User reviews

As a fan of Selena as well as a fan of the original movie, I like the series overall. While I agree with some of the other reviews that the actress portraying Selena is not the greatest, I love the fact that they dove deeper into the background of the family and the band. I find it disrespectful that anyone can say the family is capitalizing off Selena's name when they had the greatest loss but also were the band from the beginning. I personally enjoyed seeing every step that the group and Selena had to take before making it.

The movie was phenomenal but they only showed few events (as they usually have time for in a 2 hour movie). This was a tight knit, loving family that struggled for years until they made it and I think the series, like the movie, captured that. Also, people complaining about how they don't focus on Selena as much, I get it. But as a fan, I personally liked watching how AB wrote and produced the music as well as the relationship between Suzette and Selena. I have to say that the standout performance for me was Ricardo Antonio Chavira who portrayed Selena's father Abraham.

While Selena should always be front and center, I enjoyed watching the family as well. I think it's important to remember that while Selena was an amazing artist and performer that died a horrible tragedy, that's not her whole story and certainly not the families. I am hoping for more depth and complexity to the characters in the second season as we draw closer to the inevitable tragic ending.

While it may be called Selena, the series is really about the Quintanilla family's journey together. Beginning with the Queen of Tejano music's birth and following their various struggles and successes, this show will leave a smile on your face. Along with embracing the family's Mexican American roots, the musical moments will reignite your love for Selena y Los Dinos' songs and have you wishing against reality that a happier ending was on the horizon 25 years after the superstar's tragic end. Part 1 is feel-good family fare just in time for the holiday binge season, but you may shed a nostalgic tear or two.

I was looking forward for this show and so far, I'm enjoying it. Before anything, for all people out there saying "the actress doesn't look like Selena, her hair doesn't look like Selena's" .. just do a little research and you'll find out that Selena actually had pretty curly hair and in her earlier years she did rock her curls! Only later she started to style her hair in a different way. You'll see that her hair curls and color actually looked like that before... Later on in the show you'll see she changes her style as she matures and becomes a woman! I am, like many people, a huge fan of the movie with JLo, but obviously they speeded up in order to make a 2 hours movie about her life, the series portrays a more detailed and slower paced timeline. So they actually did a great job by showing her hair like that. Just give it some time because the series is showing her earlier years and the process of her becoming the Selena we know. Yes, there are some negative aspects, but I think that it's overall consistent and well portrayed. Sometimes the acting isn't the best performance, but it isn't THAT bad either. Obviously the actress can't dance as JLo, hasn't the same curves as JLo , but she's good and as far as I know, Selena's family chose and approved her to play Selena... That has to mean something. Just enjoy the series for what it is. Don't compare to the movie. It's a different kind of magic and it's great that her memory is being honored.

Show full of empty smiles and unnecessary laughter. It is as if the actress is pretending to be Selena instead of acting like her. That is what happens when you get a 30 year old to play a 15 year old teenager. The youthful energy that Selena had is missing in this show. The only believable acting was when Selena was trying to learn Spanish. Selena seems to be a character made for comical relief rather than a main character, which is disappointing given that this show is named after her.

One of the reasons everybody loved Selena was because she represented many of the first generation Americans of Mexican descent. She had more Native features than Spanish features, which is a reason why her story is incredible, many lower class Mexicans could relate to her. It is disappointing for Netflix to choose an actress that poorly represents who Selena was.m. Netflix decided to whitewash a Mexican Legend.

It's not all bad though. The supporting actors are great. There acting is believable and the chemistry between the family and supporting actors is well formed.

Title says it all. You people are so sensitive over the smallest things. This is pretty good show. 7.5/10 but you all want to rate it 1/10 like it's the worst thing Netflix has ever produced. Get over yourselves. You're not here to protect Selena's legacy. If you were think of the new fans who never knew of Selena and will now possibly be introduced to her music through this story. You can. Because a lot of you are self-entitled and expect everything to be perfect. If you want Jennifer Lopez just go watch the movie again. Give me a break.

