Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Una Familia Con Suerte #1 Tue 10/4/11 Pancho's Lucky Day
Sorry for the delay! I have a feeling I'm going to have trouble with this one... I can't understand half of what Pancho and his friends say. And they talk so fast! Please don't hesitate to point out things that I got wrong.On the bright side, I'm probably going to be learning a lot.
Opening credits are followed by a flashback to the old-timey times of... 1990, it says. (Thank you, producers, for not doing this scene in black & white. That would have made me feel old.) It seems we're at a wedding in Toluca.
A humble white K-car rolls up to a humble curb, and a humble pair of shoes gets out and opens the door for a bride. The humble feet belong to the groom, Pancho, who is sporting an intense mullet. (A mullet? Excellent! That satisfies my rigorous quality check for historical authenticity!) The bride, Laurita, is a gigantic pair of eyelashes with a woman hanging off of them. Pancho and Laurita declare their everlasting, infinite love to one another as he lifts her up and carries her to the reception. A crowd cheers, and there is a jumble of excited talk. I think she tells everyone he's her a napkin. (Sorry, I haven't recapped in a while... this kind of giddy chatter is way over my head - I can't even find definitions for most of these words!)
The bride's sister, Chela, greets them. I don't recall that much bright red eyeshadow ever being popular in the 90s. Maybe the 80s, but we can pretend that she put lipstick on her eyelids by mistake after having a couple of drinks.
Now for the food. Lots and lots of food. I'm replaying it in slow motion. There are plenty of helpful close-ups. I see a moles and salsas and pork and and other meat and bean and vegetable dishes. And rice. There's something wrapped in big leaves. There's a woman making fresh tortillas. There's tequila. I'm sold on this couple - they really know how to throw a party! I hope they stay together forever and ever so I can recap their food!!
Pancho, the groom, gives a speech thanking family and friends. He mentions something about a "cooperacha" and payments. Okay, I think he's saying that of the money they get from the wedding, half is going to be a down payment on some land and half is going towards his honeymoon. Then Laurita, the giggly bride, admits that she's had some drinks and says she has a little surprise. Is it a baby? Phew, no. Not yet. It's a song-and-line-dance routine.
The crowd counts to three as Laurita prepares to throw the bouquet. Ha ha, she fakes them out! What a kidder! "Sis, let's see if you can find your Pancho, too!" she says to Chela, tossing the bouquet directly at her. (Chela does catch it; however, going by the synopsis Melinama posted here last week, Laurita probably should have chosen her words a little more carefully. It seems that she has practically doomed Chela to fall in love with Pancho himself! But let's not get ahead of ourselves.)
Next, Chela collects some money in a shoe. This must be the "cooperacha" - I think they're going to need a bigger shoe unless they are planning to honeymoon in the mall parking lot. Then again, they're already in Mexico, so that should save them on airfare!
Now the cutting of the cake. He makes like he's going to take a bite out of the cake itself. Another kidder! What a perfect couple! I know they will be together forever and always!
Now the garter. She slips as he tugs at her leg, and she jokes that he nearly became a widower. He assures her that they will grow old together and promises that he will dedicate every day to making her happy. "The day that you die, I will die with you, I promise. I love you." Are you worried? I'm not worried.
Now Achy-Breaky Heart, which was recorded in 1992. These people are way ahead of their time!
Later: Most of the guests have left, except for a few close friends and/or relatives. Chela has made a video of Pancho and Laurita's courtship, which they are watching in mysterious, ancient "VHS" format. In the video, the lovebirds are frolicking around a fountain in a beautiful greenhouse garden. At first, they don't realize Chela is taping them on their rated-G date. Then they catch her. Ha, ha! What a bunch of kidders! Happiness forever, etc.
In the next video, they are on another date, again near a fountain (outdoors this time). Pancho gives Laurita an ice cream, in which he has hidden an engagement ring. Fortunately, she does not break a tooth and/or chokes on this ring, so we can look forward to a long and happy future for them! He asks her to marry him, become the mother of his chilpayates (children), the mistress of his quincenas (biweekly wages), even if sometimes they don't have anything to eat and are poor for the rest of their lives.
Despite the serious dent that poverty would put in her makeup budget, she tearfully says yes and eagerly tries to put the ring on. He takes the ring from her and insists on putting it on her finger himself. A crowd of onlookers cheers.
Laurita thanks Chela for the video. Pancho hints to the remaining guests that he'd like to have some privacy with his new bride. Everyone leaves except Chela, who hangs around a little too long with a weird look on her face while Pancho and Laurita kiss.
Let's assume she went home immediately after. We don't want this to get too weird.
Now it's 2011. It looks like Pancho is still living in the same neighborhood. It's early morning, and he's asleep, dreaming about the his wedding day and his promise that on the day Laurita dies, he will die with her. He wakes up in a panic and checks beside him, but she's not in the bed. In fact, it's obvious that she hasn't been near that bed in a long time.
He lights a candle and apologizes to her photo for not making good on his promise; but if he had gone with her, who would care for their children? His maudlin musings are interrupted by the faint chatter of a thousand children, and he excuses himself to the photo and gives it a kiss, explaining that the kids have woken up and will soon be there, and Temo will surely be the first to show up because it's his birthday.
Sure enough, the light comes on and Temo leaps onto the bed, telling Pancho that it's his birthday. Pancho feigns surprise. Temo reports that his siblings don't want to sing him his mañanitas, and asks Pancho to sing it for him. Pancho tells him to have one of his aunts sing it.
Now they are joined by a zillion other kids. (We'll sort them out when they become relevant.) How can these people be so cheerful so early in the morning? It's still dark outside!
Aunts Chela and Candy (Candela, Pancho's sister) join them, and now Temo gets his mañanitas song.
