Tuesday, July 27, 2010

El Clon Tuesday July 27: Summary for Discussion

Tonight, Zein has found his Scheherazade on the six-month plan; Natalia isn’t fooling any of the people any of the time; and if Abdul wants to play Cupid, he’d better take some archery lessons!


In Fez, Zein is even more enchanted with Jade when he finds out she knows the Snake Dance and she offers to perform it for him:
Es un argumento irresistible…Scheherazade!
It’s an irresistible story...Scheherazade, smiles Zein.

Cris is trying to find Zein so she can pass along Lucas’s message to Jade, but the hotel reception clerk doesn’t understand her.

In Miami, Nati tells Alejandro that after her accident, she was in the hospital all night. But I checked all the hospitals, he says. Oh, not exactly a hospital, un centro médico, she clarifies. Why didn’t you call me? he asks. I’d die if anything happened to you!

Once again we cut back and forth to Enrique’s monologue on the psychiatrist’s couch: Lying becomes normal, he says. One becomes an expert in the art of deception.

Later, Andrea confronts her friend:
¡Tú no eres, así, Natalia!
You’re not like that, Natalia! she says. Natalia claims she had no choice but to lie to Alej; if he knew the truth, he’d leave her. Besides, she says, she can stop using drugs any time.
¡Qué decepción! No te reconozco!
How disappointing! I don’t recognize you, Andrea says to Nati.

Enrique: You think you can stop using, but you become a slave to drugs. You’ll do anything – rob, kill, prostitute yourself.

A big yellow taxi pulls up in front of Gloria’s. Out steps Rosa and she wants to talk to Gloria and Alej about Nati. She was so upset, she confides, when Nati came home tan descontrolada, drogada, grosera (so out of control, drugged, rude) last night. Uh oh. Now Alej knows the truth!

Cut to Leo and Amalia in their idyllic vacation spot. Amalia tries to tell Leo about Marisa’s alarming message, but he interrupts her with a kiss, then places a ring on her finger. The ring seems to cause amnesia and Amalia forgets all about the urgent message.

At la Casa Ferrer, Rosa tells Marisa that Lucas will be home tomorrow. Marisa continues blaming Alej for Nati’s problems. She has found a doctor and is thinking about putting Nati in a clinic. Too bad Leo’s not here, Nati respects him, says Rosa. She used to respect him, corrects Marisa.

And as Rosa tries once again to reach Leo by phone, it’s déjà vu all over again! Leo is in the arms of his enamorada and the phone rings unanswered.

Natalia comes back to the apartment to find a grim-looking Alejandro waiting for her.
Ya lo sé todo, Nati, Rosa me lo contó.
Now I know everything, Nati, Rosa told me.
Nati denies everything and finally locks herself in the bathroom, screaming to Alej to leave her alone.

At the gym, Pablo tells his friend that he has to make a choice: either keep chasing after Nati’s problems, or concentrate on his career. He can’t do both. He introduces Alej’s new trainer.

And in Fez, Said is on the phone with Zein demanding that Jade be returned to him. A deal’s a deal, after all. Zein gives him a story about how returning Jade so soon after the wedding would look odd, people would think the marriage was a farce and word might get back to Zein’s parents.

On Said’s end of the line, Rania is thrilled to learn there is a delay in Jade’s return. She snuggles up to Said, reassuring him that she and her fetus are there for him. Somehow that doesn’t seem to make Said happy although Rania looks like the cat that swallowed the canary.

Latifa tells Samira that the guests have arrived at Ali’s house – the prospective novios and their families. Samira doesn’t want to meet them. Latifa begs her to do it to make her father happy (complazcámoslo) – they can work on softening him up later so he changes his mind.

Nazira doesn’t want to participate either. She has her usual No Husband For Poor Nazira tantrum, but is pleasantly surprised when Abdul tells her he has found someone for her and she will meet him tomorrow.

