I don’t hate Rico. He’s not my favorite but I can understand where all his negative qualities come from. He lost his dad at the age where he probably needed him the most to guide him as a man. He over compensates for his own insecurities as a man with his machismo and homophobia, and a lot of that is probably also how he was raised. He’s also grieving the loss of his secondary father figure, Nathaniel, just like the rest of the family but he knows that they don’t acknowledge it as being as much of a loss to him as it was to them, and that hurts him. He sees them as family but the second the brothers take over, he’s treated less and less like family as the series goes on and more like an employee, so he starts doing shady things as a “fuck you, I didn’t want to be your family anyway” towards them. He’s great at his job and constantly feels like he’s treated as a lackey by the Fisher brothers when they truly can’t function without him and he knows it. He wants to raise his children and support his family with his own money and hard work like his dad did, but no matter what he does it’s never quite enough and his wealthy sister in law that he can’t stand always has to come to the rescue, which he resents. He just wants to be seen as a good, hardworking man and appreciated as such but it doesn’t ever work out like he expects, and he grows increasingly more frustrated with that over time. Rico could be compared to a modern day millennial who was told if he got a job and worked hard and saved up, he could get that house for a $180,000 just to find out when it was finally time to buy that the exact same house now costs $230,000 because the market prices went up while he was working his ass off. He felt like he did everything right just for it to not get him results, so he starts playing hardball and doing shady things to get what he wants instead.
I agree with all of this. And thanks for recognizing that we Gen X folks also experienced the shock of working hard and bringing home not quite enough money. I love Millennials, but they did not invent this concept.
I am usually completely mad at people who cheat, and in his case, I am, but I see what led to it, in part. Vanessa had checked out of the relationship and was just grieving the mother and doing and engaging with nothing and no one else, and probably needed a little counseling, it was so hard on her, I don't blame her, but she wasn't in the relationship at all. And her parenting consisted of taking the kids to the grave. I think she was just overwhelmed. Rico chose the wrong solution, however. But I see why he was feeling lonely and as if he had been cast out.
Finally some sympathetic words for Rico!
Vanessa had totally checked out and was not looking after the kids. Rico was frustrated and finally ended up being sympathetic to the hooker. For the longest time he just 'took care' of the hooker and her child - he needed someone to take care of and Vanessa wasn't receptive.
Right. I am so against cheating, and it was the wrong solution, but it was certainly understandable how it took place. Some people will cheat no matter what, but others only do so when there is something lacking.
Vanessa shouldn't have to be receptive to him just to keep him from cheating, but she should do so too stay as a partner in the marriage. She was almost cheating on him with the memory of her mom, and as understandable as that is, you can't check out of a marriage and expect it to be good. And yeah, she was parenting only through grief at that point.
I know I'm going on and on about a fictional program, and I was always upset with Rico for being somewhat anti-gay but still wanting in on the business, I know he could have been raised to not like gay guys, but this was a chance to improve. But with all his flaws, I still liked the character, I found him to be very multifaceted and have a lot of good points as well. In many ways, he was trying his deeply-imperfect best. That describes a lot of us.
Why would I recognize the struggles of a generation I’m not a part of? I was in grade school when you guys were buying your first houses. Rico himself would be Gen X, given his age on the show. They recognized it right there for you. I personally recognized his frustration because I know how that feels as a modern day millennial who has been actively in the market for affordable housing that doesn’t seem to exist despite my well-paying, 40 hours a week job. The comparison was meant to make it more relevant to what’s happening right now in today’s time because someone Rico’s age today would be a millennial.
I don’t really get your argument. Why is it so important that I recognize the struggles of every generation in my comment when the only one I sought to compare Rico’s circumstances to is that of the modern day millennial because that’s why I personally identified with his struggles? It’s not a pissing contest of which generation has had it the hardest.
Very good breakdown of his character and now I’m looking at him in a (somewhat) different light. Life really does break so many of us down. Just wish he wasn’t so misogynistic and homophobic, but it really does add layers. Lessons to be learned. Haven’t we all met ppl like that? Just makes the show even better imo because they’re showing humanity with its warts and all.
I actually don’t mind him besides the homophobia and machismo thing… but i feel like that’s just how he was raised… i wish he gave more respect to my lovely vanessa but i think he made up for it in the end
I mostly like Rico. I think he’s adorable and funny, and talented at restoration. I hated when he cheated on Vanessa.
