Monday, January 05, 2009

Doña Bárbara - Mon., Jan. 5 - Black gold in the Arauca! And it's one bad guy down, lots to go

Santa Cachucha! What an episode.
Melquíades is about to come into Meléndez' room through the window when Josefa comes in with a tray. Melquíades starts to go for Josefa with a knife but her screams bring the soldiers in and the opportunity is lost. No one sees Melquíades, apparently.

Santos says that he won't sign this blackmail (chantaje). DB says that she doesn't want to submit to blackmail either but they don't have a choice. Santos says that he's not going to stand around doing nothing while that gringo blackmails them out of what is theirs. He says that the first thing to do is to find a way to get out of this cellar because now Danger knows where they are hidden.

"Everything got messed up," says Marisela to Lucía because of gossip (chisme) by that airhead (cocatúa, a cockatoo), Federica Pernalete, do you know her?" Lucía grimaces and says that she knew Federica at school. "That harpy made up a story that Antonio got her pregnant so that he would marry her. My aunt is so stupid (tan boba) that she let him go. Then when she found out it was a lie, it was too late. She had married my father!" "How ridiculous," says Lucía, "marrying your father when she was in love with Antonio. Why did she do it?" "As if I knew!" says Marisela. "It's very complicated. My aunt is like like that. Good people sometimes complicate things. The thing is that they are very much in love and have been separated by stupidity (bobos) and pride (orgullosos).

Guerrero comes in to the room, determines that Meléndez is alive and asks Josefa what happened. He sends his men for the doctor.

DB tells Santos not to be obstinate. Everything will be all right if he lets her handle it. Santos says that he doesn't know what bothers him more: having her handle this or being blackmailed by that gringo. DB says that one day he will trust her. He signs the document.

Even being in the river doesn't relieve the itching in the private parts of Pajarote and María Nieves. The terneras add insult to injury by running up and stealing their clothes.

At El Miedo, DB is waiting for Melquíades to return. Eustaquia tries to get her to eat but she isn't interested. Eustaquia is worried that DB is going after Meléndez. DB says that Eustaquia was there when Meléndez hit her and threatened her and Santos. She can't permit that to happen. "I will kill him before he touches Santos or me," says DB.

Marisela tells Lucía that her aunt Cecilia married her father but they are like old friends who care a lot about each other. "And Antonio?" asks Lucía. (Cecilia overhears) "Antonio is very good and noble," says Marisela. "He continues to love my aunt, he adores her but he doesn't want anything to do with her. Lucia says that if it had been her, she wouldn't have let her man leave her for anything in the world. Marisela agrees. Lucía says that she would have fought to the end. She says that she likes Marisela a lot. She invites Marisela to visit her and says that she would like to meet Antonio's cousins and his father. Marisela says that she will like them. Lucía leaves. Marisela sees Cecilia and asks if she was listening. Cecilia says yes and Marisela says that she didn't say anything she wouldn't have said in Cecilia's presence. Marisela says that she likes Lucía and Cecilia says that she is very frank and intelligent and then, of course, she has to say that she and Antonio would make a nice couple. Marisela is indignant. "That's the limit!" she says.

Then she says something that I can't translate: "Por qué no le pones un lacito, la envuelves y se la llevas de regalo a Antonio?" "Why don't you put on/become a 'lacito,' wrap it ('la') up and sent it to Antonio as a gift." The adjective lacio means straight as in hair or can mean withered as in plants but it's not a noun, which seems to be how 'lacito' is used here. It's very possible that the titles got 'lacito' wrong but I can't guess what word they meant.

Dr. Arias examines Meléndez and finds that he is fine. He is just sleeping.

Federica starts to put her moves on Guererro who has come looking for Pernalete. Pernalete appears and Guerrero tells him that there is something going on with Colonel Melendez and it's urgent. He and Guerrero leave.

Melquíades returns to El Miedo. He tells DB that he failed her.

Dr. Arias says that Meléndez is under the effects of a powerful narcotic. He sends Josefa out to get some strong coffee for when Meléndez starts to wake up. When she has gone, he looks around the room for how the drug was administered and he finds the dart (dardo) from the blow gun on the floor. Dr. Arias remembers how Orestes Prieto died. He realizes that Orestes was killed by a dart like this just the way someone tried to kill the Colonel.

The rebels agree that they have to leave. Andrés is well enough to travel. Santos says that he knows someone who can help them escape.

