Caray, Caray!

What a great job, Jean! I especially loved the title!

Usually I dislike this sort of plot device where something so important (like a marriage proposal) gets lost in the mail, so to speak. After all, who in their right mind would say everything that Jade said without expecting any response on the other end? (Although Lucas's hanging up without speaking is credible). And Said's declaration that silence means 'no' is a set-up for misinterpretation. But in the end, I agree with you: Zein is well out of this mess. And Jade needs to be at loose ends when Daniel shows up.

I was puzzled by Lucia's conversation with Andrea about Marisa's unwillingness to confide in her. Marisa did finally acknowledge, if tacitly, that the problem involved Natalia's drug use and then implored her to say nothing about it anyone else. Maybe she meant she wouldn't confide in her up to now. And maybe she considers talking to Andrea about it isn't breaking a confidence. I don't know, it just didn't track well...

I was cheering as Alej packed his suitcase. It was about time! Now if he can only do something about those red pants!

By the way, the Spanish language Wikipedia site for the show now says the filming was completed in Colombia early in August. They extended the projected 150 episodes to 183 because the show has been so well-received. So if they are to be believed, then I count 38 bottles of beer on the wall...
 

Jean and NovelaMaven, you have been a life saver the last three days. Hermine has played havoc with our cable & internet service and it finally is on full time this morning. I am now able to catch up with this TN.

Poor Jadiya, maybe she will make everyone so unhappy the creepy Said will let her go live with her mother.

Jade is a total idiot, I have about lost faith in her. Zein would move heaven and earth for her - if she only the sense to find out who she was talking to before she started prattling on the phone. She doesn't deserve Zein.

I was surprised at Marisa's breakdown. Has she finally realized all of the harm she had done to herself as well as her husband and child.

I guess in the next week or so we shall see Jade and Daniel - it should be interesting if nothing else.

So Clara and Rogelio are off to France, good for them. I hope Malicia turns pea green with envy.

I hope that you are right about Alej and that he has finally had enough. Gloria is one of the good people in this TN. I am so glad she turned Nati away and she doesn't even know the whole story.

Will Lucia and Andrea put 2 and 2 together about Consuelo?

Rosemary
 

Thanks for the nice words. It was a very 'talky' episode what with Marisa's breakdown and Alej's confrontation with Nati.

I groaned when Alej said that he was going to give Nati one more chance. I was glad to see him pack up and leave. I didn't even notice the red pants ;-)

I thought that Marisa had told Lucia what was going on, too. So I agree that Lucia's conversation was a little weird.

So after 6 months at Ali's house, a serenata and a diamond bracelet are enough to change Jade's mind about Zein? Of course, this is the awkward bit about skipping those 6 months of pregnancy. There is no real explanation of why Zein waited so long to renew his suit. Or for that matter, what Daniel has been doing for the last 6 months. He couldn't earn enough washing dishes or working on a freighter or something to at least get to Europe from where he could have hitchhiked to Morocco if he wanted to get there so bad?

I wonder if it will occur to Marisa or Lucas that it might be a good idea to get professional help for Nati - drug rehab or counseling or something.

As for the number of episodes, it was too much to hope for that it would end on Sept. 28. At least we seem to be moving (slowly) towards resolution of the stories. I assume that Jade's interest in Zoraida's marital prospects (is this the first time she has every thought about someone other than herself?) will lead to Zoraida marrying Ali.
 

Thanks, Rosemary -- and I hope cable and internet were the only issues you had with Hermine!

Lucia and Andrea have always found Consuelo odd, but what she has done is beyond bizarre and I don't know how anyone could guess at it -- unless of course, 1. it actually worked and 2. they believe Roberto when he says he had nothing to do with Miss K and 3. they are well-schooled in telenovelógica. (tm LukeM 2010)

Jean, I thought Daniel would have been working at some job or other and saving up for Morocco. I didn't expect him to turn at Albieri's house with his begging bowl. This is Daniel at his least likeable.

You are so right about the six-month gap. It leaves awkward and confusing holes in the narrative flow. And for heaven sakes, if you have 183 episodes to work with, there's really no excuse for narrative gaps.
 

I really love the recaps. You guys are amazing. Truely, it is so heartbreaking to watch this telenovela. Though telenovelas lack common sense, (like the fact that Jade picking up the phone thinking it was Zein without confirming who was on the other line and saying yes), it's still captivating. P.S. Jade really do need to make sure who is on the other line, it could have been a telemarketer or something.
 

As far as the total number of episodes are concerned, I saw Sandra's twitcam over the weekend and she confirmed again that there are only 160 episodes.

As far as Zein is concerned, he's just a prop. He was meant to bring tension to the situation to keep us guessing to the very end as to who Jade stays with. Of course, it's no secret that the novela ends the same way it started with the same two people (Jade and Lucas) in love. I always view scenes like this as the mystical and unseen hands of destiny moving the chess pieces around to make sure that their destiny is fufilled.

Also, you can see this happening around the movements of Jade's necklace. Jade loses it at the ruins, Lucas finds it and keeps it for long time. Then Marisa takes the necklace and sells it, where it's sold to some unknown woman who one day happens upon Christina's bar where she recieves it from the unknown woman in exchange for her bar bill. Christina wears the necklace on a same day she meets up with Lucas and gives it back to him where he travels to Morocco and gives it back to Jade. Finally, Jade unknowningly walks past Daniel where the necklace conveniently breaks off her neck and falls next to Daniel. He picks it up and when Jade sees him, she runs away in terror and leaves the necklace behind. Now Daniel holds the necklace in his possession and is currently on his way to Morocco to give it back to her.

