Caray, Caray!

CORAZÓN VALIENTE-
Ok, I was wrong about Clara being Jessica's mother. It seemed to me to be clear in tonight's episode that it is Laura. But didn't she see EV when he was pretending to be Javier?
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – VIERNES – Part 1

While the violinist plays, Fabiola can’t believe that the man she thought was Javier Falcón is El Verdugo. He tells her he has a first name and a last name. He doesn’t want HER to call him EV. He tells her Colombians can’t rest until they get what they want. She tells him he has the treasure; what does he want with her. He tells her he loves her profoundly and calls her Chiquita ad nauseum.

Miggy asks JM to put the keys to the red sports car Natalia bought for him in the kitchen so that Gus and Laura won’t see him come and take it. When he and Camilo are en route, Camilo gives him a gold chain and some big sunglasses and tells him he looks just like a narco!

Sammy tells Thelma to put on her blouse and behave herself or she’s out on her ear. Thelma fires back that, if that’s the case, she’ll leave all right and with Jessica.

D8D wants to have sex with his wife. [We never saw a wedding, but oh well.] They make us wonder a while about her reaction, but then she says she wants him too. Gag!

After JM has behaved like a complete ass telling Gus to his face that Ángela didn’t want to have his child, Gus behaves like a gentleman. When Angie and JM leave the room, Laura tells Gus she’s sorry Ángela won’t have children either, but she has her motives. Gus apparently knows about it, but we don’t.

EV’s boat has a charming name: El Degollado, the one with the slit throat. He tells Fabiola that it was Ringo who killed her father. Fabiola says she’d like to refuse, but she likes champagne, so she drinks a whole glass and then tries the French food. She looks EV right in the eye and tells him that, if he kills Miggy, she’ll hate him for the rest of her life.

Génesis tells Angie how much she misses her. When she and JM are alone, she tells him he can’t imagine how much she misses Juan Cruz when he’s not with her at night. She says he’s being very unjust with her, and that she hasn’t deserved it. What is it that bothers him? That she has a good man who cares for her, loves her, and makes her feel good. He says yes! And he kisses her. She responds for a second and then slaps him.

Laura tells Gus that her past is dead and buried. Ángela very nicely asks her to be patient with Génesis, to try to win her over.

Miggy shows up at Venus in his sports car. He’s spreading money around and asks a waiter for women, cocaine, and 25-year old whiskey.

EV asks FF what she sees in Miggy. She says he’s one of a kind. When he asks her what love means to her, she tells him it’s being willing to give your life for the one you love. And though he has her tied, gagged, and handcuffed, she will continue to speak of Miggy for the rest of her life. He insists that if she gives him a chance she’ll love him more than Miguel. [The baddies always think this!]

EV keeps on trying to seduce FF. He kisses her. She plays along, saying that maybe she could forget Miggy and all the danger there was. But she doesn’t like so many people around. He dismisses them all. He tells her he wants her with him for the rest of his life. She makes him swear not to kill Miguel Valdez. He says, if that’s what it takes to have her, he’ll swear.

Gus tells Ángela he can resign himself to have less than the love he wants, but he cannot resign himself to never have children. He now thinks it’s better if they part now before hurting each other more. Ángela is devastated.

Thelma is packing. Jessica doesn’t want to leave. Sam comes into the room and says they want Jessica there. Thelma agrees to stay. When Nico asks what is the problem, she tells him that Sam is jealous of her because she’s fat and unsexy. Willy overhears this and tells Thelma exactly what he thinks of that remark.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – VIERNES – Part 2

At the club, Ringo has retired to a private room for his 3-way with two of the prostitutes. Miggy comes in pointing a gun and calling him Verdugo. Ringo laughs. Miggy tells him he’s dead if he doesn’t tell him where Fabiola is.

On the boat, EV goes below to get something for Fabiola, a ring. I guess her handcuffs came off earlier. She jumps right in the water, evening gown and all. EV tells his guys to jump in and swim after her.

I guess D8D and Clara had a successful time together. Clara says she admits she’s doubted him from time to time, but now she loves him and will be with him always. Just then EV calls D8D on his cell and says that he lost Fabiola. He’s afraid she may have died in the sea.

Miggy beats the crap out of Ringo. We see Fabiola swimming in the sea.