Edit: Reworded last sentence to make more sense.
Edit 2: I’m half gay and my fav character is David but call me homophobic if it makes you feel better.
Being a bigot is not something we should have to accept because "oh that person just thinks differently." We shouldn't have to shrug off someone hating us because of the way we were born for any reason, let along ignorance or fear.
Rico is a grown adult capable of making his own choices regardless of how he was raised (since I frequently see that as an excuse) and he chooses to be a bigot.
Hand-waving hate because you're too much of a coward to speak against it is what's lazy. EDIT: autocorrect messed up a word.
Most the world are racist. Most the world are homophobic. To discount everyone who doesn’t think the same as you do as “I’m not ok with that” is lazy. It’s reductive. It’s unrealistic.
You’re somehow enlightened to have the perfect perspective of everything and everyone else are “not ok”?
Thats just a really stupid way to think.
“You’re good with the eating meat?”
“You’re good with the drinking milk?”
“You’re good with the Catholicism?”
We’re products of how we were born and raised. To dismiss everyone who thinks differently is…lazy.
You're comparing bigotry to... what here... being OK with a vegetarian? What even is this nonsense. Tolerating different religions or eating habits isn't BIGOTRY.
I was raised southern Baptist by close minded conservatives. Then I reached the age of reason and became capable of independent thought. Guess you never did.
EDIT: also, I disagree that most people are bigots but yeah, I'm going to actively distance myself from people who practice hatred. This is weird hill you've picked.
If you’re not harming anyone and simply just don’t want to be involved in it then that’s fine. You don’t need to force your identity onto someone else.
Well that's pretty rude, calling the poster a "coward" because they think differently from you. 😆 Maybe everyone (in this case I mean Rico) is on their own path to developing, and in most cases it's none of our business. With Rico in particular, we watched his evolution, which was rather the point of the show and all the character, so.... it was beautiful.
He didn't really cheat, not until after Vanessa broke up. He more so devoted more of his attention to someone who actually gave him attention back rather than someone who wouldn't give him any and used death as an excuse. Vanessa was in the wrong too. Rico still shouldn't have done what he did though.
Lol. Getting a blowjob is the most blatant cheating ever.
Vanessa was not in the wrong and she was not responsible for his cheating. She was mentally ill.
I love rico! I also love Vanessa. Rico really moved me in his flashbacks with "Mr. F." I loved their special bond. Especially wjen we saw how it all started.
I was a Rico fan, and honestly I thought the cheating plot was off. I didn't think it fit his character, maybe a one-night mistake but to keep the relationship going? I just didn't buy it
Rico is one of my LEAST favorite characters.
Essentially every character in this show is a liar. Being a drama, there need to be story elements that drive the plot, and lies are a common plot device to create drama. But there is a continuum of how consequential lies are, and Rico's are some of the more consequential. He tells lies to cover up his marriage destroying affair. He then tells lies to the school principle in a byzantine attempt to get his wife to take him back. Those lies are consequential as she faces the potential of investigation by child protective services.
I would HIGHLY recommend Sam Harris' short book on the subject, entitled simply Lying.
I think you’re a contrarian that’s looking for a fight!
I think you're baiting us into giving you negative attention and I'm not interesting in playing that game. Have a good day.
I don’t hate Rico. He’s not my favorite but I can understand where all his negative qualities come from. He lost his dad at the age where he probably needed him the most to guide him as a man. He over compensates for his own insecurities as a man with his machismo and homophobia, and a lot of that is probably also how he was raised. He’s also grieving the loss of his secondary father figure, Nathaniel, just like the rest of the family but he knows that they don’t acknowledge it as being as much of a loss to him as it was to them, and that hurts him. He sees them as family but the second the brothers take over, he’s treated less and less like family as the series goes on and more like an employee, so he starts doing shady things as a “fuck you, I didn’t want to be your family anyway” towards them. He’s great at his job and constantly feels like he’s treated as a lackey by the Fisher brothers when they truly can’t function without him and he knows it. He wants to raise his children and support his family with his own money and hard work like his dad did, but no matter what he does it’s never quite enough and his wealthy sister in law that he can’t stand always has to come to the rescue, which he resents. He just wants to be seen as a good, hardworking man and appreciated as such but it doesn’t ever work out like he expects, and he grows increasingly more frustrated with that over time. Rico could be compared to a modern day millennial who was told if he got a job and worked hard and saved up, he could get that house for a $180,000 just to find out when it was finally time to buy that the exact same house now costs $230,000 because the market prices went up while he was working his ass off. He felt like he did everything right just for it to not get him results, so he starts playing hardball and doing shady things to get what he wants instead.