Later, Pancho is driving a delivery van. (The mullet is gone, by the way, and it would appear that he lost his comb as well.) On the front of the van is his name, Pancho López, and the name of his business, which is La B___ (I'm not censoring it, I just don't have a good enough picture to make out what it says.) He turns off the radio, annoyed by the cheerful song. His pal protests. Pancho explains that he and Laurita danced to that song the night of their wedding. The pal remembers, but Pancho tells him about the promise he made to Laurita when she nearly fell off the stage. She died eight years ago, and he still hasn't made good on that promise.
The pal, who I believe is Pancho's brother, says that the kids need him, etc. Pancho says it's just that he's been brooding lately, since Temo's birthday is also the anniversary of Laurita's death.
(Let's try to remember that this is a comedy!)
The pal/bro asks about the birthday plans. Pancho says they're going to pick up a cake and then open their store, or something like that.
An older woman, Fernanda, is standing in a doctor's office. This must be a swanky medical practice - she's wearing a fur-trimmed smock! My doctor's office only has plain cloth smocks!
Ah, perhaps that's just her coat. In any case, she doesn't want to sit down. And if he's got bad news for her, she'd like him to get right to it. "You've always been that way, since you were very young, very decisive, willful, sure of yourself..." he begins, but she cuts him off. He apologizes, but offers us a little more backstory: "I've known you for a long time, since that thing happened with your son..." Again she cuts him off, "you know perfectly well that I never talk about that. Can you tell me what I have?"
Yes he can: she has a malignant tumor. "You have very little time to live." (Ha! He sure told her!) He says he's not just her doctor, but her friend, and he'll be with her to the very end.
Fernanda is bummed, but asks the doctor not to tell anyone. He kisses her on the cheek.
Pancho and his pal/bro arrive at the market. The bro/pal is talking his head off, and honestly I have no idea what he's talking about, but then Pancho worries about how he's going to explain himself to the kids if they end up in the street. I believe they just started this venture at the market and aren't sure if it will succeed (please correct me if I'm wrong). They're behind on some payments. Pancho asks bro/pal to keep quiet about this around the kids until it's all sorted out.
Fernanda exits the medical building and tells herself she doesn't have the strength for a fight. She would have given all her money to have a little bit of love, she thinks, "but now I know what I have to do." She sees her chauffeur waiting with his back turned; she sneaks away without his seeing.
"I know what I have to do," Pancho tells bro/pal. "Pay." And to do this, for his family to be able to go on, they're going to have even less. But hopefully, they'll do well at the festival and that will fix everything. (Meanwhile, Pancho is inspecting some onions in a crate, but he is dissatisfied with their quality, he can't take these to his clients, so he gives the whole crate back to the merchant.)
Chacho! That's the bro/pal's name.
A kid named Filemón comes by with a hand-truck. He's depressed. His boss is still sick. The doctor wrote her a bunch of prescriptions, but they're too expensive. Pancho tells Fil he'll help out and give him a double-tip because it's "happy hour." (He says it in English and pronounces both H's.) "That's 'la hora feliz,' kid, don't know you French?" Chacho jokes.
Chacho asks Pancho how he's going to pay Fil a double-tip when he just finished saying he didn't have a penny. Alas, I don't understand Pancho's answer. If I did, I'd use his magical money-making technique myself.
Back at home, Chela is working with a band for Temo's birthday party. Pancho's daughter Ana plays accordion. (Really? That's Sherlyn? How can she possibly look even younger than she did five years ago?) Meanwhile, Temo practices soccer with a dog as goaltender. There's some discussion about the evening's performances.
Elsewhere...
A fancy white car (not much like any I have ever owned) rolls up to a fancy house, and a fancy pair of shoes gets out of the car and opens the door for Sergio Sendel, aka Vicente, whose shoes are even fancier. "Oh my love, who is the prettiest? Who is it?" And he leans forward a little bit, waving a gift. It's a necklace! A marvelous necklace!
A necklace for... a little fifi dog?
"Because you are the only being on earth that will never betray me." A Pomeranian, I believe. Vicente proudly slips the necklace over the dog's head. The dog, whose name is Abejita (Little Bee?), seems unimpressed and was probably hoping for a dried liver snack.
Vicente's phone rings. (Remembering previous Sendel characters, I fear for the phone's life; however, this would seem to be a kinder, gentler Sendel.) It's Gonzalo, Miss Fernanda's chauffeur. Vicente apologizes profusely to the dog and takes the call. Gonzalo tells him that Miss Fernanda came back after her appointment with Dr. Octavio.
She was with Dr. O? That's news to Vicente.
Fernanda is wandering the streets alone with the report of her biopsy results clutched to her chest, pondering her personal going-out-of-life sale.
Meanwhile, Pancho and Chacho are driving along, and Chacho is talking his head off as usual, saying that for all they have in love, they lack in money. Pancho says that money is just vanity. Chacho thinks it would be very helpful to have money coming out of a faucet. Pancho warns that tough problems would go along with it. (I'm thinking, for one thing, where are they going to get running water if the faucet is plugged up with cash? But I guess you'd at least be able to afford a good plumber.)
Fernanda is on an overpass, feeling sorry for herself. "You've got nobody to cry for you, nor do you have the right to shed a single tear." She looks down to the deadly ground below. She drops her purse, and it falls - dramatically - a mere six inches. (Unless there's another fifi dog inside, I don't think the purse is a big problem.) I think she's taking that old saying "you can't take it with you" too literally!
Vicente is chewing out the staff for losing track of his aunt Fernanda. He takes a phone call, during which it is revealed that most of the world's population will be searching high and low for her. He makes the staff say "¡Sí, Señor!" three times, each time louder than the last, before dismissing them.
Next, a frenzied montage of the staff and authorities (including uniformed security officers from Avon, yep, I'm pretty sure it's THAT Avon) combing the city looking for Auntie, showing her photos to people on the street, etc. while radio show hosts and billboards plead for her safe return. (I notice that most of the vehicles have their logos blacked out.)