I guess Thelma opened her mouth because Jessica comes in crying, saying she wishes she were dead. Her parents aren’t her parents. Willy tells Thelma she has a stone in place of a heart and lots of the people he loved were the same way.

Angie arrives at Sam and Willy’s saying that Gus left her. [Where’s Violeta?] She says she has no boyfriend and no job.

JM asks Laura about her past. Was Gus her only love? She says that there was another when she was very young that marked her forever.

EV loses it. He yells at someone on his cell to get Ringo and find Fabiola or all of them will die.

Ringo is hanging tough. He grins through bloody teeth and tells Miggy he’s not very smart because if he kills him, he’ll never find his adored midget. Just then Miggy gets a call that “they” found “her”. Then Fabiola gets on the phone. She tells Miggy a fisherman found her. She also tells him he doesn’t have EV; he has Ringo. Ringo is the one who killed her father. When Ringo pulls his gun, Miggy shoots him.

Gus and Duval say that Caetano Rodriguez, aka Ringo, is in the hospital in a coma. They correctly deduce it was Miggy.

The Reptile wants two SUV’s full of computers to hand out to the kiddies. A woman knocks, and the Reptile calls her Ofelia. The woman says her name is Rosario, but the Reptile tells her not to contradict her. She threatens her if she doesn’t tell her everything she knows about EV.

JM comes to the agency, presumably to find a replacement bodyguard for Laura and finds that Angie is running it.

Sam tells Jess that she also discovered that who she thought was her father was not and it was a good thing. Jess asks Sam and Willy to help her find her parents.

D8D calls to say that they are to prepare Jessica; her real father wants to meet her. When he hangs up, EV is there. He says that Fabiola could be a mother for his daughter.

FF tells Miggy that EV is Javier Falcón. This makes a lot of sense to Miggy.

EV finds out that Ringo is a prisoner and might not live. D8D is surprised to find that EV cares about someone who works for him [definitely not D8D's style]. EV says Miggy is going to pay for this.
 

PABLO ESCOBAR, Viernes Part 1

In another meeting, Pablo agrees to stop with the bombs and kidnapping. Now they're going to work within the law, to get that anti-extradition measure passed. Pedro Motoa is pleased. But Mariachi isn't. There's a magistrate who's investigating him, and he's all for “eliminating” this judge. Another guy wants to take down some more journalists. But Pablo nixes all this. He doesn't even care if Luis Galan gets elected President.

Galan is moving ahead in trying to be the Liberal Party's candidate for President. Previously the party “hand-picked” its leaders, and that included Santorini and Javier Ortiz. But Luis Galan is working to let the people decide on the candidates, which would help him. What also looks likely is that Santorini and Ortiz might head up two commissions to study the proposed anti-extradition law (one commission in the Senate, the other in the Congress (like our House of Representatives)). Santorini is in the Senate, Ortiz is in the Congress. Similarly, Galan is in the Senate, Galan's advisor Alberto is in the Congress. Alberto says maybe I could try to head the commission in the Congress (which Ortiz is running for). We'd need the votes of the conservative and leftist parties, but that's possible, since we have a common enemy, the mafiosos. The phone rings, and Luis is doing well in the polls.

Pablo is carrying his little daughter Daniela, coaching her in how to answer the police if they ask questions about her Papi. Basically, act dumb. But why would the police ask me questions, Daddy?

Chili tells Pablo that Regina is in Cali. Pablo sends Marino, who corners her in an elevator, and says the boss wants you to come to Medellin. She refuses, even when he says will you go to Medellin the easy way, or is it going to be the hard way? (por las buenas or por las malas) She does give him a pager number, which Marino gives to Pablo. Marino says she was petrified, so he's sure this is Regina's real pager number.

The Magistrate doesn't have much security. It looks as if Mariachi is thinking of taking him out on his own, against Pablo's orders, as he has a guy with an eye patch scoping out the Magistrate.

Juan and Emilio Cano are told by the non Cano newpaper editor that they should leave the country. They debate this, thinking what would Dad do?

Pablo is in bed with Mireya, Chili's sister. She's happy he has helped her and her brother to lead a more “classy” life. He tells her, you can sleep with anyone you like, except my enemies. (But how brazen is he, sleeping with anyone HE wants!)
 

