Thursday, June 25, 2009

MEPS - Wednesday, June 24 - secrets, lies, confrontations and a confession

(Tonight's recap is written by Jody, substitute recapper for CherylNM )

Episode #93(?) - June 24, 2009:
* Jacinto and Camilo have a fierce confrontation about Gonzo's car which Camilo knows that Franco has outside the corral/stable area of the Elizalde plantation.

* Fr/Ed and Steve are in the office discussing Don Artemio (DA)'s birth certificate - they are curious about the connection to Manzanares' murder, and what Soledad's connection to DA is. Fr/Ed reads DA's mother is Ana Gregoria Bravo and the father is unknown - He's really curious about the evil shadow that's lurking over everyone's lives.

* DA makes a surprise visit to Padre Bosco at Parish San Rafael. DA wants to make a confession. Padre Bosco is muy impactado.

* Fr/Ed thinks Padre Bosco may help answer some of their questions. Gardenia enters and interrupts. She has serious problems with what's happening at the house and tells Fr/Ed that she quits. Fr/Ed acts muy impactado.

* Margarita is at home. Flor is in the depths of despair and still in her bedclothes. She's depressed not only about Vladimir but also not having a job with Grupo Lactos anymore. Knock at the door. Flor hides in her room. Margarita welcomes Fer inside. Fer is looking for Flor - she wants Flor to be her new assistant. Margarita goes to bring Flor out from the back bedroom. Flor cries happy tears.

* Gardenia attacks Steve for flirting around with Venus in the office - Steve tries to play dumb - Gardenia says she saw the two of them in the window. Steve stutters. Fr/Ed scolds Steve about what Gardenia says happened and says Gardenia is correct and says Venus and Martina need to move out immediately. Steve acts impactado and agrees with Fr/Ed. Fr/Ed tells Gardenia that she is not permitted to quit. Gardenia is satisfied by the results and leaves happily. Alone, Fr/Ed and Steve congratulate themselves on their very successful acting job.

* Barbie meets with Police Chief to give him the evidence and tells him they are dropping the charges against Damian - because he's innocent.

* In the confessional, Padre Bosco listens to DA's confession/orders. DA states that this confession will remain in secret for eternity (para siempre).

* Outside Las Animas house, Jacinto blurts out to Fr/Ed and Steve about Camilo's tantrum and threat over the car. Fr/Ed laughs and suspects that Barbie is behind it. Jacinto is frustrated and wonders what to do next? Fr/Ed has a plan and says that at the party they will start to take care of Camilo Elizalde.

* Barbie and Police Chief continue their discussion about dropping all charges against Damian and the Chief says that he will officially halt the search for Damian immediately. He leaves the office. Barbie immediately gets on her computer and sends off and email to Damian. When she's done with the email, she receives a phone call - from Adolphina at the clinic. Adolphina tells her the shocking news that Lili has escaped and disappeared from the clinic. Barbie is furious and demands to speak with Obregon. Adolphina tells her that he's not there.

* DA continues to give his confession to Padre Bosco - only leaving out all the details and specific names - he tells of the string of murders he's done and how he felt invigorated by them. He admires and respects people like Padre Bosco who don't have that blemish on their lives. DA tells Padre Bosco again that this confession will remain in secret. Bosco is impactado and nervous.

* Barbie gives Gonzo the shocking news about Lily's disappearance from the clinic. He's impactado and upset.

* DA continues to tell Padre Bosco how he wants revenge against the Elizalde family; that he is the evil cursed shadow that has loomed large over the family for years; how he was to destroy them and rid the world of them once and for all before he dies. DA wants to save Padre Bosco because they now share this secret confession. He retells Padre Bosco that he is bound by his position to keep this secret. If DA finds out that someone has heard about the information from this confession, that DA will kill him. DA then demands Padre give him a blessing.

* Fer is hard at work, talking on the telephone. Erika, all full of happiness and joy, enters the office. She is still totally curious about the mystery love of Fr/Ed's life. Fer stammers not to respond and change the subject. A phone call comes in - from her dad (Gonzo) - he needs to see her in his office now. Fer tries to leave quickly - Erika stops her and retells her excitement about becoming Fr/Ed's fiance. Fer finally leaves.

* In the hallway, Fer murmurs to herself how is she ever going to tell her best friend that she's in love with Franco.

* Damian responds to Barbie's email.

* Meeting of the family minds in Gonzo's office about Lily's sudden disappearance from the clinic. Anibal is visibly upset that his sister, the insane criminal, is out loose on the streets. Barbie enters and convinces Gonzo to let her go alone to the clinic. Gonzo asks Fer to accompany her. She says that's not necessary. Fer insists and doesn't take no for an answer.

* Lily, Martina and Venus are playing a board game and laughing. Fr/Ed enters and interrupts. He brings her a gift - the white king from her chess set. She takes it and hugs it to her chest. He tells Martina and Venus to get their purses and get ready to leave. Lily is upset that Martina has to leave. Martina leaves the room. Martina returns and Fr/Ed and Venus leave the house. Martina and Lily return to playing the board game.

* Fer recalls what Lily said on the tape as she stands face to face with Barbie in the hallway. Barbie makes a threat to her.

* Fr/Ed escorts Venus to the mall where they meet Steve. Steve takes Venus on a makeover shopping spree. Fr/Ed leaves for work.

