Friday, May 22, 2009
Doña Bárbara - Thurs., May. 21 - Grand Finale
This is it folks.
DB gets dressed up in a frumpy outfit.
She has flashbacks to passionate interludes with Santos while smelling his shirt and saying that she will take his smell with her. Then she says that this is last time she will look at the walls of the house. She urges Marisela to have it torn down since the house is full of death and hate.
At the canoe, DB tells Juan Primito that she is going far away and won't be back. She tells JP to take care of Santos and Marisela and they will take care of him.
DB tells Marisela to be happy and to make Santos happy. She has to - that is why DB is leaving. Marisela asks how she will know that DB is ok. DB says that she will think if Marisela every morning and Marisela should do the same and they'll know about each other. She says that one day, a child of Marisela's will look at her with DB's eyes and then she will know that DB is with her.
She blesses Marisela. Santos and Antonio watch but leave the moment to DB and Marisela.
DB gets in the canoe and Melquíades and Eustaquia are there. Marisela wills her mother to look back. Melquíades tells her not to look back like the goddess she is.
At a dinner of Melesio's family, Antonio announces that he has appointed Andrés to be his advisor.
DB takes ill on the river and is helped by a missionary woman.
Josefa tells Federica that she can't understand what she sees in Mujica. Josefa says that since she has to become a decent woman, she will take Pernalete and says, "better the devil you know than the devil you don't ('mas vale malo conocido que bueno pro conocer')." Mujica calls her his mother in law, Federica calls her 'mama' and Josefa reaches for the bottle.
DB has a the rape dream but this time, Sapo shoots Santos. The missionary woman wakes her up and gives her medicine. She asks what her name is and DB tells her to call her "La Doña" of the river.
Marisela tells Santos that DB forgave them and told them to enjoy life. She says they will have to get used to living without guilt. They have to be happy. Santos tells her not to worry. He says that it is very easy to get used to being happy.
"A few months later" Maurice gets a letter from Marisela describing her wedding and scolding him for not attending. She tells him that everyone at the wedding was making bets that DB would appear. However, the only untoward event that occurred was that JP ran in with the earrings that DB previously tried to give Marisela. She puts them on immediately. She tells Maurice that she is happy and pregnant.
Then we jump ten years ahead. DB, now graying, returns to the mission with gifts for the children and supplies for the missionary. She says that she has been wandering up and down the river all this time. Her malaria returns but she says that she knows that her daughter is happy because she talks to her every morning. She is ill again.
Back at Altamira, Pajarote and Genoveva are finally getting married after having two children.
Marisela is pregnant again. Maurice takes video of everyone to fill in what has happened in the meantime. Gervasia's new boyfriend is Néstor.
Federica and Mujica's family.
Marisela goes into labor at the wedding reception.
Marisela's new baby girl has DB's eyes and Marisela tells Santos that she doesn't feel that DB is there any more. JP says that the rebullones have returned.
DB goes on her final journey.
Fin
Thanks to Novelera for filling in for me when I went to Venezuela. Thanks to all those who posted comments. It's been a fun ride. I think this was the best written novela I have ever seen and I'll ask my question again - if DB's writers can produce this, why are the other novelas written so badly? I've been watching La Tormenta in the afternoons and it is similar to DB in that it takes place in the llanos and stars Christian Meier but it is has the same cardboard characters as most novelas. DB had interesting, complex characters and avoided almost all of the tried and true novela plot devices - no babies were switched or kidnapped; there were no secret paternities; no one was forced to marry someone they didn't want to and there were few misunderstandings that went on and on. That being said, I wish the novela hadn't been extended. I thought it lost a lot of its power when DB was essentially redeemed after the Meléndez incident. I'll miss finding out what's happening in the Arauca every night but I won't miss the three hours it took to do each recap!
I don't know if anyone watched the 12 Corazones on Friday. It had some funny bloopers from the show.
DB gets dressed up in a frumpy outfit.
She has flashbacks to passionate interludes with Santos while smelling his shirt and saying that she will take his smell with her. Then she says that this is last time she will look at the walls of the house. She urges Marisela to have it torn down since the house is full of death and hate.
At the canoe, DB tells Juan Primito that she is going far away and won't be back. She tells JP to take care of Santos and Marisela and they will take care of him.
DB tells Marisela to be happy and to make Santos happy. She has to - that is why DB is leaving. Marisela asks how she will know that DB is ok. DB says that she will think if Marisela every morning and Marisela should do the same and they'll know about each other. She says that one day, a child of Marisela's will look at her with DB's eyes and then she will know that DB is with her.