PABLO ESCOBAR Part 2

Niki interviews the Magistrate. He won't accuse anyone yet (he's working on something against Mariachi, and also on the Cano murder). He's waiting until he has proof. Is he afraid? Fear can paralyze you, he tells her. He can't afford to be afraid. But when he enters his office, he opens a folder that wasn't there before, with a picture of Jesus on the outside. Inside, there's a message, Cash or Bullets. You decide. NOW he's afraid. He looks outside, and there's that guy with the eye patch.

Santorini gets a call from Pablo. He really doesn't feel like talking, but Pablo insists. What's going on with the commissions? You and Ortiz are going to lead them, right? So can you guarantee my anti-extradition law will pass? Santorini says it's complicated. The problem isn't Ortiz, the problem is Villamizar, the brother in law of Galan (this must be Alberto, whom I mentioned above as Galan's advisor). Then Santorini gets tough. Wouldn't you like it if I were President? I need money. LOTS of money. If you back me, you'll get whatever you want. Pablo responds, forget it. I'm not investing in you at all unless you FIRST get Ortiz to run that commission and get my law passed. Got it?

Previews make us think this legal method of getting Pablo's goals may not last.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE:

Great recap, Novelera, you notice all the same things I do, like the name of the boat. Hah!

Yes, I agree it looks as if Laura might be Jessica's mother, having had a fling with EV years ago, and then maybe having her daughter taken from her, and also maybe now she can't have more kids. That's what it seemed like. I agree, I thought when Javier was in town, Laura probably saw him, but maybe she was too busy picking out S&M outfits for JM.

I like how fast Angie went from no job to running the bodyguard agency.

The Reptile was also funny calling EV's lifetime nanny Ofelia. Now she's get some info from him.

EV told FF he has a first and last name. Do we know what these are?
 

CORAZON VALIENTE:

I meant, now she'll get some info ABOUT him.
 

Pablo Escobar -

thanks so much Hombre !!!

it took me a while to place the guy working with Galan,
is it Alberto?
anyway he (Gustavo Angarita Jr.) was in Victorinos
as the father who wanted his Victorino to be a general.

and thanks for earlier giving the definition of "verraco", they have been using this word a lot and the only definition I could come up with was a male pig, a boar.

and thanks NovelaMaven for your comments,
I enjoy your observations as well.

and isn't Mariano an interesting character to follow,
as are all of the characters,
you can't really stereotype anyone, as each and every one are so unique,
the sign of an excellent production.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE

Thanks novelera for the great recap

I can't stand Verdugo! He's just as boring and as annoying as Jefe. Surely Thelma is in the same group but gracias a dios her scenes are not that long.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE –

thanks so much novelera, for a wonderful recap,
as always !!!

I loved the violin being played on the bow of the yacht,
Verdugo is very good at setting a romantic scene,
if you don't mind the handcuffs.

I hated to see D8D and Clara consummate their marriage,
this is really a different kind of love,
what is the opposite of gran amor?
D8D does his best work with the young and innocent,
kind of a hobby he has, and he seems to thrive off of it.

I keep thinking Nico still owns the house,
the one that always has an extra bedroom for guests,
that Sammi and Willy are always throwing people out of.

interesting watching Miggy working over Ringo,
I was remembering when Ringo was working over Miggy.

It seemed like when Fabiola bailed from the honeymoon,
Verdugo was most worried that she might drown,
but what about the part where she has seen his face?
ahh, love is blind!

and the way Fabiola keeps stuffing herself you would think she would look like the Pillsbury doughboy by now.

papa Verdugo, hmm,,,
will we be having some sympathy for this character,

D8D always seems to have another card he can play to jilt another's world, like disclosing Jessica to Verdugo, and then he always moves in close to drink in the confusion.... an addict getting his fix, what an intriguing and disgusting villain.

and Fernanda,
laying around in Verdugo's bed in Colombia,
doing so little,
why is this so scary?
what will be her next move?
 

Thanks Hombre - really appreciate your dedication; as usual, I missed a lot on my own.

Many thanks also to Novelera, an interesting evening. Can you tell me exactly what Laura replied to Gus after she told him that she was sorry that he was denied the opportunity to be a father once again, and then he said that Angela already has children. --------------------

I played it several times, and I know this was a Key sentence to the story. I thought she used the plural form of hijos at the end.

I couldn't tell if she said she had already had children, or that she couldn't have children.

And then Gus revealed that he had known everything about her
all along.

