Friday, August 22, 2008

Fuego 8-21-08 Thurs : Vale mas un buen Amor... A good love is worth more than....

We start with Rosario and the boys separately overhearing Sara professing how much she still loves Franco, but that all is lost...he loves her not.

Ok, so the first one to react to this is Rosi. She tells Ofi how it breaks her heart to see her flesh and blood so distraught and that she must do something to help. Hmmm...

Feo finishes his conversation with Crabi while Raquel cowers on the floor. Where is the pride!! He tells her they will talk about it at home ad pleeeasse will you just go ahead of me!! He gets in the car and yells at Raquel to not complain to him. Arghhh...

Back at the small bread shop turned house full of ever increasing bodies with only one shower practically in the living room and previously only one bedroom that all three grown men slept in together...the boys fight over going to pick up Franco and who gets the hot water first and Oscar steals the coin. Sofi worries about her sister. Juan tells her not to worry that she isn't the likes of nun, and she'll snap out of it.

We then see Sara paying a visit to our oh so animated Padre seeking counsel.

Oscar and Juan chat while he takes a shower when Quinti asks them if they are going to participate in the chile festival this coming weekend. Oz think it would be a good distraction for Franco so Juan says fine count us in. There is a conversation about if they had the hacienda for the jaripeo event or something but I didn't catch this so feel free to add in if you did.

Paddy Tad essentially tells Sara that she has found love love so she should try for that and give up the idea of being a nun. In fact he orders it of her and there are no buts about it.

All of a sudden Franco is back and there is much rejoicing. Yeahh..... and some toasting Rigoberto's brother (I can't remember his name, darn) makes the announcement that he and Eugenia have formalized their commitment and they are on the path to marriage. Everyone smiles except Eug and Sofi; they make smirks like they know there's more to it. Random older man comes out of the woodwork and makes the confession that he's always liked both sisters Quin and Hort, but he's decided on one and it's Hort. She is amenable to this idea.

Franco feels so special with all these stories of love and Pedro is about to rain on the parade that not all love stories have happy ending when Paddy Tad shows up proudly bringing in Sara to join in the celebrations. Everyone is thrilled and Franco tells her to sit by him because they have a lot to talk about.

Back at Bad Love, Feo yells at Rosi to get dressed to go on and she says nope, not tonight honey I still have a headache. She says she needs to rest and maybe will go on tomorrow. She wants to think about how she is living her life. She doesn't care what he thinks. He thinks she's confused with all that's happened and so ok, she can wait till tomorrow. She mutters after he's gone if he only knew she was going to give up Franco for Sara.

Back at the celebration, Franco sings to Sara his famous song again (see one of my previous recaps for the words) and everyone joins in. Looks like they dubbed the music over it afterwards as he sounds awful. Scenes like this are why this novela is so popular. In the other room Pedro wallows in his despair, he misses his Mami. He does make a portentous statement that his Pa abandoned them and only God knows something of him if he's alive or dead.

Benito is complaining about the Reyes asserting their rights over the hacienda and that they need a lawyer fast. He thinks this is all an error and that what Raqui thought too, she'll have to speak to Fernando C to get advice and to Crabi, because this time like it or not Crabi has to help them.

Uh oh...Crabi finds out that Sara left the nunnery with help from Paddy Tad.

OK, finally Juan and Sofi are worrying about where everyone will fit in that place. Yeah, thank you. Anyway, the worry shifts to her sisters and that even if Sara isn't going to be a nun she has no vocation. She thinks though that eventually her Mom will have to take her back.

Oh no....the next scene is Crabi smacking the jalapenos out of Sarita and shaming her for disappointing her despite being her favorite, oh and get out of the house. OK so she doesn't and goes to her G-Pa and tells him the story. She is going to live in the zoo with him. And there is much rejoicing.

Next we see Raqui searching a trunk and drawers for the house papers. What does she pull out, but that illusive belt buckle that Juan always dreams of and is dreaming of at this very moment in a flashback to his parents' murder. Raqui lets the public in that this belt buckle belonged to her husband Ricardo...aha moment. Raqui says how he always wore it.

Juan tells Sofi he's had the nightmare again and the culprit will pay.

In Crabi's love nest, she slithers her lips over him and discovers his serpent tattoo.

Sofi reminds Juan of her own nightmares. Say it with me folks, they agree they will be together "para siempre."

Feo tells Crabi that's his favorite animal, it never fails, either poisoning or suffocating it's victim who slowly suffers their own death. He reminds of the Adam and Eve and original sin story with the serpent as tempter. He says this is the symbol of seduction and pleasure and that when you least expect, it gets you. Hmmm..

More pillow talk from Juan and Sofi, blah blah blah. Our love is stronger than anything and will cure all wounds....

The three kings comment on the tree they believed belonged to their Pa, and this tree represents them and their people. Juan flashes back to his Pa making them promise as kids to never give up and to protect these lands forever, and the promise they made on this tree symbol. They agree this is their mission in life.