To me, it seems as if the necklace has a mind of it's own. Remember, the necklace supposedly contains her luck and happiness. The unseen hands of destiny is, by way of Jade's necklace, leading her back to Lucas, her true love and her ultimate happiness.
 

Thanks, Jean. I loved your recap, as I always do. I don't have a lot to say about it. Marisa surprised me with her response to Nati's coldness and her drogada state. Earlier in the TN, I had assumed that the infallible Telenovela Anvil would drop on Evil Marisa at the end of the TN. But now she's becoming much more decent. So what's likely to be her fate at the end?

Like you, Jean, I groaned when Alej said he would give Nati one more chance. I cheered when he finally packed up his stuff and headed home to Mama. Now that Marisa has told Luisa at least a bit about Nati's drug problem, I wonder whether Luisa will tell Marisa about the rehab center. Surely it has to figure further in the plot, after such a big deal was made of it earlier.

As for Jade, yes, the plot twists are surely freeing her up to meet and be receptive to Daniel, but surely she can't end up with him, can she? I'm assuming that he will die before the end of the TN and brainless Jade will wind up with clueless Lucas, as Allah has written (though I didn't see his name in the list of writers). But then what happens to Marisa? TNs tend not to end with unpaired women unless they're Truly Evil (e.g., Malicia).
 

Juanita, you are funny today - Allah is not listed as a writer - LOL.

If Lucas and Diego's mother died from cancer and it was such a big deal about Lucas having his birthmark checked, why hasn't it been a big deal about Daniel having his birthmark checked? Is this how he is going to die?

Rosemary
 

Thanks so much, Jean. Great job, as usual. Zein may be thinking about his hummus supply, but he sure looks hot doing it!

They are definitely making Jade seem like a nitwit. She's ready to marry Zein again, smiling happily, because of a serenade and a piece of jewelry? And they've shown little sign she misses the child she so desperately wanted.

Marisa is definitely more likeable, but during her conversation with Rosa, Rosa should have told her that maybe getting her boyfriend arrested for theft might have something to do with Nati's resentment.

As far as Lucia's conversation with Andrea, I usually zone out when she opens her mouth. She's one of my least favorite characters and never seems to make sense about anything.

Is it even possible that Clara will tell the Chump about Malicia kissing Pablo at the club and he would believe her?
 

Great job Jean as always and thank you so much for your work on this novela.

Juanita i think Allah wants no credit as being associated with this novela.

Finally Alej finally it took you long enough to leave Nati, it's about time too. Cheers and bravo to Gloria for telling Nati don't come looking for Alej anymore. If she wants to ruin her life fine go ahead but stop dragging her son along with her.

Oh my poor beautiful Zein i guess his only purpose now is to expose Malicia. Clara should have took out her cell phone and took pictures of Malicia and Pablo kissing to show the Chump.
 

Blusamarai, what an excellent idea about Clara taking a cell phone photo of Pablo and Malicia dancing and kissing! These writers could definitely use some help from us Carayers.
 

Yes, Blusamurai, I too wish Clara had taken a photo with her cell phone. The funny thing is that at first I actually thought she had done so. There was something that flashed across my screen at just the time Clara was looking at Malicia and Pablo, and whatever it was was accompanied by the sound of a camera clicking. Aha, thought I, good thinking, Clara! But it turned out to be a quick reminder that Alguien Te Mira will be on at 10 pm!
 

Juanita i was thinking the same thing when i saw the flash and heard the shutter click too.I was very disappointed it was for the Alguien Te Mira ad. Speaking of Alguien Te Mira i saw the first episode it seem kind of flat too me but i am hoping the story picks up.

Any how Telemundo is still producing very good and great novelas compared to Televisa and Univision which are beyond mind numbing stupidity. I now watch El Fantasma De Elena at it's regular time and watch STUD later on a website i found. I can fast forward through the stupid parts, found out when i do that there's not much of a novela left to watch.
 

Yes, I agree, Blusamurai, the few novelas I've seen on Telemundo are more interesting and innovative than the ones I've watched on Univision. However, I don't think I'm about to start any new ones now. I'll be travelling for much of October, so I don't see much point in starting when I won't be able to watch for three weeks. Besides, for a while this summer I was watching "El Clon," STUD, and "¿Dónde Está Elisa?" and that was much too much for me. Eventually I gave up on STUD because it seemed too stupid even for a TN, and like so many others. Even the presence of TBLMOE couldn't get me to stick with it. And then ¿DDE? finished, and I felt this enormous relief. I had my life back. So for now I'm sticking with "El Clon" y nada más. I'll revisit the issue after I'm back from my travels. With any luck, by then "El Clon" will have ended (¡ojalá!) and I'll have time for more.
 

Juanita have a happy and safe trip and i agree while i don't go gaga over FC like others i just wish the writers would try not to insult our intelligence every chance they can get with their absurd plots or characters oh well.
 

Thanks Jean, that was great. I'm late to the party again, so I'll keep it short. I was happy to see not one but two overdue reality checks (Marisa and Alejo)---let's hope they stick.

Luisa gets craftier by the day while Lucía is still a ditz. Gloria is still a champ. Daniel is still a tramp. Jade is still dumb as two bricks.

Novelera: I think Jade can only keep one thing in her head at a time. She's either concerned about Jadiya, or thinking about a suitor, or emboldened by some half-baked plan, but any one of these squishes all the other thoughts out of her tiny brain. The whole serenade/phone call plot was credible, just barely, though it was an exercise in dramatic irony, one of the more obvious forms of telenovelógica (no need to quote me on that).