I agree; it seems as if the story is setting her up to be Jessica's mother. Perhaps a reunion, will melt her seemingly heart of stone as well.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE

Floridia, my mind is a bit of a sieve at times.

I remember that Laura was kind to Gus after JM had - in the immortal words of my mother - "shown his heinie" by insulting Gus about Ángela not wanting to have his child. And the knife going in with the unspoken sub-text that she'd had HIS!.

Gus sort of made excuses for Ángela, telling Laura that Ángela already had two children. I assume this meant he sort of understood her reluctance to get pregnant again.

Laura, with a sad look on her face, told Gus that she had her motives for not wanting children. Gus told her that he knew why. She looked shocked, seeming to think that secret had been kept from everyone.

I don't remember her out and out saying she'd ever had a child, but Jean's theory makes a lot of sense.
 

PABLO ESCOBAR

Hombre, congratulations on the Orioles. I dislike the Texas Rangers, so good on your team!

My son came by last night while I was watching Pablo Escobar. He was immediately fascinated, and I kept having to pause the DVR and explain things to him. His Spanish is pretty much limited to tacos and enchiladas.

I can't figure out if the threat to Regina is about sex or the war with Cali. Escobar doesn't seem to mind Mireya's multiple partners (and why does it seem she's still hooking when Chili is rich?).

But, if it's about sex, he appears to think Regina has to put herself in cold storage after the miraculous experience of being his lover. He wouldn't accept Yesenia and Marino either. Is he afraid these women will reveal his "shortcomings"?

I've been wondering for quite a while if Andrés Parra has seen recordings or heard audio and is imitating Escobar's speech. It's definitely distinctive, staccato, odd.

His hypocrisy is almost unbearable. He never seems to show any self-awareness. The people he kills and has kidnapped deserve it. He yammers on about Colombia and his being a committed leftist so much that I feel like screaming at my TV.

Chili definitely got put in his place last night when he piped up about killing some more politicians. Gonzalo saw immediately that there would be a bloodbath just to get a reward if he weren't stopped right then.

My memory is a bit fuzzy about whom it was that she grilled, but Niki sure did go after someone at the press conference, specifically about the murder of Guillermo Cano being unpunished.
 

Baseball-
So we've got a Giant's fan, an Oriole's fan and I'm a Yankees fan so good luck to all our teams in the playoffs.
 

PABLO ESCOBAR -- viernes

Thanks, Hombre. Great job, as always.

That "Plomo o plato" threat is always chilling, no matter how many times we've seen it, isn't it?

Novelera, I'm pretty sure Niki was interviewing/questioning the Magistrate who was handling el Mariachi's case, as Hombre says. Remember how, when he went to the window after receiving that threat, he saw Niki walking away and then spotted the bad guy with the eye patch? That was el Mariachi's guy.

Deb, I've also been intrigued by "verraco". The official Spanish dictionary (DRAE) doesn't even recognize its existence as slang but some of the regional dictionaries have lots to say. If you want to read about it in Spanish, check out this site:

http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish/linguistics/903484-¿berraco_o_verraco.html

But basically, they say it is used to mean 1. outstanding, brave, excellent, daring, etc or 2. angry, ill-tempered when talking of a person; and 3. complicated or difficult, when talking of a situation.

It's a great word for our characters with their limited vocabularies -- its meaning is very much dependent on context.

About Pablo's sexual jealousy --
Mireya is a prostitute so even Pablo isn't going to demand "fidelity" from her. Actually, it's surprising she is still plying her trade. Isn't she getting a bit long in the tooth for that? And as Novelera said, her brother Chili is making such a killing in the killing trade.

Poor Yesenia. She was so small and powerless. Her story shows Pablo at his worst.

Pablo has to know Regina's vida sentimental didn't stop when they "broke up" although I don't think he likes any reminders of that fact. But he really doesn't want her consorting with the enemy -- in or out of bed.

P.S. One more Yankees fan here!
 

Hombre,


Speaking of sons, my son read a while back "Killing Pablo" by Mark Bowden. I don't know if anyone else has mentioned that book here, but he said it reads like a novel, and was one of the best books he ever read;
he reads a great variety of non fiction.

Novelera, thanks; it must have been the motives for not having children that I didn't understand.
 