At the zoo, Sara cares for Luisito and G-Pa, she's sad but better though still sad about her Ma's rejection. She does forgive slightly because Ma is sick. G-Pa says if she was so sick she wouldn't be getting set to marry Feo.

Back at "The Tree" Crabi and Feo show up trying to kick out the boys. They say no way these are our lands. Crabbi and Feo are impactados. Somehow Raqui shows up there too and tells Crabbi that now she knows what these thieves are up to and they want her hacienda and she has to help or Raqui will tell the whole world the truth. Crabi is again impactada.

She tells Raqui to shut up and if she reveals the secret, she will suffer more. Raqui doesn't care. She is prepared to do what it takes even if she prejudices both of them. The brothers leave, but not before noting that these people are indeed hiding some evil secret.

At the zoo G-Pa and Eva talk about Sara's change and how she will gain acceptance with Rosi through caring for the little boy.

Back at the mansion, Crabi wonders what hearing the Reyes were mentioning and Feo says not to bother herself with it.

Quinti is looking for spices when she comes across Libia's photo. She decides to put her in another location and decides no one will see her in the basket.

Pedro is waiting for the boys at the river, who tell him that Crabi and them didn't believe anything they said. Oscar can't wait until they get the Hacienda back. Franco says we shouldn't be disillusioned because none of us have ever worked in one so how will we compete. Oz thinks their luck will change. We are then treated to wet undies swimming fest x4. Yum. And that's where my tape cut off. I sure hope they replay this Friday!!!!

Labels:


Comments:
Thanks for getting the topic started Fuego. And thanks, in advance, for doing the recap! I'll be out all day (out of town day trip) so won't get to read until much later today.

Oooooooer! Shower scene **and* swimming hole scenes. Girls, we won the lottery in tonight's episode, no? WooHoooo..... Even Fuzzy Wuzzy went swimming. THANK YOU, Telerisa and Looneyvision. We were long overdue. I was giggling through both scenes. LOL Too bad they swam while wearing their tighty whiteys. I wanted the pixellated screen version. (wink/grin)

It was a busy episode; a lot happened!

doris
 

Doris...wanted to say something yesterday but didn't get to it. I really think you would be an excellent recapper. Most of us (well me at least) are in the beginning stages of learning Spanish, and depend on the closed captions to be sure of what happened, but we can still recap. And when we're not sure...we just ask our readers to help us out...and they do.

You have great wit and observational skills. You're a born communicator. So go for it!

The first few times I wrote a recap I was sweating bullets (mastering anything new, especially software, scares me) but I had a supportive team (as would you...the Fuego group is fantastic as you know) and you have a supportive group of reader/bloggers as well.

Maggie, on Guapos, jumped in and did it when there was a void at the Thursday night spot, even though her Spanish was limited to the present tense of the verb!

So go for it. You can do it. And you will thrive on it, I'm sure.
 

So, the plot thickens. Raquel found the serpent belt. Her hunsband killed the Reyes' and stole their land? Now we have to see how Gabi fits into the picture and of course there still is Ruth.
Anybody have any ideas?
 

I'm confused too. Fernando has the serpent tattoo. How does he fit in?
 

I have a question about Pedro, (and in general the rest of these AssHats), okay, Pedro is at least early twenties, I mean it took awhile to grow that body hair. What I don't get is that "I am so in love with someone that I saw a couple of times." I don't get that you have navigated though life, and now you spot someone, that someone is on their own futile search for the Holy grail of love, and now you are in a deep dark hole of depression over unrequainted love?

There are other women besides the tres sisters of doom and gloom and marrying outside that family would probably be the best decision ever.

About the Tres Reyes, do they not realize that marrying all three sisters of Doom just Super increases the Reyes family Despair level?

Juan smelling his arm pit while Oscar showered makes me think these people have been working in too cramped quarters for too long.
 

What, Beckster? Did you not see the episode where the brothers and sisters all fell in love at first sight?? It runs in both families, apparently.

Has Pedro met Rosario yet? I think I'd rather see him with Sarita, but that would spoil the symmetry that seems to be required in these things, so we need to find him a different woman.

Eugenia didn't look very happy about being engaged to Rigo. It makes no sense considering that Benito wants her!

And I don't know who that guy was who got engaged to Hortensia. If I'm supposed to take the trouble of learning his name, he'd better make himself useful!
 

Major kudos to K for recapping two nights in a row - especially two different shows!

And agreed on Doris having great recapper potential!

Also, forgot to mention yesterday or the day before - loved Beckster's analogy of chocolate to love.

OK, in light of last night I think that Ricardo is the head of the Snake Gang that killed the Robles parents but NOT the Big Boss. I think Pedro's father is the Big Boss. I think when they go to the rodeo, Pedro will have a big surprise.

Unless, by some dumb coincidence, Pedro is singing at the Tumbao when the Boss makes his big appearance. And the Boss thought bubbles "I wonder whatever happened to my son PEDRO REYES" just to ratchet up the irony.
 

