Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Where the Sun Don't Shine
Meaghan Frey
at
.
On Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 7, things were crumbling down around the employees of The Riviera Grand, and it wasn't just The Finn's balcony.
In life, every action has a consequence, whether it be something small, or a ripple effect that is felt by everyone around you.
Will Javi be the ultimate victim of these consequences? Read on through our review to find out who's actions Javi paid the price for.
The war between the Rivieria Grand and The Finn was heating up on Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 7.
With each new blow the hotels dealt each other, it became more and more clear that things were not going to end pretty for either business.
Luring patrons away with free booze was one thing, but stealing an artist who was under contract away is another.
Finn is a shark, and there is no honor in the business that he conducts.
Even though The Riviera Grand is a sinking ship, Finn knows that he can't beat them unless he becomes them. That is why he is poaching their best employees and stealing El Rey.
The Finn may be new and shiny, but there is a reason that The Riviera Grand has lasted as long as it has.
Related: Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Love Thy Neighbor
It's easy to see how Santiago could have stooped to asking Mateo for help, but after what happened with Nelson, you would have thought Santiago would know better.
As the season goes on it becomes evident how evil Mateo truly is.
When he killed Nelson, I wrote it off as maybe the secret was big enough that murder felt necessary to protect it. However, being willing to kill innocent people to hurt a rival hotel? That is to a whole new extreme.
The worst part is, none of it even seems to phase him. He goes on with his daily business as if nothing ever happened. Somebody needs to find this man Jiminy Cricket because right now, his conscious does not exist.
The fact that Javi will have to suffer even more from Mateo's poor decisions is just the icing on the cake.
If Mateo had manned up when Ingrid told him she was pregnant, Javi never would have been dragged into the mess he is in. Instead, Mateo took the cowards way out, and Ingrid felt backed into a corner and needed a way out.
Related: Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 5 Review: You've Got Blackmail
I am in no way justifying what Ingrid did to Javi, but Mateo was a contributing factor that can't be ignored.
Now because of another one of Mateo's choices, Javi may not surive.
Bryan Craig did an outstanding job portraying Javi's downward spiral on Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 7.
Javi threw his heart and soul into the idea of becoming a father. The fact that it was all a lie was devastating to him, even if he couldn't admit it to himself.
Who's your daddy? It's not me. I'm nobody's daddy.
Javi
Watching Javi cover up his pain with booze was like a car wreck you just couldn't look away from.
Related: Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 4 Review: The Big Sickout
While it may have all started as fun and games, it was very evident that all the alcohol in the world wouldn't be able to hide what was lurking below the surface and it would eventually find it's way out.
There were so many nuansances in Bryan's performance.
He was able to switch effortlessly back and forth between Javi who didn't care to Javi that was heartbroken. We were on a roller coaster ride of joy, sadness, anger, and resentment.
In some ways, it reminded me of Justin Hartley's performance during This is Us Season 2 when Kevin was struggling with his addiction.
The pretty boy characters are always severely underestimated so when they have these moments to shine; it is that much brighter.
Hopefully Javi will make it through this so we can see his character continue to grow.
Related: Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Curveball
Javi wasn't the only member of the Mendoza family dealing with suffering at the hands of the hotel war.
Alicia has thrown her heart and soul into the hotel since her return. Having Oliver directly attack her efforts by stealing El Rey was just too much for her to handle.
Who wants to have to constantly worry that the person they are seeing is secretly plotting their next move against you and your family. They say all is fair in love and war but not if the end game is your family's legacy being destroyed.
It seemed to become increasingly clear throughout the episode that Alicia's heart wasn't fully in the relationship anyway.
Alicia may claim that she is trying to move on from Danny, but she sure seemed to want to make sure that he was jealous of her and Oliver anytime she got the chance.
Alicia: Danny, why are you trying to ruin this for me.
Danny: I'm not I'm trying to protect you.
Alicia: From what? An emotionally available guy?
Danny: Alicia, I know what this hotel means to you, and you shouldn't be with someone who doesn't understand that.
Alicia: Well, guess what, you don't get a vote. I'm trying to move on so let me.
Those don't exactly seem like the thoughts of someone who wants to be done.
Related: Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Smokeshow
Obviously, Alicia and Danny are doomed to be the great will they or won't they couple of the series but we need a little bit more will they if the writers expect us to keep rooting for them through the won't they.
It wasn't all doom and gloom for the Mendoza family, though.
Gigi and Yoli have had a strained relationship to say the least, not only throughout this season of Grand Hotel but throughout their entire lives.
Carolina may have been able to accept this seemingly new Yoli in an instant, but it took a beat for Gigi to get there.
Gigi: Where's your sister?
Carolina: Not coming. She's still mad at you.
Gigi: How does she expect me to react when she came out in front of all those people. Everyone was staring at me, Carol.
Carolina: Maybe it wasn't about you.
Gigi: I guess I could have handled it better. I don't know. I'll talk to her.
Carolina: Good. She's here, she's queer, and you have to get used to her.
It is no secret that Yoli has been viewed as the ugly duckling in her family but was Gigi that unaware of what an impact that has had on her?
Related: Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Welcome to the Riviera Grand Hotel
When Yoli revealed that the story Gigi shared at Yoli's coming-out party was actually about Carolina not her, I could not help but feel just as hurt as Yoli was.
Gigi may be trying now, but it doesn't erase all the years that she didn't.
At least Gigi was able to open up to Yoli and explain her struggle in seeing Yoli and Carolina's father in Yoli.
Trying to escape your past is easier said than done when you have a glaring reminder of it facing you each day.
We all try to avoid the things that remind of us our pain. We avoid certain locations, certain songs, certain movies, anything that reminds us of that time. Unfortunately, avoiding people is much more difficult, especially when it is your flesh and blood.
Gigi opening up to Yoli was a step in the right direction. Hopefully all that growth in their relationship isn't destroyed by Carolina's brilliant idea for them to reunite with their father.
Danny and Jason may not have made much progress in figuring out what happened to Sky, but Danny did learn a little more about his sister.
Sky was a drug dealer.
It seems like there is a lot to Sky that Danny was not aware of.
Danny is putting all this energy into figuring out what happened to Sky, but does Sky really deserve what Danny is giving?
The more we learn, the more I can't help but think that Sky is alive sitting pretty spending hush money from the Mendozas. Who knows, maybe she was behind Nelson's blackmail of them too.
What did you think of Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 7? Do you think Javi will survive? Comment your thoughts below and don't forget to watch Grand Hotel online at TV Fanatic.
Meaghan Frey was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in September 2020.
