Before we get into it, let me first clear something up. Girls From Ipanema is the new title of the Brazilian Netflix series that was initially titled Most Beautiful Thing, or Coisa Mas Linda in the original Portuguese. In fact, the title card still says Coisa Mas Linda, so it’s safe to assume that the new title change, to reference the well known bossa nova song, is purely for the international audience.
With that out of the way, let’s talk Season 2 of Girls From Ipanema. When we last left our heroines, the ladies were about to break free from the chains that have been holding them back. Malu’s club is a success, she had finally gotten the understanding and approval of her father, and gotten over the betrayal of her husband. Adélia was slowly breaking away from her lot in life – and the secret that she had been carrying – to become a fully fledged co-owner of Malu’s club. Lígia had found her voice and was beginning to pull away from her abusive husband. And instead of escaping to Paris, Thereza and her husband decided to stay in Rio to be with his daughter. But what a difference a day makes.
Season 2 starts with a bombshell. Following the fallout of the previous season’s finale, not only is Malu having to recover from having been shot by Augusto, Lígia’s husband, but also deal with the loss of a friend, and the return of her estranged husband Pedro.
Unfortunately (for me), Season 2 moves away from the music and the club, and focuses more on the personal lives of the women and the issues each of them face. In fact, unlike the first season, a lot of this new season sees the women apart from one another, dealing with personal problems on their own as they face matters of the heart, and the racism and sexism of 1960s Brazil.
A lot of the shine of Season 1 is missing here. The stories are a lot more personal and less about the music and the club that Malu was pulling together. That said, however, if you’re already invested in these ladies’ lives, then there’s still a lot here on offer. The ladies are at their strong feminist best when cornered by the sleazy sexist men of 1960s Brazil and it is still a sight to see Malu and Thereza stare down men who have bitten off more than they can chew.
Aside from having to deal with her husband, Malu also has a new romantic issue to deal with, having fallen in love with the two men in her life, music producer Roberto and musician Chico. Seeing her revel in the headache of having love for two eligible bachelors is also a great trick from the writers. She isn’t portrayed as the victim of love, but rather as someone who is spoilt for choice and feeling empowered from being in that position.
Moving forward I personally do hope to see more of the culture of Brazil and the problems they faced as a society in the 1960s. Season 1 leaned very much on the machismo of the Brazilian man with Augusto and Ligia’s deteriorating relationship, and Season 2 continues that arc with Malu having to deal with her sad excuse for a husband.
This season also has a wonderful traditional African wedding ceremony as Adélia finally marries her long time partner Captain. That side of the culture, as someone not from South America, can be a refreshing element to add in future seasons.
This series is still high on my Netflix recommendation list; sun soaked Rio, the beautiful 1960s setting with it’s gorgeous gowns and wonderful pastel colours, and music to make you sway and shimmy in your seat, Girls From Ipanema is still every bit as entertaining, and empowering.
You can watch both seasons of Girls From Ipanema on Netflix.
Girls From Ipanema
Netflix, Season 2, 6 episodes
Showrunners: Beto Gauss and Francesco Civita
Cast: Maria Casadevall, Leandro Lima, Pathy Dejesus, Fernanda Vasconcellos, Mel Lisboa, Ícaro Silva, Alexandre Cioletti, Gustavo Vaz, and Gustavo Machado
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