I was thinking that Fernando might turn out to be Ricardo's son, which would make Raquel his step-mother. That would be a good symmetry with his mother-in-law affair. A serpent is a serpent is a serpent...
NJ Sue
 

Loved the swimming hole scene - isn't it great to see the brothers plus cousin having fun for a change?

However, my skin crawled when Feo told Crabi his favorite animal was the snake and that it strikes from below while he was at Crabi's throat looking like he could bite her! Eeek!

I agree that The Big Boss might turn out to be Pedro's long-lost father.

Telenovelera in AZ
 

What a horrifying thought, NJSue! But if there's anyone who would sleep with his stepmother, it'd be Feo...

If that's the case then it should be much easier for her to explain that big check to Ricardo. "But dear, he's your son! I thought you'd WANT to help him!" Even if Feo and Ricardo don't get along, it still sounds like a plausible excuse to give him money.
 

Beckster, I am not so worried about the despair factor being mulitplied. But as a symptom of the overall DNA damage of this gang, YES. So lets have a Frankenstein style laboratory experiment and pair the 3 Reyes brothers with the 3 Elizondo sisters and make a foursome if Pedro links up with Rosario and we see the frightening effect of a fourth throw of the DNA dice. EGAD. Those babies could be really scarey.

Thanks to the TN writers, didn't I just bemoan the lack of showering and swimming only a day or so ago. I got my wish. What a delight. I too could have done without the pit smelling aside. I hate to see EY do anything so smarmy. By the way, why don't the girls ever bathe? Sarita went swimming. I think Sofia must be getting a bit ripe...
 

I think that Hortensia's son who is jonesin' to cross la frontera will meet up with Pedro's dad.mhm
 

I thought I'd put my background up. I post using my initials.My native language is English but I spoke German as a little girl, took French in school and then flunked High School Spanish.I later became an interpreter for the Deaf and went to live in Mexico to study at a University. Later living in California, I would occasionally use the Spanish. I kept it up by watching Novelas.I've never watched with captions.
My favorite was a Brazilian one dubbed in Spanish.I can't for the life of me remember its name.Once in a while I've interpreted between Sign Language and Spanish.Currently I work with disabled students. MHM
 

CherylNewMex..
Sofie does bathe, when Juan carries in the bowl, then sloshes water all over the bed.

I believe Sofie is far too modest to ever remove all her clothes, if she even caught site of a naked body (including her own reflection), well let's just say it would endanger the lil hijo conceived through many layers of clothing, and it would be Sofie in a catatonic state, no really I mean more catatonic than usual.
 

MHM, I usually don't watch Fuego but a friend emailed me to tell me you had posted. Welcome to Caray! Caray!!! I usually watch the other two, but I happened to watch a TN that was Portuguese and dubbed in Spanish on Telemundo--La Esclava Isaura. Was that the one you watched? It was pretty good and I enjoyed it.

The reason my friend told me about you is that I'm a school administrator in a deaf school. Hope you enjoy C2 and the interaction here--I certainly do! Are you still a terp?

Jeanne (recapper for Querida Enemiga)
 

my current theories:

1)Ricardo is the nasty guy that whacked the Reyes/Robles, yes. He is not Coyote's Jefe, but is subordinant to Jefe.
3)Pedro's dad is the goof that stuck his nose into the Palacio de los Reyes, and chose Hortensia (WTF was THAT all about?)
4) Feo is Ricky's former thug, the snake is merely their way of showing their solidarity, their "colors"
5) "Ruth" is Raqui's daughter by Bernie Elizondo.
6) Augie is the real El Jefe, and has been playing them all (and us!)for fools all these years, using his wheelchair as a prop in his disguise of his real identity...
 

Happy Friday! And what exciting action will tonight's episode bring us? Hairy baking? Slithery sex? Buckets o' tears? Really bad background music? Chipmunk voices? Disney twinkles? Tighty whities? Ah, so many possibilities, so little time...

Loved the pit sniffing scene w/ EY. He wasn't looking too bad in the low slung towel & then he had to ruin it by snorting some manly underarm stink. Egads...what director in his right mind would tell an actor to do that?

Anyone notice Hortensia's smile last night? She either lost a tooth or she had an enormous piece of spinach stuck on one of her incisors. But did her fellow cast members discreetly mention it to her? No...the poor woman goes through her entire scene with the Man Who Shall Be Named sporting a huge black thing in her mouth.

We need more eye candy.

Maggie

p.s. to Judy B...there must be another Maggie out there! I've never recapped (due to fear & a lack of sufficient language skills) but I've gone by M in CT or Mad Maggie Marlowe in the past. I hope my doppelganger is as witty, charming & entertaining! (LOL as I write this)
 

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...see when we all band together we get our wish! Plus an added bonus of a shower scene!
 

OK, the conversation in the shower about the jaripeo: Oscar was saying he hadn't been interested in the chile festival until he found out about the jaripeo. (Or maybe he said he hadn't been interested in the jaripeo until he heard about the competition.) He said it's too bad they can't be sponsored by a hacienda, else they could compete and win big bucks.

