Caray, Caray!

Sara,

This is great. Very curt... yet complete and completely hilarious.

I especially enjoyed your treatment of Alonzo's plight:

"Alonso swears to fight for Maria's love til he dies. (Soon Alonso, soon. See below.)"

"Alonso is dying of a rare Asian viral disease. Seriously? The writers couldn't come up with even a fake name for the disease?"

"Alonso should be dead in a month or less. He's lucky. Viewerville is stuck with this mess for longer than that."

"Maria finds out Alonso is doomed. She tilts her head. No kayak. An Alonso montage. That poor guy is a goner for sure."

Brilliant!

Carlos
 

ROTFLMAO.. I couldn't stop when I read the title. I didn't get a chance to watch because I was stuck doing Math 098 homework. BOOOO!!! But this recap was enough.

Dang Al saves Maria's baby, gets her a job outside of Vic' and makes her smile and the only reaction about his illness he gets is a head tilt? Dang that's cold.

Whoever wrote this TN should not be allowed to write another one EVER again unless he goes to some kind of creative writing class. I mean this TN blows but I watch it really for the crazies on this show. They do the best job in my eyes.

Paige
 

the ol' head tilt!!!! what else can we expect from Maria!!?!?!?!??? poor Alonso - he is in serious denial

Seriously, I am joining the Maria is dumb group - why is she refusing paid work in a commercial!?!?!?!? She thinks she can just sashay down the fashion aisle forever or is she just planning to live off Max when she goes down his aisle!?!?!!?

I give up! If I wasn't learning so much spanish & grammar, I'd stop watching this tn entirely! 176 episodes is too much!!!

And I hear we are back to 10pm next week? I need to figure out which TN on telemundo have closed captioning so I can stop with Univision & the erratic scheduling.
 

Well, I did enjoy Maria telling Padre that since he could not piss, he could get off the pot.

For me, Oz is the one character who I like. Hunky to look at, nice guy, and good in a fight.

I started off liking Alonzo; now he can't kick the bucket fast enough for me.
 

LOL @ the Alonso tribute montage.
 

Sara top notch recap and hilarious you did justice to another ridiculous episodes.

Poor Alonso we knew you well it's only a matter of time for the poor guy but we in the audience have to suffer for far longer than he does.

Really some Asian fatal disease? What's the name of this disease? It really does look like the writer did quit this show like Jarocha mentioned because the plots are all over the place and make no damn sense whatsoever.

The only good thing about this it's makes the recaps funny to read.

176 episodes of this No Puede Ser!No Puede Ser! Por favor!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too bad Dr. Heri didn't tell Victoria that they didn't get all of her cancer and it's spreading that heifer doesn't deserve any good news by the way she acts.
 

More musical numbers more poor acting and more triumph of pointlessnes.

I wonder if anyone involved associated with this TN is happy at all with their participation in this crap from the actors,writers,directors,producers,make up, wardrobe, cleaning crew anyone in any way shape or form proud of the work they did for this train wreck.

I must say as a Guatemalen American I was very insulted with the song Carmen Salinas sang |de Guatemala a Guate~Peor|
Meaning from being in Guatemala she went to something worse than Guatemala I guess that and the stupid writers gave Mark Tacher some asian incurable disease but if some foreign production would have given one of their characters swine flu and called it |Mexican flu| these same Mexicans would be in a uproar.
 

Love, Love, LOVE this recap! Perfect in every way.

I only watch this TN on FF>> only stopping now and then when someone gets slapped, etc. I stopped long enough in one segment to realize Cruz was singing that ridiculous song yet again. Really?

Oh! Do the promos hint that maybe Maria will marry Alonso to give him happiness in his dying days? Say it ain't so. I'm sure I read another comment re this. I wouldn't put it past these bozo writers to go down this path. ugh.

Perfect Title --- Triumph of ... Nothing. Indeed!
 

I am reasonably sure that Ximeana is lying like a rug. The only thing that would make her happy about having the baby back is taking him away from Max and making Max worry about how she is abusing him.

Not to mention she has some bloody nerve expecting Leonela to help her with that and then she boinks Gui again.

Padre JP reminded his Mommie Dearest that she has been excommunicated and that the next time she comes into the church he will oblige her to leave. This runs contrary to what I've read about excommunication, but actually makes a lot more sense.

Maria marries Alonzo because he has less than a month to live? I hope not, but that would be yet another excuse to postpone the wedding until the finale episode.
 

