SPOILER ALERT: The following reveals major plot points from the final two episodes of NBC‘s Lopez vs. Lopez‘s second season.
EXCLUSIVE: In the blink of an eye, Season 2 of NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez has come to a close with many surprises and plenty of tears. Looking back, the show’s sophomore run bravely put many of its characters in uncomfortable situations that eventually led to growth and healing.
The final two episodes are very Mayan Lopez-focused with viewers seeing the result of her hard work and dedication as a partner, mother, daughter and friend. But to discuss things properly, let’s take a little trip back to the show’s freshman season.
When viewers first meet Mayan and her real-life/on-screen father George Lopez,—both of whom play fictionalized versions of themselves with stories inspired by their relationship—they’ve reunited after a long estrangement, much to her chagrin. George (the character) has a history of being an unreliable husband and father who abandoned his family until he needed somewhere to land. Mayan (the character) is a married, mother of one with self-diagnosed “daddy issues” that prevented her from trusting and taking the next steps with her boyfriend and the father of her son, Quinten Van Bryan (Matt Shively).
When comparing George and Mayan in the premiere episode with the growth they achieve individually and together across two seasons, it’s impressive. But Lopez vs. Lopez isn’t your typical sitcom; it’s a series following a real father and daughter who bravely share some of their most challenging moments with the world. Not only have the pair emerged with a stronger bond, but they’ve also helped many others with similar familial realities.
In an early episode, George says jokingly, “I went to a therapist once, and now I’m cured.” Everyone laughs but the truth is, in the Latino community, speaking about mental health remains taboo and reserved only for “crazy people.” The series has helped break these stereotypes with a macho Latino accepting help from a professional and wanting to be a better man.
In the finale, the family speaks to a therapist, played by Tisha Campbell, after George falls off the wagon. He’s embarrassed it happened but it seems to have played a pivotal role in the shift from joking about therapy to accepting it. And to his credit, although he was unable to say no to booze, he did put his ex-wife Rosie’s (played by Tour de Force, Selenis Leyva) needs first when she was also drunk and nursing a broken heart. There was a passionate kiss there, however.
The next day, both act as if nothing happened and nobody witnessed the morning walk of shame. They team up to turn Rosie’s sad turn of events into something positive for Mayan after “learning” (George pretends to be a priest in a confessional and listens to everyone’s sins) her partner Quinten has always wanted to propose.
There’s a touching scene in 209 where Mayan is tricked into trying on her mom’s wedding gown in an attempt to persuade Quinten to put a ring on it. A lot happens in this scene: For the first time, Mayan realizes she might want to be a bride; Rosie puts her sadness aside after realizing her almost fiancé Josué (Jamie Camil) was merely another version of George, the man who broke her heart; George Lopez (the actor) sees his daughter in a wedding gown and I heard tears were shed backstage, to name a few. Mayan Lopez (the actress) also had a lot running through her mind at this point that she will share below in our exclusive chat.
I’m being very long-winded here but Lopez vs. Lopez is a gem of a series that needs to continue. It’s the show that I wish existed when I was growing up. The Lopez Team brings hilarity and creativity in a space bogged down by the evils of the world—both real and fictionalized—at a time when we need laughter the most.
For those of you here for the spoilers, Mayan and Quinten get engaged after the former comes to terms with her aversion to marriage is rooted in all the disappointment and discrepancies from growing up with George as her father. Season 2 ends with anticipation as the family looks towards planning the happy couple’s nuptials.
As promised, here’s my Q&A with Mayan Lopez, a name I wasn’t too familiar with before the series who has left an impression. As she will tell you, taking the risk has led her to become a woman healing, thriving, and finding her own way. Whether or not this is the end, Mayan Lopez has proven she is a force to be reckoned with.
DEADLINE: Mayan, your character and Quinten have come so far in two seasons that we finally have reached this place of trust and healing. What insight can you share into the growth that led them to make this big commitment?
MAYAN LOPEZ: Since the first season, Quinten has only grown more and more devoted to Mayan and being that stable thing that she has needed. He’s always been her rock. It’s been Mayan that had to develop because she’s lived in this fear, which is something that I take from my real life. In my life, I’m dating but I’m so scared of picking the wrong partner and getting divorced one. That is something that hit Mayan in both seasons; this fear of history repeating itself and going into this generational trauma of being at the core of everything. She got comfortable and didn’t want things to change because potentially, it could affect her feelings of safety negatively. In these last two episodes, her mind opens up as she sees her family changing for the better. Her story is different than her parents.
DEADLINE: Does this inspire the real Mayan?
