Caray, Caray!

Again let me thank Paula for the links and Carlos for the always fascinating pictures he chooses. I just finished watching the noon airing of the episode today. Whew, powerful emotions and great acting. I love Daniela Roma, she never disappoints. I think this is the first revelation by her in precise words that she has switched infants and Diego is really the pretender to the realm of the Conde. Or did I miss it before. She does nag at Diego with some frequently to walk the walk and talk the talk. And another sweet moment between Luis and Hipo, I think they will be in league instead of at odds from here out.

Esperanza is doing crazy quite admirably too. Has anyone seen her in anything else? And Modesta is another favorite, so silently knowing and sage.

And thank you Cristobal for easily backing down the odious Francisco. He is a triple icky type but I am not a fan of Asuncion these days. Poor abused idiiot, she tries to turn being a victim into a virtue and it isn't working for me. She is just icky too rather than supporting her poor daughters at least in private.
 

Rafael didn't want to be touched by Hipólita again, wonder why that kid doesn't like Lucero. When she opened the curtain to his bed & tried to touch him, he turned away.

Some good acting in this episode, Juana, Esperanza. I always said no one does mad like FC, Daniela Romo does it well also.

Glad Luis practices his fencing too, I think that's how he & Diego will eventually face off. Usually the good guy doesn't kill anyone, but I think this will be an exception.
 

What did you think about Juana's falling cane? I think it represents her power and authority. When she found out that Diego made Espy pregnant, the cane fell, as a foreshadow that this is the event that will bring the downfall of her house of cards. Then when she confronted Diego, he tried to wrest it from her but he couldn't.

When Juana returned to talk to Espy again, I thought the sh!t would hit the fan. Instead it hit the floor!

Did you notice when Felipe told Marcos to take care of Carmela while he went out with Luis? Foretaste of things to come?

Lastly, did you notice the two laborers following Hipo when she was out in town? One with a basket the size of a garbage can, and the other with a basket the size of a manhole cover. Luis had warned her not to flee because she'd be watched. I suspect those men are the watchers.
 

Thanks, Paula and Carlos. YIKES !!! What an episode,,,one of my favs. Is it a bad thing that I love to watch FC all angry,,,and hot ? Wow. After happily sparring with the sword master on a beautiful sunny day, Juana gives him the news that Espy is, indeed, pregnant. I think he said that was impossible. And then, didn't he say that it couldn't be his baby because he hadn't touched her. Next, zooming up those stairs and into Espy's room. I believe she told him that he had done the deed while he was drunk, and Luis replied , ''Never in my life have I been THAT drunk.'' Great line. And my dear Marcos, comforting Carmela and offering Andres a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen. Whataguy. Love. This. Show.
 

Amazing the Espy thought she could pull that one over Luis. Please! He certainly called her bluff - LOL!

I love the shot of Juana with Diego. I have really enjoyed the scenes of them together.

Audrey
 

The actress playing Esperanza was extremely well cast. Amazing performance of a truly unlikeable character.

Audrey
 

Maybe I'm strange, but I've not found Espy to be that unlikable. I just feel sorry for her. Her situation sucks and she has no real friends.

Daniel Romo was fantastic this episode. Wow! Yes, there is lots of symbolism with the walking stick, just as there seemed to be with Antonio's mom and her rigid whip, vs his limp one.

Compare those two domineering mothers with the wimpy Asuncion. Diego and Antonio have domineering mothers who have warped their son's personalities. Cata and Hip have a wimpy mother who's fears are leaving her daughters more vulnerable and umprotected than women of that time already were. Martin had two parents that let him fly free and find his won way, and that turned out the worst for them. There doesn't seem to be a parenting style that works in this tn!
 

Paula, you mentioned the dropping of the cane symbolizing doña Juana's loss of her grip on power, do think the earlier drop, that of the skein of yarn (upon hearing that Esperanza indeed is esperando) symbolized a loss of effectiveness as a nurturing mother?

What a commentary on the relationship between mother and son.

Diego said, "All mothers are terrible."

and doña Juana said, "I've reared a scorpion.

Sweet.

Carlos
 

Wow. Some great observations. I think I might have missed all the symbolism you guys have caught because I am focusing too much on Luis. Have you noticed that he is still wearing his wedding ring ? Odd since he really, really wants to divorce Espy. Let's see if he keeps on wearing it . Is anyone watching ''Dona Bella'' ??? It's a very strange novela.
 

Will we ever see a novela as good as Alborada ? Does anyone know if FC is working on his next novela ?
 

He was doing sth in Miami recently having to do with producing I think. Lets hope it's not where Mejia learned. One of the mags had pictures of him on a jet ski, & showed the house where he was staying. Wish I had know he was there, I would have gone down there to stalk him.
 

What a fantastic episode! One of the best, especially for Daniela Romo.