The surprise for Samira and Amin is anything but pleasant, however.
Mi novio es un nerd, complains Samira.
Mi novia es muy gorda, complains Amin.

Ali is apart from the festivities. He tells Zoraida he doesn’t agree with what Abdul is doing, but the kids belong to Abdul’s family and he, Ali, has no right to interfere. He muses about Jade and admits that in her case he shouldn’t have been so quick to get her married off:
Me precipité. La casé muy rápido, y ahora estoy pagando las consecuencias.
I was hasty. I married her off quickly and now I'm paying the consequences.

At Empresa Ferrer in Miami, as Clara is getting ready for her date with Rogelio, she asks Enrique if he thinks Fernando has a chemical dependency. That’s for a doctor to determine, he answers judiciously.

Rogelio and Clara are seated in a restaurant when they have the extreme misfortune to see Malicia and Escobarde enter. Malicia invites herself to join them and introduces Raul as her husband (Huh?)

Estela is home with a tearful Dora and begs her to stop thinking about Daniel (¡Quítate ese muchacho de la cabeza!) when Anita shows up. You’ll never guess what I found in Albieri’s papers…

In Fez, we, along with Zein, are treated to Jade’s interpretation of the Snake Dance. It’s a little too ..um.. reptilian.. for my taste, but he seems to like it just fine. After watching her, he declares:
Se ha enamorado de ti…locamente enamorado.
I’ve fallen in love with you... crazy in love. (literally, ‘one has fallen in love’)
You shine like a diamond, he tells her. No, she says, it’s not real, it’s just un espejismo (mirage, illusion). Zein tells her not to be afraid, that he won't force himself on her; he will love her with words until she falls in love with him. Just give him time… How much time? Jade wants to know. Six months, says Zein.

Back in Miami, Anita reads aloud the letter she found among Albieri’s papers. It is addressed to Luisa and it begs her forgiveness for what he is doing and for what he has done. It sounds like a farewell letter, says Dora. So he has no intention of coming back, they conclude. And he made his plans to flee with Daniel some time ago. (But what the… what about Anita’s shock when she saw Daniel’s photo? If there was any reference to it, I missed it!)

The aforementioned Daniel is getting a bit impatient with Albieri and all the clone questions. He doesn’t understand why they can’t visit Albi’s friend yet and why Albi can’t tell him his great truth until his friend is present.

In the clinic in Miami, Julio has decided to track down Dr. Silvia. Maybe she can clear up the switched embryo mystery. And as luck would have it, she is in Miami!

Malicia is sucking up to Rogelio at the dinner table. She is so fortunate to work with someone as gifted as he is in her chosen field, public relations. Cristina is the expert, he demurs. Oh, Cristina is a lovely person but… Clara looks ill but says nothing, and then excuses herself from the table. (Rogelio has kind of a poker face. I'm not sure what his reaction to Malicia really is. If he's taken in by her, I will be very disappointed in him!)

In Fez, Zein wants an answer from Jade. Give me six months. If you don’t fall in love with me by the end of that time, you are free to go. But if you try to run away before then, I’ll send you back to Said. If you accept, we’ll leave tomorrow for Miami. I accept, says Jade. (Wait a minute -- No one says anything about Jadiya!)

Alejandro gives Natalia another chance to tell him the truth about last night, but she just keeps lying to him, and getting angrier and angrier.

Enrique’s monologue: The addict is subject to sudden changes of mood, outbursts of aggression, getting into fights for no reason…

Alej echoes Andrea’s words: No te reconozco, Nati. And Nati says: No soy una drogadicta, no la soy!

Enrique: You keep fleeing desperately from the truth; you don’t want to face it.

Lucas arrives at La Casa Ferrer. ¿Dónde está mi hija? he asks. Silently, Marisa leans into him, her head on his shoulder and a tear streams down her cheek.