Rosa Diamante -

I'm still with this one,
it's cute, amusing,
melodramatic, (directed by Miguel Varoni)
and easy to follow, you could jump in anytime,,,

background,,,

" Two girls, Rosa (Carla Hernández) and Eva (Thalí Garcia) grow up together at an exclusive boarding school for girls. Rosa is an orphan and Eva, after the death of her parents, has been abandoned by the rest of her family except for visits from her grandfather, Eduardo Sotomayor, the owner of the largest lingerie company in the country. The two girls are as close as sisters and when Eva has a baby, they decide to raise him together. After Eva's grandfather dies, she inherits the family mansion and 40 percent of the company. The two girls are headed to Mexico City to collect when their car crashes. Eva is killed. Rosa, afraid to lose custody of Eva's baby whom she swore she'd take care of if anything happened to her friend, decides to assume Eva's identity.

As Rosa takes her place, or rather, Eva's place in the Sotomayor mansion, the suspense hinges on when it will be discovered she is an impostor. In the meantime, it is enormously entertaining watching Rosa enter that world inhabited by all those awful, avaricious degenerates and make them squirm. It's interesting that her primary weapon, rather than being her beauty and sex appeal, seems to be a youthful, brazen impudence - she is an awfully saucy girl who doesn't take guff from anybody."

cast,,, (with pictures)
http://foro.telenovela-world.com/n4/read-t.php?f=1123&i=2463&t=2463#reply_2463

song,,,
(written by Marco Flores, sung by Eli Flores,,, who also did the Flor Salvaje soundtrack)
download here,
http://mp3crop.com/music/mp3/eli_flores___rosa_diamante.html

song lyrics,
http://foro.telenovela-world.com/n4/read-t.php?f=1123&i=1699&t=1699#reply_1699

some pics from 15 sept 12,
http://foro.telenovela-world.com/n4/read-t.php?f=1123&i=2651&t=2651#reply_2651

some pics from last fridays show,
http://foro.telenovela-world.com/n4/read-t.php?f=1123&i=3223&t=3223#reply_3223
 

El rostro de la venganza -- hasta aquí

Yes, I keep watching even as I mutter crankily at every weird twist of the plot -- the ¡Qué demonios ... ! factor is very high. So where are we now? Random factoids from memory:

They killed Antonia! And we know -- though most of the characters do not -- that the murderer is Valeria Samaniego! Apparently, she also killed Antonia's pa. She is nutso and evil. Who knows what else she has done?

D-Mart's sister Diana has tricked Luciano into confessing that HE was Mariana's lover. But the joke is on Diana -- now she's in love with Luciano and doesn't want to betray him.

Ezequiel did not kill his wife because ... she's not dead! She is alive and plump and living with her mama in Florida. She seems to think D-Mart was guilty as charged.

One of the original classmates, Jorge Castillo, is now a shrink. Antonia had gotten a story out of him about the use of electroshock to make the witnesses forget what they had seen. Now Ezequiel has Jorge captured and threatens to kill him for spilling to Antonia. Why? We still don't understand what Ezequiel has done. We KNOW he's bad; we don't know just HOW bad.

Mariana has a dreadful new hairdo. Maybe that's why she's reportedly leaving the show. Right now, she is D-Mart's only friend. So when she leaves, it's really gonna suck.

Classmate Alex Maldonado has been married to classmate Natalia (whom the nasty kids called "pimple face") but their marriage has remained unconsummated presumably because Alex is still so traumatized by the classroom massacre. It turns out that sexpot Carolina (one of the meanest of the mean girls in their class) is able to cure what ails him.

Alex and Natalia continue working to organize the Worst Class Reunion Ever. I mean really -- would YOU go?

Tania is a liar and a terrible mother.

Veronica isn't the perra we thought she was. She jeopardized her job to put Ezequiel's suegra Manuela on the air to clear Antonia's name. Manuela and Tania's little boy both say that Antonia did NOT kidnap the kid -- she just wanted to protect him from his bad mother and get his infection treated; and Antonia did NOT take her own life -- she was MURDERED by Samaniego.

Now Samaniego is furious. His wife Valeria is shopping furiously.

D-Mart is, as usual, in great danger. He is also, as usual, driven by the need for revenge.

And the viewer, as usual, marvels at the ease with which people negotiate city traffic, driving right up to the door in midtown Manhattan.
 