I think that guy with Hortensia/Quintina was just joking about "choosing" between them. Quintina went along with it because she has a sense of humor. Hortensia looked worried because she's... uh... let's just say she's different from her sister.

Oh! You know what, I think he's the guy who runs the diner where Eugenia works.

I think Ruth is EVA'S daughter by Bernardo. If she was Ruth's biological daughter then they probably wouldn't have needed to do that land transfer.

On the other hand, why take land in exchange for a baby? That doesn't seem very discreet. Wouldn't a cash transfer have been a better way to keep a secret? Guess Ruth didn't have any cash, just a bunch of gaudy belt buckles.
 

Maggie, you can see a picture of Maggie on the left sidebar on the main page. I thought you were the same person too!
 

Dorado Dave...thanks, funny but what happened to your second theory? I'm interested.
 

Oh dear...I need a new name! Poor Maggie on the side bar has been linked to a snarky, slightly twisted commenter. Apologies, Maggie!

Ruth, Ricardo, El Jefe...wonder if they're all one & the same? A transsexual schizophrenic. Yeah, that makes sense.

Hmmm...now what shall I call myself?

_____________
(insert name here)
 

Jeanne , I stopped working a regular interpreter years ago. Once in a while I do a little interpreting in a school.I will leave a message for you on the QE board.mhm
 

MHM, I look forward to hearing from you. I recap for tonight so you could wait until I post it this weekend if you like.

Jeanne
 

What I understand about the jaripeo for the Chile Festival and how it relates to haciendas is that contestants in the jaripeo are supposed to be sponsored by and represent specific haciendas. I think when Juan won the one that they showed early on, he somehow was eligible to compete for the Hacienda San Agustin of the Elizondos because he was working there as an albañil. But it was either Abuelo or Padre Tadeo, I forget which, who urged him to compete. Even though her hacienda won, Crabi was not happy about Juan's competing. And then we had the repetitive scenes of Sofía trying to get him to take the trophy. I think there may also be an entry fee which the Reyes don't have, much less a hacienda to sponsor them.
 

Can I throw out a topic about novelas in general? The link between novela quality and audience demands. Most would agree that Fuego is very low quality and very popular in MX. Pasion was a masterpiece and had very poor ratings. I propose that novela fans in MX want garbage. I think we are the victims of an endless loop.
1. The networks produce garbage.
2. The educated viewers, the ones with more developed tastes, can't stand novelas and don't watch any of them because they are garbage.
3. The uneducated viewers, the ones who love pro wrestling and think "Desparate Housewives" is a masterpiece, those are the ones who flock to novelas.
4. Since the educated viewers have already abandoned all novelas, a well-developed work like Pasion does poorly. The remaining viewers like garbage, so Fuego does well.

Thus: Networks produce more garbage. Viewers with higher tastes stay away. The remaining audience wants more garbage. Networks produce more garbage. The cycle continues.

Before you start throwing tomatoes, …

A. This does not apply to English-speakers watching novelas. The challenge (or delight) of understanding the Spanish compensates for the brainlessness of the plots. Besides, we come together here and have intelligent and entertaining conversations about the show. Brigadoon, Toxic Waste Dump, Grandpa's get-ups, Bernardo's horse testifying against Feo ... great stuff!

B. There are always exceptions. Not every novela watcher fits my description. Only the majority. And there still remain a few quality novelas that attract a few educated viewers. But not enough to give them good ratings.

C. There are times in life when you need an escape. Many people turn to novelas during a life crisis, as a way to escape reality for an hour a day, without a hangover, without chemicals. I respect that.

Two observations to support my claim:
1. When I ask educated Mexicans about novelas, they almost all tell me they never watch.
2. I frequent a Spanish-language novela board, and the conversation is SO inane!
"Do you think Nell will end up with Dudley or Snidely?"
"Oh, I hope Nell marries Dudley. They are so beautiful together."
Yes, we have those conversations here, but on the Spanish board, that is ALL they talk about!

Okay, now you can throw the rotten tomatoes. I'm debating whether to post my name. I guess I'll be brave.

I leave you with a Jaime Camil quote from a chat in 2007:
Fan: What don't you like about Mexican TV and what would you like to see more of?
Jaime_Camil: .. more than seeing changes on television, I would like to see changes in the viewers, that they expect a little more from television stations.
 

Fuego Maggie...you would like recapper Maggie and she would like you I'm sure. Maggie recaps for Al Diablo con los Guapos.

You're both smart, funny and irreverent. She knows a little more Spanish than you do. That's all.
 

Dorado Dave: I like the possibility of Abuelo = El Jefe. Maybe that's how he gets around so quickly...the secret Escalade parked behind the jungle hut.

Judy B: thanks for the Maggie clarification & my new name. Now I'm hot stuff!

Fuego en la Maggie
;-)
 

Paula, I think that's just the long way of saying "it pays to produce easy cheap stuff."