* Rolando is in his office and tells Maria that the official investigator will be at the office to finish up on the espionage criminal case and he grumbles that he wants Anibal to pay dearly for this.

* Jaime and Maria are at his desk. She sifts through the files on his desk and locates the Grupo Lactos papers. She bluntly questions him on what the papers are doing there? He's impactado.

* Gonzo, Anibal and Camilo are arguing about the charges being dropped against Damian and whether he should be permitted to return to the company and the family. Anibal grumbles his disgust against Damian - Camilo cackles and makes riddles and jokes that only he understands. Camilo leaves - Gonzo tries to explain Camilo's cackling as best he can.

* Camilo stands in the hallway, mutters under his breath about Fey and Fr/Ed's budding romance becoming really serious.

* Venus' transformation - first stop the hair salon.

* At the clinic, Barbie barges into the office, Fer follows. Barbie asks where Dr. Obregon is. Adolfina says he's not there. Barbie insists on speaking with him. Adolfina says that he's no longer the director at the clinic. Barbie is impactado.

* In the office, Flor runs into Vladimir. He's stunned to see her; she scolds him for his attitude and flirting with her. He stutters. Anibal is stunned and demands to know what she's doing there? Flor just leaves without responding.

* Maria and Jaime meet with Rolando in his office. Rolando has some harsh questions for Jaime about the papers. Jaime is muy impactado and doesn't know what to say. Rolando suspends him from the company.

* Barbie and Fer continue to meet with Adolfina. Adolfina gives Barbie the letter from Dr. Obregon. Barbie reads it silently to herself - we see the image of Dr. Obregon as he writes his professional opinion about Lily's permanent psychotic status. Barbie is frustrated and furious. Fer wants to read it. Barbie continues to read with Fer looking over her shoulder. Barbie asks Adolfina when he wrote the letter. She tells them. Fer then asks when Lily disappeared. Adolfina says it happened at the same time as the letter was written.

* Gonzo and Anibal continue their argument about Damian. Rolando's phone call interrupts the argument. Rolando wants to know who Grupo Lactos suspects on their end. Gonzo says there is possible suspicions against Flor Campio. Maria enters Rolando's office and Rolando asks her for the name of the person who gave Jaime the documents?

* Fr/Ed meets with Padre Bosco in the church's office. They discuss the huge favor Padre Bosco did by helping Fr/Ed keep his Franco identity intact. Fr/Ed tells Padre Bosco that he is investigating all clues and leads to help him understand the secret his mother took with her to the grave. Padre Bosco knows about DA. Fr/Ed shows the birth certificate to Padre Bosco.

* Anibal tells his dad that he is positive Flor is guilty of corporate espionage. Barbie and Fer return to the office. Barbie starts to talk about what they found out at the clinic about Lily. Fer then rips into Anibal and attacks him and the family for their horrible attitudes against Lily for the past 15 years that she was in the clinic. Gonzo stands in stunned silence.
ADVANCE: Barbie starts to work to separate Fer and Fr/Ed.

Labels:


Comments:
Thanks, Jody.

Actually, Artemio Bravo came up with the perfect threat for Padre Bosco. He threatened to kill the ones he loves if he finds out he's even hinted what he now knows. Presumably the priest has siblings, nieces, nephews.

I guess the Gardenia scene was funny, but I really didn't like Esteve and Freduardo letting her think her warped and jealous opinion was an okay one to have and that Freduardo concurred.

The scene in the manicomio was fantastic. If Fer had not insisted in going, Babs would have run roughshod over poor Adolfina. It's great when we get to see the Iron Maiden lose control. And she really looked scared when she heard Lili was gone. Obregon's letter was a masterpiece, no outright insults but thinly veiled contempt for Babs and Fer read every word!

I wish I could quote word for word what Fernanda said to the impactado Elizaldes, but it was great! I was jumping up and down cheering her. Babs was speechless with shock. One of the things she did say was that when Lili was admitted she was the least sick person in that place.

She also said that, if everyone knew what went on behind closed doors with the Elizaldes their fine reputation would be gone. When Anibal got in her face about hiring Florecita, she got right back in his about his "management skills" that had them into debt up to their necks and almost ruined if it hadn't been for Franco Santoro. It was quite a scene!
 

siThanks for the recap, Jody, and for clearing up some things for me as I'm operating without CC's.

When Dr. O was saying aloud what he was writing in his letter to Babs, the sound and picture were out of sync so I missed a lot. It seemed like a great sarcastic shot at Barbie. Did he say he was on an island in the Caribbean and there was no telephone so the only way to communicate was to use the two coconuts from the tree he was sitting under? LOL And did he say if the new director of the manicomio met her, meaning Babs, he would assume she was crazy and lock her up. LOL Is this right or am I really off base? Thanks.

And were Lili, Martina and Venus vigorously arm wrestling? Venus were pretty close to revealing her undies as Fr/Ed walked into the room. GinCA
 

Oops....I meant Venus was not were and I don't know where the si came from.GinCA
 

I loved this episode. The problem for me with a lot of telenovelas, and the reason I stop watching them, is that they torture torture torture the good guys until the last two episodes. I find that proportion of good times to bad times unendurable. This one is better, the home team is growing as the secret evil unfolds, and the home team is winning a few.
 

I was so glad for Flor. She really told Vlad off. Too bad she didn't tell him she saw him fondling Pris.

I'm glad that Fer went to the clinic with Babs. Babs is starting to squirm...