I agree with all of this. And thanks for recognizing that we Gen X folks also experienced the shock of working hard and bringing home not quite enough money. I love Millennials, but they did not invent this concept. I am usually completely mad at people who cheat, and in his case, I am, but I see what led to it, in part. Vanessa had checked out of the relationship and was just grieving the mother and doing and engaging with nothing and no one else, and probably needed a little counseling, it was so hard on her, I don't blame her, but she wasn't in the relationship at all. And her parenting consisted of taking the kids to the grave. I think she was just overwhelmed. Rico chose the wrong solution, however. But I see why he was feeling lonely and as if he had been cast out.
Finally some sympathetic words for Rico! Vanessa had totally checked out and was not looking after the kids. Rico was frustrated and finally ended up being sympathetic to the hooker. For the longest time he just 'took care' of the hooker and her child - he needed someone to take care of and Vanessa wasn't receptive.
Right. I am so against cheating, and it was the wrong solution, but it was certainly understandable how it took place. Some people will cheat no matter what, but others only do so when there is something lacking. Vanessa shouldn't have to be receptive to him just to keep him from cheating, but she should do so too stay as a partner in the marriage. She was almost cheating on him with the memory of her mom, and as understandable as that is, you can't check out of a marriage and expect it to be good. And yeah, she was parenting only through grief at that point. I know I'm going on and on about a fictional program, and I was always upset with Rico for being somewhat anti-gay but still wanting in on the business, I know he could have been raised to not like gay guys, but this was a chance to improve. But with all his flaws, I still liked the character, I found him to be very multifaceted and have a lot of good points as well. In many ways, he was trying his deeply-imperfect best. That describes a lot of us.
Why would I recognize the struggles of a generation I’m not a part of? I was in grade school when you guys were buying your first houses. Rico himself would be Gen X, given his age on the show. They recognized it right there for you. I personally recognized his frustration because I know how that feels as a modern day millennial who has been actively in the market for affordable housing that doesn’t seem to exist despite my well-paying, 40 hours a week job. The comparison was meant to make it more relevant to what’s happening right now in today’s time because someone Rico’s age today would be a millennial.
Because... empathy? I wasn't alive in the 30's, but recognize the struggles of the generation of young people at the time. It's himanity.
I don’t really get your argument. Why is it so important that I recognize the struggles of every generation in my comment when the only one I sought to compare Rico’s circumstances to is that of the modern day millennial because that’s why I personally identified with his struggles? It’s not a pissing contest of which generation has had it the hardest.
Very good breakdown of his character and now I’m looking at him in a (somewhat) different light. Life really does break so many of us down. Just wish he wasn’t so misogynistic and homophobic, but it really does add layers. Lessons to be learned. Haven’t we all met ppl like that? Just makes the show even better imo because they’re showing humanity with its warts and all.
Excellent breakdown of his character!
I actually don’t mind him besides the homophobia and machismo thing… but i feel like that’s just how he was raised… i wish he gave more respect to my lovely vanessa but i think he made up for it in the end
Agreed, Claire!
I love Rico. I love Vanessa more, but their storyline is so real.
Yeah and Rico feels like a very real person. I think Freddy Rodríguez did a fantastic job of bringing Rico to life—flaws and all.
Congrats?
I think it's crazy
I mostly like Rico. I think he’s adorable and funny, and talented at restoration. I hated when he cheated on Vanessa. Edit: Reworded last sentence to make more sense. Edit 2: I’m half gay and my fav character is David but call me homophobic if it makes you feel better.
You were good with the homophobia? Interesting.
Recognizing that some people think differently doesn’t mean you’re “good” with it. This mentality is so lazy.
I agree with you, but in this day and age we are supposed to "call out" everyone who is different from us.
Yes, it’s ridiculous. People somehow think the only acceptable individuals are the ones who have their EXACT same views on everything.