In the scene where Juana stormed into Espe's room to demand that she not tell anyone she was impregnated by Diego, in the outtakes Daniela's cane accidentally grabs the coverlet and it gets wrapped around her head and face as she twirls the cane in anger. It wraps so tightly she can't free herself and she falls on the bed in (muted) convulsive laughter.

I didn't like Esperanza when I first watched but, like Vivi, I mostly feel sorry for her now. She doesn't have good instincts, she was raped by her cousin, and her maid doesn't give her good advice like Juana's does. She should have stayed with her family instead of returning to the war zone.

Paula, I'm pretty sure Juana dropping her cane was symbolic because the way it was filmed, clash of cymbals and all, was significant. I'll go along with your theory that it represents her power.

Thanks to Carlos for the superb screen shots and thank you Paula for the post. This telenovela is even better the second time around!
 

I feel really sorry for Espe too - although I still find her unlikeable. She never grew up and is completely narcissistic which is why she doesn't have any friends, etc. and doesn't think twice about trapping her husband by any means necessary to maintain her social standing.

The actress playing the role is amazing because she makes this far-out character completely credible. I don't think just anyone could pull this off.

Audrey
 

Great comments everyone. I like your theory Paula. But man, I would like to see those outtakes of Daniela Romo falling on the bed laughing. That must be something to see.

Add me to the ranks of those who find Esperanza sad rather than hateful. Yes, she's narcissistic and focused on maintaining her social status. But good grief, we're all narcissistic when threatened. Social status through marriage was the only possibility for women then. Not like Esperanza could go out and forge a career in a Fortune 500 company (even if she were smart enough, which clearly she isn't.)

She's desperate and scared. And few of us would be noble in that situation.

We all know she's going to lose Fernando in the end and he and Hipolyta are destined to live happily ever after.

And yes, Susanlynn...Fernando Colunga when playing angry...hawt hawt hawt! (Would lurve to make him very very mad!)
 

I know this tn probably won't go there, but that picture of Mirta and Espe made them look very alike. It was not uncommon for the master to install his offspring by a slave in his house as a house slave. Mirta is very light skinned... It occured to me that she could be Espe's sister, which would make her Hip's sister too. I'm sure this won't emerge as a plot point, but it could have been interesting and would have added another dimension to the Espe/Mirta relationship.
 

Vivi~~~You should be WRITING novelas !!! What a clever twist that would have been. As for Espy, I agree that she is not too swift and desperately trying to hang on to Luis to maintain her position not out of love or lust. [Que the hell.] Espy's personality makes perfect sense when we remember who her papa is. She's the apple that fell very close to that old, egotistical tree. Oddly, Espy is now a metaphor for lots of people who are trying to hold onto jobs in this shaky economy. Just this morning, my boss called and ranted for an hour that they are eliminating her position as coordinator of our department , and she suspects that the younger teacher who was hired after her might move in to running the department. Yikes ! She isn't even doing the job she has now. I kept thinking ,''Ruth , you are Espy, and Bethany is Hipolita...You cannot win.'' Life refecting art. I think that I am getting too involved in this story.
 

I realised this past monday that Televisa started rerunning Alborada in one of their channels but we are still at the first episodes and I won't be able to watch once the next semester starts. For some reason I had thought Esperanza was played by Mariana Levy but I just had her confused with the character she played in Amor Real, unfortunately Levy had already died at that time.

Just right after this novela, Mariana Garza's husband hired Lucero for the main role in a musical play he was producing. I wonder if the deal was made during the time they were taping Alborada.

Here's a young Garza singing during her time in Timbiriche. Maybe some will recognize the young Thalía, Paulina Rubio, Eduardo Capetillo and Erik Rubín among others as the back up singers.

Jarocha
 

Wow Jarocha! That's 80s-tastic! I had to watch with the sound off since I'm at work, but even so...
 

I know, nothing defines the Mexican 80's as much as Timbiriche. They're the only teen group I know where most of their members (and all the originals) are still in the entertainment business and many of them continue to be vert successful.

Jarocha
 

Jarocha, that is amazing! You come up with the most entertaining tidbits of information. It's hard to imagine that's our Esperanza.

Vivi, what a great idea for a plot twist and not at all out of the realm of reality. Espe and Mirta do look very similar.
 

Groovy, Jarocha. Thanks for that trip back in time and a different view of Espy. It's fun watching a babyfaced Espy rock out. Vivi~~The song was very boppy. Be sure to turn the volume up when you have ther chance. This group reminds me of the Mickey Mouse Club alumni..Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Cristina Aguilara, Ryan Gosling....who all went on to successful careers singing and acting. Sylvia~~~The blooper reel shows Espy doing a little dance between takes. She's got the beat , and now I can see how she got the beat. Cute.
 

I remember that outtake Susanlynn. She was made up to look all teary-eyed and dreadful yet she was giggling and rocking out, doing the dance moves. Very cute. I never knew she was in Timbiriche.