Previews: Jade learns that Lucas has gone back to Miami without her. Zein tells Said that he has fallen in love with Jade.

Labels:


Comments:
NovelaMaven, let me first thank you for the most excellent summary! And thanks everyone who weighed in yesterday on the VNP discussion, it was very informative. The actress who plays Marisa really is quite good; it's hard to make viewers have sympathy for such a despicable character. But my favorite scene was the meeting of the two Donas: Rosa and Gloria. Two superpowers, each supreme in her own world!
Joan
 

Thanks NovelaMaven, I enjoyed the summary. I especially liked the "amnesia ring." By the way, at one point you write "Said" when you mean "Zein" ("Six months, says Said"). This show has lots of similar names, to go with the clone theme.

Joan: about Doña Rosa, I could never figure her out. She means well, but with all her prejudices and superstitions, she rarely does well. Doña Gloria more consistently does the right thing, I think.

And I got the impression Rogelio is not impressed by Alicia. NovelaMaven may be right that he just has a pokerface, but I think if she doesn't get a strong positive reaction, they haven't fallen for it.

I really liked the opening scene with Jade and Zein. That's good writing (surprising at this point). The snake dance was OK, I guess, but I agree with NovelaMaven that it's too reptilian. Are snakes supposed to be sexy, or is it an Eve thing, like nostalgia for Eden, or what? I never understood that. Not that I particularly understand the sword or candelabra dances. Do all the special dances involve potentially dangerous props? Is there a chainsaw dance? (By the way, anybody taking bets on how long before Jade tries to escape Zein?)

Speaking of dancing, Nazira did a little happy-dance when she heard she was getting a husband. I think Abdul just made that up to keep her quiet, and now he'll rush to find somebody. I imagine that since Nazira has been around, she won't be happy with just any suitor, and we know about Abdul's poor vision.

I'm surprised to find I enjoyed an Enrique scene. His quick flashback was well done slapstick: in quick succession, a dude and a lady are talking, Enrique starts poking the dude, dude turns around and floors Enrique, dude turns back to his lady, Enrique gets up and tries again. Credit where credit's due.
 

NovelaMaven and Jean: Thankyou! Witty and informative as well as entertaining. Neither of you disappoint!

I'll give Rogelio credit for having more on the ball regarding human nature. I think this little encounter with Malicia and Clara's husband cuz I don't think there's been anything legal done except possibly a "separation" and I'm sure Clara would have given him all the juicy details before she agreed to date him seriously. If Malicia lied to him about her personal life, he might be sharp enough to figure she's lying about any number of things on the job.
 

Thanks guys!

Joan, I liked the scene between Rosa and Gloria too. It really was a small gem -- well-written and well-played. Rosa's character has evolved in 20 years, I think. She's still a metiche, still saddled with all kinds of prejudices, but years ago she'd have snubbed Gloria instead of seeing her as a friend and ally. And of course it's nice to see her out of that suffocating Casa Ferrer!

Luke, I fixed the Said/Zein mix-up. Thanks for pointing it out. And I love your suggestion of 'the Chainsaw Dance' although I'd rather see someone other than Jade performing that one, say the ever-more insoportable Rania:-)

Blackheart, thank you! And I sure hope you and Luke are right about Rogelio. It stands to reason that Clara would have told him everything and the two are just too dignified to make a scene in the restaurant. Instead, they let Malicia bury herself with her own words. Still, this IS a telenovela and when it comes to reason, well, all bets are off!
 

Thanks, NovelaMaven, for a terrific recap (I really think it's more than a summarcap). I loved it, beginning with the great title/preface.

I was fascinated by the snake dance. I hate snakes, especially large ones. I kept wondering whether the snake was real. It didn't move much. Then again, I remember visiting Thailand and holding a snake that looked remarkably like Jade's. So there are scary-looking large snakes that are tame. Still, I wouldn't want to be sleeping in Zein's room with that snake in a nearby basket, even a closed basket.

