Vida (2018–2020) User Reviews

decent, hopeful for season 2

[Denovot · 6/10 · 13 June 2018]

I won't be going into plot details as there's plenty of reviews with those contents, I'll be upfront and say this is not going to be a useful review, just stating some opinions. I found this series to be the better of the two new 30 minute offerings from Starz (other being Sweetbitter). This is a brief series lasting only 3 hours so not much of an investment. I found it easy to watch even with some major flaws. There are plenty of East LA stereotypes here and some characters really suffer from lack of substance, however hearing it has been renewed I think I will still give the second season a shot.

Possible spoilers below:

I'm hoping they drop a lot of what bogged this season down like the entire Johnny arc ("undeniable chemistry" was not believable and the writing gave me absolutely no reason to be invested in the outcome of his and Lyn's relationship) and the will they-won't they on selling the bar grew tiresome as we all knew how that would end. Mari's side story was odd, they did not flesh it out enough and throwing in that cell phone video was not necessary, for what? to realize the group should be a democracy? Good job! I felt she could've had a a better angle and hope next season they work on that. I have no problem with sex scenes but with all the time spent on them you would hope they would further the plot somehow, but alas it was just filler and I ended up skipping through most of them.

I'm hoping with the second season while they re-open the bar they come up with interesting storylines as the sisters transition their lives back to their hometown. Given all the negatives I still found the show watchable (while doing laundry) but I really hope they hack off all the dead weight in this first season and improve next time around.

Authentic, colorful and relatable

[rosa_hermosa · 8/10 · 3 October 2021]

Im Latinx and this series reminds me of my friends and other people from my community. The script and storyline we're excellent as were the two main actresses and the rest of the cast. Nudity and sex scenes were a little over the top for me at times but I can see why they were added: two beautiful everyday girls, just trying to live and make the most of their lives while others try to just break them down. Straight up relatable and realistic af. As for the sex, I just hope it didnt distract the audience as to how good the whole story and script is. I loved Vida and if one sees this series with an open mind and heart, you'll find yourself rooting for both sisters and their struggles.

shame

[bibliub · 6/10 · 4 June 2018]

Show's got potential. sadly, every character is like a cartoon. also, sex has its place and time, but every other scene there's someone getting it on, masturbating, being naked just cause, in ways that are unnecessary to the plot, and it's not sexy, or "real," it's just annoying. it's all trying too hard. no go.

Don't get the bad reviews, this show is legit

[kaleidopop-1 · 10/10 · 20 May 2018]

So I totally don't get the bad reviews at all. It's a drama that explores human nature, identity, and culture. Not a mindbending plot, but fresh perspectives that are timely and very much needed to demonstrate the range of American life today.

This show moves us well past Ugly Betty's America Ferrera and a second generation Latina making it in the world of NYC's fashion journalism scene. This also moves us past Modern Family's Sofia Vergara and the quintessential American blended family...

On the one hand, this show fully explores intersectionality. Every protagonist is a female, and a second and third generation Latina in Los Angeles. The show also engages with class, immigration woes, and gentrification by female protagonists in a way I haven't seen before. The show also explores sexuality from the female gaze. The characters shatter the stereotypes about what it means to be Latino/a in the US today.

On the one hand, this is totally an anti-Girls/post-SATC show. And at the same time, this is exactly the sort of thing that demonstrates the multitude of structural realities present in American life that Ta-Nehisi Coates critiques in "Between the World and Me".

Identity is complicated, and reconciling multiple cultural pasts and presents is an ongoing process! The women of Vida are bad ass and finding their own way.

Love this show

[nicolemackie24 · 10/10 · 30 May 2019]

I came across this show after watching another show on STARZ and in 2 days I watched both seasons, and wished there was more.

Beautiful culture experience

[slgarcia28-994-333909 · 10/10 · 6 June 2020]

I love this show. It's a great story, beautiful characters and fantastic music. I wish it was going onto a 4th season. I can't believe it's over. STARZ is doing a huge disservice to this country. More audiences inside and outside our community need this show, to educate.

