The Baker and the Beauty
The Baker and the Beauty Season Finale – Natalie’s Quinceanera, [SPOILER] Is Engaged! (1×08 and 1×09)
Much like Noa and Daniel’s whole relationship, The Baker and The Beauty Season 1 Episode 8 and The Baker and the Beauty Season 1 Episode 9 were a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish.
I can’t even begin to count how many times I picked my jaw up off the floor, which is great from a storytelling perspective, and it’s wonderful for the audience. But when it comes to writing a review, it’s the very reason why I’m not fond of two-hour finales.
The action is so fast-paced that it’s difficult to give each moment the attention it deserves.
The one thing that stands true is that Noa and Daniel’s relationship is hot-and-cold. They wanted to be together, but it was a struggle for them to admit it because they kept allowing external factors — differing lifestyles, ex-lovers, and whether or not they matched — to influence their decisions.
You’ll recall that at the end of The Baker and the Beauty Season 1 Episode 7, Noa broke up with Daniel because she felt like the universe was against them, but we knew it wasn’t permanently over.
When you have two people whose lifestyles are so fundamentally different, it can become tricky to find a way to make their paths organically cross again. It’s not like they run in the same circles or frequent the same restaurants and bars.
However, the series achieved it by forcing Daniel and Noa back into each other’s orbits through Natalie’s quince. The youngest and best Garcia reached out to Noa for help throwing the party when the family ran into financial troubles and threatened to cancel it. Natalie also believed it was the one event that could save her family from falling apart.
Daniel and Noa’s meeting in the men’s bathroom may have been accidental, but nothing about the way their relationship progressed on the series was.
Every fiber of their relationship was intentional, and yet, the series still found a way to make it feel spontaneous and unexpected each time they ripped the rug out from under them.
Even when it seemed like things were back on track at the quince, Daniel decided to walk away from the relationship.
Honesty is hard in a relationship, and while these two may have stumbled (a lot), they’ve always been upfront with each other.
In this case, the short break from Noa helped Daniel realize that he didn’t want to be hounded by the paparazzi anymore.
Daniel has never been one to take a leap of faith, and thus, much of his decision was influenced by his commitment to his family and the desire for things to stay the same.
Life is funny like that sometimes. The more you want things to stay the same, the more they change. The comfort zone is dangerous because it limits you and hinders your growth and opportunities. In order to grow and find true happiness, you have to step out of your comfort zone.
So, it wasn’t long before Daniel regretted his decision to turn down Noa because, whether he liked it or not, things were changing, as Thomas Gold, the famous food reviewer, offered him a job, and his family was considering an offer to sell the bakery.
It wouldn’t be a rom-com if it didn’t pull the lovers away from each other with classic run-of-the-mill plots like Daniel seeing Noa with an ex and jumping to conclusions that it was more than just a friendly hug.
By the time Lewis talked some sense into Daniel, Noa was on her way to Morocco to find herself and move on.
We always point out that rom-coms are predictable and cheesy, and while that’s true, if they’re done right and the build-up has been compelling, we don’t mind.
And that’s the case for The Baker and the Beauty.
Daniel and Lewis ran through a whole airport barefoot (did anyone else cringe at the thought of that happening now with the coronavirus pandemic?) to get the girl only for the gate to close the moment they got there.
Also, in my The Baker and the Beauty Season 1 Episode 1 review, I mentioned that I had high hopes for Dan Bucatinsky’s character because he’s a true talent, and boy, I was not disappointed.
Lewis’ witty one-liners and general indifference, which masked the fact that he cares a whole lot and is a teddy bear on the inside, was the show’s secret power. And watching him run through an airport shouting things like “coming through, stupid guy in love” or “we don’t look suspicious at all” was one of the finale highlights.
His love for Noa knows no bounds, and despite his distaste for “Baker Boy,” he helped him because he knew it would make her happy.
Read the full review at TV Fanatic!
The Baker and the Beauty
‘The Baker and the Beauty’ Fails to Find a New Home After Getting Cancelled by ABC
We have some sad news for The Baker and the Beauty fans — despite petitions and pleas from the cast and crew to give the series another chance, the ABC series has failed to find a new home.
According to TV Line, efforts to save the rom-com drama by getting it picked up by another, more appropriate network including Netflix, Peacock, and Prime Video were unsuccessful.
Upon the show’s cancellation, the show’s leading lady, Nathalie Kelley (Noa Hamilton) explained that the decision to cancel the series was “tone deaf” during a time “when the public is marching in the streets demanding representation and diversity.”
Lisa Vidal, who plays Daniel’s mother Mari, took to Instagram to emphasize how much a show with a mostly Latinx cast is necessary. “There are over 500 television shows on air, and ZERO latino shows on network TV right now, and only a handful on streaming. The Baker and the beauty is a well written diverse show about a Latin family preppers denting our Latino culture in a positive light. It pretty much is for every family to watch,” she wrote.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBgr61YHV2U/?utm_source=ig_embed
The series found love in a hopeless place as Daniel, a baker working at his families Cuban bakery, struck up an unlikely romance with Noa, a very famous model-turned-fashion mogul, that turned their worlds upside-down.
Season 1 concluded with a two-hour finale in June, but instead of offering resolutions, it provided fans with some huge cliffhangers: Daniel and Noa got back together and engaged, Daniel’s brother, Mateo, confessed to having feelings for Daniel’s ex, Vanessa, and the family contemplated selling the bakery.
The least a network could do is renew the series for one more season to give it a proper ending!
The series was cancelled due to low-ratings, but in its short run, it built up a dedicated fan base and proved that it was a summer romance that deserved a second shot.