I found the scene with Cris at the hotel a bit strange. She lives in Miami, deals with the public, and doesn't know much English?

I had such mixed feelings about the scene with Zamirah and Amin and their proposed novios. The novios were indeed unattractive, especially the boy. Then again, when I was that age I too was a little overweight, wore glasses, and was something of a nerd, so I had more than a little sympathy for the novios, who were obviously being rejected on first sight.

And yes, the scene with Leo and Amalia was deja vu all over again (and again and again). However, Amalia's "amnesia" is pretty understandable, given the fact that she's just been surprised with an engagement ring and a proposal. I often have amnesia with far less reason!

Like several of the other commenters, I think that Rogelio is not at all taken with Malicia. Telenovelas aren't known for subtlety. In the past, each time she made a conquest, it was clear. Here, the look on Rogelio's face strongly suggested that he was skeptical of her. ¡Ojalá!

As for Nati, I find myself with less and less patience for her. And none at all for the parallel PSA by Enrique.
 

NovelaMaven, thank you once again.

I didn't like the repeat of the past with Leo, are we going to be subjected to years of beating himself up, again. I hope nothing really bad happens to Nati.

I thought that when Nati locked herself up in the bathroom, she was probably getting rid of the drugs since Alej wanted to look in her bag. I for one like the parallel scenes with Nati and Enrique. Nati is not going to realize what is happening and Enrique has been there and done that. I hope that none of us have been through this nightmare personally. I know that it is a PSA but maybe it will help viewville know the signs to help out someone who is trouble before it is too late.

I am sure that Rogelio has Alicia's number. There is no way that he would ever believe Alicia over Cristina since they have known each other for years. And the boy has taste, he is smitten with Clara. It was wonderful that Escobar looked soooo miserable during the encounter.

They could have skipped the snake dance as far as I am concerned but I was glad to see that they are going to stay together for at least 6 months. Said is so stupid, what did he expect? Raina will not give him a moments peace. Just the beginning of his just desserts!

Rosemary
 

Priceless, NM: your opening! Lois
 

Excellent recap, Novela Maven.

In the what the heck?? department-

Jade not bringing Jadiya up in her negotiations with Zein. I can understand her reluctance to mention Lucas but both Said and Cristina are likely to fill him in on that information.

Anita and the picture. That had to be a cut scene. I hope that the writers wouldn't have Anita react to a photograph of Daniel and then never have any explanation of why. Very strange.

Dancing with a snake seems more like carnival side shows than in the home entertainment. Both swords and snakes are phallic symbols so maybe that is why they are used rather than as potentially dangerous props - although I like the idea of dancing with chainsaws!

The cell phone business with Leo was a little ridiculous. If Leo didn't want to be bothered from home or work, why didn't he just turn the thing off? If you leave it on, you're going to check for messages and see who called.

The whole business of the adolescent novios is a good example of why no one should make marital choices at that age.

I agree with Jardinera. You would think that Clara unburdened herself to Rogelio about her marital troubles when they talked all night. Let's hope he is not taken in by Malicia.

I also agree that Rosa is an interesting character who has developed over the course of the novela. For all her faults - believing that Diego is trying to communicate with the family and unreasoning prejudice againt Jade - she has been steady in trying to do the best for Nati and really going out of her way to help her, which her parents certainly haven't done.
 

NovelaMaven: Thank you so much for another great recap, again better than the actual episode. The snake is real, very handsome and, I suspect, quite heavy as it’s well fed. Do many of you have the feeling about snakes in general that I have for rattlesnakes? It’s like a mixture of adrenaline and shaking fear, but for good reason as we have had even a five foot rattler in our little yard. Otherwise, snakes and their handlers bring out only admiration for me. Did you know that most primates, whether human, chimp or monkey, have an inborn fear of snakes?