While all this has been happening, Fernanda has taken only a few more steps. She climbs up onto the concrete barrier, still clutching her biopsy report. She looks down, and I feel woozy. I don't like heights, even when they're someone else's heights on TV. It doesn't seem to bother her, though. But she's in a different mood than I am.
Pancho and Chacho see her. Pancho slams on the brakes. She puts one foot in front of the railing, which is just low enough to really catch someone's shoe and make them trip prematurely.
That's exciting, so let's go somewhere else. We're at Vicente's house, where Vicente's wife Pina is admiring her fifi dog's new necklace. I recognize Pina's voice before I recognize her face - it's Daniela Castro, who was Lisabeta, Ricardo's scheming cousin in Pasión. She's worried that someone has stashed Fernanda away someplace, and maybe they'll go after their son Freddy, too.
Now we're at a NASCAR race. For years I've successfully avoided watching auto racing every weekend, and now here it is in a telenovela. Sigh. A girl named Mónica is talking to a guy named Alex, who is wearing a NASCAR shirt. She's worried because Vicente and Pina haven't shown up. (It seems that the racetrack was somehow excluded from the search for Fernanda.) Alex gives an unnecessary speech about his beloved sport and the drivers and how it brings families together.
Freddy is one of the drivers. Mó doesn't want to look. She doesn't like the yellow banners.
The pit crew is servicing Freddy's car (#3, wasn't that Dale Earnhardt's number?) and someone else's (#12). I'm not sure exactly what sets Freddy off, but he's unhappy with one of the guys. "I'm going to give that mechanic a good scare," Freddy thought-bubbles, and nearly runs him over as he peels out. "Did you see what Freddy did to me?" the mechanic asks his coworkers. He vows to get the last laugh tonight.
Back to Fernanda. She now has both feet on the death-plunge side of the railing. Ahhh, I feel better now - no chance it will trip her! Pancho begs her to come down. Everything he says (especially "think of your children!") just upsets her more. He begs her not to fall; it will make him suffer.
In desperation, Pancho cries, "what if I adopt you as my mommy?" He tells her to fight for her life; he tells her that only God knows when we will die; "I just adopted you - please don't make me an orphan!"
She almost cracks a smile and finally reaches for his hand, but then she loses her balance and slips. (Drat that railing!) Pancho struggles to keep his grip as Fernanda realizes that she doesn't want it to end this way after all.
Tomorrow:
The avances mostly rehashed what we saw today, but there's enough to confirm that Fernanda will survive. I don't know what the Avon guys are going to do once the search is called off.
Opening credits are followed by a flashback to the old-timey times of... 1990, it says. (Thank you, producers, for not doing this scene in black & white. That would have made me feel old.) It seems we're at a wedding in Toluca.
A humble white K-car rolls up to a humble curb, and a humble pair of shoes gets out and opens the door for a bride. The humble feet belong to the groom, Pancho, who is sporting an intense mullet. (A mullet? Excellent! That satisfies my rigorous quality check for historical authenticity!) The bride, Laurita, is a gigantic pair of eyelashes with a woman hanging off of them. Pancho and Laurita declare their everlasting, infinite love to one another as he lifts her up and carries her to the reception. A crowd cheers, and there is a jumble of excited talk. I think she tells everyone he's her a napkin. (Sorry, I haven't recapped in a while... this kind of giddy chatter is way over my head - I can't even find definitions for most of these words!)
The bride's sister, Chela, greets them. I don't recall that much bright red eyeshadow ever being popular in the 90s. Maybe the 80s, but we can pretend that she put lipstick on her eyelids by mistake after having a couple of drinks.
Now for the food. Lots and lots of food. I'm replaying it in slow motion. There are plenty of helpful close-ups. I see a moles and salsas and pork and and other meat and bean and vegetable dishes. And rice. There's something wrapped in big leaves. There's a woman making fresh tortillas. There's tequila. I'm sold on this couple - they really know how to throw a party! I hope they stay together forever and ever so I can recap their food!!
Pancho, the groom, gives a speech thanking family and friends. He mentions something about a "cooperacha" and payments. Okay, I think he's saying that of the money they get from the wedding, half is going to be a down payment on some land and half is going towards his honeymoon. Then Laurita, the giggly bride, admits that she's had some drinks and says she has a little surprise. Is it a baby? Phew, no. Not yet. It's a song-and-line-dance routine.
The crowd counts to three as Laurita prepares to throw the bouquet. Ha ha, she fakes them out! What a kidder! "Sis, let's see if you can find your Pancho, too!" she says to Chela, tossing the bouquet directly at her. (Chela does catch it; however, going by the synopsis Melinama posted here last week, Laurita probably should have chosen her words a little more carefully. It seems that she has practically doomed Chela to fall in love with Pancho himself! But let's not get ahead of ourselves.)
Next, Chela collects some money in a shoe. This must be the "cooperacha" - I think they're going to need a bigger shoe unless they are planning to honeymoon in the mall parking lot. Then again, they're already in Mexico, so that should save them on airfare!
Now the cutting of the cake. He makes like he's going to take a bite out of the cake itself. Another kidder! What a perfect couple! I know they will be together forever and always!
Now the garter. She slips as he tugs at her leg, and she jokes that he nearly became a widower. He assures her that they will grow old together and promises that he will dedicate every day to making her happy. "The day that you die, I will die with you, I promise. I love you." Are you worried? I'm not worried.
Now Achy-Breaky Heart, which was recorded in 1992. These people are way ahead of their time!
Later: Most of the guests have left, except for a few close friends and/or relatives. Chela has made a video of Pancho and Laurita's courtship, which they are watching in mysterious, ancient "VHS" format. In the video, the lovebirds are frolicking around a fountain in a beautiful greenhouse garden. At first, they don't realize Chela is taping them on their rated-G date. Then they catch her. Ha, ha! What a bunch of kidders! Happiness forever, etc.