She blesses Marisela. Santos and Antonio watch but leave the moment to DB and Marisela.
DB gets in the canoe and Melquíades and Eustaquia are there. Marisela wills her mother to look back. Melquíades tells her not to look back like the goddess she is.
At a dinner of Melesio's family, Antonio announces that he has appointed Andrés to be his advisor.
DB takes ill on the river and is helped by a missionary woman.
Josefa tells Federica that she can't understand what she sees in Mujica. Josefa says that since she has to become a decent woman, she will take Pernalete and says, "better the devil you know than the devil you don't ('mas vale malo conocido que bueno pro conocer')." Mujica calls her his mother in law, Federica calls her 'mama' and Josefa reaches for the bottle.
DB has a the rape dream but this time, Sapo shoots Santos. The missionary woman wakes her up and gives her medicine. She asks what her name is and DB tells her to call her "La Doña" of the river.
Marisela tells Santos that DB forgave them and told them to enjoy life. She says they will have to get used to living without guilt. They have to be happy. Santos tells her not to worry. He says that it is very easy to get used to being happy.
"A few months later" Maurice gets a letter from Marisela describing her wedding and scolding him for not attending. She tells him that everyone at the wedding was making bets that DB would appear. However, the only untoward event that occurred was that JP ran in with the earrings that DB previously tried to give Marisela. She puts them on immediately. She tells Maurice that she is happy and pregnant.
Then we jump ten years ahead. DB, now graying, returns to the mission with gifts for the children and supplies for the missionary. She says that she has been wandering up and down the river all this time. Her malaria returns but she says that she knows that her daughter is happy because she talks to her every morning. She is ill again.
Back at Altamira, Pajarote and Genoveva are finally getting married after having two children.
Marisela is pregnant again. Maurice takes video of everyone to fill in what has happened in the meantime. Gervasia's new boyfriend is Néstor.
Federica and Mujica's family.
Marisela goes into labor at the wedding reception.
Marisela's new baby girl has DB's eyes and Marisela tells Santos that she doesn't feel that DB is there any more. JP says that the rebullones have returned.
DB goes on her final journey.
Fin
Thanks to Novelera for filling in for me when I went to Venezuela. Thanks to all those who posted comments. It's been a fun ride. I think this was the best written novela I have ever seen and I'll ask my question again - if DB's writers can produce this, why are the other novelas written so badly? I've been watching La Tormenta in the afternoons and it is similar to DB in that it takes place in the llanos and stars Christian Meier but it is has the same cardboard characters as most novelas. DB had interesting, complex characters and avoided almost all of the tried and true novela plot devices - no babies were switched or kidnapped; there were no secret paternities; no one was forced to marry someone they didn't want to and there were few misunderstandings that went on and on. That being said, I wish the novela hadn't been extended. I thought it lost a lot of its power when DB was essentially redeemed after the Meléndez incident. I'll miss finding out what's happening in the Arauca every night but I won't miss the three hours it took to do each recap!
I don't know if anyone watched the 12 Corazones on Friday. It had some funny bloopers from the show.
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Jean, Let me be the first to thank you again for your heroic effort of recapping this alone except for your well deserved trip to Venezuela. I am grateful for your pictures and fidelity in posting a non-Univision show.
I agree that this is the best written telenovela I have seen since Alborada. I think the strong base it had in an acclaimed novel helped but the dialog and staging was really to the credit of the group that transposed the novel into this show. I will miss it too but have had trouble accepting the move to the 7:00 spot here that went head to head with Univisions centerpieces, first FELS then lately MEPS. But, I managed to see it most of the time.
I too think they could have kept to the original length, those extensions never seem to have the high quality the original script has.
Once again, thanks for all your hard work, it was a great contribution to this blog.
I agree that this is the best written telenovela I have seen since Alborada. I think the strong base it had in an acclaimed novel helped but the dialog and staging was really to the credit of the group that transposed the novel into this show. I will miss it too but have had trouble accepting the move to the 7:00 spot here that went head to head with Univisions centerpieces, first FELS then lately MEPS. But, I managed to see it most of the time.
I too think they could have kept to the original length, those extensions never seem to have the high quality the original script has.
Once again, thanks for all your hard work, it was a great contribution to this blog.
Jean, your recaps have been excellent. Take it from someone who hasn't watched the show but who was drawn in by the recaps only.
I like the way everything was tied up nicely in the end. I wonder exactly what DB was up to while 'wandering the river' since she seemed to be prosperous.
Geno and Pajarote got married...finally. I also liked Gervasia and Nestor's hookup. All's well that ends well.