El Rostro de la Venganza

NovelaMaven, I am also watching, swearing each week to banish it from the DVR queue and catching up on the weekend.

Thanks for posting your sense of where we are right now.

All the kids who survived the shooting at the school 20 years ago had electro-shock therapy to wipe their brain pans? Now that's an out-on-the-limb plot!

It would seem that DiegoMart is supposed to turn to Mariana, but Elizabeth Gutierrez is leaving the show. The internet gossip is that Marlene Favela is coming on the show.

I had never seen Elizabeth in a telenovela before. She sure is gorgeous.
 

El rostro de la venganza -

thanks so much NovelaMaven !!!

I have stopped watching this but was curious as to the main story points, especially with Maritza Rodríguez leaving the show and Elizabeth Gutiérrez still there, what?
and your update really filled the bill.

I see wiki now has Marlene Favela listed in the cast, as well as in her IMDb list of shows, so maybe I'll take another look to see how she is in this one. I guess she had a stroke (derrame cerebral) not too long ago, that was life threatening so I wasn't sure she would do this, but I guess she is.

I keep trying the "furious shopping" thingy myself, and I am sure it will work some day, and solve all of my problems, ha!
 

General -

it looks like on my local tv schedule that this coming friday will be a prime time novela vacation due to a couple of futbol games, one of which is a world cup qualifier for Mexico.


 

Corazon Valiente...

did anyone else notice Miggy has had 2 new bikes? The first bike with the high hippy bars he used for lots of episodes. Then about a week ago I noticed the bike was different but I couldn't make it out. Now in the latest episode where he has the bike, he's got a Harley V-Rod, kind of a cool muscle bike from Harley Davidson. Still love how they get on the bike with no gloves and when they put their helmets on they never fasten the chin strap :)

El Rostro...

I was really surprised that they killed off Antonia. Anyone know why? I've enjoyed watching Diego's sister falling for Luciano, I thought that might happen.
 

El Rostro

Rand, I read on another site that Maritza said that her character, Antonio, was always supposed to die. It makes sense since vengeance is the theme of the novela, and this gives DiegoMart a really good reason.
 

EL SECRETARIO - Monday, Sept. 8:

I'm grumbling about Telemundo's lack of consideration for the viewers for this soap/telenovela. Not only is El Secretario down to half-hour, but today they scheduled it for 9:30 to 10 a.m. (cst). If I hadn't walked by the television this morning and turned it on, I might've missed another episode.

This morning's episode was a very funny one. Well, here's what happened during the 15 minutes I watched:

Emilio and Olga were having breakfast in bed -- Emilio needed to make some important phone calls for Toni, Olgita kept going on and on about why they weren't that important. Emilio (I think) finally convinced her -- because he left the bedroom and went to the main room to make the calls and she sat on the bed grinning and biting her bottom lip.

Felix and Mario were fighting. Apparently Lucerita, his new secretary, has been influencing him to see the light. Mario cut up all the money. Felix was furious and ended up on top of Mario and trying to suffocate him. Mario stopped moving and talking. Felix was upset as he crawled off Mario and down onto the floor. Mario finally woke up. Felix and Mario continued their fight -- Mario ran out of the apartment/townhouse, leaving his cell phone and the cut up money behind.

Frank sits with Lorena and Val for breakfast. He has to break the sad news to Val that he is leaving town for the USA. She asks if they are all going together and they will visit Mickey Mouse? He says no. He will be leaving alone. Val is very sad. Frank has to kneel down at her side and explain that he has a work opportunity in the US that he can't pass up. But he promises to call her and write her everyday, and maybe, someday soon, she and her mom can visit him and they can go see Mickey. Val smiles.

Emilio is in the main room of his apartment (I think). there were six or seven shots of him making desperate phone calls searching for someone for a dance. He needs to find someone available right now.

Mario is sitting in church with Lucerita. He is proclaiming to her how much he has changed thanks to her, and kisses and holds her hand tightly. She reminds him that for the change to be truthful and real, it has to come from within, from his heart. He says yes, yes, yes, it is. The congregation stands as the service begins.

Feliz called Paola; she was happy to talk with him until he asked her for the phone number of another lady. She was upset. Feliz explained he needed the number because he needed to find his back-stabbing bro Mario.

(end of episode.)

