Grand Hotel Review: Long Night’s Journey Into Day (Season 1 Episode 8)

It is past time to check into Grand Hotel because this show has zero story vacancies! 

The emotional, comical, and musical notes on Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 8, “Long Night’s Journey Into Day,” are pitch-perfect. It is the strongest and most fun episode of the season as it showcases each character’s emotional center, without ever tipping over into sappy. 

Mrs. P wins the episode.

She dunks into the hilarity of some stress-relieving cookies, and the shenanigans that ensue have me laughing for days.

Honestly, even before her intoxicating performance, Mrs. P(othead), has me rolling with her confusion and exasperation with the “Influencer.”

MRS. P: I’m hashtag on it. Hashtag dot com, dot … org.

I love that Mrs. P tries to keep her influencing nonprofit!

I love everything about the matriarch’s story on the episode. She is a fun and adventurous woman who is under an extreme amount of stress.

On so many shows, it feels like the writers are reticent to give the more serious characters any relief as if assertiveness and levity don’t co-exist.

But, we know that in reality, those two things are necessary for survival. Mrs. P blowing off steam is a relief to us viewers too because it gives us a chance to have fun with a character who is in the middle of some deeply upsetting stuff.

Also, it is notable and important that we get to see a fierce black woman boss be silly and cute. I am all about multidimensional black women on my television screen! 

Bryan Craig as Javier Mendoza knocks it out of the park on the episode.

His performance is moving, tender, grounded, and gritty. I love every second of it. 

In fact, I wish that it was Javi in that hospital room with Ingrid instead of Mateo. 

I would love to see the emotional journey that Javier and Ingrid take as they process their losses. At the same time, I am not mad at the extra drama that is being set up by having Mateo back in Ingrid’s good graces.

I’m not mad at any chance to have the very hunky Shalim Ortiz on my screen, of course. And it is nice that we are seeing shades of grey to a character who seemed darn despicable on the first couple of episodes. 

Grand Hotel proves that you don’t need an all-bad villain to have superb drama. 

Back to Craig’s performance because it earns our full attention. 

The flashback scenes help viewers feel in one episode how Javi came to be the reckless Javi others have more or less accepted him to be in the present. 

Because of the excellent acting, we have seen glimpses of this sensitive and traumatized young man throughout the season. And on this episode, we see how Javi’s addiction grew out of his grief over his mom and his feelings of betrayal from his father and Gigi. 

It has always been about so much more than his leg. 

The argument scene where Santiago throws the keys at Javi is absolutely heartbreaking because it is so real.

The guilt, the anger, the instant regret, I can put myself there because I have had moments like that. I think we all have. Everything is wrong, but everyone is right too. 

Then we see my favorite of the flashback scenes: Javi’s recovery. 

It is poignant to me because the thing that Santiago carriers the most guilt about, Javi’s lost leg, is actually the thing that allows Javi to build back his trust and connection with his father. 

The painful thing and the healing thing are the same darn thing.

The scenes capture that emotional paradox and it then takes that to the present where we are with the characters living in the remnants of those past explosions. 

It’s beautiful. 

Addiction and recovery need to be shown in their many brutal realities. I am so glad that “Long Night’s Journey Into Day,” gives us a stark look at the fear and deadliness of addiction, but it leaves us with hope.

I don’t think there is anything more loving Santiago could possibly do than lock himself in that room with Javi. 

When you juxtapose that with the way Yoli and Caro’s father manipulates and traps them into helping him, it is even more clear how heroic and loving Santiago is. 

Like Gigi did on Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 7, “Where the Sun Don’t Shine,” Santiago is vulnerable and opens up to his child about his fears and feelings.

SANTIAGO: I knew you were drunk, but I threw you those keys. I’m not ashamed of you. I’m ashamed of myself.

He shows up psychically AND emotionally. That is a wonderfully beautiful message about what it is to be a father.

Goodness knows I would give anything to hear my dad share the type of unabashed confidence and support Santiago gives Javi. 

SANTIAGO: You can do anything mijo. You are stronger than you think.

If you can’t tell already, let me say it outright. I love this episode. 

I even love Danny and Alicia, Dalicia, on this episode! I am thrilled that their hookup is incredibly sexy and I am hopeful that we can move on from the overly saccharine beginning to their romance. 

I’m not sure where the story is going with Yoli, Caro and their dad, but I continue to adore everything about the twins. Yoli can pretty much do no wrong in my book. 

I have all this to say about the episode, and I haven’t even talked for one second about the many layers of mystery! That is the way I like it. 

Characters first and the whodunnit becomes a lot more meaningful. 

Lip Service

• I think it’s time to get Jason a new love interest. And a label maker. Seriously, label your special sweets!
• Someone saying they are the father of a baby does NOT equal consent to be in a patient’s room. Just sayin.
• Ingrid has come so far so quickly. Javi and Ingrid are officially my favorite ship on the series! 
• Mrs. P telling Gigi that she can get it is the truth we all need Gigi to hear. 
• Mrs. P can get it too, tho. 
• Danny is so sprung on Alicia, it makes me fall for her too. Excellent smolder work from Lincoln Younes on the episode! 
• Katey Sagal as the big boss is pure brilliance. I can’t wait. 
• The show may be at risk of not coming back. We all need to watch and then tell all our friends to tell all their friends to watch too!

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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