I like the way everything was tied up nicely in the end. I wonder exactly what DB was up to while 'wandering the river' since she seemed to be prosperous.
Geno and Pajarote got married...finally. I also liked Gervasia and Nestor's hookup. All's well that ends well.
Permalink posted by 
: Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 3:08:00 AM EDT
: Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 3:08:00 AM EDT
What a great wrap up. I loved the look 10 years ahead and getting to see all the families. Seeing Dona get into the canoe with Es and Mel was chilling . When she told Maricela that her daughter would look at her with Dona's eyes, I also felt a chill. Thanks so much for all the hours you put into recapping this terrific novela, Jean. You did a spectacular job, and I really appreciate your dedication and effort. I'll miss these characters and this setting. What a performance be Edith...Brava.
Permalink posted by : Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 9:18:00 AM EDT
: Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 9:18:00 AM EDT
Jean, thank you for all your efforts. If you hadn't mentioned this novela, I wouldn't have given it a thought. Also, your daily recap was wonderful and helped me follow it more closely. I loved having photos, including our handsome Capt Delgado.
Although my list isn't long, this was the best novela I've seen so far. Besides the story, the beautiful scenery, horses, haciendas, etc. were wonderful. I have already missed seeing the Arauca's happenings.
I suppose it was necessary for DB to never accept responsibility in order for her legend to live on. Whatever change she made, she didn't let anyone know. She wanted her memory to remain the way people knew her. At least Marisela got to see that DB was capable of love and putting Marisela's needs before her own.
It was still a sad ending for DB. She didn't die completely alone, but she cheated herself from having family and love. I suppose it was the best she could do.
The rebullones returned when the third child was born with DB's eyes and DB died. Oh, oh...
jb
Although my list isn't long, this was the best novela I've seen so far. Besides the story, the beautiful scenery, horses, haciendas, etc. were wonderful. I have already missed seeing the Arauca's happenings.
I suppose it was necessary for DB to never accept responsibility in order for her legend to live on. Whatever change she made, she didn't let anyone know. She wanted her memory to remain the way people knew her. At least Marisela got to see that DB was capable of love and putting Marisela's needs before her own.
It was still a sad ending for DB. She didn't die completely alone, but she cheated herself from having family and love. I suppose it was the best she could do.
The rebullones returned when the third child was born with DB's eyes and DB died. Oh, oh...
jb
Permalink posted by : Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 10:53:00 AM EDT
: Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 10:53:00 AM EDT
Thanks for the nice words everyone. Keep your eye open for a new DB blog entry - Eye candy of the Arauca - where I'll post pics of the many hunky guys this novela featured and you can vote on your favorites!
I'd like to add my thanks, Jean, for your splendid recaps and creation of a community for this wonderful novela. I enjoyed the last episode. I especially liked DB having returned to the river and seeming content. Also, the sort of supernatural ability she had to communicate with Marisela worked for me.
I'll post a very long finish of the novel, which some of you had requested below this one.
I'm sort of sad it's over!
I'll post a very long finish of the novel, which some of you had requested below this one.
I'm sort of sad it's over!
Permalink posted by : Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 11:04:00 PM EDT
: Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 11:04:00 PM EDT
Santos and Pajarote are returning from leaving the body of Melquíades at El Miedo. Santos is very depressed about having killed a person. He sees light from candles coming from La Chusmita. Marisela is there sobbing because Lorenzo has died. She had sent Juan Primito to DB, asking her for money to leave the Arauca, and DB sent her plenty, hoping to get rid of her rival. But before Antonio could arrange the bongo to take the two of them to a town where she hoped to get medical care for Lorenzo, he died.
Santos comforts her while she cries. She tells him she’s heard his behavior was very different of late, referring to his turning to violent behavior. He tells her she hasn’t heard the worst: tonight he killed a man. He gets the whole awful thing off his chest. She immediately tells him: Don’t you see that it wasn’t possible? If it happened the way you said, it was Pajarote who killed Melquíades. Didn’t you say El Brujeador was face to face with you and the wound was in the left temple? She immediately cleared up what had happened, and Santos felt a tremendous relief. The last two sentences are wonderful: Aceptó el don de paz y dio en cambio una palabra de amor. Y aquella noche también para Marisela bajó la luz al fondo de la caverna.In the next chapter the Altamira peones are joking around. María Nieves has figured out it was Pajarote who shot Melquíades and, in a teasing way, hints that he’s hiding behind someone else. But only these two understand the jest. Just then a rider appears from town with a letter for Santos. Pajarote takes it into the house to give it to him. It was from Mujiquita. He says that Doña Bárbara appeared yesterday with the two bags of heron feathers stolen. She had stated that she had become suspicious of Balbino Paiba and ordered him followed by her peons. They caught him in the act of digging up the box with the feathers. He drew a weapon, and they were forced to shoot him. She stated that Paiba had also killed Melquiídes moments before the other peons shot him!