It's the same here as in Mexico. (Check out some of the US soap opera message boards. It's still mostly discussions about couples.) The list of really clever shows produced in the US may look impressive until you compare it to the list of crap that also gets produced here. The only reason the better ones get produced at all is because people in the US are typically more affluent than those in Mexico, therefore we can afford more channels (and movies, and computers, and video games) and are less likely to settle for watching something we don't love. Thus they have to give us a better variety of choices or they lose us.

And then we export those shows to other countries, where the more affluent households pay to watch them. I'm sure it's much more profitable in some countries to import the better shows than to produce them.
 

Thanks for the recap! Love the detail and commentary.

Beckster, asshats made me almost drench my keyboard in diet coke.

CherylNM, thank the powers that be that there was finally some swimming and a shower! Woohoo!
 

Ok, maybe not a full on tomato, but I'll lob a few seeds for the sake of discussion.

From my understanding, GENERALLY yes, I'll agree that well educated people watch fewer novelas overall, they also tend to watch less TV overall possibly because of the "garbage out" rule you quoted or more probably because they have other things to occupy their time and the money to do them with.

BUT, the reason, as far as I know, for the success of this novela in Mexico has less to do with it's literary quality, and more to do with the people. The cast is tremendous, really, and nearly all of these folks are long time well respected and incredibly famous endearing actors, playing fun characters, and people watch because they love the interactions between all of them. My experience has been that Mexican celebrities generally are far more in touch with and genererous with their personal lives and time to their publico (than US stars) and hence their publico is fiercly loyal.

Also, Mexicans in general, those who love their country and don't put on airs that they would rather live in Europe or the US are also very proud of their heritage and traditions, and while maybe out of place or incongruous with the story and settings, this novela is chock full of distinctly Mexican cultural references to feed this pride.

Costumes, famous musical numbers, ferias and traditional events like the passion of Christ etc. These identifications with the pop culture (stars) combined with traditional culture (music, festivals, mexicana) are what draw the viewers to this novela and also what draws me.
 

What was up with that shower anyway? Is there no door to the bathroom? Quintina just walks in and out with naked men standing right there...hmmm, wait a minute..how do I get that job! Just kidding...;)
 

I don’t want to comment on the subject of novelas, US vs. Mexico…don’t want to cause any debates….I just want to make fun of this novela…It’s a good one hour of total air space for me…to laugh my head off. Here we go: Okay, the 4 kings…swimming in the river? Why does Oscar insist on wearing a speedo? He needs a speedo intervention immediately.
And hello, first we had an educational segment on Chiles en Nogada, now we had to go through five minutes of the public service announcement for folic acid??? This novela is getting funnier (or ridiculous) everyday.

Finally, either Luisito is Nora Salinas’ real kid, or he is finally coming out of his shell! For a second he got rid of that look on his face, blank stare, and he actually had a facial expression! Could Hortensia have blackened out that tooth space a little more believably? Where are the special effects people? I can see the piece of black paper on her “missing” tooth! I think they spent all their budget on Raquel’s wigs. Those are actually nice wigs.

I love Quintina….breath of fresh air…Granps is funny…and Fuzzy Wuzzy….perfect name…he’s a cross between a real bear and a human!
And saint Sofia? How pathetic…I just want to smack her sometimes! And whoever came up with Bratz for Jimena, high five! Another perfect description! Hey…where’s father Tad’s burro!???? I miss him!!!! He’s the only real ass in the novella! The rest of the humans do a pretty good job…although Johnny boy confuses me with those horse teeth!
 

Hi, Hortensia has had a missing tooth all along -- probably supposed to make her look more "authentic" in her role as veggie/fruit seller in the market. That man who came in to ask to be her malefriend has been in the background all along too, there in the market. Julie I think said he's the guy who owns the restaurant puesto where Eugenia works, that's it I think.

Ricardo Uribe is supposed to be a stand-alone bad guy from the way he's described - don't think he's jefe of other thugs, just one big psychopath on his own.

I'm still wondering what happened to the parents of the Tweedles, and how come they ended up living with Raquel and Ricardo Uribe? Think this detail will ever be explained.

PanQue
 

Oh, one more, Beckster, I think the instant love on sight and pairing off of the 3 Reyes Hmnos with the 3 Elizondo Hmnas is supposed to have been engineered from the "Great Beyond" by Libia and Bernardo. So there isn't any possibility of any of them being able to fall in love - EVER - with anyone else. It's all being manipulated from the other side!

But I agree with you -- sheesh, what a gang, and you can bet their offspring will all have lowered IQs, and glow greenish in the dark, too!

Ooops, I lied -- one more thing, How come Padre Tadeo whispers hoarsely all the time now? Any theories? In the beginning he used to speak clearly so we could hear him well and understand what he said. But now he has that raspy whisper where ya can't always follow - especially if there's some background giant cricket or some rattling snake or some theme music.

PanQue
 

Hey, I never claimed not to watch and enjoy low-quality entertainment. Most of my TV watching is NOT for "personal enrichment" and I think some of it is specifically intended to kill brain cells.