Maria marry Alonso? Maybe that would be good. Max married X and divorced her. Maria can have someone as well and become a widow. Although I like Max better, this show has shown alonso as the real boyfriend. The one who cares, the one who makes her laugh, the one who was with her in thick and thin. Because of this, I question the writer of this Novela. This alonso was given too good a role as boyfriend. In general, who would pick a Max over the doteing Alonso? The only thing Max does is carry babies back and forth. He is never there for Maria. AND Maria when she found out her father was shot. Did anyone notice that she and Max just stood there and hugged, like they always do when a catrasphe comes up and everyone runs around taking care of everything.
 

Sara - Triunfo de Recap! Thank you for the snarky recrap. After Monday night's episode, I went on strike and refused to watch this tontería last night. I am grateful to you for soldiering on and delivering the recap, which is undoubtedly more interesting than the two hours Viewerville had to sit through. I will never, ever, !jamas! get sucked into watching another Meh-jía production again. (she said, hopefully)
 

I thought that Milagros' song was cute, catchy and innocent. It's a light-hearted lament of a immigrant from Guatemala good-naturedly questioning her decision to leave Guatemala:

"...salí de Guata (MALA), entré a Guata (PEOR)..."

Sort of critical of conditions in the former home (Guatemala), but even more so of conditions in the new home (Mexico? USA?), certainly not Guatemalan people.

Carlos
 

HILARIOUS recap!!

I'm SOOOO over Maria with her head tilt, Max and his gibberish (oh and the raging bull exhale he does when he cries), and Victoria La Llorona. OVER IT!

If Maria does marry Alonso just because he's terminally ill that would be completely hypocritical on her part. Didn't she refuse to tell Max she was preggers because she didn't want him to be with her por lastima? Now why would she do that to Alonso who truly loves her? I hope they don't take that route.

I also hope Max tells Alonso that he's dying. I was so peeved when he took the envelope and left without telling Alonso a thing.

This novela should be called Triunfo De Secretos!
 

I got the impression that Max and Dr. Voice were planning to somehow make Alonzo's last days comfortable without letting him know that they are his last days. Not exactly consistent with current medical ethics... but very thoughtful... I suppose.

Carlos
 

I will be very very very upset if Maria goes to bed with Alonso just to make him happy his last days!!!
I hope that is not what Mejia is thinking.
 

Tierra-"Raging bull exhale he does when he cries" LMAO!

I think my frustration with this show is all the 2-hour stints we've had to endure. I can only take so much and 2 hours night after night, week after week is just.too.much.

And egads what a meandering road it has been...

When I think back to the golden days of Linda's butt and Ximena's scheming I am a little sad. Good times. (At least then there seemed to be some sort of direction.)
 

Can someone please tell Victoria Ruffo's hairstylist that she is making her look like a Pekinese. So not the look darling.
 

Sara, What a great way to recap the unrecappable.

I read all the way through before realizing that I hadn't watched the 2d hour. I was over at Alborada instead--ooo laa laa TBLMOE in boots, white loosely flowing shirt, long hair, swashbuckling, seductor--he has it way over Max, Os, and I'm afraid, PJP.

Please don't give us a fake wedding for Alonslow. On the other hand, if he is so well-to-do and leaves everything to Maria, she won't have to depend on Max. The little we've seen of his help isn't enough to sustain an ant. She can't live on love alone, even in the barrio. She needs diaper money. (My mother, b.1906, RIP, said a woman should always have her own money.)
NOK
 

Somebody brought up the possibility of Maria and a pity marriage the other day and I think we are headed that way. I absolutely could not believe that Max picked up an envelope in Alonzo's house and not only had the nerve to read someone else's letter but to then take it as well. He obviously has no boundaries. I don't care what his motivation may be it was way out of line.

Oh and also out of line was taking it to the Voice - obviously the doctor of all things horrible, to discuss it. I guess Mexico has no HIPPA laws because the good doctor discussed someone else's probable condition with someone who is not even a family member. UnF'ing believable. Also loved it that he let the good padre just walk into the dressing room where Vic was.

Wow a few month and cancer free - PJP must have the direct line to God that his deluded mother thinks she has. With all those episodes of Vic clutching herself and bending over in pain I was sure it was bad news.