In the next video, they are on another date, again near a fountain (outdoors this time). Pancho gives Laurita an ice cream, in which he has hidden an engagement ring. Fortunately, she does not break a tooth and/or chokes on this ring, so we can look forward to a long and happy future for them! He asks her to marry him, become the mother of his chilpayates (children), the mistress of his quincenas (biweekly wages), even if sometimes they don't have anything to eat and are poor for the rest of their lives.
Despite the serious dent that poverty would put in her makeup budget, she tearfully says yes and eagerly tries to put the ring on. He takes the ring from her and insists on putting it on her finger himself. A crowd of onlookers cheers.
Laurita thanks Chela for the video. Pancho hints to the remaining guests that he'd like to have some privacy with his new bride. Everyone leaves except Chela, who hangs around a little too long with a weird look on her face while Pancho and Laurita kiss.
Let's assume she went home immediately after. We don't want this to get too weird.
Now it's 2011. It looks like Pancho is still living in the same neighborhood. It's early morning, and he's asleep, dreaming about the his wedding day and his promise that on the day Laurita dies, he will die with her. He wakes up in a panic and checks beside him, but she's not in the bed. In fact, it's obvious that she hasn't been near that bed in a long time.
He lights a candle and apologizes to her photo for not making good on his promise; but if he had gone with her, who would care for their children? His maudlin musings are interrupted by the faint chatter of a thousand children, and he excuses himself to the photo and gives it a kiss, explaining that the kids have woken up and will soon be there, and Temo will surely be the first to show up because it's his birthday.
Sure enough, the light comes on and Temo leaps onto the bed, telling Pancho that it's his birthday. Pancho feigns surprise. Temo reports that his siblings don't want to sing him his mañanitas, and asks Pancho to sing it for him. Pancho tells him to have one of his aunts sing it.
Now they are joined by a zillion other kids. (We'll sort them out when they become relevant.) How can these people be so cheerful so early in the morning? It's still dark outside!
Aunts Chela and Candy (Candela, Pancho's sister) join them, and now Temo gets his mañanitas song.
Later, Pancho is driving a delivery van. (The mullet is gone, by the way, and it would appear that he lost his comb as well.) On the front of the van is his name, Pancho López, and the name of his business, which is La B___ (I'm not censoring it, I just don't have a good enough picture to make out what it says.) He turns off the radio, annoyed by the cheerful song. His pal protests. Pancho explains that he and Laurita danced to that song the night of their wedding. The pal remembers, but Pancho tells him about the promise he made to Laurita when she nearly fell off the stage. She died eight years ago, and he still hasn't made good on that promise.
The pal, who I believe is Pancho's brother, says that the kids need him, etc. Pancho says it's just that he's been brooding lately, since Temo's birthday is also the anniversary of Laurita's death.
(Let's try to remember that this is a comedy!)
The pal/bro asks about the birthday plans. Pancho says they're going to pick up a cake and then open their store, or something like that.
An older woman, Fernanda, is standing in a doctor's office. This must be a swanky medical practice - she's wearing a fur-trimmed smock! My doctor's office only has plain cloth smocks!
Ah, perhaps that's just her coat. In any case, she doesn't want to sit down. And if he's got bad news for her, she'd like him to get right to it. "You've always been that way, since you were very young, very decisive, willful, sure of yourself..." he begins, but she cuts him off. He apologizes, but offers us a little more backstory: "I've known you for a long time, since that thing happened with your son..." Again she cuts him off, "you know perfectly well that I never talk about that. Can you tell me what I have?"
Yes he can: she has a malignant tumor. "You have very little time to live." (Ha! He sure told her!) He says he's not just her doctor, but her friend, and he'll be with her to the very end.
Fernanda is bummed, but asks the doctor not to tell anyone. He kisses her on the cheek.
Pancho and his pal/bro arrive at the market. The bro/pal is talking his head off, and honestly I have no idea what he's talking about, but then Pancho worries about how he's going to explain himself to the kids if they end up in the street. I believe they just started this venture at the market and aren't sure if it will succeed (please correct me if I'm wrong). They're behind on some payments. Pancho asks bro/pal to keep quiet about this around the kids until it's all sorted out.
Fernanda exits the medical building and tells herself she doesn't have the strength for a fight. She would have given all her money to have a little bit of love, she thinks, "but now I know what I have to do." She sees her chauffeur waiting with his back turned; she sneaks away without his seeing.
"I know what I have to do," Pancho tells bro/pal. "Pay." And to do this, for his family to be able to go on, they're going to have even less. But hopefully, they'll do well at the festival and that will fix everything. (Meanwhile, Pancho is inspecting some onions in a crate, but he is dissatisfied with their quality, he can't take these to his clients, so he gives the whole crate back to the merchant.)
Chacho! That's the bro/pal's name.
A kid named Filemón comes by with a hand-truck. He's depressed. His boss is still sick. The doctor wrote her a bunch of prescriptions, but they're too expensive. Pancho tells Fil he'll help out and give him a double-tip because it's "happy hour." (He says it in English and pronounces both H's.) "That's 'la hora feliz,' kid, don't know you French?" Chacho jokes.
Chacho asks Pancho how he's going to pay Fil a double-tip when he just finished saying he didn't have a penny. Alas, I don't understand Pancho's answer. If I did, I'd use his magical money-making technique myself.
Back at home, Chela is working with a band for Temo's birthday party. Pancho's daughter Ana plays accordion. (Really? That's Sherlyn? How can she possibly look even younger than she did five years ago?) Meanwhile, Temo practices soccer with a dog as goaltender. There's some discussion about the evening's performances.
Elsewhere...
A fancy white car (not much like any I have ever owned) rolls up to a fancy house, and a fancy pair of shoes gets out of the car and opens the door for Sergio Sendel, aka Vicente, whose shoes are even fancier. "Oh my love, who is the prettiest? Who is it?" And he leans forward a little bit, waving a gift. It's a necklace! A marvelous necklace!