DB and Melquíades-
DB: You have never failed me, Melquíades.
M: Mi Doña, I didn't think the woman would return to the room so soon. She started to yell. I was going to take care of Josefa with my knife when the soldiers came in. I couldn't do anything.
DB: Even the best hunter misses sometimes ('Al mejor cazador se le va una liebre,' 'The hare escapes from the best hunter'). We should have done it at night.
M: Day or night, that bastard Meléndez is surrounded by soldiers all the time. If we were going to kill him him, we had to do it once and for all.
DB: I don't want that accursed man to die so easily. I want him to die of fear looking at me like the others. He must suffer. He must suffer, brujeador.
Melquíades asks what she wants him to do now. She tells him to watch Santos. He is likely to do something crazy.
(Now it is clear that the reason Meléndez isn't dead is because DB wanted to be present when he was killed so Melquíades only put him to sleep and intended to bring him back to El Miedo.)

Melquíades goes to the cellar but Santos is gone.

Pernalete comes to Meléndez' room but Dr. Arias tells him that Meléndez is just drugged and there is nothing to be done until he wakes up. They leave Meléndez with Josefa. She makes sure he is really unconsicous and then kneels astride him and slaps him after every insult: "Filth (sucio). Batterer (maltratador). Dog (perro). Disgusting (asqueroso). Bad in bed (mala cama). Above all, bad in bed.

Pajarote and MN come out of the river wearing only their boots and strategically placed hats.

Pajarote asks MN how they can get back at the terneras. MN says that he doesn't want any part of it. He has enough to deal with with the itching (picazón) and the fact that Altagracia doesn't want to have anything to do with him ('no me quiera ver ni en pintura,' literally, 'she doesn't want to se me even in paint).

Juan Primito tells Cecilia and Marisela about what happened at El Miedo with Meléndez and DB. Marisela asks about Santos. JP says that he wasn't there then. JP says, "Don Santos probably was in the hiding place (el escondite) with the hidden-ones (los escondidos) whom no one can know that they are hidden. They are looking for the hidden-ones everywhere even under stones." Santos comes in. He embraces Marisela. He says that he can only stay a minute. He wants to see Lorenzo. While Melquíades listens outside the window, Santos tells Lorenzo about everything that happened at El Miedo and previously at the police station. Lorenzo now understands what Marisela wouldn't tell him. Lorenzo says that Santos has no alternative but to leave. Marisela comes in and says that she wants to go with him. Santos says no and that he will be back soon when things are calmer.

Guerrero voluntarily comes back to see Federica and she takes full advantage of the opportunity.

Pernalete is upset that he was forced to sign the denunciation of Santos. He says that both of them are in the mortuary chapel (capilla ardiente) . When DB finds out, she will flay (desollar) them alive. Pernalete says that he knows what DB does with traitors. Mujiquita says that he doesn't want to die in the jaws (fauces) of the one-eyed (tuerto) crocodile.

Santos tells Marisela that he will leave that night with the guys. He knows the terrain like the back of his hand. Lorenzo says that it is more dangerous for him to stay here. Santos puts Marisela in charge of the hacienda once again. Marisela asks how long he will be gone and Santos says that he doesn't know. He sends Marisela for Antonio.

Pernalete tells Mujiquita that he will tell DB that Melendéz deceived him. "Don't you mean, deceived us?" says Mujiquita and wonders if the excuse will work with DB. Dr. Arias comes in and asks to speak to Pernalete alone.

Santos meets Antonio and asks him to help Santos and the rebels escape. He says that he knows what he is asking is dangerous.

Josefa steals what money Meléndez has. "It's something," she says, "but in reality there isn't enough money that could pay for the grossness of having to sleep with you." Meléndez wakes up and Josefa pretends to be all concern. She tells him what Dr. Arias said happened to him and he concludes that someone tried to kill him.

Dr. Arias says that Orestes Prieto was murdered. Pernalete asks Dr. Arias where he got that idea? OP died of natural causes. That is what is on the death certficiate that Arias signed. Arias says that before he didn't have a logical cause of death but now he does. He asks Pernalete who uses weapons like the dart. "Indians," replies Pernalete. "And who is the only indian who could have projected a dart into OP?" asks Arias and answers his own question, "The only indian who could have launched a poison dart into OP is named, Melquíades." Pernalete asks how Arias knows that OP was hit by a poisoned dart and Arias says that he had a mark on his neck and the symptoms OP displayed were consistent with the poisons used by indians on poisoned darts. "Melquíades Gamarra, alias El Brujeador, is the murderer of Orestes Prieto," declares Arias, "and the intelligence behind it is your comadre, Bárbara Guaimarán." Pernalete tells Arias that they are political enemies but he doesn't want to see Arias with his mouth full of ants or eaten by piranhas. The best thing to do with this information is keep his mouth shut if he wants to keep on living.