Season 2 Even Better!

[aksarge · 28 May 2019]

This series is amazing... what it does for inclusion is so phenomenal... and to get even better in the second season - how often does that happen?! What an absolute gem of a show... Well done STARZ - please keep this one coming (S3)!

It's got everything, including butt stuff.

[thepeculiarpalette · 7/10 · 24 October 2023]

I'm a 50 year old straight white woman and I enjoyed this show. Is it perfect? No. I think they were trying to do too many things at once. The main storyline was the relationship between two sisters after their mom died. There was a whole bunch of other stuff sprinkled on top, such as LGBTQ+ issues and relationships, the pros and cons of gentrification, witchcraft, a ridiculous amount of sex (much of which had nothing to do with the story), butt stuff, politics and more. I get that they were trying to promote sex positivity, but being that the show only had 3 seasons before being cancelled I would have liked if they turned the sexy time down a notch and spent the time developing some of the other characters. I could've found porn online if that's what I wanted to watch. I felt cheated when they had to wrap up the whole series in one episode. I'm sure they did the best they could given the circumstances but they deserved more time to give the story an appropriate ending, because the one it had was very anti-climactic (no pun intended).

Cut Down In It's Prime 8/

[krakaman · 9/10 · 16 February 2022]

Where to start?

Theoretically, I should have never started watching this program. And, I should have never "liked" this program. And certainly I should have never cared about any of the characters in this program. After all, I am NOT female. I am NOT Mexican-American. And I am NOT homosexual, etc.. I am NOT by any stretch considered the target audience for this light, yet gritty, tale about some of the harsh actualities of real life.

This 22 episode binger checked a lot of boxes for me. I found the main story arc compelling from the jump, as well as the secondary arcs, and this was a well cast group of actors who acted their asses off to bring these characters to life for the 3 seasons they had to work with. I mean, the actors were FREAKING GREAT! I honestly cared about these characters from the very beginning, and it intensified as the story progressed.

The first season laid a good foundation, and the story and characters were developed very well.

In the second season, a few more characters were introduced who had important roles and were acted well, but Roberta Colindrez's portrayal of the multifaceted "Nico" was simply brilliant. Her character alone lifted the whole show to a new height IMO, and the rest of the characters were rapidly developing as well.

Especially the main characters, who had to go from being selfish, self-centered *bleeps* to having to grow up faster than they would have liked and make some adult-sized decisions, while also learning how to respect their community around them.

I gave this a 9 because I simply DO NOT give 10's except in the rarest of rare occasions -- (like "Boardwalk Empire," "Breaking Bad" and only a few others) - but had this show gone on a bit longer then who knows? This had enough going on for it to last AT LEAST a couple more seasons IMO, if not more, and was doing nothing less than getting progressively better.

This old, straight, white guy is very sad "Vida" was never given a chance to play itself out, and shame on Starz for chopping "Vida" down at the knees when it was just fully hitting it's stride 8/

All in all this drama was a really, really good 12.5 hour spin :) I would be willing to take a chance on anything else Tanya Saracho were to get involved in, and her whole crew did a great job making this breathe life for the short period it had.

Disheartening to see so many people salute this for being Latin

[Whoah10115 · 1/10 · 28 June 2019]

As with anything, representation is vital. It can become an issue when value is attached solely for being ethnic, especially if peope are rating something highly.

Especially the case when the show in question drapes itself in with this facade of representing Latin life. This is hardly slice of life stuff.

Separate from all that is whether or not there is quality in the show...and there isn't much.

It lives off of absurd sex scenes, where the director takes advantage and looks to titillate rather than tell a story, or even be sexy.

And the women, as usual, are the attraction. This show takes it up a notch.

The performances reek of artifice and the stories skim the surface.

You wanna support Latinas? Watch shows where the characters aren't artificial and exploited.

