,00o.
Married at First Sight
The title of the series is pretty self-explanatory, but in the case that it needs to be explained, a group of strangers looking for love get married to a complete stranger the first time they lay eyes on him/her. They’re paired up with the help of a spiritualist, a relationship coach, and a sociologist who use “scientific matchmaking methods.” The remainder of the season documents their honeymoon and life after marriage. Following several weeks, the couple gets the option of staying together or splitting up.
Are You The One?
Love is Blind
The Netflix series is a new kind of dating experiment that finds strangers meeting via cubes and falling in love without ever seeing each other. The whole idea is to remove looks from the equation and find your soulmate based on connection alone. If finding someone you vibe with is successful in the pods, the couples get engaged, have a honeymoon in Mexico, and walk down the aisle a few weeks later. Who will say yes? And who will walk away?
A perfect storm is brewing on Grand Hotel’s season finale as the mystery of Sky’s disappearance unravels and we get closer to figuring out “who dun it.”
ABC released a sneak peek of Monday’s episode, which shows the Parker family at the hospital following Mr. P’s stroke.
While the minute-long seems innocent at first, there’s a lot to be said in the context of Grand Hotel Episode 12’s jaw-dropping revelation.
Ingrid pays the Parker’s a visit at the hospital and brings muffins and coffee to lighten the mood.
It would have been a nice gesture if not for Jason’s smoking girlfriend, Vanessa, who flew into town to take care of the family and brought a massive food spread of all of Malcom’s favorite things.
Ingrid leaves in a hurry feeling slightly stupid, but Mrs. P stops her in the hallway to thank her for the nice gesture.
Ingrid makes a comment about Mrs. P being the “perfect mom,” which doesn’t sit well with the matriarch.
Mrs. P wasn’t Ingrid’s biggest fan in the beginning and didn’t want Jason to fall for her.
And she had good reasons; Ingrid lied to Javi and told him he was the father of her unborn child because she wanted his money.
But after Ingrid’s world came crashing down and she miscarried Mateo’s child, Mrs. P gained a soft spot for the maid.
After it was revealed that she had an affair with her boss, Santiago, 15-years-ago and lied to Mr. P about Jason being his child, you could say she even saw a little of herself in Ingrid.
I guess there’s more in common between Mrs. P and Ingrid than we previously thought.
Mrs. P’s reasons for keeping the affair and Jason’s paternity a secret for so long may have been for better reasons — she wasn’t a gold digger — but it also proves that she of all people understands Ingrid’s desperation.
Now that Mr. P is terminally ill, will Mrs. P come clean and tell him the truth about their son?
Check out the clip below and catch the season finale on Monday, September 9.
Give me a minute as I pick up my jaw from the ground.
Okay, I’m ready.
I’ve been sifting through a few theories as the Grand Hotel finale nears that even included Sky and Danny being revealed as Beatriz or Santiago’s illegitimate children.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
Danny and Alicia’s relationship may have been on the rocks the last few episodes, but at least they aren’t half-siblings.
The Riviera Grand doesn’t need a case of incest on top of everything else.
However, there was a shocking paternity revelation that took the storyline in a new direction and unveiled plenty of Beatriz and Santiago’s secrets.
Alicia and Javier, who make a way better detective duo than Danny and Ayala, quicky pieced together that their Mami didn’t die from a cardiac arrest. Shocking, I know.
Even more shocking is the fact that the secret has been kept for so long considering the hotel doctor sang like a canary almost immediately after being confronted.
Maybe she’s just tired of bending the rules for the Mendoza’s?
Santiago confirmed what we believed to be true — Beatriz wasn’t an addict, she was mentally ill.
Beatriz was diagnosed with bipolar disorder which explained her mysterious “business trips,” Alicia’s terrifying memory of her mother being held captive in room 606, and Beatriz’s reckless behavior like allowing a teenage Javi to drink a bottle of alcohol or buying Alicia an expensive car before she even got her license.
Dealing with bipolar proved to be a learning curve for both Santiago and his wife, but with medication and therapy, they made it work.
Unfortunately, therapy is also where Santiago admitted that he had an affair, one that Beatriz just couldn’t get over.
Now, the obvious guess is that Santiago and Gigi were hooking up while Beatriz was still alive, but that seems to be the one thing they didn’t lie about.
In a shocking twist, or maybe not so shocking if you’ve picked up on Santiago’s “your family” comments, the affair happened with none other than Mrs. P.
