atlas

Of course Marta is not the same Marta we knew. OF COURSE SHE ISN’T. She had the love of her life ripped away from her literally overnight. The person who gave her strength. Can we please take a second to recognize that prior to Fina, Marta WAS just resigned to living her life in a loveless marriage to Jaime? That it was her plan to just continue on that way and “stay in the cage” until Fina entered her life in the capacity in which we see her in Season 1? Marta has said on multiple occasions that she derives her strength FROM Fina. That Fina is the one who makes her strong. So why are we expecting that she’s the same Marta that she was with Fina? Why don’t we acknowledge that it can be shitty and we can dislike Cloe and the whole Cloe storyline but still appreciate Marta for being the imperfect product of her circumstances that she is? She experienced an overwhelming amount of grief. For weeks, she spiraled and drown her sorrows and emptiness in alcohol. She walked away from a position as director because she knew she was mentally unwell/unfit. She could hardly get out of bed— and then we’re going to turn around and act like she must’ve never loved Fina that much? Come on now. She completely fell apart.

In regards to her not looking for Fina, in the late 1950’s you couldn’t just “look” for a person who left the country and actually have an expectation to find them. There weren’t security cameras or technology systems to store information or precise records about bus/air/train travel. You could not realistically expect to locate a person who left ZERO clues as to her whereabouts and could be anywhere on the globe. A person who left a letter claiming that it was her decision to leave when we as the viewers know that it is not true. Marta doesn’t know that. She believes that Fina left and does not wish to be found. So there is also an element of respecting what she believes to be Fina’s wishes. We hear Marta say that she failed Fina, she didn’t protect her, etc. She likely still does not believe that she deserves good things in her life. She was not herself. Has not been herself. But people don’t stay the same. They change because of their circumstances and Marta has changed after being literally traumatized by Fina’s sudden departure. By being under constant threat of being exposed as an “invert.” By being forced back into another kind of cage in her lavender marriage. The emotional and psychological toll that would take on a person? You’re expecting too much from a broken, beat down human being.

Y’all need to be nicer to Marta de la Reina.

Some Marta de la Reina shots because I want to.

And this face:

They hate Gabriel so much, it's hilarious.