Going in as someone expecting to not like this series at all I enjoyed it pretty thoroughly. As someone who didn't really know much about Selena, I feel as Christian does a pretty good job of portraying her from what I've seen. No she doesn't look like her but so what? She does a good job imo. 7.5/10 is what I would rate this series overall. Not amazing but definitely entertaining. And of course Selena's music is great. Como la florrrrr. Y'all just chill and enjoy the story.

All of the pieces are there, good costuming, good sets, decent reproductions and lookalike cast. But it just feels off. The storyline is clinical, episodes lack flow and often feel disjointed, and the cast have no chemistry. This series has no heart, which is disappointing.

I have a lot of thoughts which I'm sure I will forget to mention, but most importantly I want to talk about how the family used Selena's name for bait to get the audience to watch this series. Instead of seeing Selena's struggles and dreams, or much of Selena at all, we get her male family member's perspectives about Selena's rise to fame for almost the entire series. Selena is relegated to being a background character, giggling and smiling but not saying very much the entire time. Christian Serratos is beautiful and talented. I'm sure most people would not deny this. However, she's no Selena. She doesn't sound like Selena, doesn't dance like her, and doesn't have the same mannerisms. She doesn't even look like her. The production looks as cheap as the quality of the wigs that they're given. The show is poorly written and reminds me of an after-school sitcom rather than a well-fleshed out biopic, down to the weird white-washed background music. It's boring in every way. The chemistry between the characters is also lacking. Jlo and Edward James Olmos gave an Oscar-worthy performance in comparison to this show. Go watch that instead.

I love Selena music and her Story. I think the series does a great job at shining light on her family and journey. Great to watch and a unique experience watching this series.

I wanted to love this series because it's supposed to be about Selena but it's mostly not. It does touch on Selena but mostly it's about her family, namely her dad and brother. It feels like it doesn't so much tell her story and since her name is the title you'd think it would more. The acting isn't bad but the girl playing her doesn't much look like her and her mannerisms aren't consistent with Selena. I heard her family minus her husband were behind this and I feel like they're just still using her name for money. You didn't do her justice and with no input from Chris Perez it really shows. If you want a better picture of Selena and her life watch the movie with Jennifer Lopez.

If they had accurately titled this series "Abraham: How A Man Built An Empire On The Backs of His Children" I wouldn't be disappointed because I'd have known what to expect. This isn't about Selena, it's about her Dad and brother. And though I really like Christian Serratos, she just isn't working as Selena. She seems uncomfortable in the role and what minimal screen time she does have, just sees her giggle and lip sync. Poorly. As stated before, her wigs are hilariously awful so be prepared for that! I honestly don't think I'll watch any future seasons because it's been pretty boring thus far.

Leave your expectations at the door when starting this series. Selena: The Series is a family style show based on The Quintanilla family's life story. It's cute, light, and full of funny moments that remind me of my own family. The series shows us parts of Selena's life we never knew such as her childhood and teenage years. Love it!

I was one of the many that did not like the style of this series but once Part 2 came out and the story delved deeper into Selena's life, I appreciated it more.

Get past the art style. The wigs, the green screens, the sets, you name it. It comes off cheaply made at times but once you forget about that and pay attention to the story, you'll appreciate this work more! I really broke down at the finale. I knew what to expect but the way it was delivered on screen really broke me. I didn't know I was going to be so heartbroken in that moment. All the actors did a phenomenal job throughout the series and I gained more appreciation for each one of them.

I really enjoyed this series and as a Texan, I hope more people give this show a chance and open their hearts to the story of Selena Quintanilla.

7/10.

Acting was great, use of Selena's felt organic and the series gave a lot of character to Selena and the rest of her family. I think this story works better as a series as there was a lot of context added here that was missing in the original movie. Really enjoyed it!

By the way the main actress nailed Selena's mannerisms and performances.

To the show creators: PLEASE NAIL THE SECOND PART TO THE SERIES.

In my opinion, the series is like a superficial, surface level version of the movie. I know the film and the series are showing different parts of Selena's life, but it's very hard not to compare the two. The series just seems like it's all fake and it fails to portray the true struggle and grittiness that Selena Y Los Dinos experienced. There's no real depth to the characters, there's no emotion. Everything is just happy-go-lucky and it's super annoying.