Representing

[Notaprofessional · 10/10 · 10 May 2020]

Stumbled upon this show because there's not many Latina/o shows out there and fell in loveeeee!! Having grown up near LA and being first generation I can relate to SO much that Lyn and Emma go through. I love that my culture is being represented! Im really bummed that the third season will be the last!! But I will be looking forward to seeing these actors and actresses in other projects.

all about the nudity and sex

[jimaselvis · 4/10 · 2 June 2019]

Please...only reason this show is popular is because the 2 leads are totally hot...glad to see they are aware of this because they opened season 2 with the first 10 minutes being full of these 2 being nude and having sex. the rest of the show is nothing special.

Hooked from the first episode

[amkapyur · 10/10 · 30 May 2018]

I have to be honest - I read the negative/mixed reviews before watching the show and thought they did not do this show any justice. This show is amazing in its ability to capture the right balance of comedy, drama, and romance along with superb acting and just a lot of stories you can relate to. I, for one, hope this show doesn't get cancelled as I will be watching it weekly. If real life stories with a good home town feel is your kind of show, definitely worth giving this a shot!

Chingonas on the Rise!

[nymunoz · 10/10 · 1 June 2018]

I am so extremely happy to see this series out in the world. I thank Tanya Saracho for writing this beautiful story and for the cast and crew for executing on her vision and dream. I cannot be more proud to read the credits to this show, to literally see parts of my own story and identity represented in an authentic way. Gracias a todas por esta bella serie!!!!

Pleasantly surprised!

[tadaia · 9/10 · 31 May 2018]

I can't remember where I heard about this show but it was early 2018. I was interested because the themes and characters seemed a bit unique and different than most anything else on tv. I noted the date for the premier and caught up to the four episodes over the holiday. Wow! What a show! I'm not Mexican American but it feels very authentic. What was most impressive was that I immediately identified and connected with the characters. The writers have done a fantastic job conceptualizing each character and creating meaningful and realistic relationships between them. I cared about their stories and where they were headed after the only the first episode. It's the kind of excellent writing that transcends any particular ethnicity or culture.

It's Starz so there's a fair amount of sex, which works here; but that component is less a distraction and more a compliment to the overall show. The only disappointment was finding out how short this season is... only 6 episodes. I sincerely hope that Starz brings this back soon. Highly recommend!

Shouldn't have been cancelled!

[cathode-94655 · 10/10 · 5 February 2021]

It was a poor decision to cancel this show! The writing, the cast, the filming and the originality of this series left me hoping for more. There are so many stories left to tell and so much stunning talent to tell it!

Even though I was deeply disappointed in the ending I would still recommend watching this series.

A series of cultural homunculi

[Moress · 1/10 · 12 May 2018]

This show had to be the hardest thing to listen to or watch in a long time.

The show covers a very real cultural gap between first generation Mexican parents and their children. It just chooses to do it in the worst way possible, amplifying stereotypes and making everyone sound like a jerk. While confronting the deeper communal divide between Mexican subcultures the show forgets Spanish altogether.

It's not uncommon to hear "Spanglish" coming from Latinos in LA. More often than not someone will pick a language, Spanish or English, and stick with it for an entire sentence the best they can; If they don't know a word in one language they'll pop in with the language they do know it in. Not on Vida! One word every two or three sentences has to be belted out in Spanish with a forced accent to remind you, ey! These gente are Mexicans! Such a disparaging misrepresentation of the area, the people, and the language.

Worst of all the story is flat. The young girl in the pink dress is Emma, she's being called back to a culture she's rejected for a career. Emma keeps calling her mother a hypocrite because Mexican parents can be staunch conservatives but her mother was a culturally unacceptable lesbian, blah blah blah.