Santos works out a plan of escape with Antonio. He asks Antonio if he understands the risk he is taking. Antonio says that in spite of their recent differences, they are brothers, brothers of the heart, which is more important than blood. Cecilia comes up and says that they are crazy to try and escape. She says that Colonel Meléndez soldiers could shoot them out of hand. Santos reassures her that nothing will happen [he is the star of the show after all]. He leaves. Antonio walks away and Cecilia follows.

DB tosses Danger's place looking for something that explains what is so valuable about La Chusmita. She finds some papers.

Cecilia runs up behind Antonio and asks if he is leaving without saying goodbye to her. "Did anyone ever tell you that when you are crying, you look very pretty," says Antonio. "No, no one has told me that," says Cecilia, "I will try and cry more then." He looks at her so tenderly

and asks about the baby. She tells him to be very careful. His child needs him. He asks how she is doing and she spoils it all by mentioning that Lucía was at Altamira and that she is in love with Antonio and asking if he is in love with her. "Cecilia," he says, "Right now I can't love anyone. Do you know why? Because in spite of everything, I can't get you out of my heart." They almost touch each other and I'm yelling at the TV to hold her, kiss her but Antonio says that he has to go get ready for ready for the night's activities and he leaves her standing there crying. Only someone deeply in love would say that crying makes Cecilia pretty because it doesn't.

Guerrero comes back to Meléndez' room from his quickie with Federica. Meléndez asks for a report on Santos' whereabouts but there is no news. Meléndez tells Guerrero that he is sure that DB tried to kill him. He doesn't know how she did it but she didn't succeed. He curses her and says that she won't get out of this.

DB is trying to read the paper she found in Danger's house but it is in English. Since we are English speakers, we see that our speculation that Danger has found oil at La Chusmita is correct. DB is badly educated and doesn't speak English and can't figure out what 'oil' means. Danger comes in and asks if she has brought the papers that she and Santos signed. She shows them to him but she won't give them to him unless Danger tells her what this is all about like the good business partners that they have always been.

Melquíades finds Santos and tells him that he has been following him.

Marisela comes to visit the terneras and asks Gervasia how the baby is doing. Genoveva asks why Marisela is so sad when she is usually as noisy (bulla) as a chattering parrot (cotorra parlanchina).

Gervasia says that Marisela has a lot on her mind and Genoveva tells her not to worry. The Virgin of the Bark will protect her. Someone is watching them through the leaves.

Danger pulls a gun on DB and says that he will take the papers from her dead hand. DB puts them in front of her chest. In his broken Spanish, Danger says that the one-eyed crocodile eats women, too. He knows all her secrets. He knows that she is a murderer.

Pernalete is fooling around with the dart.

He calls DB crafty (zorra) and says that he has no doubt that she killed Apolinar's son with this and used it on Meléndez. Either she kills Meléndez or he kills her. He doesn't understand why she didn't use the poison again. Meléndez comes in silently and asks what Pernalete is looking at so closely.

Melquíades says that he was following Santos on DB's orders. He mentions those with whom Santos spoke ending with the "pollita de Altamira," literally, "the baby chicken of Altamira" referring to Marisela. Santos tell him to be careful with his insinuations. Melquíades says that he doesn't know about insinuations but he is speaking to Santos man to man and if there is a pretty filly without a brand, he would wear out any bit (freno) or rope (reata) to mark her with his brand. Santos tells Melquíades that he is being disrespectful of him and his cousin. Melquíades says that he is talking about life, about how we men are. That even those who are saints (santos) make errors. Santos says he has gone too far. Melquíades apologizes ironically. Melquíades says that he is talking to him as a friend. That's how it will be while he is DB's love interest. The day that he stops being that, all bets are off.

DB laughs and says that she didn't know Danger hated her so much. He must have found a fortune in La Chusmita to have stayed around here hating them for so long. Danger takes her gun.

She asks if he is going to kill her. He says that he will if she wants. She says that it won't do for his documents to be covered in blood. Would he say it was tomato sauce? Because the only way she will give him the documents is if she is dead. She suggests that they could be partners. Danger says that she kills all her young partners. DB says that he doesn't understand. She can't forced to do something ("Con migo por las malas, no").