Ann - NYC
 

Thanks Jody for the recap. This was a pretty good episode. I was having trouble following it because the sound and picture were out of sync and it was like watching one of those Japanese movies where the mouth moves and then we hear the words. Frustrating and distracting to say the least.

Fernanda was awesome. I can't wait to see a final showdown between her and Babs. The way she and Adolfino were communicating was so funny.

I thought the scene with Gardenia was kind of mean. Letting her think she can go in there and tell them how it is (which I would totally do) but still.....

I can't wait to see what they do with Venus. She really is very pretty. I liked her hair the way it was.
 

Thanks Jody, your recap certainly filled in on an episode that was hard to understand at times.

I want to be the first to comment on how beautiful Fernanda looked, finally a pretty dress that fit and flattered. It was the right length with no ugly boots. Her shoes looked adorable. At last we are rid of the unattractive Brownie uniform.

Melinama, I agree with you on this TN. It is a little easier to watch because EVERYONE isn't a dope. The family has at least three members who think independently, Fer, Santi, and in a way Pris. You don't have to get a digestive disorder watching it. Several, such as FELS, I gave up on because of the irritation factor.

Esteve and Venus will be fun to watch as well, I already see the chemistry growing.

One last thing, I get the sense that the actors are having fun doing this one, I would be.

Sandy in TN
 

Yea! Way to go Fernanda, how different is that from the simpering Sofía?

The girls were arm wrestling, Venus & Lili against Martina. When Venus left, Martina let Lili win.

Adolfina told Babs that Dr O & Lili left at the same time with a knowing look from Fernanda. Not sure if she is implying that they are together.

Dr. O's letter I believe said that Babs should leave quickly because the new director would think she was crazy & lock her up.

Babs' house of cards is tottering.

When they are finished with Venus, I think she will be a classic beauty, instead of just beautiful.
She will wow Camilo.

Let the fiesta begin, it should be something, so much intrigue. I think it will top the boda.
 

Thanks Jody, this is a marvelous recap. I really liked this episode and especially loved the scene with Gardenia, Esteve, and Eddie. I laughed out loud through the whole thing. Loved Gardenia calling Venus Venenosa with righteous indignation, loved Eddie's patient indulgence,loved Esteve's feigned contrition, and I especially loved Gardenia's self-satisfied, smug exit. Who would have guessed that FC has comedic skills?

Dr.O's letter is a gem. Though entended for Babs' eyes, it spoke to Nanda as well, Geez, I hope they bring him back. He is a treasure.

Oh, almost forgot, loved Erika's blouse. There was almost a great escape of her tangible assets. She seems very genuine.

Carlos
 

Thanks, Jody, for the recap. I have one question: why do you refer to Artemio Bravo as DA? What does that stand for? Did I miss something? (What a question!! I miss ALMOST EVERYTHING without these great recaps.)
 

Does anyone know of anything else that Dr O has been in, I think he is fantastic, even more so if he isn't really gay.
He must be on South Beach, he mentioned coconuts.
Loved the way he signed his name with such a flourish. The man is hysterically funny.
 

Erika needs to get a job or a hobby. She is so annoying. She acts like she is in junior high and has to buy a dress for the "big dance." Maybe they could make matching friendship bracelets too! FF
 

Muchas gracias, Jody! You filled in a lot of the missing elements for me. Between nodding off & my poor Spanish, it's an uphill battle!

LOVED Fernanda giving those wimpy a$$ Elizalde boys a good tongue lashing. I like her...spunk, brains, beauty. I'll forgive her for loving Dam & her penchant for brown dresses (how kind of me!).

I didn't like the boys letting Double D get away with her petulant brat routine either. But I guess Fr/Ed figures he's got to keep her happy in order to keep her lips zipped.

Poor Padre Bosco. I felt so sorry for him in the confessional, listening to the devil incarnate. This does seem to be a recurring TN theme, though: bad guy confesses to the poor priest who knows all but can say nothing. Argh!

Babs waited 15 years & now it's not going as planned. Heh heh heh.

Maggarita
:-D
 

I, for one, hope they burned Fer's "brownie" dress! It seems all the characters are wearing the same outfit for at least one week - is this an economic move?

Why does Fr/Ed have to walk on eggshells around Gardenia? Is this Fr/Ed's way of making sure she keeps her mouth shut about him? She sure is an hablantina!

Fer did seem to let her rage out last night and it was nice to see Barbie speechless.

Our girl, Flor, is not as spineless as she seemed before. She even left Anibal without answering his question - good for her.

Venus already looks like a knockout, Esteve, please don't do too much to change her. Just get rid of the gum.....

MEPS in AZ
 

"Double D"--I almost spit my coffee! That is too funny.
 

Thanks Jody, but I'm pretty clueless here as to why AB would make a confession to Bosco at all since he's not really sorry for anything. Is he simply unloading on Bosco in order to threaten him that if he even thinks about telling what he already knows that he'll be dead?

Jeez, Gardenia is sooooo high maintenance, and I loved Fr/Ed's and Esteve's acting job.

Can't wait to see Venus the finished product.

Also loved the cheesy scene with Fer and Babs standing and staring at each other and thought bubbling for five minutes--like in real life people would ever stand and stare at each other for five minutes while thought bubbling.

Yup, telenovelas make the good guys really EARN every last moment of reward that they finally receive in the end, but I too like that MEPS isn't doing that.