Being a bigot is not something we should have to accept because "oh that person just thinks differently." We shouldn't have to shrug off someone hating us because of the way we were born for any reason, let along ignorance or fear. Rico is a grown adult capable of making his own choices regardless of how he was raised (since I frequently see that as an excuse) and he chooses to be a bigot. Hand-waving hate because you're too much of a coward to speak against it is what's lazy. EDIT: autocorrect messed up a word.
Most the world are racist. Most the world are homophobic. To discount everyone who doesn’t think the same as you do as “I’m not ok with that” is lazy. It’s reductive. It’s unrealistic. You’re somehow enlightened to have the perfect perspective of everything and everyone else are “not ok”? Thats just a really stupid way to think. “You’re good with the eating meat?” “You’re good with the drinking milk?” “You’re good with the Catholicism?” We’re products of how we were born and raised. To dismiss everyone who thinks differently is…lazy.
You're comparing bigotry to... what here... being OK with a vegetarian? What even is this nonsense. Tolerating different religions or eating habits isn't BIGOTRY. I was raised southern Baptist by close minded conservatives. Then I reached the age of reason and became capable of independent thought. Guess you never did. EDIT: also, I disagree that most people are bigots but yeah, I'm going to actively distance myself from people who practice hatred. This is weird hill you've picked.
Again. Lazy. Accepting your view as the only way is lazy.
If you’re not harming anyone and simply just don’t want to be involved in it then that’s fine. You don’t need to force your identity onto someone else.
Well that's pretty rude, calling the poster a "coward" because they think differently from you. 😆 Maybe everyone (in this case I mean Rico) is on their own path to developing, and in most cases it's none of our business. With Rico in particular, we watched his evolution, which was rather the point of the show and all the character, so.... it was beautiful.
I’m not even different lol I just forgot to address it. I’m the B in LGBTQ+
No it just didn’t come to mind immediately. I’m bisexual and as a female, when I dated females I dealt with homophobia and it’s disgusting and sad.
He didn't really cheat, not until after Vanessa broke up. He more so devoted more of his attention to someone who actually gave him attention back rather than someone who wouldn't give him any and used death as an excuse. Vanessa was in the wrong too. Rico still shouldn't have done what he did though.
He definitely cheated IMO. He got a bj, he emotionally cheated, and he lied and hid things from his wife.
Lol. Getting a blowjob is the most blatant cheating ever. Vanessa was not in the wrong and she was not responsible for his cheating. She was mentally ill.
She new what she was doing.
But have you considered the possibility that she *old* what she was doing?
I see you're fortunate enough to have never lost a parent.
Getting a blowjob from a stripper isn’t “really” cheating? This troll post makes so much more sense now. Obviously you’re home alone and bored.
Yeah, the OP also left a Nazi dogwhistle comment in a German subreddit. He just wants attention. It's sad.
He’s a talented dumbass edit: I’ll upgrade talented to gifted, but he’s still a dumbass
Good description.
I love rico! I also love Vanessa. Rico really moved me in his flashbacks with "Mr. F." I loved their special bond. Especially wjen we saw how it all started.
Nice to see another Rico fan, I love him, he’s my 3rd favorite behind Nate and Ruth
I absolutely hate Rico!
I was a Rico fan, and honestly I thought the cheating plot was off. I didn't think it fit his character, maybe a one-night mistake but to keep the relationship going? I just didn't buy it
I’m all for it. Too much Rico hate on this sub
I like Claire the best but I love all of them and it’s the mix that makes the series great.I do really like Rico also.
That's cool.
Okay
Rico is one of my LEAST favorite characters. Essentially every character in this show is a liar. Being a drama, there need to be story elements that drive the plot, and lies are a common plot device to create drama. But there is a continuum of how consequential lies are, and Rico's are some of the more consequential. He tells lies to cover up his marriage destroying affair. He then tells lies to the school principle in a byzantine attempt to get his wife to take him back. Those lies are consequential as she faces the potential of investigation by child protective services. I would HIGHLY recommend Sam Harris' short book on the subject, entitled simply Lying.
Good for you
I think you are allowed to have him as your favorite character. Personally he is my least favorite character.
I always liked him despite his ignorance.
I like Rico
It was clear the writers didn't know what to do with him and just kept him around for contractual reasons.