Grand Hotel Review: Curveball (Season 1 Episode 3)

Danny finally finds his smolder on Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 3, “Curveball.” It is just one little lip bite at the bar, but it does the trick to get the heat flowing between him and Alicia. 

Unfortunately, Alicia has yet to thaw. For me, Alicia is all frigid ice whether she’s with Danny or Gigi.

She needs to make like Elsa and let it go!

The frozenness isn’t working for the lead character because the conflicts and romances rely on passion and passion is hot. Cute is tepid, and Alicia needs to boil over. 

I am interested to see how the love story between Danny and Alicia is impacted by the ever-growing layers of secrecy. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Alicia has a deceptive side of her own. 

I certainly hope she takes after her mom and has some secrets! This will make her a much more compelling character. 

It certainly works for Gigi and Helen. The duplicitous union they share, laden with hidden images from the past, is fascinating and deepens each of their characters. 

It makes me wonder, is Gigi’s entire “you’re right!” gesture to Alicia, where they approach El Rey as a team, an act to get back in her good graces? 

Grand Hotel is working best when you can’t determine what a character really thinks. Gigi, Santiago, Helen, Ingrid, and maybe Yoli have this quality so far. 

Yoli in some ways is transparent. It is not hard to see her irritation at Carolina. Her eye rolls are very loud. 

It is also possible that there is some serious plotting underneath the stank face. 

Yoli will only be put in the corner for so long. She doesn’t seem like the revenge type, but we better believe that some justice is washing up to the Riviera sometime soon. As the siblings become more entwined, I suspect that loyalties will be tested and I just can’t wait! 

Javi is a compelling character, but he doesn’t seem all that sneaky. Brooding, yes. Sneaky, not so much. 

I absolutely love seeing Javi and his dad bond and face some of their fears. 

Also, Javi is hot. Hot as in passionate, hot as in interesting, hot as in smoldering, and hot as in hot. As in very, very, VERY good looking. 

Santiago easily matches all that heat and the combination manages to simmer wonderfully. It is still unclear exactly what happened to cause Javi’s accident where he lost his led. But, it’s clear his mom is involved and it is part of an on-going feud. 

The episode kicks up narrative dust for the father and son duo, but it also provides some healing salve. 

When Javi happen upon the group of ballplayers belittling and dismissing him behind his back, his reaction is harrowing. He tries to convince his dad to calm down because this happens all the time. He is used to it. 

That is heartbreaking, but yes, it rings true. 

Disabled people regularly experience ridiculous remarks and insults from abled people. 

Javi de-escalates the situation and in doing so reveals a serious hardship that he lives with every day. Santiago doesn’t get violent, but he makes an even more powerful move: he chooses his son over more business. That is a precious decision that we need to see in order to understand the kind of father he is. 

Family is first. 

This storyline is easily my favorite on “Curveball.” Seeing Javi taking those swings and facing difficult because of his leg is really good to see. I want to see that kind of representation. His life is different. His skills are different. But, he is living a wonderful life. He is skilled. 

I want more of Javi and Santiago’s relationship and these two fantastic actors. They light it up. 

I’m getting more and more pulled into the mystery of what happened to Sky. Ingrid is proving to be more complex and soft than I thought at first. I certainly want to know more. Gigi and Helen being in ominous cahoots with each other is intriguing and I could watch those two together on every episode. 

Even the missed-connection misunderstanding is a surprising turn that I enjoy. 

I’m buckled in and ready for more of the ride. Get ready to get sweaty. You too, Alicia! 

Room Service

• Gigi has been working for the hotel for years and has earned respect. Alicia has not. So, her petulant and “this is my baby” attitude doesn’t hold much water. I’m #TeamGig
• I’m not sure why Ingrid isn’t considering an abortion. She doesn’t seem like she wants a baby at all. That should be explained. 
• Thirsty Carolina is so cringe-worthy. It would be even more fun to watch if she actually got those bangs. 
• Bringing in El Rey’s mom is a little predictable, but I still love it. Moms know how to put you in your place. 
• Danny running around Miami is a yes for me. 

 

What did you think of this episode of Grand Hotel? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Grand Hotel airs Mondays at 10/9c on ABC.

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Lincoln Younes Previews ‘Grand Hotel’ at the ATX Television Festival [Video]