Dona Gringuita
 

Jody, Great recap of a great episode. I, for one thoroughly enjoyed the Esteve/Franco/Denia scene. She expressed her concerns, quit; Franco "scolded" Estve, Esteve was contrite and apologetic. They diffused the situation, kept Denia in the safety of the employment, kept her mouth shut in the process, and were able to keep secret Venuosa's "training" and the reason for it from Denia. Denia leaves thinking that she is all that, and no harm done, great harm avoided. I don't see a problem.

I could not understand what AB was saying for the most prat in the confessional, except for the final threat, that gravelly voice is so annoying.


Can't wait to see Venus' transformation! And I enjoy her with Esteve.

The scene with Babs/Fer/Adolfina and the reading of Dr O's letter was great. Babs slowly losing control is fun, and the letter reading was priceless. The absolute best was Fer cutting into Any?balls , Babs, and the family in general was fantastic! I had to watch it 4 times, I was rivetted by Sylvia (and also to catch every rapid-fire word). She is the truly is the absolute star of this TN.
 

Bab's explanation of the mixup incriminating Damian is, as I understand it, that a letter of credit used by Grupo Lactos to secure a purchase of equipment was mistakenly invoked thus automatically charging their account with 3M dollars, so it's not far-fetched, what is far-fetched is that Anibal would be totally clueless of such a transaction. Nanda is right to question his management skill.

Carlos
 

Jody - thank you for hte recap. I did not get to watch this episode.
Is "DA" the same as AB/Artemio Bravo? I've been reading 'on the fly' this week and probably missed something. Thnx

I wish I had heard the Dr. O letter. Sounds like it was a good one.
 

Juanita -- I wasn't sure what abbreviation or nick you were using here. I've been calling Artemio Bravo, Don Artemio so DA is short for this. Sorry for the confusion.

Jody :)
 

Melinama, I really liked your late posting yesterday:

"I especially love Daffy Daddy, he is such a dim bulb. His brain has been obliterated by the last super-nova of lust in his aging loins."

Thanks.

Carlos
 

Thanks for the recap, Jody. That didn't seem like a confession, but I don't know what the rules are.

I hope they don't over process Venus. She's so beautiful, she needs less not more. IMO the novela beauties are often way overdone in makeup/hair and underdone in clothing.


Gardenia is pathetic, I actually felt a little sorry for her. It seems FrEd sees Gardenia much like many of us do. He didn't think she could 'handle the truth' so he gave her what she wanted. Of course this will probably come back to bite him...
jb
 

Great job Jody,this by far the best TN I have seen I started watching them. After my disappointment with "ccea", this is a breath of fresh air. I was laughing so hard last night and this morning the comments had my sides busting again. Escaping tangible assets and double Ds. Fer is just great. As for double D she is just fun to watch. A big thank you to all the re-capers for making it possible for us barely and non-Spanish speakers to also enjoy this. Hanna,Md
 

I feel once again obligated to speak up in behalf of the lovely Gardenia, or Double D as Maggarita lovingly calls her. She is intelligent but strong willed, she may not be well-educated but she is glib with a command of the language that any of us would be proud of, she has high moral values (maybe a little judgmental...aren't we all?), is fiercely loyal to Eddie, and is not hard on the eyes. OK, there is that little thing about the letters, but remember , even Eddie's mom thought it best to keep them from him.

I predict that before it's all over, all of us will love and admire her. There. I feel much better.

Carlos
 

I ditto that, Carlos, emphatically. I predict that all the Gardenia detractors are going to be cheering her on before it's over...
 

Thanks, Jody, for an excellent recap.

Speaking of good acting, I think Gonzo/AB is doing an impressive job of it. As Gonzo, he has us totally criticizing his daffiness, stupidly, gullibility, etc. But as Artemio Bravo, he's cold, calculating, evil to the core. It's hard for us to see these characters as the same actor, but they are.

BTW, I think there was much more to the confession than what we saw. They seemed to bring us in at the end, making me think AB had already confessed a bunch of specifics (when he started, he said he was going to name names of people Padre Bosco knew). So I think Padre Bosco knows a lot, but we viewers will have to wait quite some time to find out the juicy stuff.
 

But Eduardo's mom kept the letters from him because it was a love not meant to be & it was to protect him.
Gardenia's motives are totally selfish.
My ears start to hurt the minute she shows up, a gag would be great.
 

Carlos,

In saying this I feel as though I am insulting a friend of yours, so please take this with a grain of salt. In my opinion, Gardenia has all the qualities that you mention, but she is what is commonly called in the venacular, a "loose cannon". A loose cannon cannot be trusted on any level,in the workplace, as a neighbor or a friend and especially as a girlfriend. Her mouth had no boundries, any information you give her will be disciminated immediately. Perhaps that is why some are having a difficult time with her personality. She does however provide an interesting foil for FrEd/Esteve/Venus.

Now, I feel a little better!!!!

Also, thanks for all your astute posts, you really have a fantastic command of the language.

Sandy in TN
 

Me three Carlos!
And thank you Jody and all the Commenters that gave such specific translations. I really appreciate you all.
 

Yes GinCA, I think you got those highlights from Dr. O's letter correct. And I think he specifically said it was an island for rich people, but I'm not sure about that part. I liked the coconut phone idea. He used to stare at his phone in a panic whenever Babs called.

