The second episode of "Fantasmas" kicks off with a captivating tale spun by Vanesja (portrayed with charm by Martine Gutierrez). She regales us with her former habit of dining solo in restaurants, feigning abandonment to score complimentary meals. Yet, one fateful evening, her ruse led her into the arms of a captivating waiter, igniting a series of dorm room encounters that left her perplexed by a recurring prop: empty Gatorade bottles. These bottles, she observed, were no mere afterthoughts but enigmatic markers of her liaisons. Vanesja's fascination with their significance grew, yet answers remained elusive.
The vignette crescendos with a dramatic moment at a restaurant, where Vanesja accidentally spills wine, prompting the waiter's departure. Seizing the chance, she slyly deposits an empty Gatorade bottle on the table, her silent message echoing in the silence. As the waiter returns, his expression betrays confusion and perhaps even intrigue, mirroring Vanesja's surrender to the unsolvable mystery. She's come to terms with the fact that some secrets are meant to remain unspoken, bidding farewell to her dorm room adventures and their eerie symbol—the empty Gatorade bottles.
Meanwhile, Julio (played with relish by Julio Torres) finds himself embroiled in a different obsession: the perceived growth of a birthmark on his neck. The mark, he insists, has expanded to match the size of an earring he acquired in last week's escapade, only to lose it amidst the club's revelry. His visit to Urgent Care, fraught with anticipation, is cut short by a looming clock and an impersonal voice announcement, confirming the mark's benign nature—a birthmark, not a mole. But Julio's curiosity remains unsatisfied, his tale a testament to the relentless pursuit of answers, even in the face of time's relentless march.
Indeed, Julio is acutely aware that the mark adorning his neck is but a birthmark, distinct from any mere mole. He emphatically declared so in the very first episode of Season 1, yet it seems his focus has strayed towards an imagined growth of this birthmark, shying away from the looming reality of losing his cherished apartment.
Julio harbors a deep skepticism towards the notion of a Proof of Existence, declaring his disbelief in its premise. In essence, I share his stance; it feels unjust that one must possess a tangible document to validate their very existence. Nevertheless, this is the reality we inhabit, where navigating life without an ID proves a formidable challenge.
The realm of 'Fantasmas' might very well introduce a Proof of Existence process that transcends the standard requirements of official IDs in our world, yet so far, no hint suggests such an elaboration. Vanesja portrays the process as straightforward, akin to completing an online form, yet Julio remains steadfast in his resistance.
Obsessed with the belief that his greatest dilemma stems from the birthmark, Julio embarks on a quest to retrieve his missing earring. His suspicion lands on Skyler, an influencer he danced with at the club, imagining their encounter caused the accessory's disappearance. But when Julio escorts Skyler to Urgent Care, the truth unfolds: no diamonds reside within Skyler's stomach, nor are there any signs he had ingested one. Thus, Julio's search for the elusive earring comes to an anticlimactic end.
We delve into Skyler's world as an influencer, tagging along as he crafts a video, fervently promoting Clorox as a gender-neutral germ eradicator. However, just as he's basking in the playback of his masterpiece, his phone abruptly succumbs to silence, leaving him stranded.
In the adjacent room of Skyler's abode, Gina (played by Greta Titelman) weeps, her sorrow echoing through the air. When Skyler ventures over to borrow her charger, he unwittingly stumbles into a heartfelt confession. Gina's world has crumbled around her; Charles, her beau, has abandoned her, stripping her of a home and leaving her to grapple with the perception that her charm is waning with each passing year.
Drawing a poignant parallel, Gina likens her plight as a woman in her thirties to Skyler's fleeting career as an influencer. They both face the inevitable march of time; his fans, like him, will age, their interests shifting, and he'll eventually be overshadowed by the next big thing. This revelation sends a chill down Skyler's spine, prompting him to seek refuge in the realm of middle schoolers' latest obsession – a new app. But his desperate attempt to reconnect with youth only summons the ominous Algorithm (portrayed by Dominique Jackson), who scolds him for his lack of gratitude before abruptly severing his connection.
As 'Fantasmas' Season 1, Episode 2 draws to a haunting close, Julio stumbles upon 'Incorporeal,' an app that whispers the seductive promise of a life liberated from the constraints of a physical form. While the idea of shedding the burdens of the body holds a certain allure, it also whispers of a dystopian future where our very existence hangs precariously on the brink of an abyss.
The episode title of "Fantasmas" S1E2, "Valued Customer," intricately weaves a tale centered around Alexa Demie's portrayal of Becca, an insurance representative whom Julio summons from Urgent Care. Becca embodies a zealous devotion to her profession, seeing herself as the unwavering sword of Assembly Plan Insurance. She revels in enforcing the company's rigid rules, relishing the thrill of denying claims, delivering the cold hard truth of their inability to assist, and concluding each interaction with a saccharine assurance of their client's 'valued' status.
This vignette teems with a subversive sexual undertone, culminating in a moment where Becca, disgruntled by the promotion of the company president's daughter (Kaija Matiss) over her, impulsively books a flight only to reconsider and seek cancellation. Her rebellion fleeting, she encounters a roadblock in the form of a malfunctioning cancellation button on the website. Thus, she finds herself on the receiving end of her own game, dialing into customer service.
On the other line, Ziwe, the customer service representative, mirrors Becca's own tactics with a sinister twist. The dialogue, though standard fare about third-party bookings and limitations, simmers with an unspoken power struggle. It becomes evident that this rep takes delight in asserting her authority over Becca, and perhaps, Becca finds a twisted satisfaction in this dance of dominance and submission.
While this may not resonate with my personal preferences, the scene undeniably sizzles with tension. Can we fathom that, behind closed doors, customer service representatives secretly thrill in the agitation of their clients? Does adhering to bureaucratic edicts, even when they defy logic, harbor a form of 'jouissance'? Indeed, I believe it does. However, I must stress, this is not my cup of tea, and I contend that individuals who find solace in such dynamics should perhaps seek more consensual avenues, like the realm of dominance and submission with willing participants. Let's encourage healthy expressions of power dynamics, shall we?
In an intriguing turn of events, Dodo, played by Bowen Yang, has embarked on a legal battle against none other than Santa Claus himself, accusing him of unpaid labor. The television screens flickering in Chester's (Tomas Matos) vehicle offer a glimpse into the courtroom drama, where Chester stands unwaveringly by Dodo's side, with Julio echoing his support. This subtle nod underscores the profound reality of elves and Santa within the fantastical realm of Fantasmas, inviting viewers to ponder the depths of this enchanted world.
As the case remains unresolved, it teases at the possibility of a protracted narrative thread that will undoubtedly captivate audiences. Meanwhile, Julio faces a pressing crisis of his own: the looming loss of his apartment. Ironically, his mind is preoccupied with a mole on his neck, a trifle amidst the gravity of his housing predicament. Desperate measures seem imminent, as Julio contemplates turning to the Incorporeal app as a means to evade the necessity of a Proof of Existence, a solution that, one can only hope, will ultimately lead him down a path of resolution.
