In Conclusion...

Before this class, I was under the impression that telenovelas, like many melodramas, were just another show, a way to pass time but with lines spoken in another language. Now I know that telenovelas have a unique structure with characters that serve similar purposes. Some telenovelas, like Cosita Rica, even have massive cultural and political impacts with implied political and socio-economic commentary.

Though many of us haven’t gotten to the final episodes of the shows we are watching, they are symbolic of the end of an era. The cast and crew of these massive productions have been working together for years and the end is both a celebration and a mourning. Something lost and something gained. The actors’ experiences on a certain show are irreplicable and the relationships they form are often bonds that last a lifetime. There is nothing like a tight-knit cast and crew because their genuine love for the show and what they do translates through the screen across countries. 

Life is a series of beginnings and ends and being able to understand that through the lens of television was really special to me. These characters and their stories take so much precedence in our lives as we come to relate to them and see them as friends, or even as ourselves. We wait in angst, ready to see where the cliff-hanger endings will lead and where new turns and developments in the plot will take our beloved characters. TV shows in general provide so much comfort and entertainment in our lives and the actors in turn become revered by entire nations. In hindsight, placing actors in that high regard under so much pressure seems cruel in a way, but the stories they depict keep audiences coming back for more.

Ending this class also feels like the end of an era. There were so many new things I learned through this seminar. More thought and planning than I expected goes into the shows I love and some writers use their shows as a vehicle for social commentary. Because of the large audiences, some of these shows also bring to light social issues and some minor political ones as they are allowed by broadcast. I feel fortunate that there aren’t any outright censorship laws in America because I feel like I have the ability to choose what shows and messages I surround myself with but citizens of other nations can’t say the same for themselves. I hope I can use this privilege to educate myself on world issues and become a person who can help others in foreign nations.

Huge thanks to Doctora Acosta-Alzuru for patiently explaining the great deal of thought and planning that goes into creating our favorite shows. TV and media play such a huge role in our lives and current culture. Hearing about the behind-the-scenes work from someone who was able to sit in on these meetings and talk about their first-hand experience is so incredibly cool.