Cristela Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Equal Pay
Whitney Evans
at
.
Updated at
.
In contrast to past weeks which have been more lighthearted and dealt with things like online dating and Hall and Oates, Cristela Season 1 Episode 6 took on a more serious topic in equal pay rights.
Trent brought the interns a case in which a woman was suing her employer, in this case a bank, alleging that she was getting paid less than her male counterparts. Cristela was immediately on the side of the woman, but unfortunately, Culpepper and associates was representing the bank, not the victim.
Equal pay rights is always a hot button issue and it's something that still seems to come up in the news. Even in the year 2014, discrimination continues in many different forms, involving not only gender but a host of other things as well.
I'm always a little hesitant when I hear comedies are tackling more serious issues because things can tend to get sticky. Either the topic can become very heavy or the jokes seem forced, bordering on insensitive or inappropriate.
That's not to say a heavy issue is a bad thing, but in general we watch comedies to laugh, so intense subject matter isn't always received well by the audience.
While this installment didn't feel overbearing to me, I did think it was light on the laughs in comparison to the recent outings, which have been great.
When Cristela brought her work dilemma home, she was met with much opposition from Felix, who believed that men should make more than women. Daniela was noticeably silent during the exchange between Cristela and Felix and we found out later that's because she makes more money than her husband.
Cristela: I found out last night my sister makes more than my brother-in-law.
Josh: So, what's the big deal about that?
Cristela: She didn't tell him because she doesn't think he can handle it.
Josh: What is he a caveman?
I couldn't agree more with Josh here. It's 2014 and woman make up nearly half the work force. It was pretty disconcerting to hear Felix be so down on women in certain ways.
Once he found out Daniela made more than he did, he was not only hurt that she lied but also just plain annoyed that he wasn't the breadwinner he always thought he was.
And little jabs like this one weren't helping matters.
Hey Dad, do you have to make breakfast for Mom now?
Henry
Back at the office, Cristela struggled to work on a case she was so firmly against, but it was all for naught, as the case ended up being settled out of court. As Trent pointed out, who would want to be the person to speak out against equal pay in court? Certainly not a big time bank with a ton of female customers, that's for sure.
Eventually, Cristela lied to Felix, telling him that Daniela only made $50 more than him a week so Felix would stop feeling so bad. It was a nice gesture on Cristela's part but it's a shame she had to do it all. It would have been nice to see Felix happy for his wife's success, instead of disappointed by it.
This wasn't my favorite episode thus far, but there were still some great moments. Anytime Alberto was around, I was smiling. That laugh of his is so contagious!
What did you guys think about this "Equal Pay"? Did you find it funnier than I did? Were you surprised by Felix's stance on the issue? Isn't Alberto the best?
Don't forget to watch Cristela online and check out the Cristela quotes section right now to relive the night's best lines.
Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.