I think the knowing looks between Adolfina and Fer were their way of asking/telling each other that Babs isn't trustworthy, that she's the real threat, and that she needs to be kept out of the loop regarding Lili.
 

Hombre, I agree that we didn't get the whole confession. When that scene began, he was saying "from that day on..." which means he gave the padre his entire backstory and we didn't get to hear ANY of it. Bummer!!

So the Padre knows EVERYTHING... it might be difficult for him to keep track of the things he can tell Ed (things he knew from outside the confessional) vs. the things he heard inside the confessional from AB or from Soledad.

I agree with others, though, that if you're bragging to a priest about your misdeeds and don't express remorse, then the priest shouldn't have to keep your secret. But I guess it doesn't work that way because any gray areas or misunderstandings could result in people being afraid to confess anything.

Even then, though, if someone actually threatens a priest I just can't believe they're still protected by confidentiality. I wonder what the official church rules are regarding threats made to priests in the confessional.
 

I agree with Connie about Venus's hair - that was the one thing they didn't need to change. I was surprised that we got to see the beginning of the makeover. I was assuming we'd have to wait for a big reveal the day of the party to see the results... maybe we still will.

I didn't hate Fer's Brownie dress that much. It was better than a lot of other things she's worn, I think. But I liked yesterday's dress much better.
 

Thank you Jody - excellent recap! About the confession - I wonder if AB's motive for confessing was to prevent Padre from disclosing anything he may have already known about AB. Because if Padre knew something that wasn't in Soledad's confession, and AB confessed it, now Padre can't say anything to anyone. It seems to me to be an evil way to ensure that Padre doesn't talk - AB confesses and Padre has to know about it and say nothing.
 

Thanks Jody for a job well done. I'm coming back after my lunch break but I just had to add my two cents to the discussion about "loose mouth lucy" aka
Gardinia". Since when is giving in with a white lie the best way to handle a disgrunted, angry employee? Would a not so well endowed, not so good looking older woman get the same consideration? How about a not so good looking guy getting in your face like that? Well if all else fails, you could always focus on the assets which seems make bad behavior appear endearing and loyal names. (Although I fail to see how stealing those letters and jealous rages amounts to loyalty). Face it, the woman has a control issue.
 

Melinama mentioned the good vs. bad ratio in telenovelas - I've been thinking about this lately because the upcoming Nombre del Amor looks like it's going to have a lot of BAD in it.

I guess the main thing for me is not the ratio of bad to good, but how the good guys respond to the bad stuff. The beginning of QE was rough because Lorena had no clue what was going on behind her back, but then she started to fight back. That was great.

And in Pasion, there was a lot of awful behavior, but some heroic, well-coordinated responses when people found out what was happening.

Similar in MEPS where FrEd and Estiv follow up on clues and such and take brilliant measures such as looking up names in the phone book.

But in FELS, you just had mean people getting away with everything for many months. THe good guys were meek and gullible and, frankly, stupid.

So I'll start watching Nombre del Amor as time permits. If it looks like the bad guys actually have to put some effort into being bad, I'll stick with it. But if it's going to be something like FELS where bad behavior goes unchallenged and people who should know better don't take simple precautions, I'll run away screaming.
 

Carlos: I'll never question your defense of Double D. After all, I'm the first to admit that Fr/Ed is almost completely perfect and it has nothing to do with his incredible hotitude or the way he can seduce with just a look or the fantabulous kisses he bestows upon his leading ladies.

Maggarita
;-)
 

Jody, thanks for the recap and your willingness to fill in.

Por favor, no mas! I can’t take another valiant padre, forced to listen to gruesome confessions, but tied to keeping the secrets of the confessional.
On the other hand, the little scam Esteve and Fr/Ed played on Gardenia was sweet. I considered it no harm, no foul.
Also enjoyed Esteve working with Venus on her makeover. I think she is truly beautiful under the overdone makeup, so the outcome should be amazing.
Good for Fernanda, telling off the family. Not before it was time, either.
Clothing note: again, Barb in heavy, wool-like coat dress, Fer in nearly sleeveless cotton, Erika not well covered. Why?
La Paloma
 

Sue, you took the words right out of my mouth.

I don't like to keep ragging on the same topic, but Carlos and Dorado Dave appear to be blinded by the double Ds and unable to see Gardenia's glaring faults. I will enumerate:

She clings to a childhood obsession with a boy who had no interest in her when they were children and less now. Stalker?

She's pathologically jealous of any woman who comes within 20 feet of Freduardo, including Fernanda who's never done anything but be kind to her.

Venus and Martina, whatever she thought of them, were guests in her employer's home. She was inexcusably nasty to them over and over.

She damn well knew how much those letters would have meant to Freduardo, and she deliberately withheld them. The argument that his mother would have done the same doesn't hold water. His mother did it to squelch the relationship because of Babs' threats that she'd kill him if anything developed or if he returned to Casa Elizalde. Gardenia did it so she would still have a chance with Freduardo

She eavesdrops at every opportunity.

She ragged on Jacinto about being in the same room with Venus, threatening to tell his wife he was consorting with a prostitute.

She was rightfully thrown out of Jacinto and Margarita's home after she blabbed the whereabouts of the blacksmith, causing him to nearly die. Remorse? I didn't see any.

I could agree that maybe she'll be redeemed and do some plot serving good deed, but I'll never forgive her reading those letters.
 

