Pages

May 1, 2021

"Luis Miguel": TV Series about the Latin Singing Sensation Doesn't Skimp on the Gay Subtexts

 


I naturally assumed that the tv series Luis Miguel was about a fictional Latin American singer, until a brief glance at Wikipedia revealed that he is real.  His songs have sold 60,000,000 copies. One album sold 320,000 copies the day of its release.  He has won multiple Emmies.  He sings at sold-out concerts at vast arenas.  And he's still alive, about 60 years old: this is an authorized biopic.

Trying to determine if he is gay, I searched on "gay" and "homosexualidad," and came up with only "Luis Miguel's songs play during a gay pride parade" and "Luis Miguel comes out" (but that was an April Fool's story).  So I'm concluding heterosexual.  But he has two brothers, Alex and Sergio. Maybe one of them is gay?  Or a friend from the past?

I watched Episode 6: "Luis goes to military school to learn discipline," hoping to see some military school hunks.


Scene 1:
Holy cow, a hot naked guy for the first two minutes, rear nudity and bulges in speedos!  Sometime around 1990, Luis Miguel, here called Mickey (Diego Bonita, top photo and left),  awakens in bed with a woman and walks through his house, which is littered with sleeping people and trashed from heavy partying.  

Phone call on an old-fashioned 1990s model.  His brother Alex is in Italy, looking for their mother,who vanished years ago.  He has a lead: the whereabouts of Ridono, Mom's last known boyfriend.   

Scene 2:  In a room plastered with record albums, an angry man is yelling at Hugo (Cesar Bordon): "Did you think I would just go away?  I have proof that Micky was driving the car when it crashed into the sea!  My daughter could have died!"  Hugo agrees to a settlement, but he has to fly to Argentina for a few days.  After that?  No deal!  

Scene 3: Holy cow, more hot semi-naked Mickey, sunbathing with a girl.  You'd think someone that rich could afford a shirt.  He goes into the house.  His agent tells him about the permits and permissions he needs to film his new music video at the Military College: if he wants to set foot on a plane or a tank, he has to go through basic training.

Micky: Let's do it.

Agent: But afterwards you film the music video, then immediately start on a world tour.  If you are injured and have to cancel, we'll lose millions.  There's a lot at stake.  But Micky isn't listening; he's kissing his girl.

Scene 4:  Hugo and his staff discuss what to do about Luis, Micky's Dad, who was embezzling from the company.  Micky will get mad, but they have to do something.  They suggest an internal audit.

Scene 5:  12-year old Mickey surrounded by letters and gifts from fans.  He's exhausted from shooting a movie all day and doing concerts all night.  A younger Hugo thinks he needs a break, and goes to ask his Dad, Luis (Oscar Jaenada) 

"No way!  When I was young, I was performing twice as much!  He has the rest of his life to take it easy!  Now it's time to work!"

Hugo: "He just needs a week off!  He's 12."

Luis: "You're not his manager, or his uncle, or his friend.  You're nobody!" Apparently Hugo becomes his manager later.

Scene 6:  12-year old Mickey in a hospital bed during a scene in the movie.  Luis gives him direction: "Scream, bang things. Be loud!"  But when the filming begin, Mickey just stares into space. The actress playing his nurse doesn't know what to do.  Cut!

Scene 7:  The studio doctor, Doc (Gabriel Nuncio), tells Luis that Micky is exhausted, and needs some time off.  Cancel the show tonight. "No!  We already sold the tickets!  Give him some ephedrine!" (Whoa, the precursor drug to meth).  Doc resists: giving dangerous drugs to a child is...then Luis pulls out his checkbook.


Scene 8:
Back to 1990 Micky in the office, double-taking at girls while Rene the Financial Manager try to get him to focus.  The "Aztec Top Gun" music video will be very expensive, but he doesn't care; it will be cool.

Cut to the Military College, where the gruff Commander tries to get Mickey to focus: "This isn't a game! The Military College isn't an amusement park. Tanks are not toys!"  He calls for a cadet named Tello (Jorge Antonio Guerrero, who doesn't appear nude here, but gives us a full frontal in Roma):  "Do everything he says.  One hint of insubordination, and goodbye to your music video." 

As they walk through the campus, Micky asks Tello if the nurses on the base are good in bed.  Oy vey, does he ever think of anything else?  The taciturn cadet merely says: "Training starts tomorrow at 6 am.  Be here."

Scene 9:  A giant office building.  Luis and his buddy discussing Cantinflas.  Suddenly some suits from WEA Corporate Offices arrive to investigate allegations of embezzlement.  Luis and his buddy are screwed!  They have to stop this investigation right now!   Call Rene! (Rene is the whistle-blower, you saps.)

Scene 10:  Micky dozing on the way to the Military College.  Doc, from Scene 7, apparently now his assistant, awakens him and helps him inside.   He double-takes at boys, too.  Maybe Micky is bi?  

Montage of Micky trying to run, do pushups and jumping jacks, and failing badly.  For a guy with a hot body, he's completely out of shape!  The guys buddy bond over discussions of their family.  Tello  sees his Mom only once a year, because she lives far away and he doesn't get much time off.  Awww.  Micky notes that he hasn't seen his own Mom for a long time.