A necklace for... a little fifi dog?
"Because you are the only being on earth that will never betray me." A Pomeranian, I believe. Vicente proudly slips the necklace over the dog's head. The dog, whose name is Abejita (Little Bee?), seems unimpressed and was probably hoping for a dried liver snack.
Vicente's phone rings. (Remembering previous Sendel characters, I fear for the phone's life; however, this would seem to be a kinder, gentler Sendel.) It's Gonzalo, Miss Fernanda's chauffeur. Vicente apologizes profusely to the dog and takes the call. Gonzalo tells him that Miss Fernanda came back after her appointment with Dr. Octavio.
She was with Dr. O? That's news to Vicente.
Fernanda is wandering the streets alone with the report of her biopsy results clutched to her chest, pondering her personal going-out-of-life sale.
Meanwhile, Pancho and Chacho are driving along, and Chacho is talking his head off as usual, saying that for all they have in love, they lack in money. Pancho says that money is just vanity. Chacho thinks it would be very helpful to have money coming out of a faucet. Pancho warns that tough problems would go along with it. (I'm thinking, for one thing, where are they going to get running water if the faucet is plugged up with cash? But I guess you'd at least be able to afford a good plumber.)
Fernanda is on an overpass, feeling sorry for herself. "You've got nobody to cry for you, nor do you have the right to shed a single tear." She looks down to the deadly ground below. She drops her purse, and it falls - dramatically - a mere six inches. (Unless there's another fifi dog inside, I don't think the purse is a big problem.) I think she's taking that old saying "you can't take it with you" too literally!
Vicente is chewing out the staff for losing track of his aunt Fernanda. He takes a phone call, during which it is revealed that most of the world's population will be searching high and low for her. He makes the staff say "¡Sí, Señor!" three times, each time louder than the last, before dismissing them.
Next, a frenzied montage of the staff and authorities (including uniformed security officers from Avon, yep, I'm pretty sure it's THAT Avon) combing the city looking for Auntie, showing her photos to people on the street, etc. while radio show hosts and billboards plead for her safe return. (I notice that most of the vehicles have their logos blacked out.)
While all this has been happening, Fernanda has taken only a few more steps. She climbs up onto the concrete barrier, still clutching her biopsy report. She looks down, and I feel woozy. I don't like heights, even when they're someone else's heights on TV. It doesn't seem to bother her, though. But she's in a different mood than I am.
Pancho and Chacho see her. Pancho slams on the brakes. She puts one foot in front of the railing, which is just low enough to really catch someone's shoe and make them trip prematurely.
That's exciting, so let's go somewhere else. We're at Vicente's house, where Vicente's wife Pina is admiring her fifi dog's new necklace. I recognize Pina's voice before I recognize her face - it's Daniela Castro, who was Lisabeta, Ricardo's scheming cousin in Pasión. She's worried that someone has stashed Fernanda away someplace, and maybe they'll go after their son Freddy, too.
Now we're at a NASCAR race. For years I've successfully avoided watching auto racing every weekend, and now here it is in a telenovela. Sigh. A girl named Mónica is talking to a guy named Alex, who is wearing a NASCAR shirt. She's worried because Vicente and Pina haven't shown up. (It seems that the racetrack was somehow excluded from the search for Fernanda.) Alex gives an unnecessary speech about his beloved sport and the drivers and how it brings families together.
Freddy is one of the drivers. Mó doesn't want to look. She doesn't like the yellow banners.
The pit crew is servicing Freddy's car (#3, wasn't that Dale Earnhardt's number?) and someone else's (#12). I'm not sure exactly what sets Freddy off, but he's unhappy with one of the guys. "I'm going to give that mechanic a good scare," Freddy thought-bubbles, and nearly runs him over as he peels out. "Did you see what Freddy did to me?" the mechanic asks his coworkers. He vows to get the last laugh tonight.
Back to Fernanda. She now has both feet on the death-plunge side of the railing. Ahhh, I feel better now - no chance it will trip her! Pancho begs her to come down. Everything he says (especially "think of your children!") just upsets her more. He begs her not to fall; it will make him suffer.
In desperation, Pancho cries, "what if I adopt you as my mommy?" He tells her to fight for her life; he tells her that only God knows when we will die; "I just adopted you - please don't make me an orphan!"
She almost cracks a smile and finally reaches for his hand, but then she loses her balance and slips. (Drat that railing!) Pancho struggles to keep his grip as Fernanda realizes that she doesn't want it to end this way after all.
Tomorrow:
The avances mostly rehashed what we saw today, but there's enough to confirm that Fernanda will survive. I don't know what the Avon guys are going to do once the search is called off.
Labels: familia
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I didn't love absolutely everything about this, but I like where it seems to be going.
I also appreciated the little bits of symmetry between Pancho's family and Fernanda's: Pancho's K-car vs. Vicente's limo; Pancho halting Laurita's "death-defying" wobble on the happiest day of their lives vs. him saving Fernanda from a potentially deadly fall on the worst day of her life; Temo's dog getting pelted with a soccer ball vs. fifi getting pelted with fine jewels.
I spotted at least one more, but I can't remember what it was.
I also appreciated the little bits of symmetry between Pancho's family and Fernanda's: Pancho's K-car vs. Vicente's limo; Pancho halting Laurita's "death-defying" wobble on the happiest day of their lives vs. him saving Fernanda from a potentially deadly fall on the worst day of her life; Temo's dog getting pelted with a soccer ball vs. fifi getting pelted with fine jewels.
I spotted at least one more, but I can't remember what it was.
@Julie...I was trolling along enjoying this recap, wondering who the skillful, witty writer was...and it's you! So glad you're recapping again.
Only watched about 20 minutes of this but loved Ana Barbara channeling Michele Pfeiffer in Married to the Mob. The hairdo and the gum-chewing and the vamping were all taken from that movie I'm sure.