Sue raised a valid point about the method of dealing with Gardenia not being the best management method. But, she knows Franco is really Eduardo, and it's better if she is kept "safely" at Las Animas, not flouncing around the community. That may be why they wanted to appear to make concessions to her.
La Paloma
 

I don't think FrEd and Steve are humoring Gardenia just because she's pretty. In fact, I'm pretty sure FrEd at least is immune to her charms and probably still sees his little childhood friend when he looks at her.

I think they're humoring her strictly because they absolutely have to keep her there, where they can keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't get grabbed by inquisitive goons again. If she's in a disgruntled mood, maybe she'll blab to the goons, but the point is, she could get killed regardless.

It's not the most honest way to deal with her, maybe, but FrEd already tried being honest with her about his feelings and it didn't make any difference at all. She only hears what she wants to hear, so why not just tell her what she wants to hear? Maybe she'll wise up eventually, and then they can take another crack at honesty.

It wasn't very respectful of him to lie either, but she's quite disrespectful herself, judging people she barely knows, telling Steve who he can dance with, and telling FrEd how to run his household.

I'd rather not deal with someone who doesn't respond to honesty and respect, but sometimes you get stuck with someone and you have to find another way to work with them. FrEd is stuck with Gardenia because she knows too much and the bad guys have already targeted her twice.

At least now, he's keeping her around where he can keep an eye on her and keep her from being targeted by more nosy goons. And her fury over Martina and Venus makes it easier for him to explain their absence without having to let her in on another secret that she might be tempted or coerced to blab.

So yeah, it's lousy, but I don't see how else they could have dealt with her. Letting her quit would just give her more opportunities to get him into trouble.
 

Julie
No one said Fr/Ed and Esteve are blind to Gardenia's behavior because she's pretty. It's the male commenters on this blog who don't see it.
 

As much as I'd love to, I'm not getting into the double-D fray. I think she's mainly there to stir us up. Looks like it's working.

Julie, re: "Even then, though, if someone actually threatens a priest I just can't believe they're still protected by confidentiality. I wonder what the official church rules are regarding threats made to priests in the confessional."
I'd love to get the official word on this too. If it's not a sincere confession, then it's not a confession and doesn't seem it should be protected info. Any theologians out there?

--Beth
 

Fr/Ed & Esteve responded to Gardenia's outburst like any man would, tell her anything she wants to hear just to shut her up, lie or not.

It should be very interesting when she sees Venus, her eyes will pop as well as Camilo's. I believe Erika will think Venus is Fr/Ed's love interest & feel relieved when she shows interest in Camilo.
 

And as long as we're on this dress thing, Margarita has to be voted most dowdy of the group. They've gone a little overboard with her "I'm a farm hand's wife so I need a peasant housewife look. Which designer apron shall I wear today?"

Cadmillo's laugh once again was perfectly timed, really funny. I don't think he'll be the one that laughs last tho.
 

Wikipedia says "The priest is bound to secrecy and cannot be excused either to save his own life or that of another, or to avert any public calamity." For more, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confession

No where does it say the priest can't put his hands over his ears and yell, "la-la-la" till the sinner goes away? But, I don't guess AB would like that too much.

--Beth
 

I'm sorry, Anon 2:08. I must have misunderstood Sue's comment. Sorry to you too, Sue! :-(
 

A priest cannot repeat anything told him as part of a confession.

The Code of Canon Law states: The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason. Violation of the seal of confession results in immediate excommunication of the priest. Priests may discuss things in general terms.

For more information, see the Code of Canon Law: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3G.HTM

If he hears something outside of the confessional, he can blab to his heart's content.

Maggarita
 

The Wikipedia article on confession also says that "In order for the sacrament to be valid the penitent must do more than simply confess his known mortal sins to a priest. He must a) be truly sorry for each of the mortal sins he committed, b) have a firm intention never to commit them again, and c) perform the penance imposed by the priest."

So, my original question... if the sacrament isn't valid, is there any seal?
 

Artemio is being very good to Padre Bosco, he's confessing to him & now he doesn't have to kill him. He said sth to the Padre about how valiente he was in the face of death.
 

Yeah, we'd need a theologian to untangle this.

If you're asking for forgiveness, that would imply you recognize what you did was wrong. But if you're just flapping your lips to verbally blackmail, are you truly a "penitent?"

The Maggarita interpretation says: hey, if you don't mean it and you're not sorry for what you did, I'm free to break the seal. But I'm the farthest you can get from a theologian!

Of course, for plot purposes, we all know Pad B can't say a word to anyone...unless he confesses to a bishop, which just keeps the ball rolling, so to speak.

:-0
 

Didn't Fr/Ed hire Gardenia way back when with the stipulation that she wouldn't ask questions?

~Cardrita
 

"A person who has been placed in authority cannot use in any manner for external governance the knowledge about sins which he has received in confession at any time." (Code of Canon Law: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3G.HTM)

Julie, I too am wondering about the validity of the confession.
And if a priest can decide whether a confession is valid or not, wouldn't that open a large can of worms? I don't know...Interesting question for the God Squad.
 

Here is what I know, as a Catholic who does not make a habit of confession (which it is not called anymore). Only God can know what is truly in the confessors heart. It is not up to the priest to judge. If they willingly receive a confession and give the confessor a penance, then the priest is bound by canon law.