Pajarote tells him he didn’t need to worry so much. The whole thing’s fixed. Now that no one is going to be accused of Melquiades death, Pajarote can admit he did it. Santos, of course, starts to talk about the law and, whether he did it or Pajarote, it was in self-defense. Pajarote astutely reminds him that, if he goes into Progreso stirring up a solved case, Pernalete is going to be furious and might throw the book at them. Santos takes this good advice.
Santos comforts her while she cries. She tells him she’s heard his behavior was very different of late, referring to his turning to violent behavior. He tells her she hasn’t heard the worst: tonight he killed a man. He gets the whole awful thing off his chest. She immediately tells him: Don’t you see that it wasn’t possible? If it happened the way you said, it was Pajarote who killed Melquíades. Didn’t you say El Brujeador was face to face with you and the wound was in the left temple? She immediately cleared up what had happened, and Santos felt a tremendous relief. The last two sentences are wonderful: Aceptó el don de paz y dio en cambio una palabra de amor. Y aquella noche también para Marisela bajó la luz al fondo de la caverna.In the next chapter the Altamira peones are joking around. María Nieves has figured out it was Pajarote who shot Melquíades and, in a teasing way, hints that he’s hiding behind someone else. But only these two understand the jest. Just then a rider appears from town with a letter for Santos. Pajarote takes it into the house to give it to him. It was from Mujiquita. He says that Doña Bárbara appeared yesterday with the two bags of heron feathers stolen. She had stated that she had become suspicious of Balbino Paiba and ordered him followed by her peons. They caught him in the act of digging up the box with the feathers. He drew a weapon, and they were forced to shoot him. She stated that Paiba had also killed Melquiídes moments before the other peons shot him!
Pajarote tells him he didn’t need to worry so much. The whole thing’s fixed. Now that no one is going to be accused of Melquiades death, Pajarote can admit he did it. Santos, of course, starts to talk about the law and, whether he did it or Pajarote, it was in self-defense. Pajarote astutely reminds him that, if he goes into Progreso stirring up a solved case, Pernalete is going to be furious and might throw the book at them. Santos takes this good advice.
Permalink posted by : Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 11:14:00 PM EDT
: Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 11:14:00 PM EDT
Blogger didn't like my long post; here's the rest.
DB has gone to town, which in the novel happens rarely. The word has spread that she’s come to give back to Altamira all the land she’d stolen over the years. They also heard about the return of the feathers. She’s like a major event for the people of the town. They come to stare at her curiously as she sits on the porch of the hotel. They talk about her exploits over the years. This time she’s dressed in a very feminine way, and they all comment how attractive she still is. They also gossip about her being in love with Santos Luzardo. DB dreams of being reborn to a new and different life.
DB begins to know in her heart of hearts that things aren’t going to work out, but she still proceeds with her plan. She arranges for the feathers to be sold at a higher price than Carmelito could have gotten. She has the land put back into Santos’ name that she had seized in the past. When she returns to El Miedo, all the ranch hands have left, saying they didn’t want to work for her now that she’d changed so much. Only Juan Primito remained. He tells her Lorenzo has died. When she asks where Marisela has gone, JP tells her Santos has taken her back to Altamira and that they plan to marry soon.
Without a word she mounts up in a fury and heads for Altamira. She raves along the way that the person hasn’t been born who can snatch away from her what is hers. She sneaks up to the house and sees Santos and Marisela at the dinner table. Marisela is looking at Santos in rapt attention as he speaks. She rides up within revolver range and points the weapon at Marisela. In that moment she sees herself in the same attitude listening to Asdrúbal all those years ago. Somehow this turns her desire for a new life into, for the first time, a maternal sentiment. She says: He is yours; may he make you happy.
She returns to El Miedo, having aged in a single night. She pays off two peons who hadn’t left. She tells Juan Primito to take a letter to Santos, and to stay there if they’ll have him. The letter is much like that in the telenovela: Marisela is her sole heir and Santos is to do the legal work to make it happen. She goes out to the tremendal and sees a calf being squeezed to death by a boa constrictor. The calf sinks into the quicksand. What actually happens to La Doña is not explicit in the novel. The word flies around that she’s disappeared. Some think that she threw herself into the tremendal, but some say they saw a boat going down the Arauca with a woman in it
Enough time passed without sight of DB that Marisela was able to take possession of her legacy and all the lands were joined together into Altamira as they had been in the time of Santos’ grandfather.
