Review: Should Selena the Series Have Even Happened?

Arely Ocampo Bartolo

Reading Time: 3 minutes

As a die-hard Selena fan, I believe the Netflix show Selena: The Series did not portray her in the best light. It hurts me to quote the late singer when I say “Ay ay ay, como me duele” (oh, oh, oh how much it hurts me) in talking about the way in which Selena was depicted.

Honestly, I feel as though this show would have the late singer rolling in her grave if she saw how this show was executed. It seems to me as though her family is only using her memory as a cash-cow in order to make more money for themselves. 

I watched the show over a one week period, and quite honestly, it was hard to get through. Every couple of minutes I would find myself dozing off or looking at my phone because of how boring—for lack of a better word—this show was. They would go into unnecessary storylines like when her brother A.B became a father at a young age. As a fan, it made me feel like the show was drifting away from the intended storyline: the one focusing on Selena. 

I would have loved to explore more about Selena’s past. For example, we never learned about her struggles in keeping up with her schoolwork while touring. I wanted to dive deeper into how she kept friends at the time and how relationships worked for her. 

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Opinion: “Selena: The Series” At Risk Of Missing The Mark—Even Before Its Release

In the opening scene we see Christian Serratos—the woman chosen to play Quintanilla— walk onto the stage. However, before she began to sing the iconic song Como la Flor (meaning “like the flower”) I noticed something that only true Selena fans would notice.  It appeared as though Serrato’s bright red lipstick was sparkling under the stage lights. 

Now you may be thinking “Sure— and what?” Well,  Selena Quintanilla was known for her matte red lipstick which helped to tie her look together. It was this same lipstick that would leave her microphone with a red coating along the rims. To miss such a key element right off the bat was what set my opinion on the show in a downward trajectory. 

On the topic of appearance, Liz Correa, hair artist for the series, chose to give Serratos (among others) pretty obvious wigs. They looked lifeless because of their nearly pristine placement, which is not what normal hair looks like, especially not curly hair like what Quintanilla had. At times you could see the wig move and look too fake to function; it would lift from her head or begin to push back against her hairline, making it more noticeable to the viewer. It makes  you wonder why they prioritized the quality of a costume that was supposed to look homemade, a truthful element of the show in relation to Selena’s own life,  over a wig that would make the star of the show look more like the singer she is trying to portray. 

There was also the fact that throughout the story they make Selena look arrogant and stuck-up because of the way she acted towards her father. In reality, she just wanted to hang out with friends and stop booking as many gigs as her father desired. While we as the audience know this depiction may not be entirely accurate, it did seem distasteful to portray a deceased celebrity in such an ugly light.

Quite honestly, this show feels like it did Selena wrong. It made her look like a nightmare to be around, and even worse, it neglected the small details (such as her lipstick) which is what made me turn away. 

It appears as if Netflix used Selena’s story to make some quick money instead of depicting her as the star she was; it almost makes me wonder why they chose to make the series into two seasons instead of just one.