Scene 11: A seamstress shop in Italy, 1982.  Marcela comes in and tells Micky's Mom that they have more costume orders.  But no more sewing tonight.  It's her birthday, and they're celebrating at the Los Angeles Club.  

Meanwhile, Luis and his buddy are discussing the rumors that his wife, ...is making costumes for a kid's band.  Gee, that's not what I expected.  The Doctor comes out and notes that the ephedrine is ready.

Meanwhile, a very frazzled-looking 12-year old Micky is doing homework.  His Mom comes in and wants to know why he's still up.  She storms into Luis's bedroom to demand to know why he's working Micky to death.  Luis: "If you care so much, why don't you give up that other job to take care of him?"


Scene 12:
Mexico City, 1990. Luis tells Micky about the internal investigation.  They're screwed.  "I wanted you to find out from me," Luis says, "Not from rumors or Hugo."  

Mickey: "I'm not with Hugo, anymore, so..." SAY WHAT????  Were Micky and Hugo dating?

Luis:  "I heard that you two were arguing."

Mickey: "More heated than that.  It got hot."

Luis: "Hot enough for him to hurt you?"  Mickey doesn't answer.  Domestic abuse!

Scene 13: At the Military College, the Doctor does double-takes at the hot guys running while waiting for Mickey.  Cut to Mickey and Tallo discussing his performance in the pool.  Tallo asks "Being so famous, do you ever go out?"  Planning to ask him for a date?  Mickey: "Sure I go out.  Why not tonight?  Dinner, whatever, and the Doc will bring you home."  

Tallo hesitates -- roll call is at 7:00 am.  But they stare into each other's eyes with obvious sexual tension.  "Ok, let's do it.  Just give me five minutes to throw on something nice."

Scene 14: Tallo is expecting a restaurant, but instead Micky brings him home (shouldn't you eat before the sex?).  They stand close enough to kiss and gaze into each other's eyes, but no kiss.  Instead Micky points downstairs, where a gigantic celebrity-filled party is going on "In your honor!"  Tallo accepted the date like twenty minutes ago.  How did Micky have time to arrange all this?

They mingle, get drunk, dance, hug guys, take turns kissing a girl.  

Scene 15: The 12-year old Micky on the movie set, singing "Mom, we can't take back yesterday."   Suddenly he collapses.  

Cut to Mom and Luis discussing his collapse.  There were drugs in his system!  Luis: "I can't take care of him by myself.  If only you didn't have that other job..." Snarky, manipulative bastard!

Scene 16:  Back in 1990, Tallo wakes up in his underwear in the bathroom, and rushes out into the detritus of the party.  It's late in the morning, he missed roll call, and he can't find the Doctor to take him home!


Scene 17:
Italy.  Auntie drives Micky's brother Alex (Juanpa Zurita) to Ridone's house, where his Mom is supposed to be. The lady who answers the door says that Ridone was her husband, and dumped her for...another woman!  "No, I don't know her name."

Scene 17: The Military College, with the Doctor doing double-takes at the hunks.  Since Micky completed the training, the General will allow him to film there.  

"Where is Tello?" Micky wants to know. 

 "He was suspended yesterday for missing roll call. He also missed the big exam, so he'll be out the whole year."

Micky catches up with Tello just as he's leaving, bag in hand.  Tello: Growl, growl. Micky: I'm rich and famous.  I can make things happen.  Let me help. Tello: No way, dude.  It's over.  I imagine Micky loses a lot of boyfriends that way.

Scene 18: Mickey complaining to his agent: "I'm rich and famous, I offer to fix it, and he still refuses!  What's up with that?"  Agent: "Well, you betrayed his trust by keeping him up all night. And what about Hugo?  You betrayed him even after he cancelled a trip to Argentina to stand by you."  

Scene 19:  Back in 1982, Micky's Mom at the costume shop in Italy, saying that she has to quit due to Luis's emotional blackmail.    

Scene 20:  1990 Mickey pulls some strings and gets Tello's suspension lifted.

Scene 21: Tello brings his bags back into the dorm.  Micky has left an autographed album for his mother, , and a note, "To Tello, with love."  Awww

Scene 22: Luis and his dad having dinner with a third guy.  Third Guy asks who Micky will be staying with while Luis is away.  Hugo?  This upsets Micky, and Luis yells at him.  

Phone call from Alex in Italy: "Dude, Ridone died three years ago. And his last girlfriend wasn't Mom.  They lied to us!"  The end.

Beefcake: Just Micky...sigh...but he's plenty.

Other sights: Some establishing shots.

Gay Characters: I'm sure that Micky is canonically bisexual, which seems odd if the real Luis Miguel isn't.  

Will I Continue Watching: Heck, yes.

1 comment:

  1. Luis Miguel is a great singer of classic romantic ballads and he was very pretty when he was young - but recent plastic surgery has not helped

    ReplyDelete

No offensive, insulting, racist, or homophobic comments are permitted.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.