Apparently that slap Vic dealt Maria the other night shook her few functional brain cells loose. I wondered if she'd ever figure out that her bio dad had publicly rejected her at the Sandoval casa. It took her long enough and I must say I enjoyed watching her rip into him. He had it coming and now Maria has thrown both of her parents out of her life. Now she is stuck with the giant wimp and the dying stalker.

Yet another bubble bath! Enough already and I don't care anymore who is taking them. And more flowers massacred for the occasion.

When Bernie was off on one of her rants in the church screeching that PJP was no longer her son, he was her enemy and then waltzing to the altar to piously cross herself I keep seeing her hands dripping in blood and wondered why God didn't send a giant lightening bolt to incinerate her on the spot. I guess he's going to wait till the end to do so. I couldn't help thinking that she fancies herself some kind of priest or member of the clergy with that purple get up and her giant cross.
 

Sara,

You are the master of minimalism. This is great stuff. Thanks, Sara!

And I learned a new word: "Desahuciado"

Apparently the lab results read: "This guy has some rare Asian virus and will be dead within a month." Doesn't sound like any test results I've ever seen.

And now Dr. Heri is turning into a real TN doctor --

--no professional ethics (he's willing to conspire to hide Alonso's diagnosis -- hell, he's willing to treat Alonso secretly, even though he's not his patient)

--starts out as pain specialist, then neurosurgeon, then breast cancer specialist -- and now ends up as specialist in rare viruses.

--And that's not counting his hobby as psychiatrist specializing in addiction.

We're way past 5 episodes with CE. Where did that number come from anyway?
 

Great Sara, you deserve a medal.

If Cruz sings the songs enough, some day he might be on key.

And why have they just given up on Fernanda, in the real world, she would still be having therapy. We know a miracle is coming & she will be chasing after a little one.

I started watching this Triunfo de la mierda because it came on at 9PM. Now they are moving it to 10PM, s/b midnight like they did with another Mejia classic, Corazon Salvaje.

What a breath of fresh air to watch Alborada last night. I can't get enough of my telenovio, hunkisimo FC.

In the May TV y novelas, the writer of the original story, "Cristal", Delia Fiallo, has nothing good to say about TDA. She criticizes WL for being only muscles & teeth. Perroni for being the same as in Cuidado & not model material. Mejia promised to do it as she wrote it, but followed "El privilegio de amar" instead. She also thinks the name Maria Desamparada is ridiculous, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, pobrecito. She thinks Ruffo ia an excellent actress, but not for this role.
Guess not very different to how we feel.
 

So how many episodes are there? I thought there were only 140.
 

Perroni for being the same as in Cuidado & not model material.
******************************


I always laughed at Maria being considered the best model in Mexico b/c Maria is shaped like a box, not even a ruler, but a box. She's a pretty girl but runway model she is not. Even Ximena was more model-like to me than Maria.

Shouldn't Maria be in a contract with Lovely cosmetics? Can she just up and refuse to do a commercial?

Nati, why would you want to live with Juanjo and his bedspread set and his mother?

The stupid burns.

The only people I'm rooting for on this show are:

Little Osvaldo
Big Osvaldo
Little JP
Fausto
Cruz
Fernanda
Dr. Voice
Leonela

and that's about it.
 

Okay, so let me get this straight. As someone mentioned before, there must NOT be in HIPPA laws in Mexico because Dr. Voice was just spilling his guts about Alonso's illness. Another thing, does anyone think that Leo is really trying to get her act together? I do. It seems that she is becoming sincere to Max. What about the scratch on Osvaldo's cheek? I noticed that last night but I wasn't able to watch on Friday so I figured something happened that night. Everyone I know is watching this novela! My babysitter, my sister, my cousin! This is CRAZY! My poor 14 month old son gets to watch it at 8PM with me and then during the day with my babysitter because she has it DVRd! I guess he's going to learn Spanish quicker than I thought! hahahaha! Hopefully, he doesn't turn out like any of these characters! Especially MAX!
 

By the way Sara! Thanks so much for the recap! You do such a great job!
 

The last count was 176 episodes.

I had a thought today. I wonder if Viewers of the "good" TNs have such a strong community. I feel like soldiers in a war. We have to support each other through thick (like the skulls of our characters) and thin (like our nerves.)

I meant the above more tongue in cheek. I realize that real war is nothing to joke about.

Again I am stuck cursing my cable company for only offering Univision. I would love to be able to see Alborada in it's entirety. I've only seen the DVD. In fact, it was my first taste of TNs...and TBLMOE...swoon.
 