There is a shot and Danger falls down dead. BP has shot him. DB laughs.

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Comments:
I'm thinking that maybe they are going to use Santos leaving the Arauca to do the time jump for the babies to come to term. DB is a pretty unusual novela but I assume that the birth of Cecilia's baby is going to be a big part of the plot and it's months away - she isn't even showing. If Santos leaves with the rebels and we jump forward to him coming back when Gervasia and Federica have their babies, we would be about a month from the delivery of Cecilia's baby and could go into the final phase of the novela. Just guessing.
 

Hadn't thought of a time jump, Jean. It's an interesting idea. I was leaning more toward Santos not really leaving for some reason, perhaps DB thwarting his getaway.

I was thinking that DB was definitely hoist with her own petard, having ordered Melquiades to use a less than killing dose. Now she's got Melendez more watchful than ever when he could have been out of her hair in one fell swoop. But then they always really hate to kill off the baddies in TN's, apparently thinking it spoils the dramatic tension. But I am SO ready for Melendez to meet his Maker.

I didn't trouble to look up the idiom, but I think "no quiere verme ni en pintura" which is used a lot to express antipathy meant "wouldn't want to even see a portrait of me".
 

Thanks for the speedy recap Jean ;)

I think they meant to write “lazito” which is short for “lazo” which would be rope or cord. Basically Marisela told Cecilia to send Antonio gift wrapped and with a ribbon to Lucia. I'm pretty sure novelera's right about not wanting to see people even in portrait (en pintura).

I like your theory about the time jumps in pregnancy (though I thought Federica and Cecilia were pretty close due date wise, and maybe Federica just started showing sooner. Cecilia started having symptoms when Federica was just faking them, but again, maybe Federica just had no symptoms. Wish they'd made that clearer). Another thought that occurred to me is that, with Santos away, DB will have time to capture and kill Melendez without fear that Santos will catch her (though Arias will probably give Santos the chisme afterward. Either way, I'm not sure whether Melendez' death will necessarily get Santos off the hook (and if Melendez disappears, Santos will be the prime suspect), but it would at least buy him some time and get that creep off DBs checklist.

I wonder what DB will do thank BP for saving her bacon, and how she will explain Danger's disappearance to Santos when he returns. Chances are Santos, Cecilia, or Lorenzo can explain the scoop on the oil, but asking them would also arouse suspicion on what happened to Danger.
 

Thanks Margarita and novelera for the assists on the translation. Lazito makes sense and I didn't pick up that Marisela was referring to Cecilia sending Lucía to Antonio.

Since Telemundo dropped CC3, I have gotten much more into the Spanish. Before that, especially if I was doing a recap, I would watch with the English titles because it was easier. Now I can get real bogged down in the Spanish but it is fun and I'm learning a lot.

Yes, if DB hadn't demanded personal vengeance and suffering, Melendez would be dead now.

As far as the date of Federica's pregnancy, I went back and looked and you're right, she and Cecilia can't be more than a month apart. Maybe Federica is exaggerating how much she is showing to try and make her appearance match her original date of claimed pregnancy.
 

Novelera: Regarding Santos,I guess you must be right. But I would like to differentiate my observations and note that there is the subject of the character of Santos, and then there is the subject of Christian Meier's acting.

In this case, I'm addressing the character of Santos, which is a little different, I think, from the attractiveness of Christian Meier, which is what I think you were talking about.

When it comes to Santos, I see a worldly, urbane, and highly educated man in his thirties. He has had a long term affair with a woman of high social standing in the capital.

Then, he goes back home and pitches her over for a relationship with DB.

Christian Meier has said that Santos the character does not really love either Heron Legs or DB -- that these relationships are based on sexual desire.

Then, he turns (or is turning) to love a 17 year old girl who 6 or 8 months ago was half-savage.

Now, the story is going to try to make the case that this is "true love." I can't buy that a man of Santos' age and education would "Fall in love" in this way, and there is still a Woody Allen "Ick" factor in this business.

Secondly, We have Gonzalo, also a highly educated and urbane fellow, also falling head over heels "in love" with Marisela.

Maybe it is just my "guy's perspective," but in these two areas, the story is very very weak in its realism, because in all of my 54 years, all I can say is that when a man is snooping around a young girl like this, it ain't for love.

In this sense, the behavior of Melendez is more realistic.

Now, I have read of French Marshall Bazaine falling in love with a teen aged Mexicana during the War of the French Intervention in Mexico, and these two did stick together thru thick and thin until Bazaine's death at 80-something.

