Betty La Fea, The Story Continues Season 1 Episodes 5 and 6 Review: Your Prison / A Long Midsummer Night’s Dream

Telenovelas (especially comedy ones) often thrive on their ridiculous antics. It’s silly fun with a touch of romance (and sometimes serious exploration of everyday topics). Betty La Fea, The Story Continues Season 1 Episode 5, “Your Prison,” and Betty La Fea, The Story Continues Season 1 Episode 6, “A Long Midsummer Night’s Dream” have plenty of these classic over-the-top telenovela moments.

The appeal of this continuation series is its nostalgic feel, but also its telenovela roots.

Many have origins in watching telenovelas in their youth and have a deep-rooted love and appreciation of this style of television. The show acts as a reminder of why we love them so much.

Additionally, it makes you want to return to watching them daily (at least for me).

Betty La Fea, The Story Continues charms because it is such a pivotal telenovela, and because of what it represents: Being true to one’s identity.

It has a familiar style and comfort. Even for those unfamiliar with the original Yo Soy Betty, La Fea, you know these types of shows if you have seen a few or a few dozen telenovelas.

Plus, the series has so many remakes, including the American Ugly Betty, so you’ve probably at least seen one of the remakes.

This gives this Prime Video series more international appeal than many others on the streaming service.

The main story of Armando and Beatriz falling in love again works well as the starting point because it’s basically the original premise just very different.

Their falling back in love story is fun because it reintroduces the series to old and new viewers while exploring the complex topic of love after a love story falls apart.

The plot is the strength and not the show’s flaw. The one major issue is the tone.

Betty La Fea, The Story Continues often jumps back and forth between being realistic (the pandemic hurting the business) and cartoonish (the reactions to Armando’s possible prison sentence).

As someone who used to watch comedy telenovelas regularly, I don’t mind the cartoonish nature but some of it is beginning to approach too unrealistic territory.

Naturally, with age comes maturity but the Ecomoda employees seem very behind other adults their age in maturity levels, especially Hugo. His nastiness would never fly in the real world.

Obviously, Ecomoda doesn’t exist in reality but its own special bubble. However, that contradicts how honest and grounded mentioning the pandemic felt in Betty La Fea, The Story Continues Season 1 Episode 4, “Armando Dismantled.”

Maturity and immaturity are in a battle in the series. Let’s take Betty as another example of these dueling concepts.

Betty has the sense to end things with Armando but cannot stand up to her employees.

It’s obviously part of Betty’s character to lack some backbone, but it’s also becoming a bit unbelievable. Having your employees openly gossip about your romantic life seems like obvious grounds for firing.

Plus, Betty has had a lot more life experience and business development from her younger days to now. She should be showing more toughness and authority.

Additionally, Betty feels guilty about some missteps when raising Mila, but she should have enough sense to discipline her clearly spoiled daughter. She should be able to at least stand up for herself once or twice.

It’s becoming an emotionally abusive situation between Mila and her. Her daughter is becoming one of her bullies, and that feels inappropriate and heartbreaking.

Part of the charm of the Betty La Fea franchise is its whimsical and silly nature. Therefore, of course, it doesn’t need to become this intense drama suddenly.

It just needs to find a better balance of going to extreme silliness and more believable silliness.

“Your Prison” and “A Long Midsummer Night’s Dream” have too many funny moments to want anything but a comedy from this Prime Video series.

However, great comedies can mature with the time. Betty La Fea, The Story Continues needs slightly more maturing to reach its true potential.

The point of Betty La Fea, The Story Continues is that Betty doesn’t need to change to appeal to this shallow work scene. And, she doesn’t, but the series does need to mature a bit to thrive in today’s television landscape.

Stray Thoughts

• The caught-on-camera sequence was so fun, but everyone should be fired.
• Mila and Ignacio’s relationship escalates fast, which confirms my theory that Jeff is supposed to be her true love interest. However, the love triangle is keeping things interesting.
• I am very glad it’s been renewed for season 2 already.
• Hearing Calle 13 “Atrévete-Te-Te” is such a throwback moment that it helps emphasize the nostalgic vibe of Betty La Fea, The Story Continues

What did you think of these episodes of Betty La Fea, The Story Continues? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Betty La Fea, The Story Continues streams on Fridays on Prime Video.

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