Caray, Caray!

Great summary, Jean, starting with the excellent opening questions. Of course, Jade's being able to fit into the belly dancing outfit she wore 20 years earlier just highlights one problem I have with her portrayal. Whereas Lucas definitely seems older physically and emotionally than he was 20 years earlier, Jade looks and acts just about the same.

Now I see why the telenovela includes all the PSAs: it's not for the viewers, it's for clueless characters like Mama Rosa and Lucas (though Lucas at least looks a bit uneasy about Nati's supposed household purchases, whereas Mama Rosa....).

I was happy to see that Jade finally gets to see Daniel. It has certainly taken months to get the Clon theme moving. From the trailer, it looks as if Cristina will be the next one to be impactada.

I'm too tired to think of anything else to say right now except Many thanks!
 

Thanks for the summary Jean.

Really, doesn't Daniel look like a nut case...!!! This story gets dumber and dumber. It took forever for Albieri to confess and in my opinion, it's all dragging and getting boring. They drag out everything. When is Alej going to tell Nati's parents what she is doing, there's too much back and forth between Malicia's evil deeds and Mouse not getting wise to Malicia.

But I do appreciate all the time you recappers put in getting the episode on line.

Ann-NYC
 

Great recap as always!!
You mistakenly said Latifa tells Zein that Jade fainted when it was really zoraida. Anywho i agree with ann.nyc like this whole clone thing is beginning to bug me For instance Daniel left just before Luisa comes in the club scene like its so silly and it irritates me its little things like that or how come Albieri didn't see jade she was clearly standing there. like come on and Lucas is an idiot he must have give Natalia over 1,000 dollars for all the things she needed when not even a week ago she was doing coke you trust her with that kind of money. and like can anyone tell me why is Alicia bad? its like they needed another villain and added her because she has no reason to be bad she just is ...and not for nothing Escobar made a big mistake because Clara is a hottie ....talking about hotties zein is too sexy for words those eyes are beautiful anywho thank for the recap jean you make it very funny
 

Jean, Bon voyage and we will miss you while you are gone. Thanks for taking time to do this great recap.
Now, what I am pondering is this: why wouldn't the characters who see Daniel simply assume that perhaps Lucas had a youthful fling and this is his secret love child? Wouldn't most people assume that?
Of course that's just my opinion, and there are no broken coffee cups at my house.
:o)
Joan
 

Thanks Jean, for the summary and commentary. On a theological point, the problem Ali ran into really concerns the idea that God is ultimately responsible for everything that happens, which is independent of whether everything is predestined. (For example, God could make it up as He goes, therefore being responsible for everything even though it wasn't predestined.) Either way, you're right that Ali has a theological problem.

The writers didn't provide a plausible setup for Jade's dance scene. I know they wanted to get her in the same situation as where Lucas saw her, but seriously? She miraculously finds the same outfit twenty years later, it miraculously fits, and for some reason she wants to sexydance for ten minutes while Zoraida watches?

I liked Albieri's multiple-take startle when he saw Luisa. She is happier now than she's been in a long time, because she gets to mother him. They have a terrible relationship, and Zein almost impolitely explained it to her.

Tío Evil Santa was more evil than usual tonight. Zoraida says she's scared, and he overhears and starts yelling at her. He really needs to tone it down.

I also noticed Escobarde checking Clara out when he visited. I suspect he'll try to get back with her. Good luck Clara.

About the 20-year difference, I agree with Juanita that Lucas visibly matured in a way Jade didn't. I think she didn't change at all, whereas most of the women changed their makeup or hair, and in some cases started acting differently. I think Mauricio Ochmann is doing a good job with his double role, keeping them sufficiently different. But I think they are too similar to think Daniel is merely Lucas's son, as Joan suggested. But sometimes it's hard to tell whether we're supposed to think a character appears to other characters the way he/she appears to us.

By the way, if no one else has time for it, I'd be happy to summarize next Monday's episode.

One more thing: is anybody watching "Regreso a la Guaca" on Telefutura? It has our Sandra Beltrán (Alicia) and Andrea Montenegro (Nazira, in a very different role). I've watched a few episodes so far and it's a pretty good thriller.
 

Jean, I have been reading your and your colleagues amazing recaps on my blackberry. I am not in my own home and where I stay they watch Dinero, which I loathe. Thank you for keeping me in the loop with this soap opera. Your recaps are truly stupendous and as a native spanish speaker, they are dead on. I saw the original version from brazil, and have blocked out most of it so its fun to see it but agree that at times the plot is slow like molasses sliding down the face of the fez ruins. I am madly in love with Zein and think Jade is a sucker for not getting with him. I just wanted to let you ladies know that you rock the Medina! Go team Zein!
 

For everybody on this blog who speculate who Jade will end up with must not have read the promo for this story. The promo says that this is the eternal love story of Jade & Lucas so it isn't a spoiler or a secret that she ends up with Lucas. The opening credits themselves show Jade & Lucas looking out into the sunset. It wouldn't be eternal if she stayed with Zein, Daniel or Said now would it. The magic in this story is not about who Jade ends up with but rather about how Jade & Lucas finally get together and which is why the original brazilian version "O Clone" is considered one of the greatest love stories of all time.
 

Rosa, I enjoyed reading your comments and I agree that our fabulous recappers do indeed "rock the Medina"!!!
Joan
 

Thanks all. I fixed the Latifa/Zoraida goof. Thanks, anonymous 1:13.

Big thanks to Luke for volunteering to do a summary next week.

