The One With That One Envious Friend
No, it’s not me. I mean, I hope not.
What’s the worst thing you’ve ever been called? Since I repress any humiliating memory I simply don’t remember. But I imagine being called envious would be up there. There are many character flaws that are socially acceptable – envy and jealousy are neither of them. Even less so than vanity. You can be a perfectionist, or indecisive – bit annoying, put also potentially endearing. Maybe you’re a little judgy? No worries, I certainly am. Do you rely on others too much? No one cares. People might notice these weaknesses but they don’t mind them terribly.
Envy is ugly and pathetic, though. No one sympathizes with that. That’s why I was immediately curious about Envidiosa. The Argentinian dramedy series stars Griselda Siciliani as Victoria, a 40-year-old interior designer who is more and more overcome by envy as good things happen to her friends and family. She spirals out of control.
An insufferable and deeply human character
I’m a huge fan of unlikeable main characters. And my god, Victoria is insufferable. She stalks her ex’s wife, ditches her friends in Paraguay on her birthday because one of them shares she’s about to get married, and she treats her new best friend like a servant. On the surface she’s just a horrible, selfish person but of course there is more nuance to her character, something that is brought out by her therapist Fernanda (Lorena Vega).
Victoria might be every dark and unhinged thought you ever had about other people personified. Still, she’s not actually a vapid narcissist but a lonely and insecure person afraid to be left behind. Which is so deeply human and understandable it makes me wonder why we don’t give envious and jealous people a bit of that grace we have for people who film themselves crying for TikTok all in the name of normalizing vulnerability.
That petty inner voice
Victoria is that bitter voice in your head that assures you your ex’s new partner has all the substance of a low-fat yogurt after you spent ages trying to convince him and yourself that you’re right for each other. The voice that somewhere deep down in you makes that petty comment about your brilliant friend who could have had this impressive career. Instead, her life orbits around being a wife and a mother and you’re not actually mourning her potential but the time you no longer spend together because you have nothing left to share that’s of equal importance to both of you. You’re not even equally important to one another anymore. Also her friends are so boring you can’t spend five minutes with them without wanting to pop your eye out with a champagne cork (says that petty inner voice to console you).
The hateration and holleration in your head left unchecked
Victoria is the hateration and holleration in your head left completely unchecked. She’s infuriating, yet relatable because sometimes other people’s lives come at you fast and then leave you in the rearview mirror. All of Victoria’s wishes appear to be granted to those around her. Even her therapist favors another patient. That fear of being the odd one out, the one that no one wants in the end, drives Vicky to sabotage other people’s lives, slowly making that fear come true.
It’s a compelling watch that could accomplish even more if they had left out the love interest. The answer to getting over yourself and being less miserable cannot be falling in love with the friend you used to overlook. Enough of that. It’s tired and lazy.
I will make one exception only for Caroline Klidonas, though, who captures movie tropes like no other. So for today’s outro we got:
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Next on Previously On: Christmas. Jk but also not really. Because there will be TWO new seasons of Love is Blind soon. And I. am. seated. for Love is Blind Habibi.