I'm not sure who was putting on airs and wanting to live in the US or Europe, but I don't think it's pretentious to be attracted to other cultures (I think that's what we're doing here?), nor is it unusual for young people to dream of living someplace that they see as more exotic or more promising to their goals. I admire people who pursue their dreams. I don't think it means that they don't love their country or aren't proud of their own heritage.

But maybe you had someone specific in mind, and I missed that... in which case never mind. I'm quite aware that there are pretentious twits, too! :)
 

I didn't notice the raspy whisper, PanQue! Maybe Tadeo is getting self-conscious about all the secrets he's hiding. (Or maybe he has a cold... or Feo's cigar is irritating his throat!)
 

julie - Thank you for all the glowing recommendations and suggestions that I become a recapper. (Have you ever sold used cars? just kidding...) I can not do it, though, because after Labor Day I'll mostly be watching taped versions during the next afternoon and the Fuegistas would go mad. PLUS.....our son is getting married this fall and I'm busy making my outfit for the wedding (ack) so I'd be fired in a New York minute anyway.

I also wondered if Pedro's dad is Ricardo Uribe (someone mentioned this already, too). He could be illegitimate love child, etc. etc. etc. Pedro has survived the 5-day cameo appearance record.

doris
 

Hey, I watch as much English language dreck as the next person, and I'm following Fuego sporadically, but I still like Guapos much better (and not just 'cause I'm one of the Guapos recappers).

I still don't understand why the Caray audience seems to prefer Fuego to Guapos 5 to 1. Can anyone who prefers Fuego and has tried Guapos explain?
 

Guapos seems like a show for teenagers.The star is 16 years old.mhm
 

Interesting theory. That may be a misperception that kept people away from a great show. The star was actually 15 when the show was made, but she was playing older, and she's great. The storylines are adult. I have heard that they started Guapos in Mexico in the afternoon and moved it to the evening. It was based on a Venezuelan version that was not for teens either.
 

Thanks, folks, for the feedback about the novela audience. I'm glad you took it in the spirit offered. I know some of my statements could easily be misinterpreted, I'm glad you understood what I was trying to get at.

You've given me some food for thought. Fuego de Rosca, especially, I didn't think about it that way. Valuable input. And I know what you mean about the pretentious ones. A Peruvian in my class once proudly announced that in their schools, they learn to speak Spanish like they speak in Spain. I couldn't help wondering, what's wrong with sounding like you're from Peru?
 

There's only one reason I think Pedro's dad probably isn't Ricardo Uribe: Because then he'd have killed his own sister (Juan's mom), and it seems they had a better relationship than that.

As for Guapos - I've watched it a few times, and sometimes I just leave it on between QE and FELS, but I was never able to get into it. It seems cute and funny, but I definitely prefer older characters (or at least older actors).

I also like to see as much non-romance subplot as possible; strange as it may seem, I usually find the relationships to be the least interesting part. As far as I can tell - and I realize I could be wrong - Guapos is mostly about the relationships. There's still lots of intrigue and cleverness, but if you added a cooking school, or an agave plantation, or some pirates, that'd work out a lot better for me.

What I'd really like to see: a telenovela about nerds working at a software company. Second choice: a traveling circus!
 

Doris, Judy deserves the credit for nominating you as a recapper. I only seconded the suggestion!
 

Doris, I third it the motion. I hope you have a chance to give recapping a try sometime, maybe try it as a substitute and see how it goes. Of course this would be way after your son's wedding!

KFuego, huge kudos for recapping two nights in a row! You rock amiga.
 

I tried to watch Guapos, but could not stand the shrieking and overacting by all of them, but especially Mili. Also, way better ways to spend the 8-9 o'clock hour in the summer. Fuego is much perferable to me, even tho these characters are supposed to be "young adults", they are mature people, and seem to be having tongue in cheek fun with this wacky plot and script. Fuego doesn't take itself seriously, its campiness begs for snark and ridicule, and that's why there are now 45 comments, while Guapos has only 17 at this moment.
 

I have to agree with dorado dave on Guapos. I tried to watch, but couldn't take it. Fuego's got more going on than just screaming and drama. We get an occasional swimming scene...
jb
 

I feel like such a traitor, but I will be so glad when Guapos ends..yes, I am not thrilled with the Teen plot-line. I will never forgive Miss Sanchez's eighth grade literature class, that writes this crap.

I will be glad to recap Fuego as I almost felt guilty, well not really, but the Junior League was just too easy to attack, I mean they could be excused for some of their stupid decisions, unlike Fuego in which NO ONE can be forgiven for anything. I would forgive Pablito & Marachi, but so far they are the brightest. In fact I think Marachi maybe the mysterious Jefe.

Hey don't think they watch this in Mexico and view it like some snarky British Comedy. The guy that does this one, is always over the top, his are always full of religious imagery, & you can bet the good folks will pray to the Virgincita til their throats hemmorage, cry til their eyes hemmorage and the Evil folks will do things the Nazi's would slap there forheads and say "Now that's what I'm talkin about". That just on a fun basis is really way more fun that the good people are having. This will continue until the last minute.
 