Got a kick out of the wedding party
dancing and Chela's gruesome eye makeup. But after 20 minutes, I was just cheesed out. Couldn't take anymore.
And Lord! the slang!...yes, worse than what we dealt with in Juan Querendon and Gancho.
The impossibly happy poor family contrasted with the revoltingly shallow rich relatives of Fernanda is a familiar plot line, but looks like there could be some good comic moments...again, if you can stomach all the cheese.
Anyway. Great recap. You're baaaaack! And we're thrilled.
Only watched about 20 minutes of this but loved Ana Barbara channeling Michele Pfeiffer in Married to the Mob. The hairdo and the gum-chewing and the vamping were all taken from that movie I'm sure.
Got a kick out of the wedding party
dancing and Chela's gruesome eye makeup. But after 20 minutes, I was just cheesed out. Couldn't take anymore.
And Lord! the slang!...yes, worse than what we dealt with in Juan Querendon and Gancho.
The impossibly happy poor family contrasted with the revoltingly shallow rich relatives of Fernanda is a familiar plot line, but looks like there could be some good comic moments...again, if you can stomach all the cheese.
Anyway. Great recap. You're baaaaack! And we're thrilled.
PS " A Gigantic pair of eyelashes with a woman hanging off them"...another unforgettable Julieism. Way to go.
Here's another one: Pancho's humble shoes compared to Vicente's spiffy ones when we are introduced to both characters as they step out of their respective vehicles.
I enjoyed this first episode. They did a decent job of setting up the characters and the main gist of the plot. I also enjoyed seeing some familiar faces from other novelas.
Julie, it's a delight to read your recaps. You definitely have not lost your touch. You are as funny and observant as ever. Your descriptions of the happy novios are quintessentially "Julie". Pancho: "A mullet? Excellent! That satisfies my rigorous quality check for historical authenticity!" Laurita: "The bride...is a gigantic pair of eyelashes with a woman hanging off of them." (I see my cohort JudyB also liked this one.)
I couldn't understand the rapid-fire talk either. I always feel like I need to retrain my ear when a new telenovela starts.
Julie, you did a great job starting off this fun telenovela. I think your humor is a great match for recapping this one.
I enjoyed this first episode. They did a decent job of setting up the characters and the main gist of the plot. I also enjoyed seeing some familiar faces from other novelas.
Julie, it's a delight to read your recaps. You definitely have not lost your touch. You are as funny and observant as ever. Your descriptions of the happy novios are quintessentially "Julie". Pancho: "A mullet? Excellent! That satisfies my rigorous quality check for historical authenticity!" Laurita: "The bride...is a gigantic pair of eyelashes with a woman hanging off of them." (I see my cohort JudyB also liked this one.)
I couldn't understand the rapid-fire talk either. I always feel like I need to retrain my ear when a new telenovela starts.
Julie, you did a great job starting off this fun telenovela. I think your humor is a great match for recapping this one.
Great recap, Julie! It was the first telenovela episode I've watched in more than a year, and I love it, because nobody will get murdered. Ah the loving detail at the lower-class wedding - and fun to have a tn BEGIN with a wedding - and Vicki Vicki Vicki wearing such a god-awful dress! I was offended by the Sambo-type Indian woman at the reception but that's Mexican tv for you, when are they going to get over this racism? My favorite part: when he said he'd adopt the rich lady as his mamacita so don't make me an orphan!
I'll do tonight and Thursday - you'll do Friday? Maybe we'll get some more volunteers to join us. I will not go into this much detail if we're going to be covering this alone! Cheers, Julie.
I'll do tonight and Thursday - you'll do Friday? Maybe we'll get some more volunteers to join us. I will not go into this much detail if we're going to be covering this alone! Cheers, Julie.
Melinama, it is still just the two you on board to recap this one?
Ahoy! If any of you commenters has wanted to try your hand at recapping this would be a perfect telenovela to start with. Don't be put off by the fast talking and accents, the body language alone pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Your ear will get used to the accents, trust me on this one. (Anyway, whenever someone starts blathering at warp speed I usually ignore them and move to the next plot point.) And this one looks FUN. However if Sendel is true to form I expect at least one cell phone to be murdered. That should be the only body count.
Ahoy! If any of you commenters has wanted to try your hand at recapping this would be a perfect telenovela to start with. Don't be put off by the fast talking and accents, the body language alone pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Your ear will get used to the accents, trust me on this one. (Anyway, whenever someone starts blathering at warp speed I usually ignore them and move to the next plot point.) And this one looks FUN. However if Sendel is true to form I expect at least one cell phone to be murdered. That should be the only body count.
Wow, Julie! You did great! I had a terrible time understanding the extreme Chilango accents with so much slang. It was a bit much, but wow you actually caught some of it and translated! Loved the eyelashes description of the bride.
[Ever notice that so many MX slang terms start with Ch? I've pretty much concluded that most are Nauhtl (Aztec language) in origin. That's why they often don't show up in a Spanish dictionary.]
Oh, god me too! The FOOD. The big leaves were banana leaves. The TNs do a great job of showing off Mexican culture and places, as they well should! It was a real feast with beautiful presentation, and why not when some eatery around the corner could pull that off for any production crew!
The wedding band totally cracked me up. Hubbie and I both said WHAT? That country band is from Texas! Or at least the song sure was.
I think Fil was referring to his mom when he said the boss was still sick. It seems common to refer to someone's mom as their boss. And part of Pancho's explanation to Chacho was that the mother is sacred and that it would somehow work out. Something like that anyway.
Thanks for such a hilarious recap. Even my husband is reading it.
Audrey
[Ever notice that so many MX slang terms start with Ch? I've pretty much concluded that most are Nauhtl (Aztec language) in origin. That's why they often don't show up in a Spanish dictionary.]
