The First Time
Episode 5 of Rebelde Season 1 begins with Without Name up on stage performing, with Esteban. Oh, I guess he’s okay then. So much for that big cliffhanger. Anyway, with a bandaged ear and no crowd to play for, Without Name do well to impress the judges. Without the popular vote though, they seem destined to fail. After the audition, Ferrerr and Anita question Esteban, determined to find out what happened to him. He’s not sure who attacked him though, and worse – thee files on the USB drive don’t seem to have transferred correctly. Jana decides to play Sebas at his own game, inviting Sebas and the gang to an afterparty at Jana’s place. Given her parents are out, it’s the perfect opportunity to let the school see them play… and to screw over Sebastian. Jana is convinced he’s the one behind everything and she intends to make him confess, getting him drunk so he opens up. Andi though is not so sure this will work. The party goes ahead and the crew set up some hidden cameras. I say hidden, the one in a flowerpot is literally in plain view but let’s roll with it. Dixon starts to get cold feet too, worried about MJ drinking and not wanting her to be put in a compromising position by Sebas. As all the kids begin partying, they listen to Without Name performing before Esteban takes Luka aside and confronts him outside. He believes Luka is the ringleader and threatens to out him to the whole school. Luka scoffs at the threat and tells him to leave or he’ll regret it. Esteban runs out of patience and shows off the picture of his mum, wanting to know what’s going on. Sebas does finally show up with Emilia, just in time to see the band play again. This time MJ takes center stage and ends up singing, which certainly catches Sebastian’s attention. Andi and Emilia wind up kissing too, with the latter claiming this is her first time with a girl. Meanwhile, Sebas encourages MJ to get into the hot tub with him. When she does, eventually, Sebas decides to play a game of truth or dare. Dixon watches all of this unfold from the bedroom, clearly angsty and hunched over the laptop. Given his clear affection for MJ, it’s tough going but he keeps his cool. MJ though, does not. As she keeps drinking, MJ eventually opens up and questions Sebas over whether he’s part of The Lodge, destroying their cover. When MJ passes out in the pool and Sebas leaves, Dixon rushes outside to grab her and save the girl from drowning. In private, Sebas admits to Jana that he’s the one responsible for everything. Only, she has no proof so she’s stuck with more questions than answers. When Sebas leaves, he hitches a ride with Anita, promising that he’s put Jana in her place and asks to head to her place.
The Episode Review
Is Anita really the ringleader in all of this? Or is there more to this story than we’ve been led to believe? It’s certainly an interesting twist and the revelation that Sebas is behind a lot of the drama ensuing here is enough to whet the appetite for more. However, this twist doesn’t excuse some of the lackadaisical plotting and the ridiculous plan involving the camera that’s out in plain view. This plan was always destined to fail and it’s surprising that the kids are this stupid to believe otherwise. While some of the teen drama is a little formulaic and obvious, there’s enough of a guilty pleasure vibe akin to Elite and Control Z to keep you watching to find out more. I’m guessing The Lodge is probably made up of old students, including Esteban and Jana’s mum, but that’s just a guess at this point. At the time of writing, we haven’t seen the upcoming chapters so may well be way off!