After Beatriz became jealous of Santiago’s close relationship with Gigi, she learned the truth from Mrs. P and in feeling low, decided to take her own life.
In her suicide note, Beatriz explained that she couldn’t get over the affair and wanted Santiago to have a relationship with his son, Jason.
They’re just throwing twist after twist at us.
Imagine how happy Ingrid will be when she finds out!
Beatriz unintentionally took the secret to the grave because Gigi found the note before Santiago and kept it all these years.
There are a few reasons why Gigi kept the truth to herself, but I think it boils down to her not wanting Santiago to carry the guilt of his wife’s death or hoping that wouldn’t have to pay Jason any money if he didn’t know.
But she’s not the only one keeping this massive secret.
It doesn’t seem like Santiago knows the truth about Jason, which means that Mrs. P has been withholding the information this whole time.
She never even told him the reason why Beatriz might have done it though, I’m sure she speculated that finding out about Jason had something to do with it.
It’s likely Gigi was looking for this very note when she found out that Yoli and Sky were using room 606 as their secret hook-up room, but how did Sky get her hands on it in the first place?
Why would Gigi leave it laying around room 606?
And none of this explains Sky’s connection to Beatriz or the Mendoza family.
Right now, it seems like Sky found out the truth about Beatriz’s suicide and Jason’s real father and called Danny to tell him.
But why would he care about a bunch of people he’s never met?
And why was she so invested in cracking this mystery?
Unless Jason isn’t telling Danny the whole truth about his relationship with Sky.
Then, of course, there’s the mystery of what happened to her that night, which is beginning to play out via Mateo’s blackmailing of Santiago.
Santiago assumed that getting rid of Theresa meant he could get rid of Mateo, but everyone seems to want a piece of the hotel nowadays.
Gigi wants Santiago to amend his will to include both Yoli and Carolina.
Now, Mateo wants a 50/50 stake in the hotel or he’s threatening to broadcast footage of what happened the night Sky disappeared.
Based on the brief footage Santiago looked over, Gigi was caught returning to the hotel all bloodied and distraught.
Whatever happened to her out there in the storm, it really took a toll on her emotionally.
Naturally, it’s being set up as Gigi murdered Sky, but the promo for the season finale teases that nothing is what we think it is.
Therefore, Gigi most likely witnessed something or tried to help Sky.
It would be too obvious for Mateo to be the killer, so I’m going to guess Felix is somehow involved.
There’s no reason for the series to bring him back into the fold only to keep him as a distant threat.
Or who knows, maybe Mrs. P realized Sky knew too much and took care of her before she exposed the truth and destroyed her whole family.
What do you think happened to Sky?
Alicia was willing to smooth things over with Danny only after learning the truth about her mother.
She finally understood what it was like to be kept in the dark and want some closure.
But how will she react knowing that Jason is her half-brother?
And that her father is essentially to blame for her mother’s death?
After learning about Mrs. P’s infidelity, it’s a bit difficult to feel sorry for her.
Yes, she had a miscarriage and was in a low place when she had a lapse in judgment and slept with Santiago, but as mentioned before, she kept it a secret and lied to everyone all these years.
The truth is bound to come out now and with Malcolm’s cancer spreading to his brain, it’s the worst time possible.
I know Danny’s all about transparency, but Jason should spend time with Malcolm, the man he always looked at as his father, not dragged into all the Mendoza drama.
What did you think of the penultimate episode of Grand Hotel?
Do you think there’s a chance Beatriz is alive?
How was Sky connected to Beatriz?
Other Grand Musings
- Carolina and Byron’s storyline is pointless. We didn’t care the first time around, and we surely don’t care this time, either. Carolina proved to be nothing more than materialistic when she told Bryon she couldn’t marry him after she found out his parents cut him off. It was an obvious character test, and she failed spectacularly. It seemed to be all set up just to give Gigi a reason to ask Santiago to treat her daughter’s as his own and put them in his will.
- There were so many holes in the “power outage” explanation, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Wouldn’t the workers call bluff considering they’d know there wasn’t a power outage? Or any of the few hundred hotel guests?
- Javi and Alicia were careless in finding out what happened to their mother. If they assumed it wasn’t a cardiac arrest and found out their father paid off a doctor to lie about what happened, why weren’t they more cautious of asking him for the truth?
Considering much of the mystery has already unfolded and we’ll likely find out what happened to Sky in the finale, I don’t see how Grand Hotel plans to score a second season.
Then again, there’s always twists aplenty in a telenovela.
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