Oh, god me too! The FOOD. The big leaves were banana leaves. The TNs do a great job of showing off Mexican culture and places, as they well should! It was a real feast with beautiful presentation, and why not when some eatery around the corner could pull that off for any production crew!
The wedding band totally cracked me up. Hubbie and I both said WHAT? That country band is from Texas! Or at least the song sure was.
I think Fil was referring to his mom when he said the boss was still sick. It seems common to refer to someone's mom as their boss. And part of Pancho's explanation to Chacho was that the mother is sacred and that it would somehow work out. Something like that anyway.
Thanks for such a hilarious recap. Even my husband is reading it.
Audrey
Permalink posted by 
: Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:52:00 AM EDT
: Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 8:52:00 AM EDT
Good work, Julie. I learned more from this than the episode itself.
i don't know if I will stick with this one (I'm not big on the comedy novelas) but this looks like it may have interesting character dynamics and I do like some of the cast (Sergio Sendel, Daniela Castro, and Luz Elena Gonzales). Not to mention an adorable lap dog (Pomeranians are just the bee's knees)!
The poor family looks like they really know how to do a fun wedding and the food was making me hungry even though I had to hear "Achy-Breaky Heart" in Spanish.
But who names a Pomeranian "Fifi"? Poor doggie is going to think she's a poodle.
i don't know if I will stick with this one (I'm not big on the comedy novelas) but this looks like it may have interesting character dynamics and I do like some of the cast (Sergio Sendel, Daniela Castro, and Luz Elena Gonzales). Not to mention an adorable lap dog (Pomeranians are just the bee's knees)!
The poor family looks like they really know how to do a fun wedding and the food was making me hungry even though I had to hear "Achy-Breaky Heart" in Spanish.
But who names a Pomeranian "Fifi"? Poor doggie is going to think she's a poodle.
Oh Judy! You are so right! I was wondering why the bride reminded me of someone so strongly. That was it - Michelle Pfeiffer!
Thanks
Audrey
Thanks
Audrey
Permalink posted by : Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:10:00 AM EDT
: Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:10:00 AM EDT
Judy, do you really think the vocab is worse than in JuanQ? Oh dear! We are going to be learning lots of words.
Audrey, I think you are right about the Nahuatl-influenced slang as well as Fil's "boss" being his mom.
I believe Pancho also has a knack for making up words. At least, I think that's what he was doing when he was describing his feelings about Temo's bday and his wife's death. I went with "gloomy," but the words he was using were more exotic. I should have included them in the recap, but it was already taking too long! I don't think he's just mangling his words a la Archie Bunker. He seems to know what he is doing.
Melinama, yes, I'll do Friday. And I won't be doing nearly so much detail in future recaps either - but I wanted to get things right for the first episode, with so much setup going on.
Regarding the racist Sambo-type Indian woman, I still shudder when I remember the Chinese restaurant delivery guy in a LFMB episode, whose costume seemed to include every known Chinese stereotype. But then I wondered if that's how they actually dress in Mexico's Chinese restaurants!
We definitely need more recappers! Sylvia is right - newbies, please don't be put off by my remarks about the vocabulary. Most of that stuff is just chatter and doesn't matter much. If the substance of the conversation is important, it will be repeated ad nauseam by many different characters (some of them much easier to understand) until everybody can recite it from memory. Again, I wouldn't have sweated it so much if it hadn't been the first episode!
Audrey, I think you are right about the Nahuatl-influenced slang as well as Fil's "boss" being his mom.
I believe Pancho also has a knack for making up words. At least, I think that's what he was doing when he was describing his feelings about Temo's bday and his wife's death. I went with "gloomy," but the words he was using were more exotic. I should have included them in the recap, but it was already taking too long! I don't think he's just mangling his words a la Archie Bunker. He seems to know what he is doing.
Melinama, yes, I'll do Friday. And I won't be doing nearly so much detail in future recaps either - but I wanted to get things right for the first episode, with so much setup going on.
Regarding the racist Sambo-type Indian woman, I still shudder when I remember the Chinese restaurant delivery guy in a LFMB episode, whose costume seemed to include every known Chinese stereotype. But then I wondered if that's how they actually dress in Mexico's Chinese restaurants!
We definitely need more recappers! Sylvia is right - newbies, please don't be put off by my remarks about the vocabulary. Most of that stuff is just chatter and doesn't matter much. If the substance of the conversation is important, it will be repeated ad nauseam by many different characters (some of them much easier to understand) until everybody can recite it from memory. Again, I wouldn't have sweated it so much if it hadn't been the first episode!
Regarding Sendel's cruelty to cell phones, I think that got to be such a joke in Destilando Amor that he stopped doing it. He threw many things in MEPS, but I don't think he ruined a phone. (At one point it looked as though he might have smashed one against a wall, but when I did a slo-mo replay I saw that he had the phone in his other hand.)
Urban Anthropologist, the dog's name isn't really Fifi. I was calling it that because I couldn't remember its name for two seconds. Its actual name is Abejita, "Little Bee" or "Dear Bee." So far, however, it hasn't been flitted around nor seemed particularly busy!
The guy who plays Pancho is good. I really felt for him over the loss of his wife, but I'm not sure how much more I could have taken of that uberbubbly woman.
Urban Anthropologist, the dog's name isn't really Fifi. I was calling it that because I couldn't remember its name for two seconds. Its actual name is Abejita, "Little Bee" or "Dear Bee." So far, however, it hasn't been flitted around nor seemed particularly busy!
The guy who plays Pancho is good. I really felt for him over the loss of his wife, but I'm not sure how much more I could have taken of that uberbubbly woman.
Very useful and funny recap--great job.
Have been waiting since Hasta que el dinero for a comedy novela-this one looks like it has some good comedy potential--and it also stars Viki-Viki-Viki!!! A great comedic actress.
Have been waiting since Hasta que el dinero for a comedy novela-this one looks like it has some good comedy potential--and it also stars Viki-Viki-Viki!!! A great comedic actress.