Although wouldn't it have been awesome if just once Padre Tadeo has put his hands over his ears and said "la la la I can't hear you". There wasn't enough humor in that show.
 

Novelera, I don't think that I have been blinde by anything. Esteve and Eddy both know the grave dangerous situation that they are all facing. Look at what Gardenia has already gone thru, and the guards posted seem to suggest to me that they feel that the danger has not passed, indeed is getting more intense. They absolutely MUST keep her within the safety of las Animas, both for her own safety, as well as for the absolute secrecy of their plans, as well as Eddy's true identity. That they have to play a little game, and laugh about it does not diminish the seriousness of the situation. I satnd by what I wrote earlier, by what both Carlos and Julie expressed better than I did.

As far as the confessional thing. If I wre a priest (heaven forbid!!), there is no way that I would allow the sanctity of the confessional keep me from preventing an evil person doing harm to an innocent. The threat of excommunication would pale in comparison to the guilt that would ensue from my allowing something evil to happen if I would have been able tp prevent it by breaking the code of silence. That's a no-brainer for me...
 

Molly - if it's not called confession any more, what do they call it now? I left The Church in 1977 and am out of the loop.
 

Well, I thnk we can all agree that Gardenia is a polarizing entity. Let me say I find the discussion of her merits invigorating and that I love each and every one of you delightful ladies. Refresh my memory, didn't we all agree some time ago that all her physical attributes are genuine articles? As to the priest and his confessional thing, which I no exactly zero about, one would logically conclude that knowledge that was also independently acquired would be exempt, except of course in TNs. By the way Maggarita, I'm convinced that you understand our (DDave and me) position on Gardenia. Nice try anon, trying to split us off from Eddie and Esteve. Julie, I've managed to stay married to the same lovely lady for 39yrs. I owe a good deal of my success to telling her what she wants to hear. Carlos
 

There is no way those double D's are the genuine article!
 

Doris, its called reconciliation now. Guess it's supposed to be more positive. Although I am still a practicing Catholic I don't go to reconciliation. I believe if you live your life treating people the way you want to be treated, you shouldn't need to ask for absolution.
 

DDave, well said. You and I are on the same (albeit lonely) wavelength today. Carlos
 

While it is impossible to really determine in some cases, as to Gardenia and the Double Ds, I must say in the words of Larry David, Giant Chemical Balls!

Sandy in TN
 

Variopinta and Sandy, I must have been mistaken...about us all agreeing that is. From the brief glimpse I got of Erika last night, I think it's safe to say her feminine adornments were factory installed. Carlos
 

I've got to hand it to Artemio Bravo: he's one clever SOB. All the discussion we've been having about the validity or non-validity of his "confession" is beside the point. By confessing, he's binding Padre Bosco to silence. And just in case Padre Bosco happens to have independent knowledge of some of what AB confessed, AB has found a way to deal with that as well: he's threatened to kill those whom Padre B loves if any of what he (AB) has said comes to light. So Padre Bosco has got to realize that even if he had independent knowledge of what AB confessed, he'd be putting people in danger by making it known.
 

DD and Carlos, in reviewing your comments, I realize that I probably jumped to conclusions about your views on Gardenia. They DO sound more like you felt Freduardo and Esteve needed to placate Gardenia in order to keep her from (a) harm (b) from spilling the beans.

I apologize if I ruffled any feathers. All I can say is that she drives me nuts. I can't seem to help wanting her to get a "comeuppance" every time I see her!
 

Novelera- no ruffled feathers here. For me it is just a simple discussion of differing points of view. That is part of what this blog is all about, for me. Let's keep it lively and, of course, friendly.
 

Novelera, ditto what he said. Now I say, ¡ VAMANOS, QUE EMPIECE LA FIESTA! Carlos
 

Espero la fiesta hasta que se arreglen a Venus....
 

Novelera, ITA. The only thing I could add is that: to Gardenia, it's all about Gardenia. The only other solution FrEd had was to stuff her in a closet until this is all resolved. They could untie her when we see FIN and the wedding is over...
jb
 

DDave, yo lo sé, pero no nos vendria mal que esperemos. Carlos
 

Pues, Carlitos, no seria mala cosa esperar. Sabemos que vale la pena, ella transformare' hasta la diosa de cual es nombrado...
 

Guys, you are right in saying Gardenia needs protection as she was kidnapped and threatened with death at least twice. But, beanie time, she is always appearing at Jacinto's and Maggarita's and I assume she didn't have an armed escort or was teleported. So, Fr/Ed and Esteve are not doing a great job of protecting her completely.

After glimpses of the actress playing Gardenia's role in another role in the tn, LFMB, she certainly does seemed more buxom now and my guess is enhancement. Sorry. GinCA
 

Carlos,

"I've managed to stay married to the same lovely lady for 39yrs. I owe a good deal of my success to telling her what she wants to hear."

Smart man, good husband material.

Barbara
 

make that "se transformara' "

GinCA, I'd thought the same about her bouncing over to Marg's, and you are right about beanie time. It's always beanie time, right? No need to apologize for comparing her past/present appearances. I'm certain that sh elooked just fine when she was natural, too.
 