Relive the great moments by reading our reviews of the first season of The Baker and the Beauty here.
The Baker and the Beauty
Nathalie Kelley Releases Statement Calling Out ABC for ‘The Beauty and the Baker’ Cancellation
Fans aren’t the only ones upset about the cancellation of The Baker and the Beauty.
Nathalie Kelley, who stars as lead Noa Hamilton, released a statement about ABC’s decision to cancel a show centered around a solely Latinx family after one season.
Earlier in the week, the cast took to social media to share their thoughts about the network’s decision stating that they are shopping around the series to the “right” network.
The series was canceled after one season just like Eva Longoria’s Latinx-focused series Grand Hotel last summer.
Read Nathalie Kelley’s full statement below:
Now more than ever, the world is waking up to the importance of diversity and representation on our televisions. We want networks to commit wholeheartedly to ensuring that BIPOC, LATINX and LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized groups, get a chance to tell our stories. Baker and The Beauty was a show that embodied the themes of unity, empathy, and compassion, all of which are so needed in our national discourse right now.
For years, Latinx stories were limited to drug cartels, maids and the ‘spicy latina’ sex object. I credit ABC for letting us tell the story of a loving, wholesome and hilarious Cuban-American family on network TV. I praise them for allowing the youngest daughter Natalie’s LGBTQ storyline be central to our show. I am also forever grateful to them for casting me, an Indigenous woman, as the lead female role. Noa Hamilton was not written for a woman of color, but they cast me anyway. And I could not be prouder of what we all did and the show we created.
These stories create empathy, and there is nothing that we need more in these times than unity, empathy and compassion. That is why it was especially sad to not see them follow through on their support for our beloved series. Nevertheless I remain hopeful that there is a platform out there that will jump on the opportunity to give this show a new home. A chance to send a meaningful message to our communities that they hear our passion, our voices coming from our streets, demanding visibility and justice. The Baker and the Beauty is a beautiful show, one that means so much to so many people. It’s full of love, laughter, inspiration, and comfort. And I cannot think of anything more necessary during these times.
Sincerely,
Nathalie Kelley
You can sign RIGHT HERE petition now.
Karey Burke, president of ABC Entertainment, told Deadline that ratings were “primarily” the reason for the cancellation.
The Baker and the Beauty
Save ‘The Baker and the Beauty’: Nathalie Kelley, Eva Longoria Support Petition to Renew the Show for Season 2
Eva Longoria took to Instagram to share how upset she is about another Latino-focused series getting the boot from ABC.
The network cancelled The Baker and the Beauty after just one season earlier this week.
The series, adapted from an Israeli show, focuses on a Latino family, the Garcia’s, as they navigate their sons new relationship with Hollywood fashion mogul, Noa Hamilton (played by Nathalie Kelley).
‘The Baker and the Beauty’ Canceled After Season 1 at ABC But Might Find ‘Right Home’
The first show centered around a Latino family was Longoria’s summer drama Grand Hotel, which was pulled after one season.
“This is bad news for the Latino community! Why doesn’t @abcnetwork give it more of a chance for our gente to find the show?! And “gente” where are you guys? Show up and get loud. Representation matters on television! This was a sweet show about a good family! And one of the only Latino shows out there! We need this show to find another home! Show your support with the hashtags below and let’s flex our community power! ✊🏽✊🏽,” she wrote on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBhM-sfplgw/
The cast, including Kelley and Lisa Vidal, shared that they are hopeful the series will get picked up by a network that’s more fitting.
“There are over 500 television shows on air, and ZERO latino shows on network TV right now, and only a handful on streaming. The Baker and the beauty is a well written diverse show about a Latin family preppers denting our Latino culture in a positive light. It pretty much is for every family to watch. It would be tragic if this show just disappears at a time when the diversity issue in our country is front and center. When the lack of inclusion is at an all time high as well. We have two weeks to find a new home for our beautiful show the Baker and the Beauty…. please help support us and bring attention in anyway you can to help us save our show… we love you guys and we are grateful for you,” Vidal wrote.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBgr61YHV2U/
Kelley shared a petition on Change.org to save the series. It’s amassed more than 25,000 signatures overnight.
Kelley acknowledged that the show was an underdog, didn’t have the right amount of promotion from the network, and wasn’t supported as much as it should be by the Latino community.
“From the beginning we were the underdog. Nobody expected we would get picked up, everyone was surprised when we got great reviews. While many of our Latin community did show their support for the show, the majority didn’t (You know who you are. Sadly jealousy in our community is a real issue but that’s what happens when your people have never been given a seat at the table) There wasn’t much network support or enough advertising, yet we persevered, promoted the show on our own, organized campaigns, watching parties, saw a ratings bump for our finale – but it was still not enough and now we’re in the position of having to fight for the survival of our show. I now know how most Latinos in this country feel – made to do all the hard work and still overlooked! And this is despite universally positive reviews and a fan base that is more engaged than anything any of us has worked on. I won’t say anything negative here about the network that was gracious enough to put us on the air. I want to find another home with a platform that understands the need for a show like this right now,” she wrote.”
If you’re a fan of the series, you can sign the petition right here! Also share it on socials with the hashtag #savethebakerandthebeauty.
I initially imagine the show would be a summer fling that lasts once the cool breeze begins floating in, but I was wrong, The show had heart, it made Miami a character, it gaves us diversity, it broke down stereotypes; it was a summer fling that was meant to last more than one season.
So, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, someone — STEP UP!
You can read all our The Baker and the Beauty reviews right here.
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