Also, what's with Selena's jheri curl styled hair? This drives me INSANE. Selena's hair never looked like that and it makes the main character not look authentic. They should also have Selena's character wear lip liner in addition to loosening the curls in her hair and I think she would look more authentic. It's almost like the stylists didn't bother to look at what Selena actually looked like. Her makeup doesn't even look close to the real Selena. The setting or set or whatever you wanna call it also makes the whole thing appear inauthentic. I can't quite place my finger on it, but the rooms look perfect.... like you can tell that it's a set. I think if the series was filmed on location it would appear more authentic. The whole thing is just not right. I hope they nail the second part of the series, because the first part was honestly disappointing.

The dad is also portrayed like a G rated version of the real thing. Almost like when you're in a store and you see someone's kid throw a tantrum and the parent is polite, but pissed, and they discipline the kid, but not to the full extent that they would at home. That's how Selenas dad acts in the series. He's still stern, but you know there's more depth that's not coming out. Almost like he's fake nice. The actress that plays Selena does do a great job. She does portray that kind of peter pan syndrome/fairytale life outlook that Selena had. However, like the rest of the characters, there needs to be more depth. Although, it could possibly just be the writing, I'm not sure. The mom looks like a VERY young woman that's pretending to play a mom. Idk. I think some life experience is required in order to play someone who is an older adult/mother.

As a little blonde haired white girl in Michigan; When I was 8 years old I remember watching the Selena movie for the first time. I fell in love with Selena and I wanted to be just like her. The first money I ever earned I spent on Selena's tape - the one with, Dreaming of You (it was $7 lol). She was such an inspiration to me and although she wasn't alive, her music still was and I loved that in a way, I kind of had a piece of her.

I hope a second part to this series comes out and I hope they really nail it.

I loved both movie and series. One sells you a fantasy, what a fantasy was to be Selena Quintanilla, the other sells you the reality: there wasn't just Selena, it was the whole band. The whole family. What made her great was that her light, her strength and charisma came from her family and all the struggles they suffered to be famous. Selena sang, AB played the bass, Suzette the drums, the dad the manager and the mom, well you know that mom put everyone together. As a latina, I've can feel I see a singer to which I can easily identify to. Whoever doesn't like the show is clearly not latino so doesn't understand many things.

I would recommend to watch it open mind.

I really enjoyed the series. Some of the reviews are pretty bad, but if you enjoy Selena then you should enjoy the series. I loved the deeper dive into the entire family. They were a band, not one singer.

Yet another disappointment for Selena fans. A show titled Selena where she is mostly a background character is huge rip-off. Just like the movie, the show lacks so much of the Selena we all loved and miss. No one wants to hear about her dad's failed career, again. If anything he comes off as a controlling and possessive father who stole his children's childhood. Just change the name of the show and save real Selena fans from wasting their time.

The show is a stretched out version of the movie. I barely made it through.

Christian who plays Selena was an AWFUL choice. Her portrayal makes Selena look air headed and like a secondary character. I cringed each time she spoke. Sometimes it felt like she was trying to be Jennifer Lopez as Selena.

I gave it a shot and watched a few episodes hoping it would get better, but it didn't. I had to watch the movie.....

I watched it and it was ok. The actress playing Selena, is no bueno. Can't lip sync for nothing. Selena could move and dance, Christian just can't. Besides that, it's kinda slow and seems like a tv special about a family of musicians and not a story of the legendary iconic Selena. BUT like we love her, we will watch whatever it is if it's about her no matter what. I will watch the next season.

My uncle put it best, "it can't decide if it wants to be a comedy or a drama." Some shows are able to pull off both genres, but this show can't. The comedy can be awkwardly delivered and the dramatic moments are comedic, take for example the ending of part 1. Chris gets kicked off the tour bus, Selena looks out to him brokenhearted and the "Ayyyyy como me duele" line from 'Como La Flor' plays in the background with the happy keyboard melody that follows. I had to laugh.