 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – LUNES – Part 1

Miggy grills Fabiola about what happened on the boat, getting very jealous when she tells him that El Verdugo said he was in love with her. She tells him about the dress, the champagne, and the kisses.

EV tells D8D that he won’t ever kill Miggy because then FF would never love him.

Fabiola, like most women, is sensible. She tells Miggy he behaves like he’d rather EV had killed her than kissed her. She explains that she needed to distract him so she could escape, and she did, not even fearing the sharks. He embraces her.

Laura questions Gus about why he and Angie are breaking up. She’s worried that JM might be the reason.

JM tells Ángela she cannot be Génesis’ bodyguard. He starts snooping, asking if “Señor Pastelero” is OK with her new line of work. She tells him she and Gus are no longer together.

EV says he’s going to make Miggy pay for what he did to Ringo.

Rosario tells the Reptile that El Verdugo was always after the daughter of Don Ferrara. There was another woman long ago. The Reptile says “María” and Rosario is shocked she knows the name. She tells the Reptile that María was a girl he met on vacation in the US, and his father didn’t like her. Reptile: “And Fabiola?” Rosario says she prays every night his obsession doesn’t lead him to his death.

Miggy says that EV won’t give up so easily and will be back for Fabiola again.

Sam says she needs to be the one to try to get the name of Jessica’s father from D8D, plus she wants to see the baby.

Thelma gets a call from D8D and then asks Jessica if she wants to meet her father.

JM assures Laura that the breakup of Gus and Ángela won’t change anything between them. Just then Ángela arrives with Génesis’ new bodyguard and walks in on JM and Laura kissing.

Miggy says he’ll be able to find EV because he has something he wants. Miggy wants Camilo to help find the boat.

Rod tells D8D he feels terrible for what he did to Fabiola. Before Sam and Willy arrive, D8D tells Clara not to trust Sam because she’s envious because the baby is theirs.

We see a blindfolded Jessica brought in to see EV. She’s scared, of course. He tells her to be calm. EV pulls off his mask and says to Jessica: “Yo soy tu papa.” [Luke, I am your father!] She asks why she had to be blindfolded and why Thelma had to stay in the car. He tells her she’s pretty and doesn’t look like him because he’s ugly. She asks where her mother is. He tells her he didn’t know her mother was pregnant. If he had known, she’d have been with him her whole life, pampered. He tells her that her mother, María, died.

Willy and Sam tell D8D that it’s important for Jessica to know who her parents are. And Willy adds that it’s also important for D8D's daughter to know that. D8D is angry and says that he’s the only father of Bernardita.

Gus tells Miggy that they have Ringo, plus the photo of the “dead” Javier Falcón to use in finding EV. He asks what EV wanted with Fabiola. She tells him he wanted her love. FF suggests using herself as bait, with Miggy, of course, not wanting this to happen.

Laura asks Ángela why she and Gus broke up and then tells her that’s SHE’s going to hang onto JM.

EV gives Jessica a phone to use to call him and tells her that no one can know she has it. He tells her he loves her and that they’ll be together forever. They’ll be to each other the family they never had. He hugs her.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – LUNES – Part 2

Sam holds Mini-Sammy. Clara smiles and says it seems like the baby recognizes Sam. D8D gets behind Clara in order to get a better look at Sam. He says that he thinks the baby creates a bond between them. Willy asks Clara if she knows why D8D gave his name to the baby. It’s because they lost theirs. He did it to hurt them. Clara asks what baby they’re talking about. Sam tells her that a doctor they thought was their friend told them she had implanted their embryo, but it was a lie from Lorena. Clara realizes the whole thing at once. D8D looks scared. He loses it and tells Willy and Sam he doesn’t want them ever to come back. After they leave, Clara confronts him. “Bernardita es hija de Willy y Sam?”

The boat where Fabiola was kept is found, with the incriminating name painted out. A thug jumps out with a machine gun. He tells them they can’t board without a search warrant. Meanwhile, FF recognizes another of the thugs walking their way as one of her kidnappers. They give chase and shoot the guy twice. But the first guy has taken the boat when they go back.

The Reptile is somehow able to see Laura and JM in a car kissing on her laptop. She tells Lucy they are defying her, while Rosario looks on from the doorway.

JM asks Ángela if her breakup with Gus is definite. She tells him it’s none of his business, and for sure, whoever she might be with in the future, it won’t be him.