The obvious next step for this show is to have a drunk man in a gabán and sombrero firing revolvers into the air.

im a white straight man and i love it

[bigcd-98659 · 10/10 · 11 July 2018]

I turned this show on during a free preiivew of the starz channel and let me proudly say that i adore what i saw this is a family that doesnt sugar code things yes they call each other how they really feel when they feel it this is what i call a true real family and the shows pretty funny as well be warned the show does contain graphic content nudity swearing even ocasinal family violince' but otherwise a very fresh and nice show

Not Again

[newtvic · 1/10 · 13 May 2018]

I am in my 60's and I lived and worked almost my entire life in the Boyle Heights area, where this tragedy occurs. Will they ever have a program that doesn't shove down our throats every rotten stereotype in East L.A.? And in the first segment? Well there is 30 minutes of my life I'll never get back- Good Luck on this bomba

So glad to see so many Latino actors

[eileentorres · 9/10 · 31 May 2018]

At a time when few opportunities are available for Latino actors, I am so happy to see such a large cast of our folks. This helps so many to be seen, recognized, and to add additional credits to their careers. This could be a stepping stone for some and surely a way forward for many. I didn't know what to expect but watched because of the cast. I will continue watching. Congratulations for making this project a reality. We have too few victories on large and small screens. I applaud everyone connected with Vida. Let's be happy and encouraging. This comes from a Chicana in Lorain, Ohio.

Awesome!

[saldana-37164 · 9/10 · 21 June 2018]

I stumbled on this show and watched all episodes back to back! Its original and the acting is amazing.

Athough as spanish speaker, I find the spanglish sometimes unnecessary. Get that they are creating that L.A feel but chill lol

As a non-native Spanish speaker ...

[mehendricks · 10/10 · 7 November 2021]

As a non-native Spanish speaker I found the show very helpful. In the course of deciphering the lingo, much of which varies from the less-Mexican variety spoken here in South Florida, I realized just what an exceptional job the writers did. The hat must also be tipped to the show's creator, Tanya Saracho.

Vida de 4 mujeres

[msmae58 · 9/10 · 21 May 2018]

The show greatly focuses on four central female characters with very different backgrounds. Marisol is a native daughter who is deeply rooted in her culture and her neighborhood pride. She is all about her family, and right and wrong is as clear as black and white to her. Emma and Lyn are sisters who both really tired to reimagine their lives after leaving the neighborhood. Emma looks like she got her things together and left without the intention of looking back. She obviously has some real issues with her mother, foreshadowing makes me think it has to do with Emma's own sexuality. As Emma calls her mother a "hypocrite" when she discovers her mother had been married to a woman. This brings us to Eddy the wife, she's totally heart broken about her wife's passing. You can see that she's from the neighborhood and was content to live,work and stay in her community. She doesn't want beyond what she has. Lyn is possibly the most complicated. She doesn't know who she is yet, she's young and selfish and has no capacity to understand how young and selfish she really is. This character is going to have a lot of personal growth once she stops being a crappy self centered asshole.

All in all I'm enjoying the series I think it has a lot of potential. It's tackling topics like gentrification, sexuality, and how the Latino community comes together and falls apart.

Aburrida

[lucifer_over_tinseltown · 4/10 · 6 August 2019]

I've heard it said that only the boring get bored, but this show is breaking the levees of my patience and I'm within close proximity to abhorrent boredom. The most glaring problem is the bubble-thin plot. Then there is the need to fetishize both lead actresses as spring alley cats in constant heat. Why not show the strong, independent side of Mexican women? They seem to be forever pigeonholed into this kind of role. Some of the scenes really degrade the women altogether. Plenty of style here, a paucity of substance though. 4 stars because the leads are propitiously paired and their exchanges are fiery and, for the most part, believable. Both are extremely attractive in very different ways. The show's title is terribly misleading. There is very little life to find when those two ladies are not together on the screen. And, as usual these days, every stereotype imaginable is represented; sometimes even oddly glorified. They just keep on reaching for the low fruit, these pathologically unimaginative show runners. For a more accurate and character driven representation of E. L.A. watch the Cheech Marin film: Born in East L.A.

Great show!

[robbiecoronel · 10/10 · 26 May 2019]

Love this show! Great writing, acting, and directing! Love the film locations! Brings back memories from ELA and surrounding areas.