"Fear and Love"

In answering the question of whether it is better for a leader to be loved than feared or feared than loved, Machiavelli said, "One should wish to be both, but because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with." Pepa isn't a leader in the traditional sense. She doesn't hand out the assignments or lead the undercover missions. After all, the show is called Los Hombres de Paco, not Los Hombres de Pepa (and for the record, Antena 3, it's not called Los Hombres de Aitor either). Nevertheless, I would still argue that Pepa is a leader, and a great one at that, because she has mastered the ability to be both feared and loved.

As I discussed in a prior lecture, Pepa has a charm - "the Pepa effect" (or "Pepaforce" as Dr. P cleverly calls it) - which draws people to her. Her smile can dismantle almost anyone - just ask Montoya, Curtis or Silvia. She's warm and friendly and it seems like you could have a blast hanging out with her. That's why it was so easy for Lola, Rita and Silvia to agree to go to Rocio's bachelorette party with Pepa. She's also the fun, crazy aunt who will suggest that Sara go to the shooting range to take her mind off of the fact that she's an adulterous Superbrat and makes jokes about how Sara takes infidelity seriously because she got "married" in Silvia's wedding dress.


But Pepa also has a temper that rivals Don Lorenzo's, which makes others fear her, because no one wants to be on the receiving end of an angry Pepa. Curtis received a shocked and upset look from Pepa when he accidentally grabbed her ass as she was walking up the stairs - he got a tumble down the stairs for that little incident. Aitor witnessed Pepa's wrath firsthand when she dunked his head into the toilet after he insulted Sara. And even Paco knows better than to mess with his little sister. Her stern look to him after she found out that Silvia was conducting autopsies on their wedding day made him rethink his decision to stop her as she went to talk to Silvia.

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to see many examples of this balance of fear and love in Pepa's professional career, because Pepa doesn't go on many assignments. Although I suppose that pursuing Silvia and getting paid while making out/having sex with her does take up a lot of Pepa's time. However, one clear example of this balance occurs in Ep. 68. Curtis is put in charge of the undercover assignment at "Flashdance" so that Paco can try and bail out Lucas' Interpol-investigated ass. Rita fails to book a job as a dancer at the club, and neither Curtis nor Silvia is supportive of Sara's idea to go undercover, so they think they're screwed. That is until Pepa emerges as the leader with her own plan, which Curtis and Silvia both agree to. Arguably, they supported this plan because they probably thought, "Pepa stripping? Hells yeah I'm in!" However, if you watch Pepa carefully in that scene, you'll see a perfect example of her ability to blend fear with love. She doesn't ask Curtis for his permission, she tells him that Sara will go undercover, but in a manner that gains his respect and acquiescence. Her reasons are simple: she loves her brother and wants to protect him. Her rationale is solid: Sara is the only person amongst them who can pass as a minor. And, she has a plan: she'll go undercover as well to ensure Sara's safety. Her facial expressions start off firm - firm enough to command obeyance, but not enough to frighten or distance Curtis - and it softens as she explains her plan, conveying determination, assurance, and confidence all at the same time.

In an instant, Pepa's face can change from one with a million-watt smile into one with an ice cold stare. Her warm personality makes you want to follow her, and her caring and loyal attitude makes you trust and respect her. At the same time, her fiery temper makes you afraid to let her down, partially because you don't want to disappoint her and partially because you don't want to see her temper escalate. Like "the Pepa effect" and her gun prowess, Pepa has perfected the ability to balance fear with love, knowing just how much of each to convey and when to do so, and because of this, she will make an excellent leader amongst the hombres in S9 in their quest to take down El Gordo.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on the song "Fear and Love" by Morcheeba.