TV fanatics are no strangers to their favorite shows getting the axe for no discernable reason. Grand Hotel is one of the latest casualties.
Grand Hotel was a sleeper hit that has developed a passionate following throughout the summer.
While fans knew it was a possibility it wouldn’t see the light of day again, that didn’t make the news of its cancelation any less of a blow. Join us as we discuss why Grand Hotel deserved a better fate.
Stellar Cast
A show can have the best writers in the world, but without the right cast to deliver their storylines, it is a waste.
Grand Hotel got their casting spot on. Every character was cast perfectly, whether it was for the good or bad.
The stand out star of the series was by far Bryan Craig as Javi.
Javi initially started as a playboy who, at first glance, seemed like he was going to be the comedic relief of the show. It quickly became clear that there was much more to Javi than meets the eye, though.
Throughout the season, Javi went through so many ups and downs, and Bryan Craig never missed a beat.
Whether it was him being in pain over Ingrid lying about him being the father of her child, him drunkenly burying his feelings, or acting as Jason’s wingman, Bryan Craig never missed a beat.
Bryan Craig’s portrayl of Javi’s struggle with addiction was heartbreaking.
Related: Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 13 Review: A Perfect Storm
As someone who has won multiple Daytime Emmys, this should come as no surprise, but it was incredible to watch none the less.
Rosalind Sanchez as Gigi, the woman we all loved to hate, was another exceptional casting that helped to make Grand Hotel the incredible show it was.
Sanchez exuded confidence in every scene she was in. Gigi was a bad bitch, and Rosalind Sanchez showed the world that.
Gigi was a dynamic character that shows that no one person is all good or all bad, there is a lot of grey area, and Sanchez was able to show that time and time again.
Not only was the core cast extraordinary, but Grand Hotel also managed to have fantastic guest stars as well.
As Teresa, Katey Segal was pure evil. Teresa was reminiscent of Segal’s portrayal of Jemmer Teller on Sons of Anarchy without any of the passion of a mother to explain away her actions.
Segal was able to show that you don’t have to have a man twirling a mustache with a finger on the trigger to have a truly despicable villain.
Teresa was able to exude class and elegance while human trafficking. With Segal as the woman behind her, you weren’t left with any question of how Teresa became a boss.
Her death at the hands of Mateo was truly a tragedy. While the world was a better place without Teresa, Grand Hotel lost a star by losing Katey Segal.
Related: Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 12 Review: Dear Santiago
The season’s best episode, Dear Santiago, was made so by the devastatingly beautiful performance by Eva Longoria as the late Beatriz.
Longoria was amazing in her portrayal of Beatriz’s descent into mental illness and her eventual decision to take her own life.
After associating Eva Longoria with roles like Gabrielle Solis for so long, seeing her switch things up and spread her wings was great to see.
Bombshell Twists
In the era of social media, it is almost impossible for shows to pull off a shocking twist, but Grand Hotel managed to do it multiple times.
The most shocking moment to come out of Grand Hotel was the reveal that Jason is Santiago’s son. The moment that got revealed, jaws were on the floor across the country.
What made the moment so shocking is that no one knew there was a twist to be had.
When it comes to answers to mysteries, there are only so many options, so eventually, no end game is really all that shocking. But when you don’t know a twist is coming, that is when things get really good.
Related: Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 11 Review: Art of Darkness
Sometimes when twists like this happen, it can feel like it was only done for shock factor. This was different. It had it’s purpose.
The reveal of Jason’s paternity had repercussions that could be felt all across the Rivieria Grand. It impacted some of the biggest storylines, and without it, things would have ended very differently.
Another epic twist was delivered in the very next episode when it got revealed in the finale that Malcolm was behind Sky’s death.
If a suspect list had been made from biggest to least likely Malcolm would have been firmly at the bottom.
In a hotel filled with people with nefarious intentions and ulterior motives, Malcolm seemed one of the only genuinely good people.
Just because it was shocking, though, doesn’t mean it felt like it came out of left field.
The reveal should have almost been expected after learning that Santiago was Jason’s dad, but instead it was a genuine surprise that left many asking how they didn’t see it coming.
Even smaller reveals like the fact that Yoli was a lesbian were handled expertly, that typically only come from seasoned shows.
Related: Grand Hotel Season 1 Episode 10 Review: Suite Little Lies
In a time when so many shows feel predictable, having a show that was anything but, was nice to have.
Compellng Mystery
Creating a mystery that is good enough to drive a show is not an easy task, but Grand Hotel made it happen from day one.
Throughout the show, the mystery of Sky’s disappearance was constantly evolving.
You constantly found yourself second-guessing who was behind what happened, and what even really happened.
Was Sky alive and in hiding, or dead?
Finding the right balance of giving answers and keeping the mystery alive is always challenging, but the Grand Hotel writers manage to do it time and time again.
By having a shorter season, it allowed the mystery to stay fresh.
The show also never made the mistake of relying solely on one mystery to be the driving force behind it.
Mini mysteries like the truth behind Beatriz’s death and the identity of the blackmailer were just as compelling and helped to keep viewers interested.
Well Rounded Characters
It is simple to write a one-dimensional character. Writing a complex multi-layered character is a whole different story, and Grand Hotel had a show full of them.
Characters like Javi are one of the best examples of this, but Grand Hotel’s true strength was in adding depth to characters when you least expected it.
Ingrid was a hated character throughout the majority of the show. Something changed during the last third of it, though.
The character that once had been despicable was shown to have heart and compassion. Ingrid’s time with the Parkers allowed her to grow leaps and bounds.
By the end, Ingrid was downright likable, something that once seemed impossible.
Even Mateo who seemed like a straight forward villain the majority of the time was shown to be more than meets the eye.
While he remained a villain, knowing he spent so many years under Teresa’s thumb and managed to be the one who ended her life, it helped to turn him into a different type of villain.
If the writers had more time, it seems like Mateo may have had a chance to be redeemed. Unfortunately, we will never know.
Grand Hotel found itself cut down before it ever really had a chance to show the world what a force it could be to the network television landscape, but fans will not soon forget the residents of the Riveria Grand Hotel.
Over to you TV Fanatics. Were you sad about the cancelation of Grand Hotel? Do you wish that another network would pick it up? What other shows that you loved got cut too soon? Comment below!
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Meaghan Frey is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.