Sara, you brightened my day! 176 episodes, that means it won't be over as soon as I thought. My husband on the other hand is probably not so happy. I have to translate what is going on in the novela to him. I will say though he has been a real trooper. So let's see, 36 more episodes at two a night = about 3 1/2 more weeks???? Unless, they switch back to one hour episodes.
 

Belle--Os got his herida de cara from his fight with Padilla when he followed Vic to her meeting with him and a sure fire rape and beating. She thought she was going to find out the name of her daughter. Dream on, Vic--till the merciful end.

Which is going to come last, the boda or the revelation? Logically it should be the revelation so mamma can look gorgeous at the wedding, but in Meh-jia land who knows.
NOK
 

Interesting that Delia Fiallo feels that way but unless she got Mejia's promise in writing i guess he did what he wanted to do with this story.She shouldn't have had her hopes up with what he was going to do considering his past works.

Now as for the comparison to EPDA it did start off that way but once he killed off LindaHo's character this is now his version.

I can't speak for the Cristal version since i didn't see it but i did really like the EPDA version.

As for the casting once again has she been paying attention to what roles he gives out to these actors in his past novelas?

The only good thing that might come out from this mess is that the Cunos de Lobos project might be put on hold until they get a competent producer to preoduce it.
 

Osvaldo was administering a beatdown to Padilla, who was trying to rape Victoria.
 

Sara, thank you for the recpa. I finally gave up on this TN and started watching Alborada (which looks great so far). I'm glad your recap was short, funny and to the point or otherwise I wouldn't have had the stomach to read it. This is truly a train wreck.I can't believe they have dragged it on for so long. It reminds me of Un Gancho Al Corazon. But that one was moved to daytime half way through. They must not have any new ones in the pipeline. I wonder what happened to one they were promoting "Familia con Suerte" or something like that.
 

Sara great recap as always.


I have a question
I’m so new on TN my first one was Liena de Amor after watching for 3 months I hated at point that I had to stop watching it was getting on my nerve.

What I find interesting here that almost all the posts is against TDA but a majority still watching,

What makes you still watching
 

I think someone, somewhere, must have done some study on why people seem to gravitate towards tv shows that are over the top, ridiculous messes like this has become. I have reached my pain threshold and have stopped watching. Instead I watched my recording of Para Volver a Amar at 9, and Alborado at 10.

But this is obviously not the case for most people, because this novela has GREAT ratings in the US (just like FELS). Note that it has miserable ratings in Mexico, so what does that say about the US audience? Although the fantastic and funny Caray Caray community and recappers are an incentive to keep watching, or at least to keep reading the recaps and comments, that does not explain what keeps the majority of viewers, who are not on this site, watching. And so I must conclude that as crazy as Mejia may seem, he must know something about the American viewer (however, he has completely lost touch with his Mexican viewers). He's a genius! But his genius is nowhere near the level of our dear recappers, who turn Me-jia-erda into gold each evening! Many thanks to you all!
 

Well, I've already invested this much time. Why stop? And as much as I complain (and really my complaints are really more about scheduling.) I love, love, love the snark factor of TNs and this one is LLENA of it.

I really like the costuming...or rather the hit and miss aspects of it. Victoria Ruffo-often a hit. Ximena-usually a comical miss.

The hair. So many of the female leads have gorgeous hair.

And LIVIA BRITO and PABLO. These two are awesome. Awesome. I wish the show had been about them.
 

And since Vivi mentioned it. I probably would have dumped this in a heartbeat if 1. I hadn't been recapping or 2. Caray Caray decided to recap Para Volver a Amar. Because of looney scheduling, I ended up dumping PVaA because I never knew how much time I was going to have to invest each week in TdA. (I find if I miss too many episodes, I get lost. So I try not to miss any.)
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

Anon,
We are into self flagellation, masochism & other forms of self abuse.

But seriously, most of us that have seen a Mejia novela knew we were in for it, but as was said, it's great for the recappers snark, just unfortunate they have to watch. We just love to hate.

The best that can be said, this wont last 74 years like US soaps.
 

I still want to continue watching TDA I find lots of things that I dislike and doesnt make sense. But then I realized still TN.
My daughter was in Mexico for work and everyone that she mentioned that I watch TDA they are with me. She got the impression that still very well liked in Mexico.
One good thing about TN only last few months.
 

