Noa and Daniel’s trouble in paradise continued on The Baker and the Beauty Season 1 Episode 7.
Absence is supposed to make the heart grow fonder, but that wasn’t the case for Noa.
While Daniel couldn’t wait to reunite with Noa after her trip, time away from him helped Noa realize that she’s taken her eye off the prize.
Instead of seeing how much better her life has become with Daniel in it, Noa only saw the negatives.
And she’s not entirely wrong — things haven’t been a walk in the park since she got together.
Their happiness was shortlived before it all came tumbling down.
Because of their relationship, things between the Garcia family became strained, Daniel got into a fight with a reporter, and he was arrested.
Meanwhile, Noa almost lost her company and realized that she was so preoccupied with her love life that she didn’t notice Lewis was sick.
But none of that warrants her decision to walk away. She didn’t do it to protect others or because it was the right thing to do, she did it because she was scared.
By walking away, she proved that things with Daniel weren’t worth fighting for.
Noa gave up, and worst of all, she hid behind her career.
Before they even pursued anything romantically, Noa knew that things with Daniel would be difficult because of her lifestyle, which means she shouldn’t be hanging up the towel this quickly.
There’s no telling that Noa would have noticed Lewis was sick if she wasn’t with Daniel. The truth is, Lewis kept his cancer diagnosis from her and it’s likely she wouldn’t have found out until he wanted her to.
Gideon: Lewis, I already hold the winning hand.
Lewis: But at what price?
Her father was trying to make her seem like she’s unfit to run her company, and while he used Daniel to make his point, it was never about her or about her company.
The problem was never between her or Daniel, but it’s easier to turn your back on something because it’s becoming too real. She did exactly what everyone warned Daniel she would do, and that’s most disappointing of all.
This is the second time Noa has tried to end things with Daniel, and I’m glad he didn’t sugarcoat his feelings about her baseless decision.
The teaser for the upcoming 2-hour finale reveals that Noa regrets her decision and even attends Natalie’s quinceanera. Will Daniel take her back?
It’s so funny you said that. In all the time that I’ve known you, this is the first time that you look ordinary to me.
Daniel
I’m rooting for them, but Noa needs to understand that she’s dealing with a real person who has feelings and made himself and his family completely vulnerable to her and the spotlight.
While Noa wasn’t available to help Daniel after he was arrested, Vanessa was there to lend him a helping hand, and it was nice to see these two hang out as friends.
We know they dated for a long time, but viewers never got to see any of those “good times” they so fondly remembered during lunch. All we’ve seen thus far is exchanges filled with anger and resentment, so it was nice to see them put aside their differences and finally have a heart-to-heart chat.
The best part was that Vanessa acknowledged that their relationship problems started before Noa Hamilton came into the picture, and though things are still slightly awkward, this was a step in the right direction.
What do you want from, dad? You definitely don’t want what’s best for me because you don’t even know what that is.
Noa
Daniel and Vanessa work better as friends, which is good because Daniel is going to need to be friends with her if she’s going to stick around with Mateo professionally, romantically, or both.
It’s a bit taboo to date your brother’s ex-girlfriend, but we all saw that kiss coming from a mile away.
And since we weren’t there for Daniel and Vanessa’s “good times,” it’s hard not to root for Mateo and Vanessa when they compliment each other so well.
Both of them leaned into that kiss and wanted to see what would happen.
It’s unclear if they’ll pursue a relationship, but if they do, well, it won’t be the craziest thing that’s happened to the Garcia family.
And if they do decide to keep things professional, maybe it’ll at least it’ll give Mateo some musical inspiration?
After weeks of tip-toeing around each other, Natalie and Mari finally made amends.
Rafael helped Mari realize that the anger she was holding onto had nothing to do with her daughter and everything to do with her fractured relationship with her own mother.
He held up the mirror, which helped avoid future explosive fights about Natalie’s decision to ditch school to go to a music festival with Amy.
Mari’s explanation for making Natalie feel less-than wasn’t great. A mother can still be supportive and give romantic advice without directing it towards a specific gender.
Natalie needed her mother more than ever, and Mari let her insecurities take hold; she was on the verge of pushing her daughter away for good without any reason.
And Rafael was right, the more she would alienate Natalie, the more she’d seek comfort and support somewhere else.
Daniel: That’s no reason to quit. Especially if you love it.
Mateo: Yeah, but it doesn’t love me back. The longer I go holding out for something that’s never gonna happen, then the longer it takes me to find something else to love, something that can actually happen.
Plus, Amy is a good friend that truly cares about Natalie.
Natalie may have a complicated relationship with her mother, but Noa barely has a relationship with her dad.
Thankfully, she has Lewis. She found out about his diagnosis the hard way, but at least she knows so that she can care of him the way he’s always taken care of her.
What did you think of the episode? Did Noa do the right thing by breaking up with Daniel?
Do you think Mateo and Vanessa should pursue a relationship? Are we done with Noa’s dad for good?
Will Lewis’s cancer go into remission now that he’s finally getting treatment?
Be sure to watch The Baker and the Beauty online to catch up on episodes before the finale!
Lizzy Buczak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and read her personal blog at CraveYouTV.