"Little Bee" sounds like a good one for this breed. There are a lot of Pomeranians in my neighborhood now that Manhattan has gotten too expensive for everyone and I love how extroverted these little puffballs are. The little fox-faces are priceless.
Can anyone explain India Maria to me? Every time I see promos for those movies I cringe.
Can anyone explain India Maria to me? Every time I see promos for those movies I cringe.
Great recap! I too could not understand what was being said - talking was much too fast.
Much too cheesy but stuck it out. Hoping for some great comedy.
Much too cheesy but stuck it out. Hoping for some great comedy.
Great job Julie! I always have to give new tns a try and it was nice to see a few familiar faces. "Vicky" and "Karen" from Dinero, and Sergio S and Daniela C in very different roles from the villain roles we last saw them in.
When big old Sergio bent down to coo over and give his little dog jewelry, I busted out laughing. I'm glad that dramatic tn actors get to break out and do these silly comedies every now and then. Must be fun for them.
Yes indeed, Sherylyn seems to have stumbled into the fountain of youth because she eternally looks 17 and always plays someone that age.
I've never seen our main galan in anything but so far I like his ability to be really silly, and then the next minute convey such sorrow over his dead wife. Also liked all the cheesy loving family stuff. Seems like he is barely holding himself together for the sake of his kids.
I was glad we are set in Toluca, and not D.F. It was nice to see that stained glass enclosed building again that they showed in Sortilegio when Alex has to woo amnesiac MJ all over again. Such a beautiful location.
When big old Sergio bent down to coo over and give his little dog jewelry, I busted out laughing. I'm glad that dramatic tn actors get to break out and do these silly comedies every now and then. Must be fun for them.
Yes indeed, Sherylyn seems to have stumbled into the fountain of youth because she eternally looks 17 and always plays someone that age.
I've never seen our main galan in anything but so far I like his ability to be really silly, and then the next minute convey such sorrow over his dead wife. Also liked all the cheesy loving family stuff. Seems like he is barely holding himself together for the sake of his kids.
I was glad we are set in Toluca, and not D.F. It was nice to see that stained glass enclosed building again that they showed in Sortilegio when Alex has to woo amnesiac MJ all over again. Such a beautiful location.
Sergio Sendel was borderline comical throughout much of Destilando, in ways that probably weren't scripted, so I've long been wanting to see him in a comedy where he could unleash that side of himself. There weren't many real comedy scenes in this first episode, but he made the most of them.
I'm still scratching my head over the Avon thing. Weirdest product/company placement I've ever seen.
UA, I don't get the appeal of India Maria either. I do appreciate some silly/innocent humor, but most of the silly/innocent stuff that I enjoy is from my childhood. For example, I probably wouldn't like Gilligan's Island if I hadn't grown up with it; maybe it's the same thing with India Maria.
The little dog is very cute. I don't know what Poms are like in person, but they do have cute faces!
I'm still scratching my head over the Avon thing. Weirdest product/company placement I've ever seen.
UA, I don't get the appeal of India Maria either. I do appreciate some silly/innocent humor, but most of the silly/innocent stuff that I enjoy is from my childhood. For example, I probably wouldn't like Gilligan's Island if I hadn't grown up with it; maybe it's the same thing with India Maria.
The little dog is very cute. I don't know what Poms are like in person, but they do have cute faces!
Pomeranians are very people-oriented. I've never met one that didn't approach me to be petted and talked to. They're often smaller than cats and while the reddish-brown little-fox color is the most common, I've seen beige, black, and white ones. Here's a cute photo:
http://www.todaysseniors.com/humor/funny_cartoon_pictures/funny_pictures/SpyAmongUs.jpg
http://www.todaysseniors.com/humor/funny_cartoon_pictures/funny_pictures/SpyAmongUs.jpg
Oh, hey, notice that in Chela's video, the two dates are both near a fountain? I wondered if that was significant. Later, Chacho draws a connection between their abundance of love and lack of money, and talks about how great it would be to have a "torre" (torrent, stream, faucet, fountain) of money. Is that it? Running water, love, money? We see one family with more money than love, and another with more love than money. Will water equalize them in some way, or am I all wet? Let's see if it comes up again.
As for symmetry/parallels, I spotted the other one: It was Fernanda standing outside the medical building saying "I know what I must [deber] do," and in the next scene, Pancho at the market tells Chacho "I know what I have to [tener] do." She's just been handed a death sentence and feels there's no person in her life to make it worth fighting for, so she's going to throw in the towel even sooner. Meanwhile, Pancho is just having another rough day and resolves to keep plugging away for the sake of his kids even though he feels guilty for not joining his wife in death.
As for symmetry/parallels, I spotted the other one: It was Fernanda standing outside the medical building saying "I know what I must [deber] do," and in the next scene, Pancho at the market tells Chacho "I know what I have to [tener] do." She's just been handed a death sentence and feels there's no person in her life to make it worth fighting for, so she's going to throw in the towel even sooner. Meanwhile, Pancho is just having another rough day and resolves to keep plugging away for the sake of his kids even though he feels guilty for not joining his wife in death.
Do you think the AVON will be the rich lady's business? You know, like Lucrezia in La Esperanza del Corazon or Marcella in Eva Luna? Not that I think this old lady will be evil like the other two, but it seems the Mex telenovelas like to put rich women with companies as some beauty industry. (how come they are not owners of an Enginerring or Architectual Firm?)
I'm giving this TN a try. It will be hard to adjust to comedy after such drama from Teresa.
Happy to Teresa people here....Julie, Vivi, Sylvia.
Diann
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I'm giving this TN a try. It will be hard to adjust to comedy after such drama from Teresa.
Happy to Teresa people here....Julie, Vivi, Sylvia.
Diann
Permalink posted by : Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 1:01:00 PM EDT
: Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 1:01:00 PM EDT
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