ML: Yes. Something I’ve learned from my character is not to be afraid of commitment. Our proposal showed both of us committing to one another. Originally, Mayan was going to be the only one to propose and I fought to have us both do it. It was important for both characters to vocalize their commitment to one another, which is also probably a very millennial way of proposing. Plus, this makes two years of people asking when Quinten is going to propose to Mayan? I think it was a great way to complete this chapter. I thought it was very sweet and I wanted to add the detail of Quinten always carrying around that ring in his wallet. That’s what helped her see he was ready at any moment to commit.
DEADLINE: How has working on the show helped your family heal? We saw that video of your dad and mom Ann Serrano kissing in your IG video recently. You guys have come a long way.
ML: Oh, no, no, no, no! I want to make the record clear that that was just a joke they pulled on me. Now, in real life, they use this to get at me. [Laughs]
DEADLINE: Yes, I get that but to even be at a point where they can joke like that shows progress has been made, no?
ML: Yeah, that’s true. You know, I get comments often asking me if I want my parents to get back together. I want to go on the record saying, “Absolutely not.” We have worked very, very hard for over a decade to get to this point where we can be very comfortable with one another. I think seeing George this season screwing up but owing to his mistakes has been a big win. He respected Rosie’s boundaries and her situation and acted in the interest of someone else.
Playing Mayan has been interesting because it’s helped me in real life to be open to giving him more chances. His relationship with Mayan (on the show) differs from ours in real life. But playing Mayan has inspired me because I’m almost able to see things play out safely since a part of me is still a little scared. Playing her and seeing how she gives her dad a chance, inspired me to look more into my relationship with my father and push where I’m comfortable. I think playing our characters has helped that seem more of a tangible idea that we could bring into our real lives.
DEADLINE: There was an emotional scene in the finale where everyone gets to beat up George, well, his piñata double. What was it like on set for that scene, particularly when he breaks down?
ML: That was a very intense moment. He really went there and as you saw, the piñata wouldn’t break so he kept hitting it and hitting it. I remember thinking to myself whether or not he was really crying. I wondered, “Is he ok?” There was that moment when I didn’t know what was real and what was acting. There’s also a different take where he was crying but at the end, he goes, “Ooh,” and he picks up a lollipop. [Laughs] In the emotional take, the live studio audience was in tears. You couldn’t hear a pin drop; it was a beautiful thing to witness. I looked around and realized that these people were so moved by our art. This is the reaction we hoped for when we were writing this. When I watched it, I started laughing. The audience looked at me as if I was wrong to laugh because he is my dad but I was still processing what I was seeing.
DEADLINE: Watching a scene like that, do you view it with the eyes of a daughter or as an actor watching another actor perform, or a little of both?
ML: I think a little bit of both. I saw that one as an actor watching because I have to protect myself a little bit. And also, that’s the issues with George, the character, issues that my dad and I in real life have gotten over. So I’m able to watch that scene in particular a little less emotionally and just admire it. It was beautiful seeing my dad go there; I was very impressed.
DEADLINE: Speaking of getting emotional, that’s how I felt seeing you in that gorgeous wedding dress. What was going through your mind? Did you wonder at all if that could be you one day?
ML: I absolutely could imagine that. I’ve never seen myself in a wedding dress. I’ve been in a first communion dress and a prom dress. And now, I dress up for events and things but never a wedding dress. It was very strange for me too because I’ve lost 100 pounds.
DEADLINE: Wow, congratulations!
ML: Thank you. So to see myself in this dress was really eye-opening; I couldn’t stop looking at myself. When you’re walking on set, everyone’s like, “Oh my God,” and I was like, “We’re gonna make George Lopez cry today. We’re gonna break George Lopez, everybody just watch.” My dad did get a little teary-eyed. He was just like, “You look so beautiful,” and I felt beautiful. That was a moment as a woman, looking at yourself in the mirror and realizing, “Yes, I can imagine that.” It’s going to be one of the next big milestones in my life when I reach that. What’s great about Lopez vs Lopez is that I kind of get to test drive these life moments before I do them for myself. It’s definitely a perk of the job.
DEADLINE: We’re all still waiting for the show to get renewed. Have you guys heard anything? We still need to see the wedding!
ML: We’re hoping it’s not the end. We’re hoping that the third season will be about the wedding. So many fans keep DM’ing me asking if it’s going to happen and I’m hoping we can give them that kind of ending.
DEADLINE: What else do you wish for Mayan?
ML: I hope she and Quinten will get married and have another baby. I think it would be interesting to see where things go with Rosie and George and how they’d go forward with things because George did relapse. How is that going to change? Also, I would love to see how wedding planning goes for Mayan, George and Rosie. I would love to see a reality where George gets equally as involved in the wedding planning and even more so [than everyone else].
This interview was edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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