By the way, I think that it's wonderful that so many continue to get so much pleasure out of this show. And why not? Pretty people, pretty and/or outlandish clothing, favorite actors, crazy/funny villains, romance, scheming, plot twists and turns, and a desire to just see how it all ends. I know I can sometimes get annoyed when people constantly criticize a show I enjoy (Teresa, Dinero, Llena de Amor, Gancho, Sorti--loved them all), without acknowledging the good that these shows offered. I know that I'll be sucked in again before it's all over, so...Viva TDA!!!!
 

Also, as Chris Ferro reminds us at the top of the page, "We love to mock here!" Sometimes the badness is really part of the fun. Also, lots of these shows do turn out to be very good (not the same ones for everyone; I tend to love the same ones Vivi does...) but it can be hard to tell at the beginning which those are going to be (although with Mejia's name on it, you kind of know what you're getting into), and then you're sucked in and have to find out how it ends.

But in the meantime, lots of eye candy to look at and I can usually pick up some vocabulary.

Sara, you sure manage to cram a lot of detail and wit into a short recap. Very funny.

Is Max JUST NOW learning the basics of baby care? Egad. Maria so needs to ditch him and find someone more reliable, or just go it on her own. He's useless. Can't live on smooches and declarations of amor.
 

Vivi I'll let you know when the good stuff comes on... like Max and Maria another engagement ring or wedding. lol
 

Why do we keep watch?

It's like a train wreck you can't turn away. Also once you've invested weeks and weeks you have to stick it out knowing full well that there is an end in sight. If I start a novel and it dosen't grab me in the first three or four days I dump it and move on. Unfortunately because of the Univision/Televisa marriage we are treated to an almost endless barrage of garbage with the same actors and story lines recycled ad nasuem.

When I first started watching novelas the afternoon shows were often non Mexican and many of them were better than the evening dreck but lately it is almost all Mexican all the time. So the beefcake and head tiling just recycles endlessly and the actors are so totally type cast they never grow.

Now the Telemundo and Telefutura shows have interesting different albeit occasionally equally stupid plot lines but it isn't ah this is the 10th refrito of XYZ. Still can't believe that Univision in its wisdom put the novela voted as best of the year and shoved it in the midnight slot. I fear that they are spending too much time trying to complete with the usual network junk like all those house wife shows or worse the drunken fools on the Jersey Shore.

We are back to one hour TdA as of Monday and I know for sure that the first time we hear the magic words Final weeks I'll be hearing all of your cheering.
 

We almost know how it will end.
M&M will marry & live happily para siempre with both babies.

Os & Victoria will finally realize they want to stay together para siempre.

Jimena, Guillermo, Bernarda, Padilla will all get their comeuppance, we just don't know how.

Fernanda will walk, Cruz will make lots of money.

I think Leonela & Dr. Heriberto will end up together.

Fausto will be happy, as will Juanjo, Nati, Fabian, Luci.

So actually the only question, is how the bad guys come to a just end. TN's are usually great with that, even Mejia, remember Gabriela in FELS.
 

Sometimes another "good" guy bites the dust just before the end. I'm hoping Juanjo eats it. Okay, I know it won't happen, but I can dream.

But watching the evil ones meet their demises is usually pretty satisfying. Rarely do we get that kind of spectacular justice in real life.
 

Thanks, Sara. I didn't see the show, and your recap was concise, funny, and great.
 

Julia,
I believe it will be Alonso, at least that is what they a leading us to believe. Not even sure why he was in this in the 1st place, except to give Maria an ad job & make Max jealous. Oh right, extend the mierda.
 

According to my paper, TDA is on at 9PM tonight, futbol is on at 10PM.
 

I think that Fausto will be the sacrifice.

But, por favor, don't let Leonela get Dr Voice. She doesn't deserve him.

I can't recall any medical boundaries in novelas. At the beginning of this one a doctor tells Dona Dementa that Victoria is pregnant; in PDG a doctor tells Gabriela that Norma is pregnant. In both situations I was saying WTF???
 

Maybe Maria can end up with Dr. Voice. Who cares if he's way older; he's still a much better choice than Max. Why are they making our galán such a useless flake?
 

Just watched the last 15 min from last night. Dang Dr. Voice is good... just held Vicky's mammogram up to the window, looked at it for a couple of seconds and declared her free of cancer. Good job Dr.

I guess everyone but Alonzo will get to see the results of his analysis.

Carlos
 

Sara, that was a snarky succinct gem of a recap. Thanks for your sacrifice in watching.
La Paloma