Selena is very, unfairly, one dimensional in this show. That's not the fault of the actress, that's the writing. All she thinks about is her career and music, her love for fashion is shown too. However when it starts to get interesting, for example Selena's time in school or crushing on boys, the show immediately moves on and puts an end to it with a rushed conclusion. It does take plenty of time with Abraham scenes though. It tries to portray him as some sage father figure giving his kids the best "don't give up" type of advice, when in reality he was Mexican American Joe Jackson. Living his dreams through his children, whether they wanted it or not. Selena is like a background character in her own show, she repeats and says whatever the father wants to hear. The other characters seem so unrealistic and cartoony. It's obvious this entire show was rushed.

I will give credit where it's due, I learned more about the inspiration for some of her best songs, about what Suzette and A. B. were up to during their unorthodox childhoods. People are being too harsh to the actress playing Selena, I think she's trying her best, she's working with what she's been given, which is crap. Suzette's actress isn't so bad either, she's very natural. I wish the show was better, I wish it was based on Chris Perez's book instead of Abraham Quintanilla's B. S. I'm not going to compare it to the film and neither should you as these are two completely different things; based on the same story but completely different. That's like comparing Beetlejuice the film to the animated show.

I'll still watch part 2, might as well, but with Abraham Quintanilla behind the scenes, it'll be Abraham's version of Selena's story part 2.

UPDATE (after watching part 2): There was definitely improvements made in Part 2. "Abraham: The Series" took a backseat and it became about Selena, as it should've been in the first place. It still paints Abraham in the most positive light possible, still tries to justify why Abraham and apparently, Suzette, made it impossible for Selena to be with Chris. Finally, It still doesn't do Chris much justice but towards the end the events do add up with what Chris wrote in his book, before getting there though, it's debatable.

The good things, Selena is more realistic - we explore her feelings and emotions more this time around so that was a welcome change. More learning about the backstories to her classic songs, this was an element that was present in the first part that I really enjoyed and it was nice to see this continue with even more detail in the second season. The acting definitely got better from the first season, the actresses playing Suzette and Marcela Quintanilla are still fantastic, as well as A. B's actor, but everyone else got better, not Emmy winning performances but still decent. The way they bring Yolanda into the story definitely gives a better backstory to those who weren't familiar about how this woman sneaked her way into Selena's life, even showing how deep her unhealthy obsession with Selena went as well as the public negative effects her check schemes had on Selena's image. The actress playing Yolanda does a good job of playing a timid, pathetic woman that was able to trick everyone into thinking that's all she was and sadly had Selena fooled until the terrible end.

I thought the show was gonna end with Selena's final show at The Houston Astrodome and then have captions explaining what happened, but it ends showing the tragic end. I was moved to tears, because well, it's never easy to see that sad event; just thinking about it breaks my heart because Selena deserved to continue making her dreams a reality. The way they showed how little things like A. B's burger bringing back memories of his sister, something that simple creating such a powerful emotion, I really liked that and definitely made me more emotional. However, I did wish they showed images and clips of the real Selena rather than of the actress. I know I said not to compare the movie with the show, however I do think showing the real Selena at the end was a decision the show should've made too - it just makes the moment all the more powerful and reminds you of how profound the loss of this beautiful, sweet, talented girl was.

There are still corny moments, the corniest one being of Selena running into Beyoncé at the mall in San Antonio. I mean it's nice to have that story confirmed by both parties, but the moment was acted in such a cheesy way. The dialogue was just unnatural, how the mom had to name drop "Beyoncé Knowles"... yeah that could've been better. Also the scene with the judge at the city hall coming to tell Selena his daughter was a fan and that he could marry her and Chris on that same day to get "brownie points" with his daughter and the nosey "fan" calling the radio station to tell them Selena got married - yeah that whole scene was corny, could've been written and acted out better.

Still, I definitely enjoyed Part 2 better than Part 1. It's still imperfect and still biased, but it was a better production where Selena was at the center of the story, as she should've been in the first place and there was more to her than just the need to be a singer. Thank you to the crew that took people's critiques and made necessary improvements.

Selena forever ~