Sintonia: Season 1, Episode 3 “Second Chance” – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)

As the crew pushes to move up in the world, and take on the various opportunities surrounding them, some get a reality check.

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Network
Netflix
Director(s)		Johnny Araujo
Writer(s)		Kondzilla, Guilherme Quintella, Felipe Braga
Air Date		8/9/2019
Introduced This Episode
Leopold	Luciano Bortoluzzi

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Recap

There Are Easier Hustles Out There: Sueli, Rita, Leopoldo

Rita continues to recover from getting her behind whooped and all of her merchandise being stolen or trashed. Which allows her and Sueli to bond and Rita to peep how lucrative being in ministry can be. Not Sueli’s specifically, since she is humble as her church, but when she meets Leopoldo, a notable pastor, who doesn’t have a megachurch but one better run than Sueli, ideas start forming. Especially considering, while snooping about, she sees Leopoldo counting money the same way drug dealers do, with a machine.

However, Sueli has no desire to expand in such a way, so it seems Rita may have to find a different way to get on her feet.

Making Strategic Moves: Nando, Juninho, Scheyla

Juninho is about to be killed. He has ducked and dodged the upper echelon of the gang, and now Nando has to drag him into HQ for a meeting. One which, originally, was going to end with him being made an example of by death. However, Nando saves his life but at a price. Juninho now has two weeks to pay back for the drugs he personally used and his total debt and, while that happens, Nando will be taking over the shop. A move Scheyla is happy about, for it looks like a promotion. But, Nando doesn’t seem to desire making quick moves just yet for while he did gain the respect of the bosses, he is still a low-level associate and some were a little uneasy about him speaking up.

Humble Yourself: Doni, Rita, Nando, Dondoka

Just because Doni wrote a few songs Dondoka likes, wants even, he now is trying to throw some weight around. This, as you can imagine, confuses many. Rita and Nando don’t get it because, while they love Doni, who is he to try to dictate things to Dondoka? Be it forcing himself in a video, making himself a featured artist, and making it seem like it is a slap in the face to get a songwriting credit. Yet, as Nando puts it, Doni’s attitude stems from being a only child given everything while other people got real problems.

But, despite both of his friends chastising his ego, Doni decides to press on and even start making deals, and debt, to have some kind of creative control over a video for the song. One that he thinks, within 15 days, will pay for itself, showing this boy is more naïve than perceived initially.

Review

Highlights

Nando’s Thug Life

While Nando being part of a gang isn’t the most compelling thing about this show, you have to appreciate how he brings this vibe of like not being fun and games. Unlike Doni, he doesn’t have a dad with a shop that guarantees him a job or business to inherit. Also, it doesn’t seem he has a Sueli to run to when things get bad. Nando only has a wife and baby and while he is loyal to them, neither contribute, financially anyway, to his life. They are just another thing to worry about.

Rita Peeping The Hustle

I’m not saying Leopoldo is corrupt, but if he was I wouldn’t be surprised. Heck, the fact he wasn’t looking at Rita like a snack shocked me. But perhaps it is because Sueli and Rita are smiling like dopes around him and it pushes this idea he is going to take advantage of at least one of them.

Possibility of a creepy pastor aside, you see Rita’s thoughts running wild about how Sueli can make money right? Maybe even Rita taking some off the top? For, and maybe I just expect the worse for and from Rita, it does seem like she’s the type to cause a real scandal, right? Something beyond the Cacau situation but real trouble.

Everyone Calling Doni Out For Being Young & Privileged

I don’t know how, but Doni somehow isn’t annoying, yet his privilege is apparent. Not just because of his friends calling it out, but it was made clear from the start. He is the only one of them who lives in what looks like a house, has a legal job, and his style is clearly that of someone well kept. Not rich, like his friend with a pool in the backyard, but clearly the struggles Nando and Rita have are known by Doni only by proxy. Which makes the fact his friends call him out for the opportunities which don’t come easy in their lives a major thing. For if they enabled him I honestly don’t know if I could continue.

On The Fence

The Cacau Situation

While it is sad what happened to Cacau, is it wrong to feel like the show is more about verbalizing how Rita feels about it than making it clear non-verbally? Not to say they aren’t committed to showing remorse but Cacau situation feels like a footnote, and we’re only in episode 3. But, in general, I do feel like, outside of Nando’s vibe in that strip club and when Juninho could have been shot, things are more tell than show with Sintonia.

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