By the end, it felt like, And now we can begin.
It was the prologue.
Now, we have 10 episodes and I have to do a proper season.
Im learning a lot.
Im a sophomore showrunner.
If that was the prologue, how are you looking at Season 2?
Image via Starz
SARACHO:These sisters shook on it.
They basically just had a handshake.
That doesnt fix their decades long broken-ness.
Image via Starz
I dont think we can even begin mending the broken.
We have to identify it first.
And then, you have the personal stuff that they have to deal with, too.
Image via Starz
Everyone is not too far away from where we started.
SARACHO:I know!
I feel like we had to deal with that, in the first season.
Image via Starz
For five episodes, you think that this traditional Latino neighborhood is so woke and so open.
But dont forget that our bodies are also sometimes not welcome by our own community.
We are sometimes in danger.
Image via Starz
The fate of Eddy is still up in the air.
Whats it like to get feedback on the show, especially on social media?
SARACHO:People have their opinions.
Image via Starz
We only had three hours of television.
Now, I dont want to let anybody down.
Thats my own personal little struggle.
Image via Starz
Theres so much responsibility with that.
I dont know the real answer.
I do read things, but it doesnt affect the story.
It affects the conversation in the writers room.
Do we have a responsibility to tell this story?
There are so many layers.
You start there, and then you have the whole world outside.
SARACHO:For first season, I knew where we were gonna go.
I knew how it was gonna end.
I love how this season has revealed itself.
The characters are shouting out for their storylines, so were following them.
I had an idea for a big life event for one of them, and then it didnt go.
That wasnt where the character told us to go.
Im not talking about the actor, Im talking holistically.
I have a writers room that really believes in that, and Starz has been great.
So, were going where they lead us.
Have you also started thinking about new characters that youre going to add?
SARACHO:We have Nico coming.
We have consultants this year.
They did a business plan for us, and it was so interesting, in the most frightening way.
When you read this three-year business plan, these guys are never getting out from the hole.
It doesnt look like they can, but thats story right there.
I was fascinated by them, so we have a celebrity bartender that takes on restaurants and bars.
Nico will be played by Roberta Colindrez, and Im excited for her.
Because we worked together in the theater, Ive known her for a long time.
Shes lovely, and Im so excited that shes coming on board.
The world expands, but at just the right pace.
SARACHO:I know!
Its such a position of privilege, so I better not misuse it.
With great power comes great responsibility.
For so long, we have not been allowed to have our own narratives.
Its so infantilizing when theyre like, Well tell your story for you.
Even if you end up not being a stereotype, you were not at the helm of that.
You were not in control of your own narrative.
For decades, Latinas have not been in control of our own.
Thats dangerous for the perception of a people in the national narrative.
Im very committed to my cinematographer.
Im committed to my composer, who is the only Latina in the Academy for Composers.
The prism of our eyes is the way this world can get built, authentically.
I protect that a lot.
Ser did that harrowing bathroom scene.
Also, were giving some Latinas their first TV directing opportunity.
Thats important because thats a hard thing to break into.
When we looked at the list, I could count the Latinas with one hand, and thats crazy.
Theyre in high demand because theyre good.
For me, I dont know how Im here.
Its crazy, but were here now.
What did you learn about being a showrunner, by doing the first season?
What did you learn your strengths are?
SARACHO:I learned that Im more decisive than I thought.
In real life, Im like, Well, what if .
I just question, and I was afraid of that coming out too much.
I didnt know I had that fortitude of spirit.
I was so scared about, If I have to fire someone, what do I do?
But, you buck the fuck up.
I was like, I am capable.
So, it was nice to know that Im strong enough because I was doubting myself when we started.
Did you also have to learn to rely on your team?
SARACHO:Oh, yes, but they make that easy.
We spoke the same language.
Ive directed 16 plays, and thats my favorite part of what we do.
They make it easy.
We found some amazing people.
Theres no way you could do it yourself.
I dont know how people can be so controlling because you stop the ship when youre that controlling.
And youre already actively developing other TV shows, starting withBrujas.
SARACHO:Well, that is on hold while we start production [on Season 2].
We started, and then I had to go and doVida.Vidais my vida.Vidais my life.
I shouldnt do that!
What if I do this?
It might be a little dangerous because we might end up with a completely different thing.
Right now, the story is shifting.
But Im excited forBrujas, about the Afro-Latina women in Chicago.
Im just excited, if it happens, to go home to Chicago and to shoot with my friends.
The Chicago acting community is flawless.
Theyre mostly Chicago theater actors, and theyre so amazing.
Thats where I had my theater company.
Theres only five Latina shows on TV right now.
We need more networks to be like, They exist.
You just need to amplify those voices, so that the stories get told.
Theyve cut so much stuff in development, for years and years.
Maybe now they can listen with the right ear.
Were 18% of this country, and five shows out of 520 is not 18%.
It’s not even 1%.
So, I just want us to take up more space.
All episodes ofVidaavailable to watch on Starz.