The last part of the book is so beautifully written that it's impossible to adequately describe it. It's best to read the beautiful language, hopefully with my friend Tom's dictionary at hand!
DB has gone to town, which in the novel happens rarely. The word has spread that she’s come to give back to Altamira all the land she’d stolen over the years. They also heard about the return of the feathers. She’s like a major event for the people of the town. They come to stare at her curiously as she sits on the porch of the hotel. They talk about her exploits over the years. This time she’s dressed in a very feminine way, and they all comment how attractive she still is. They also gossip about her being in love with Santos Luzardo. DB dreams of being reborn to a new and different life.
DB begins to know in her heart of hearts that things aren’t going to work out, but she still proceeds with her plan. She arranges for the feathers to be sold at a higher price than Carmelito could have gotten. She has the land put back into Santos’ name that she had seized in the past. When she returns to El Miedo, all the ranch hands have left, saying they didn’t want to work for her now that she’d changed so much. Only Juan Primito remained. He tells her Lorenzo has died. When she asks where Marisela has gone, JP tells her Santos has taken her back to Altamira and that they plan to marry soon.
Without a word she mounts up in a fury and heads for Altamira. She raves along the way that the person hasn’t been born who can snatch away from her what is hers. She sneaks up to the house and sees Santos and Marisela at the dinner table. Marisela is looking at Santos in rapt attention as he speaks. She rides up within revolver range and points the weapon at Marisela. In that moment she sees herself in the same attitude listening to Asdrúbal all those years ago. Somehow this turns her desire for a new life into, for the first time, a maternal sentiment. She says: He is yours; may he make you happy.
She returns to El Miedo, having aged in a single night. She pays off two peons who hadn’t left. She tells Juan Primito to take a letter to Santos, and to stay there if they’ll have him. The letter is much like that in the telenovela: Marisela is her sole heir and Santos is to do the legal work to make it happen. She goes out to the tremendal and sees a calf being squeezed to death by a boa constrictor. The calf sinks into the quicksand. What actually happens to La Doña is not explicit in the novel. The word flies around that she’s disappeared. Some think that she threw herself into the tremendal, but some say they saw a boat going down the Arauca with a woman in it
Enough time passed without sight of DB that Marisela was able to take possession of her legacy and all the lands were joined together into Altamira as they had been in the time of Santos’ grandfather.
The last part of the book is so beautifully written that it's impossible to adequately describe it. It's best to read the beautiful language, hopefully with my friend Tom's dictionary at hand!
Permalink posted by : Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 11:18:00 PM EDT
: Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 11:18:00 PM EDT
Thanks so much, novelera, for recapping the novel as we went through the novela. It was fascinating to see how the story in the novel was adapted for the telenovela. Now that I have some more time, I want to read the novel with your classmate's dictionary.
Thanks Novelera! It was interesting to know how the book ended. I too hope to read the book, although it may take me a good long time from the looks of it. The dictionary will definately help...
jb
jb
Permalink posted by : Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 10:05:00 AM EDT
: Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 10:05:00 AM EDT
There was one other lovely detail linking the book and the TN. The first chapter, when Santos is coming down the river in the bongo with the owner of the boat and the rowers, is entitled ¿Con Quién Vamos? It's a call and response thing. The owner calls this out, and the rowers respond: ¡Con Dios! y ¡Con la Virgen!
Doña Bárbara, with her back turned to Marisela, calls out as she begins to row: ¿Con Quién Vamos?
Doña Bárbara, with her back turned to Marisela, calls out as she begins to row: ¿Con Quién Vamos?
Permalink posted by : Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 3:56:00 PM EDT
: Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 3:56:00 PM EDT
Jean, your recaps of DB have been a huge highlight of this entire blog. Your words and pictures of this tremendous telenovela have done it justice. It's hard for me to think of DB as being in the same class as most other telenovelas. Everything about it was a cut above.
Thanks also to Novelera for filling in and for providing insight from the novel.
I always enjoyed multitude of cuerpazos this show had to offer and I look foward to Jean's final blog entry, Eye Candy of the Arauca.
Thanks also to Novelera for filling in and for providing insight from the novel.
I always enjoyed multitude of cuerpazos this show had to offer and I look foward to Jean's final blog entry, Eye Candy of the Arauca.
Thanks for allowing me to continue watching this Novela when the English was gone for a while. I loved the story. I may not have enjoyed it without your time and effort. March 6, 2012
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Permalink posted by : Monday, March 5, 2012 at 11:59:00 PM EST
: Monday, March 5, 2012 at 11:59:00 PM EST
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