The drug PSA in this show would have been so useful to us 20 years ago when our sons were in their teens. We had NO idea what was going on and the pressure on them in high school and college to drink hard liquor or take drugs was enormous. Our younger son’s choices were both alcohol and drugs. This is tough for a mother to understand when I don’t even like tea or coffee, never mind anything stronger! Maybe this information can still be useful to us, this time as grandparents. So I think it’s great that it’s included in this telenovela.

Elizabeth
 

Hi, I enjoyed the snake dance. It reminded me of that famous portrait of Natassja Kinski by Richard Avedon --

http://nostalgiakinky.blogspot.com/2007/08/shooting-kinski-9-richard-avedon.html

Chris
 

I'm glad I'm not alone about Rogelio having Alicia's number. I suspect Clara didn't want to make a scene (as NovelaMaven said) but I doubt she already told Rogelio much about her situation. I don't think their long conversation involved her unburdening herself, which would have been a lot to ask of Rogelio on the night after they met. I'll bet it was just a long and mutually enjoyed conversation. If we're lucky, Clara will explain the situation to Rogelio and he will immediately see who played whom.
 

Cris, I had actually never seen the Avedon portrait before you mentioned it. Thanks! It is spectacular.

Elizabeth and Rosemary, last night I found the Enrique parallel commentaries more compelling than before. And if the discussion helps someone out there, so much the better.

Juanita, you're right, the rejection of the novios was cruel, although no crueler than the process itself. And we didn't get to hear what THEY thought of Samira and Amin. Still, if you are brought up with the expectation of a prometido who will be guapo and rico, reality is bound to be a let-down.

Lois, so glad you liked the opening. Thanks!

Jean, why can't the snake be both phallic and dangerous? The danger is controlled and artful and keeping it at bay depends on the skill of the dancer.

Luke, I find myself intrigued by the question: What did Rogelio know and when did he know it? :)
 

Thanks for the excellent summarcap, NovelaMaven.

That snake sure looked real to me and it looked like Sandra Echevarria as well. Hats off to her for dancing with a snake like that, unless they have amazing abilities to create fake scenes.

When I was in Brazil years ago I took a guided trip in a smallish boat through part of the Amazon (there were also 5 other tourists). When we stopped at a dock to view "wildlife" owned as pets by some Amazonian Indians, one of them decided to put an anaconda around my neck. I had had just enough caipirinhas to drink on the boat to not react so much. I passed the tough-gal Amazon test and the tiny Guaraní man grinned from ear to ear. I walked around with the snake on my shoulders for the rest of the time we spent there. The only other female on the boat ran shrieking at the first sight of the snake.

I agree that Rogelio is wise to Malicia.

I can HARDLY WAIT for when Zein tells Said he's keeping Jade!!!
 

The snake dance was entertaining & I enjoyed it. I also agree that the snake was meant to show both danger and a phallic symbol.
The red costume jade wore was gorgeous.
As for rogelio, he didn't seem to impress with alicia. Maybe he felt as though she was intruding. Perhaps on tonights episode, clara will inform rogelio about alicia devious actions.

kc
 

Novelera: kudos to you, snake lady!
I think Sandra Echeverria's dancing has certainly stepped up a notic since the show began, last night's performance was quite good I thought. Very jiggly.
What I don't get is why, when Jade woke up, she wasn't freaking out that she had missed the opportunity to run away with Lucas and Jadiyah. Wasn't that the plan for the "wedding night"?
Joan
 

Oops, I meant "Jade's dancing has stepped up a notch". I used to wonder if they used a body double for part of it, but didn't look like that was the case last night.
Joan
 

This may be way out there but maybe jade's a bit intrigued by zein compliments & actions.
That would explain why she didn't fall apart after missing her airplane flight.

Loved the snake dance!
This show should have more belly dancing.

phyllis
 

Great summary!

Said is going to go mad when zein drops the bomb about keeping jade as his wife.
Tonight should be an action packed episode.
 

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