PaulaH--I'm pretty highly educated and I wasn't offended. Spanish is my third language (American Sign Language is second and I am very fluent) and the TNs are nacas but they give me both reading and hearing comprehension with the closed captions. I enjoy the entertainment (read romance novels sometimes--but read an equivalent amount of technical stuff in my field with heavy duty statistics and such).

What's interesting here is that I wouldn't bother watching soap operas in English. My hubby is high educated, and he loves "Lost." What's so different from that than a TN? Most television dramas, regardless of the language, are not necessarily productive for overall personal improvement, are they? So, in my case, I re-learn the Spanish that learned so well 40 years ago. Now I can use it conversationally with parent of children who attend my school, no kidding. And I translate letters home to the parents into Spanish (with proofreading from a Latina colleague who is a gem to do it).

When I tell my Hispanic friends I watch TNs, I get raised eyebrows. Still, it works well for refreshing my Spanish and I have enough of an ADD personality that a class where I have to sit and do it with someone else's requirements won't work as well. My Hispanic friends are pleased at my ability to understand and respond, at any rate!

Sorry for rambling, but I think when you raised the topic, it was fine. I have noticed a disdain from some of my Hispanic friends but others confess they love the TNs. It is truly a cultural phenomenon, as is "Lost" or any other series.

Jeanne
 

Oops, make that "parents"

Jeanne
 

Thanks for the recap K. Raquel's husband is part of the Robles-Reyes land steal...this is an interesting twist. And it will be compelling to see how Feo fits into all this.
 

Guapos is the same old novela plot that I hate.Spunky/sassy but attractive homegirl falls for rich cad. He loves her because she is spunky/sassy but attractive.She is secretly a wealthy heiress, the illegitimate daughter of some european looking rich dude.She can naca (from the verb Nacar)with the best of them but she cleans up real swell.Gag me. Fuego may have inbred idiots for characters but gosh darn it, it has a mystery to it. And the mystery isn't the SOS. mhm
 

Yep, Paula, and sounds like you understood my offering equally as well.

The incident you described with the person in your class is pretty much exactly the phenomenon I had in mind. A good example of precisely that sentiment.

Sadly, nearly all novelas themselves pretty much reinforce aspects of this, starring mostly European decent actors in lead roles. The more indigenous looking folks (a representation of the majority of Mexican citizens) are disproportionately cast as the servants, "lower" class folks etc. I mean, in Enemiga you have a blond haired blue eyed fair skinned eastern European decent daughter supposedly of two much darker eyed, olive skinned, black haired parents. And the "best" destinations often seem to be Spain, or Europe or the US. It's worth acknowledging the glamorization.

I've also encountered very healthy pride, though.

Anyway, not intending to get too complex I wanted at least to throw out that perspective. :)
 

Fuego de Rosca, you're right, but at least there are a few glimmers. Many male leads are dark (am I allowed to say Mestizo?), including The Best Looking Man on Earth. But you don't see full-blooded indiginos (acceptable word?) in anything but low positions.

I just finished watching Tontas on the net. Several examples of people proudly Mexican. I suspect Camil had something to do with that. He lets it be known that he is proudly Mexican (interesting since he is of Egyptian and Brazilian descent). At one point his character tells off his evil ex-wife. She abandoned her baby daughter to pursue her career in NY, and now she wants to take that daughter back to NY for a "better" education. Camil's character says, "Mexico is my country. I live here, I work here, my daughter will live here. Period.
 

"My hubby is high educated, and he loves "Lost." What's so different from that than a TN"

Ditto here in this house and I tease my DH about his "Lost" addiction and how he can never, ever, make fun of me and my telenovelas, ever again. I offer him my Telenovela Beanie Hat while he watches every episode (I do not watch it...telenovelas are enough for me Thank You Very Much -giggle-) and he often wears it! LOL

Re: Guapos I think the young protagonists are why I could not get hooked into it, just like QE. Ouch. My age is showing. ;-) When I do watch, I'm more interested in Luci, Damien & Connie. Luci's story line is the most interesting, IMO. I'm hoping she stays on the right path.

doris
 

But that's why Guapos is good! The show is really about the interactions between the older generation and the younger, how the older generation has visited its problems on the young and ruined their lives. Last night we learned that and even earlier generation had a hand in the mess. There is some overacting, but most of it is good, I think. Oh, well, to each her own.

(Beckster, we know you have been lending your recapping services under sufferance, and we thank you for it.)
 

Okay...workin' this topic to death but I'm 68 and I like 'em all....was a holdout on Fuego for a while but the funny recaps and comments hooked me in.

What's valuable to me is I learn new expressions in every one....yes, even Fuego.

The other night on Fuego, Grandpa said" Ah ya nos cayó el chahuistle" and naturally "chahuistle" was not in my Oxford dictionary, but when I looked it up on the internet landed on an interesting page analysing the provenance of this nahuatl expression and how it morphed from describing a fungus that attacks corn (but not the same "huitlacoche" that was discussed on QE) to meaning...ah now calamity has befallen us.

