#esp when they used a magical deus ex machina to bind him and elena together as symbiotic narrative foils?

[notmoreflippingelves]

So like I'm pretty much in complete and total agreement with everything said here, but I'd just like to build upon what you said a bit more especially in the reference to the writers largely ignoring Esteban's trauma. Partly because "well, it was kind of his fault" and partly because "this guy spent 41 years in captivity wallowing in guilt and desperation without a break or a friend" is admittedly rather a lot to put on the eight-year-olds watching.

But even knowing that does not make it any more frustrating to watch as an adult. I already did a little word vomit of my own about how "Island of Youth" is actually rather heartbreaking in an understated way. But at least, he does get considerable focus in that ep, unlike the other microagressive moments in S1-S2 which Esteban's past experiences (or even the man himself) are either ignored, played for laughs or both.

Don't think I didn't notice how quick everyone was to ignore his stated wish for a quiet, traditional Navidad at home with the familia in the first holiday episode ! Even though he has probably been dreaming of that very thing for decades! Nope, this idea is not even worth considering for everyone else. (At least, he got his family Christmas time the second time around).

Don't think I didn't notice that he straight-up *wasn't* there during the "family" vacations in "Royal Retreat" and "The Gecko's Tale"! (And yeah, he was probably working but would it really have been so hard to have someone quickly say "It's really too bad Esteban was too busy with that trade agreement to join us. Next time, we'll take him with us even if we have to pack his entire study to lure him here.")

And on a similar note, his absence in every Dias de las Muertos episodes is also super-glaring. Word of God says he's visiting his parents' altar but like... you could've showed that and you chose not to. Because apparently, he's the only one who isn't allowed onscreen grief on the day where people remember their lost loved ones.

But all of that is absolutely nothing at all compared to the glaring hole of wasted potential/unexplored complexity that was Esteban's characterization in S2 in particular. (Adding further insult to injury, he's not even listed at all as either a "main character," a "recurring character," *or* a "supporting character" on the official wiki's page for S2. King Verago's listed and he's only in 1 episode. Esteban is in 8-9 but apparently he's a non-character).

It's incredibly frustrating considering that S2 as a whole is arguably the most plot-consistent and has the least filler. More importantly, Esteban has long-standing and very important connections to the driving forces of said S2 plot (namely Elena, Shuriki, and Victor). And yet, the only real things of substance the S2 narrative gives us for him (apart from a few funny moments) are his rap battle with Elena and the Navidad episode. (Ironically, both of those are only peripherally related to Esteban's connections to the S2 plot as a whole)

Even both of those great moments are undercut by the fact that in the latter case, he has to share focus with Elena, Mateo, and Naomi all of whom get at least 1 additional character-focused episode of their own that they don't have to "share" with anyone else. And in the former case, the fun Hamilton-esque beat makes it far too easy to ignore what is actually happening during "The Right Thing to Do." Namely, Esteban doing a literal song and dance in order to convince the Grand Council to protect Elena from Shuriki--since Elena sure as hell isn't going to protect herself.

However, the most aggravating to me personally is the absolute wasted Esteban potential in "Song of the Sirenas." This is arguably the most important episode of the show since "Secret of Avalor" and it should've been nearly as huge for Esteban's character as it was for Elena's. He comes face to face again with the person who manipulated him and terrorized him for forty-one years, (!) the person who had thought he was finally free of but turned out to be mistaken (even if the reunion was mercifully temporary). The narrative owed him a direct interaction with Shuriki, one that would've brought him closure or at least would've acknowledged how painful and terrifying his situation is. I would've gobbled up that delicious angst like Esteban gobbles up tres leches cake.

Instead, we get only two tiny little character moments from Esteban in the episode, both of which involve his "cowardice" being played for laughs and neither of which stop to consider that his self-preservation instincts are normal considering what he's been through.

The first of these moments is Esteban immediately darting behind Francisco for protection when he sees that flash of green smoke for the first time in two years.

This is especially striking as it's a direct contrast to his behavior in S3. Long before his sacrifice in the series finale, we see multiple occasions where Esteban inserts himself as a physical barrier between Elena and Ash Delgado. Even though Elena sees him as the "enemy" and arguably "more" of the enemy than Ash, Esteban still refuses to let any harm come to his cousin, even if he has to put himself literally in the line of fire.

And yet when Esteban sees his former queen, his first instinct is to hide behind his grandfather like a scared little boy. Shuriki terrifies Esteban in a way that nothing else in the show seems to--not even Ash or Zopilote or Cahu. He reverts to being the child he was forty-three years earlier and waits for the older, braver man to save him from the nightmare.

The second notable Esteban moment in "Song of the Sirenas" is pretty similar to the first and nearly as striking. And it's played for laughs even more so than the other. After Esteban, his cousins, the abuelos, and Marisa are locked up in the tower ("for now" as Shuriki made sure to remind them), they are rescued by Naomi, Gabe, Mateo, and the jaquins. When Mateo asks who should be taken to safety first, Esteban's response is an immediate "me, me, me." And then two seconds later, "Or Isabel."

Unsurprisingly, Esteban's first instinct is to protect himself from the person who made his life hell for decades. But equally telling is the fact that just a few short moments later, his priorities reorient towards protecting the youngest and most vulnerable person in the room. Even though no one was able to protect him when he was nearly as young and nearly as vulnerable. (I'm fairly meh about Mateo overall but my opinion of him did shoot up dramatically when he subsequently decides to save Isabel and Esteban at the same time. You done good, wizard boy. Keep it up)

It's all so much and Esteban is just so much, the most character. But still not nearly as much character as the narrative should let him be.

Both my twitters are locked now due to the increase in spam and bot issues since the Muskrat's hostile takeover but here is the original "losing my mind about Esteban Flores" thread for posterity and your reading pleasure*