I also believe that Lucas and Jade will end up together. I've seen novelas do unexpected things but I don't think this is one of them.

What makes the Daniel/Jade encounter less interesting to me is the poor job the writers have done in creating a believable distinction between Lucas and Daniel. What is the difference between Lucas doing what his father wanted and Daniel doing what Albieri wants? Daniel is better with the ladies than Lucas was but once Lucas met Jade, he didn't have any problems.
 

Thanks for another great job, Jean!

There were a lot of small things that I loved in last night's episode:

I loved Miguel's attentions to Dora in the bar. When they met in the church, it seemed as if he might have been in love with her, perhaps for a long time. Because Oswaldo was his friend, he never said anything. And this scene in the bar reinforced the message. I, for one, would like the TN gods to take pity on Dora and send her some happiness.

I loved Zoraida's answer to Abdul when she thinks Judgment Day is come. She tells him she is innocent, and that she has never harmed anyone in her life. I was glad to hear that she was aware of that, despite being the target of a lifetime of rants to the contrary.

Like Luke, I liked the way Escobarde looked at Clara, but I liked even more the way she made him back down from his frantic rudeness and be civil (and notice her!) when she opened the door.

I loved Daniel's blissful expression as he followed the musicians in the street. The contrast between his child-like joy and the horrified reaction of those who have seen him so far is, at least to me, quite poignant. What will happen to that joy when he learns the truth about himself and finds out that for Ali, he isn't human and for Jade and Zoraida, he's an apparition brought about by some kind of malicious spirit?

I'm not particularly troubled by the fact that in this fairy tale, our princess remains magically young and beautiful. (So does everyone, really. I thought we had all adjusted our beanies accordingly a long time ago.) That Jade still behaves like a child (at times) is unsurprising. She has been kept isolated, and uneducated for the past twenty years except for on-the-job training in the art of manipulation. Zoraida has taught her how to negociate from a position of apparent weakness. Jade has learned to use what she has -- her beauty, her ability to inspire desire -- and I, for one, can't blame her!
 

Clara, do not take Escobar back. He deserves to be stuck with Malicia the rest of his miserable life!

NovelaMavern, I totally agree about Jade. Love her and want her and Lucas to get together again and grow old loving each other. Lois
 

Oops, sorry about misspelling, NovelaMaven!
 

NovelaMaven: wow! your insight into Jade's immaturity is an eye-opener. por supuesto... anyone who's just stuck in the house with no friends (except for household help), no interaction with the real world, and don't further themselves, end up callow.

Ann-NYC: yes, the story gets dumber and dumber and dragged-out... thank heavens for dvr and the fast forward button. I end up watching only about 10mins worth of each episode; lately, only the scenes Zein are in.
 

Luke, would you be willing to do Wednesday instead, and I could do Monday? Monday would be a much better day for me.

And, for whatever reason, I find it difficult to actually upload a recap/summary. I did it once for Doña Bárbara while Jean was away. But I also did some recaps for En Nombre de Amor in which I entered the recap as four or five consecutive comments. And it was necessary for someone to post a link, with a title and date, to add the recap as comments.

On to last night. Luisa is an idiot. Albieri has never been passionate about her. The most he could conjure up was liking. She's been a major co-dependent in their entire relationship. I sure hope she's really going to see Daniel and that the whole thing will come out. She'll still stick by him, of course.

It was kind of amazing that the same belly dancing outfit was in the closet. But Jade said she was going to dance as a finale to her relationship with Lucas, sort of an "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair", Muslim style. So there was a reason she did it.

I sure hope finding out she got money for appliances that aren't there is the last straw for Alejandro. Talk about a co-dependent! He's forgiven her over and over. It's time he wrote her off, at least until she gets help.
 

Luke and Novelera: If you can write the summaries and email them to Novela Maven, she will post and tag them. Much easier for everyone.

I totally agree with you about Alej being co-dependant. Didn't he tell Nati that he wouldn't tolerate her drug use? He gave her one chance and now she's blown it several times. He should take to back home and say- this girl needs rehab and I'll be there when she's straight and then he should do as he promised and beat the tar out of Fernando (but not kill him).
 

Luke and Novelera,

Thank you both so much for offering to fill in next week!

I am pretty flexible about the days, so if Monday/Novelera and Weds/Luke doesn't work out, we can look at Tues, Thurs or Fri.

Also I'm more than happy to post what you send me as long as it's just text, ok?
 

Thanks for the offer, NovelaMaven. Text it will definitely be. That's as far as my technical expertise goes!

We'll wait to see if Luke can switch.
 

Oops, I should have checked back earlier. Unfortunately I'll be on a plane on Wednesday (returning the following Tuesday), so I can only do Monday. Or I could do Tuesday if we want to switch around more. If it doesn't work out, it's no big deal.
 

Jean, thank you once again for a terrific recap.

The comments today have been great and I agree with most of them. Maybe the belly dancing outfits are passed down in the family! There seems to a lot of nieces in Ali's household.

What it the deal with Abdul walking into Ali's house acting like he is in charge? He is really strange duck.

Last night Nati looked like death. I hope someone comes to her rescue and get her some real help soon. I thought Leo was on his way home, what happened with that?

Tonight looks interesting when Cristina meets Daniel. I hope the writers do not disappoint.

Rosemary
 

OK, I'll do Wednesday.

My day off is Monday. I'm on a 4-day per week work sked, so I was hoping to do it on a "fit and rested" day.

But, no worries. I'll manage to get Wednesday's done.