All three telenovelas have enriched my vocabulary and entertained me immensely. But taking a break from them time to time is good too.

NinaK, I'm sorry Guapos is underappreciated and under-discussed, but if you get Tontos with Jaime Camill, I'm going to be pea-green with envy!...(and watching faithfully)
 

I started watching Fuego by accident. I used to be a long time (26years)soap watcher and am educated and took a lot of heat from people for it. I don't watch TV to improve my brain, I watch it relax and turn off my brain. Even Boston Legal which I just love and does have brilliant writing, is also goofy and over the top. I know a lot of educated people who refuse to watch TV or make a big deal about how they don't watch it because they have more important things to do. Well, I am a single mom who works very hard and does lots of volunteering. I turn on the TV at night just to shut all of that out and enjoy the silliness. And if I get a nice shower scene, or a dip in the swimming hole, then boy am I lucky!

I often see the very end of Guapos, or at least the credits and at first I thought it was like Blithe Spirit or something because as the young girl is walking up to all of the characters in the credits they don't look at her. I thought maybe she was a ghost!
 

I love the recaps, can hardly stand the show and am seriously hooked on Palabra de Mujer in the afternoons. It's not Oscar calabre but soooo much less ridiculous than FELS, with women's and men's roles much more in keeping with the twenty-first century and the actresses just wonderful.

I really enjoyed the discussion about who watches and why and want to contribute a point or two. My experience in Central America has been that educated people sneer at novelas but many don't watch because they aren't at home during the day or early evening. However, they do know what shows are on, know who the stars are, etc. My students knew lots about the novela world (my unbelievably hard and not always very productive experiences teaching is Spanish is a whole separate post). It's people who are around the house who tend to watch, often with one eye on the screen. This is just the way that my mother watched the Guiding Light when we were kids (and soaps were 15 minutes!) She ironed and kept track of the story all at once. The program HOY from Mexico, broadcast throughout the region, appeals to a slightly more educated, middle class audience and recaps the big novelas every day --someone out there cares or they wouldn't take up audience time with the recaps. Their recaps of Destalando Amor, which was immensely popular in Mexico, were as much fun as the show sometimes.

My point, I guess, is that with all popular entertainment there's more viewing and accessing that people own up to. Beware of anyone who says they never watch television -- they are probably fooling themselves about how much they do watch. I personally love TV and suffered as much as the kids when we banned it in the evenings so they could get their homework done!

All that said, I do love Jaime's comment. The situation is even more grave for Central American countries that get almost exclusively Mexican fare, including a lot of variety shows, and old US shows badly dubbed. A relatively good novela can be gold for those viewers.
 

Thanks for all the comments on TN audiences and their why and wherefore. I enjoy FELS for its campy, corny acting and for the interwoven rural/small town culture. I'll probably never make an extended trip to Mexico, so this is as much as I'll see. I enjoy the secondary characters as much (or more) than the main romantic characters.
La Paloma
 

Wow !! I am late to the party..my real life is stealing away my time in my alternate telenovela universe. I had a student a few years ago who was an attorney from Colombia. I had just recently fallen into the rabbit hole of the telenovela world [I surfed into Alborada] , and when I told Ana Maria that I was getting hooked on novelas , she was scandalized . She would plead with me daily NOT to watch . However, Oscar, my student from Dominican Republic was thrilled ,and he often translated words I kept hearing repeated over and over again. Last summer, I was watching ''Destilando'' and so were three of my students [young women from Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and an accountant from Mexico]. When the Mexican woman did a power point presentation on her country and the agave fields appeared on the screen, all heads turned to me at the back of the room and we all had a good laugh as we searched the screen for HotRodrigooo. In the same class was a doctor from Brazil whose cousin wrote telenovelas. If I see him again, I must ask him for titles of shows his cousin wrote. As for Guaypos, I tried to watch in the beginning, but Mili got on my last nerve...the caps...the socks...the shrieking ...the eyerolling...the hysterics...basta. As for Fuego, I really like Eduardo Yanez and Adela Noriego, but I also love all the other quirky characters and the palpable evilness as portayed by Feo and Crabi. Let's see... here's my guesses for the future [I am really bad at this and am hardly ever right]...Raq's hubby is the BIGBAD...He and Feo were invloved in the murder of the Robles's parents ...somehow Crabi was involved and received part of the Robles's property while Raq and BIGBAD took over the hacienda...to insure the keeping of the dirty deal, Raq and Crabi switched babies...Sarita and Jimena were pushed to marry the Tweedles to keep the Robles's land and hacienda in the two families...I'm not sure how Eva's baby figured into it but I think that Sofia is her daughter...maybe Ruth is Crabi's daughter ...and Rosario is Raq's daughter. P.S. Viva la skinnydipping and showering...Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Count me among those who watch the novelas to escape for a little while after a long day of thinking and dealing with real life issues.
 

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