Carlos~~~I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but Gardenia's bubbles were bought and paid for. It seems that women can recognize the real from the artificial better than men can. Perhaps this has something to do with the practice of wishful thinking on the part of men. Maybe they like the idea of a Beneficial God endowing so many women with so many generous gifts. It's a nice dream. Women do the same thing with guys, I suppose.[]Example : ''I'm positive that's his real hair/teeth/nose.''] I think that Gardenia's purpose in this novela is to keep stirring the pot. She is very earthy and very pretty ...2 qualities that guys seem to like. She's the type of gal men would love to share a brewski/boilermaker/body shot with. However, let's just admit that she is a little ~~~HIGHSTRUNG~~~ .Let's face it, this chick is muy high maintenance. The more I think about it, the more I feel that DDenia will end up with Esteve because the mujer who is hopelessly devoted to the galan usually ends up with his BBF as a kind of consolation prize...a lovely parting gift for their time and effort. [Examples : In Alborada, Mistress Perla married Luis's devoted bodyguard Marcos to get her off his back and Mistress Anonia married Manuel's lawyer in Amor Real.] By the way, Carlos, if you haven't seen these two novelas, you must. I think that you would enjoy them.
 

Gin(why do I like that name so much?), you are of course right. Gardenia, is a free spirit, may I say...coltish? Personally, I think she is a better fit for Eddie, but that of course is impossible, deep down I think that she realizes this. I was hoping for Esteve but he has such chemistry with Venenosa, excuse me, Venus. Perhaps a galan to be named later. DDave, pues...sí, aunque, ella, para mi, no necesita much de mejora, pero como quires, mi cuate. Carlos
 

Bueno, Carlitos, para mejorarla, nada mas que quita la chicle.
 

Susanlynn, so good to hear from you. Two of my all time favs. I don't believe I missed a single episode of either and mourned when they were done. My profa fell hopelessly in love with youknowwho during Amor Real. She goes all gooey whenever we talk about him. Of course she is watching this. I'm reluctant to report that I haven't won her over to Gardenia...yet. Carlos
 

Carlos~~You crack me up ! ''Gin (Why do I like that name so much?)'' HA. And , now we have DDenia and DDave. Nice. Also, ''coltish'' is a great adjective for DDenia. P.S. When I shared your phrase ''Carpe Manana'' on another forum, I got in BIG TROUBLE with someone. I didn't know that it was offensive, so be careful about using it. Also, I'm just back from my seacruise. I tried the Bonine before we set off , and I fely vaguely stoned and nearly fell asleep in the jazz club. [I had no alcohol. ]The next day , I felt wonky . Then, the second night the ocean was ROUGH ,and I felt horrible and couldn't sleep. Upon leaving Bermuda , hub put one of his patches on me...no side effcts..I felt great . [P.S. The patch worked like a charm for hub even on the ROUGH seas night... I told him your anecdote and cautioned him to only use ONE despite the fact that he has 2 ears. ] Now. I'm a believer. I guess meds affect different people in different ways.
 

Carlos~~~I think that you feel about DDenia the same way I feel about TMBMOE......They are super delicious fantasies for mere mortals. Someday, we will all be united with Dr.Obegone on Fantasy Island .
 

Ahhh si si, Carlos...''muy gooey''.... that is the technical term for hopeless devotion. I do agree with Variopinta, about preferring mi telenovio as ''an angry 40 something riding horses and hanging from ships.''...and don't forget the long hair, mustache and beard.
 

Susanlynn, I can't stop laughing. I'm so sorry about the carpe mañana thing. I'm just an innocent gringuito. If you can't trust your Spanish profa then who can you trust. She's from Guadalajara and her profesor for her graduate work at UofH is a leftist latino actvist , a blind albino who calls himself el Pato Feo who writes an inflammatory column each week for a latino weekly named curiously enough, Semana. Who could have guessed that she would share controversial stuff with me. Maybe I should be wary of a favorite Mexican holiday she told me about: San Lunes. Carlosp
 

Yes, one has to be very careful to be politically correct. I had no idea that it was a phrase that would offend when I innocently used it on another forum. I came back from vacation and saw the post from the offended person along with one from a loyal defender of my character. Could you ask your profa if people are usually offended by this phrase ???? I was so surprised and felt so bad. ~~~Susanlynn, inserting her size 5 shoe into her BIG MOUTH
 

Susanlynn, oops, forgot, so glad the patch worked for you, que padre. Sorry, I can't stop laughing. Hope you don't mind if I tell the not so innocent Adriana about your experience. Carlos
 

Welcome back Susanlynn...so sorry you arrived home to somebody in high dudgeon. I can't imagine what Carpe Mañana set off. Was it seen as a slur in the same way that that old song "Mañana, mañana, mañana is soon enough for me!" is? Well anyway, the offended person obviously didn't know you, or they would never interpret that as a remark designed to disparage. You are a person of infinite good will. I'm so sorry.

But glad the patch worked and neither you nor hub went bonkers.
 

Hi,Judyb~~~~I posted a speedy apology , and the offended person sent back a ((stevi)) and forgave me. She also gave me her email addy if I wanted to converse with her in Spanish or English. Wouldn't so many tragedies and misunderstandings be avoided if we could all just say ''I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't realize that what I said or did was offensive or hurtful. Please forgive me .
 

Weird, I just googled "carpe mañana" and saw it being used innocently in a lot of places. Perhaps it's only regionally offensive?

Yes, Gardenia's "genuine articles" are noticeably bigger than they were in her LFMB days. I think the best we can all hope for this character is that she grows up emotionally as soon as possible so that it'll be easier for more of us to like her. :-)
 

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