BABY STEPS

13 November 2009

There is beauty in film. There are scenes that exemplify beauty and you know that you have seen something unique. Each of us have different opinions of what that beautiful moment is. I think there is beauty in the dancing of Laurel and Hardy. The scene of the girl in the red coat is a moment of beautiful black and white film making. There is beauty in Barbra Streisand brushing away Robert Redford's hair while he sleeps on a bar stool. Sometimes the beauty of a scene is in its simplicity. It must have sharp writing and direction and actors who can not only tell a story with dialogue, but with silence.

This is a lecture that I never thought I would write. How could I write about a perfect scene that is a thing of beauty? This scene is always mentioned as one of the most popular among fans. I do think it is one of the best Pepa and Silvia scenes and I think that is why I cannot avoid this lecture any longer. Three words come to mind with this scene: strength, vulnerability and trust.

It all takes place in an empty space that looks like an airplane hangar or warehouse. Two cops are working a crime scene, both are wearing yellow vests and have their hair pulled back. That is what we see on the surface, but we know so much more. We know that Pepa and Silvia are dipping their toes in the "relationship waters". We know that Silvia was hesitant about her attraction to Pepa, but after talking to Jose Luis, she seems ready to move forward. In my mind, Silvia left Jose Luis, and raced into Pepa's arms. I will go out on a limb and say that since that episode, they have been together like little Spanish bunnies.

There are four acts to this scene.

Act One--As they are working the crime scene, they share a moment when Silvia gives Pepa a smile and we know that they are "together". But when Pepa tries to kiss Silvia (and they are alone), Silvia backs away.

Act Two--Silvia tells Pepa that she feels like a "fish out of water" and that she is not concerned about what her father would say. She is trying to see herself in this relationship. How does she do things that she never had to think about before? She uses the examples of holding hands, getting a hotel room and kissing in public. All of her concerns are real and valid for a woman in her situation. Silvia articulates her fears and shows her vulnerability....she doesn't hide that she is scared. How does she continue to love Pepa? How do they leave the privacy of the bedroom and step out into the real world? How does a woman who has only been with men, now be openly in love with a woman?

This is Pepa's moment and it is a good one. Pepa listens to Silvia and doesn't interrupt or minimize her feelings. She tells her that she will stand by her, and that she needs to focus only on her, because she is the one who can help her. Pepa shows her a deep strength that says that not only will I help you, but I will not leave your side. And then....Pepa put out her hand.

Act Three--Women all over this planet wanted to take this walk with Pepa and Silvia. Pepa tells Silvia that walking together is not so scary. Look at how nice the park is, how beautiful the ocean is...all the things you love are still here. There are just to the two of us walking together, enjoying the view.

Pepa puts her arm around Silvia and Silvia puts her arm around Pepa. Pepa then asks her if she is cold and Silvia answers that she is fine. My understanding of that moment is that Silvia has trembled--not because she is cold, but because she is overwhelmed by this moment. But no matter what, we see Pepa as the protector, as the one who will protect her novia from all the elements, whether they be physical or emotional. Silvia is safe.

Act Four--They are now running to the make believe train station and Pepa wants a kiss goodbye. The idea of kissing Pepa in public is unimaginable to Silvia. This scene is approached with humor, but most of us know that this is a real issue. No matter what Silvia says ("what will the nuns think?"), Pepa shoots down her worries. When Pepa suggests that they could be apart for two weeks, Silvia gives up.

(Dos semanas tanto?)

The thought of being separated is simply too hard to imagine. She kisses Pepa and with a smile on her face, Pepa kisses her back. After the first kiss, Pepa tells Silvia that they cannot be apart, and they kiss again.

This kiss was a big hit with viewers and was a YouTube sensation. What was the big deal? In the last episode they had kissed in the lab, but it was mainly Pepa being the aggressor and the kisses were pretty quick. In the hangar, Silvia makes the first move. She puts her arms around Pepa and opens her mouth....and our mouths opened in awe. This was Silvia saying that she believes in Pepa, that she trusts her and that she loves her. This was the moment that they became a couple.

PepSi became known for their unspoken moments and it all started in the bathroom. The writers knew that they had many golden moments with these two actors and it became a thread throughout their story line on LHDP. When Pepa takes her hand and they begin to walk, Siliva gives her a look of pure adoration. They can't keep their eyes off of each other.

This scene, this episode, was letting us know that the journey was just beginning. This was not about women lusting after each other in the bathroom. This wasn't two women making out in the lab. This was going to be a story of two women who fall in love and who try to keep it a secret. But it was also about how one woman discovers that the bond of love and trust is more powerful than all of her fears.

This was the moment, in my opinion, that PepSi was born. These two glorious women became one. This episode aired on May 27, 2008 and that is when the journey began. Fans all over the world packed their bags. We were so ready to be with them every step of the way.

I humbly submit this lecture with the hope that you will appreciate this scene even more than you did before. And to honor Pepa and Silvia, take the hand of someone you love and take a walk. Just walk.

Dr. Booker

P.S. The three films mentioned: Way out West, Schindler's List and The Way we Were.