So, I will admit and agree that anything can happen.

However, that two men of the same age and education would fall in love with the same 17 year old -- well, that's just too far-fetched to me.

Right here, I think that the writing has been weak. Santos and Cecilia are portrayed (in the way I see it) as being at about the same emotional maturity level as Marisela, so I do see a connection there. Gonzalo isn't a whole lot better.

Some folks seem to confuse liking a character with that character being interesting. I feel there is depth to DB's character, and Edith is bringing it out well. Sure, she's a murderer and whatall. I'm not giving her a stamp of moral approval, just saying the DB character is interesting, as is Melquiades, Melendez, and some others. I think that they could have done some more with Lorenzo's part, but as he is not the focus of the story, I can understand. Danger is interesting. Balbino is interesting.

Anyway, there are interesting characters and the whole flow of the story does work for me. It isn't the best novela I've seen, but it is pretty good and enjoyable. I get all worked up after many of the episodes, as does Gail.

As far as Christian Meier goes as an actor, my jury is still out. I'm not judging his (or edith's or anyone's) attractiveness here, I'm talking about acting. By this I mean something like what Martin Karpan did as he had his nervous breakdown on the factory floor today in El Cuerpo del Deseo. It is acting like that (or like Lorena Rojas or Mario Cimarro) that makes me say that novelas are in a totally different league than soap operas and are a worth match (and, at times, exceed) what our Hollywood churns out.

I'm talking about hot stuff.

The writers have essentially forgotten about giving Cecilia any depth. In this case, I know that it is not that Katy Barberi can't deliver. I have seen her turn in too much excellent work (some of it in this show) to say that. I think she's being shorted on material.

As for Genesis, I still don't see her doing anything more than a character role, which there's nothing wrong with, but the writers are putting that kind of character into too important of a role.

Regarding Christian, I can't say I was impressed with him in either La Tormenta or Zorro. I'm really not seeing much from him here. That's not to say that he can't, it's just that I haven't seen him turn it in like I've seen novela actors I admire turn it in.

This isn't to say that I'm right and you are wrong or vice versa -- we are all the first expert on what we like.

I'm just saying the way I see it.

Gail and I were talking about this same kind of thing today and I can see that, based on this, women must see it differently from men. I do not necessarily accept the notion that men cannot find something to like in novelas -- I'm very strongly attached to them. But I do agree with your point that we do have a different perspective on these things.

For instance, tonite is Tuesday and during tonite's episode, when Santos punched Gonzalo and knocked him down for sneaking out to be with Marisela, I gave him a cheer. That's the first really manly thing I've seen him do in many a moon. I think he perhaps let Gonzalo off too lightly.

Gonzalo needs to be told that all of Santos' family, DB's whole household, and Antonio are risking their lives to help and Gonzalo is takign advantage to put them all to unnecessary risk. (Here again, the story is weak because the relationship of Gonzalo and Marisela is, in my mind, unrealistic.)

Anyway, Santos needed to say quite awhile ago that either Gonzalo stays put or he (Santos) is either going to turn him in to Melendez or shoot him, but no longer will he allow Gonzalo to risk everyone's life for his tonteria.

I guess that's just the way a man would see it.
 

Thanks, Timoteo, for your well thought out reply. I do agree that Gonzalo deserved the punch, but I'm not sure Santos punched him because of his risking everyone else trying to get some time with Marisela. My interpretation is that Santos hit him because of jealousy of his relationship with Marisela. Although it could be a combination of the two.

You may be right about Christian's acting skills. On some level I just like the guy and maybe can't see flaws in his style. But, I'm in the process of reading the novel for my Spanish class, and Christian doesn't strike any false note for me from the way Gallegos wrote the character of Santos. In the novel, when Santos leaves the Arauca after his father kills his older brother, he suffers terribly. He missed los llanos and the life on horseback. It takes him years to adjust to city life.

Gallegos stated that the book is meant to express the conflict between civilization and barbarity. This conflict is perfectly shown in Santos. In the book he's 14 when he leaves. So his youth is spent living with the sort of "Wild West" values of the plainsmen. Then a veneer of civilization is put on him in the capitol. In the book, as soon as he returns (and he returns with the stated purpose to sell the hacienda) the land and life of un llanero calls out to him and he knows he can't sell.

I agree that Marisela's age is a bit of a problem. But I believe he was a man in his 20s in the book. Christian is older than that. I have a feeling Marisela is going to polish up a bit before the novela is over.

Sorry to be so long winded. And thanks for your reply!
 

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