The Many Faces of Silvia Castro

When I was first told about this assignment, I was having a hard time narrowing down my reasons for loving this character. I love her because of her endearing neuroses, because of her intelligence and professional competence, because of her extreme love for and devotion to her family, and, finally, because of the progress she made in confronting her fears and insecurities before her untimely death. Not to mention she's drop dead gorgeous. But, for the purposes of this lecture, I thought I would focus on one of the things I love most about Silvia - her incredibly expressive face. Whether it was shock, happiness, acceptance, disgust, or extreme sadness, the emotion was always written there across her face, no words necessary.

I want to concentrate on my four favorite Silvia faces. I consider these looks to be “Classic” Silvia.

1. Disapproval/Disgust


Silvia is a pro at pulling this face, so much so that even Pepa called her out on her "puta cara de seta". Because Silvia has a tendency to be serious and judgmental, this particular face makes frequent appearances. Whenever people are not doing what she thinks they should, condemnation is quick to flash across her face...usually followed by anger, our little Silvia is a spitfire.

2. Shock/Incomprehension


It's easy to understand why this expression would appear a lot considering where and with whom Silvia works. With the wacky hijinks and pure madness that often occur in the world of LHDP, it's no wonder she sports a shocked face so much. Not helping matters is the fact that she got involved with one Pepa Miranda, a cabra loca, an impulsive woman who is anything but predictable. You'd think she would've become desensitized to all the insanity considering how often she was exposed to it, but no, the cops of San Antonio always find a new way to surprise.

3. Sadness/Despair


When Silvia Castro cries, I tear up, too. She is a consummate professional when it comes to her job, but her personal life has always been a bit of a, well, disaster. Though she had been described as "cold", nothing could be further from the truth. Silvia is a very emotional (some might even say unstable) person who sometimes couldn't stop the tears from flowing, for herself or for those she loved. Anytime her chin started to quiver, all I wanted was for someone to swoop in, give her a big hug, and tell her it would all be alright. Thankfully, Pepa finally showed up to do just that.

4. Love/Joy


My favorite face. Whereas the previous face could break your heart, this one can fill it with warmth. This one is my favorite because the best examples of it are found whenever she's looking at Pepa. Her face practically glows with happiness, and after the various tragedies she faced in her life, it's truly spectacular to see. No one who can express so much love with just one look on their face should ever be called "cold". And her joy is infectious...how could you not love this woman when a smile is stretched across her face and her eyes are shining? It's impossible, I tell you.

Bonus face: Silly


This face doesn't get shown very often, but when it does, you're reminded that under that "good girl, follow the rules" exterior is a playful, fun woman.

And here are a few random Silvia Faces that I feel shouldn’t be missed: