"Fight Like a Girl"

"You fight like a girl." It's always bothered me a little when I heard that phrase growing up, partly because I didn't know what it meant. What does it mean to "fight like a girl"? Does it mean that I can't hit my opponent as hard as a boy could? Because I remember one particular incident, when I was about 8 years-old and this boy in my class was teasing and picking on me. I kicked him right in the shin and made him cry like the little bitch that he was. When asked by the school counselor why I did it, I replied, "I'm not gonna let him pick on me just because he's bigger. He wouldn't stop so I made him." And then I got away with it because even at a young age I was that awesome. I'm just kidding. I got a little lecture and was sent off to play. Getting back to the topic at hand, I later learned that there are fundamental differences between men and women that distinguish the way each gender approaches things. It's these differences that cause people to say things like, "You fight like a girl." Personally, I now take it as a compliment, because in many ways women make better fighters than men. And that is why Pepa is the agent I would always choose as my partner for a mission.

Size. Size is the most obvious difference between men and women. Men tend to be bigger and physically stronger than women, but a woman's smaller, lankier frame makes her more flexible. This makes it easier for a woman to conceal herself during an operation or provide her with more options of movement. I think Pepa definitely fits this description. She might be tall, but her slim figure makes her more quick and agile than Paco or Mariano and probably Aitor and Lucas too.

Vision and Hearing. Women tend to have better vision and hearing than men. They can hear a broader range of sound frequencies and tones in the human voice - it's a part of the maternal instinct which allows a woman to intuitively know when her child is in need. Women also have better peripheral vision than men and tend to see better in low lighting, as well as things that are further away. As the "Best Shot in San Antonio" with a 9/10 accuracy in long-distance shooting, I think it's safe to say that Pepa has excellent vision. And in Ep. 102 when she and Silvia were trying to pinpoint the location of the hostage, they both showed their superior hearing abilities when they picked up Rita's voice in the background.

Processing. While men tend to have bigger brains, it doesn't necessarily make them smarter - it's just a reflection of their physical stature. In reality, women utilize their brains more effectively than men, because women have more nerve cells that connect the left and right hemispheres of their brain. Thus, women process things equally between both hemispheres - data transfers more easily from the creative to the computational side of the brain. This enables women to pay better attention to the details, making them more analytical than men. It also makes them more aware of others' feelings when communicating and more creative when problem solving, because women have an easier time interpreting and verbalizing what they see. The clearest example of this with regard to Pepa was in her relationship with Silvia - the way Pepa knew that holding Silvia's hand would reassure her or that wrapping her arms around Silvia would comfort her.

Communication. Women tend to be better communicators than men, because they talk through their issues and focus on how to create solutions for the entire group. Women also tend to pay more attention to non-verbal cues, such as tone, emotion and empathy. Ep. 93 is a good example of this. Pepa is putting together a protection detail for the G8 Summit. Three agents will be escorting the car with her and one will be left out - Rita, Pove, Kike or Nelson. Every time one of them complained about being excluded, Pepa did her best to try and accommodate each of them in order to solve the problem. Granted, she eventually lost her temper, but I give her credit for not losing it sooner. Regardless, she communicated with her colleagues in an effort to find a solution that worked for the entire group.

Stress. Oxytocin is one of the hormones that is released during stress. The estrogen in women enhances oxytocin, making them calmer during stressful situations. Thus, women are better at taking care of themselves and others and tend to form stronger bonds with others compared to men. The testosterone in men reduces the effects of oxytocin, which increases their stress level and is why men tend to have a "fight or flight" response when faced with a stressful situation. While both Pepa and Lucas tend to be fighters by nature, I'd argue that Pepa reacts better under stress. In Ep. 1, Lucas, Mariano and Paco respond to a bank robbery, and in the midst of all the chaos, Lucas accidentally shoots the bank owner. Compare this to Ep. 93 - the underground fighter episode. When the hombres realize that Sara and Pepa's mission has crossed with Paco and Mariano's mission, Pepa is understandably concerned but calmly tells Sara that they have to fight in order to stall for some time. She takes one for the team and later, amongst the chaos, is able to apprehend the boss before anyone gets hurt.

Multitasking. Women are known to be better multitaskers than men. This one is obvious, as PepSi basically wrote the book on how to properly mix business with pleasure. Lucas and Sara? Not so much. See the El Kaiser frak up. Aitor and Sara? Definitely not. See Ep. 101 where they nearly blew the mission by having sex in the middle of an operation. Or not if you don't feel like gagging/shouting at the screen.

Come S9, El Gordo is screwed IMO because he didn't just kill four agents, he angered several women in the process. And given all of these things that make a woman a better fighter than a man, I would not want Pepa coming after me. The only thing that would make El Gordo's pursuit better were if Rita were with Pepa, not Aitor. Because one vengeful female fighter is intimidating, but imagine if there were two vengeful female fighters. El Gordo would probably end up crying like that boy I kicked when I was eight. Hell, he'd have a better chance of survival if he went and hid behind his mommy.

kalike

*The title for this lecture is based on the song "Fight Like a Girl" by Bombshel.