D8D insists to Clara that the baby is not Sam and Willy’s. Clara tells him that’s enough; stop lying. She tells D8D he always knew about the baby and that’s why he helped her. He says he didn’t know what Lorena did with the embryo. Clara replies that it was pretty easy to add two and two when she appeared. She tells him the baby is his granddaughter.

The Reptile has a Skype conversation with EV, telling him she misses him. She wants a little gift, the head of Laura. He tells her he’s a generous guy.

Jessica tells Willy and Sam that she was with her father, that her mother was María, and that her father loves her. His name is Javier.

Sam, Willy, Jessica, Nico, Ángela, Gus, Miggy, and Fabiola are in the kitchen when Nora runs in saying that the face of El Verdugo is on TV and that there’s a $2 million reward for him. Jessica recognizes him right away. When everyone else leaves Gus is surprised that Ángela is a bodyguard again and didn’t even tell him about it.

Laura tells JM that her parents abandoned her. He drives off, and she’s grabbed up by the usual black SUV.

D8D works on Clara, telling her that, if she tells Sam and Willy about the baby, they’ll never see her again. He says Sam is expecting a baby and isn’t even thinking about this child. Then the SOB says that Sam and Willy would send her to prison.

Jessica asks if EV is so very bad. Miggy says he’s one of the most wanted narcos in the whole world. If anyone gets in his way, he kills them. Fabiola says that he kidnapped her. Jessica runs out crying.

El Verdugo says he’s going to give her the honor of seeing the face of El Verdugo. He wants to see the face of the woman who bothered Fernanda del Castillo so much. He takes off the duct tape and mask from her face. They recognize each other. “Javier?” “María?”

Miggy tells Jessica that he knows she knows something. She cries, saying he told her not to say anything. “El Verdugo es mi papa!”

Clara arrives at Casa del Castillo to say she’s come to talk with them about Bernardita. [I don’t have much hope she’s going to tell the truth; it’s probably a red herring.]
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE

Thanks so much for another great recap, novelera.

If I'm not wrong Miggy said something about an "damned image in his mind". Was he referring to what happened between Alejandra and DD?
El Verdugo was going to kill el amor de su vida, just because Reptile wanted him to!! Laura was lucky that Verdugo had enough time to see her face first!

Rand
Interesting points about the bikes. This is Gabriel's own bike!
 

Novelaobserver, nice!

That's the GS from BMW, they're called adventure tourer's as they can go off road and tour in comfort on the pavement too. The segment is getting more popular all the time.

Rand.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE:

Great recap, Novelera. Well, we're definitely getting some revelations. Maybe the show is nearing final weeks.

I think EV said Ringo was his blood. This could have been just rhetoric, but maybe he was his brother. Not that it really matters.
 

PABLO ESCOBAR Lunes Part 1

I'm surprised, but the congressmen vote Alberto Villamizar to head one of the commissions on the extradition law. For once, the bad guys have lost. Pablo says this is shit! If they won't let us do it legally, we'll do it with bullets! Pedro and German start to leave, but Pablo orders them to sit. It's very simple, he continues. We'll kill the magistrate. We'll kill Quintana, the chief of military police of Antoquia, we'll kill Villamizar, we'll kill them all! Peluche and Fabio also think this is too much, but they're silenced by Gonzalo. And Mariachi gives Pablo his unconditional support. They mention those two remaining Cano brothers at Espectador. Kill them. How about Luis Carlos Galan? Kill him. And Santorini, he hasn't helped us, so we won't help him any more.

Niki interviews Santorini, how does it feel to lose to Luis Galan? I didn't lose, Ortiz did. But even if you say I lost today, that means nothing. Good day, Miss Journalist.

As Regina reads the headline “Triumph of Galanismo”, her pager goes off. The message “it's time for the prodigal daughter to call home.” She calls, from a pay phone, hand shaking. Pablo wants to know why she had lunch with Gildardo. She says her private life is none of his business, but if he must know, she didn't sleep with him, and won't, not because Pablo forbids it, just because she doesn't want to. And she doesn't consider she was ever Pablo's woman, just a friend. So leave me alone.

Sicario meeting. Chili's in charge. Candongo and El Buitre are to take out that magistrate. After that, it's the two top people at El Espectador. Pictures are handed out. Marino is to take out a woman named Magdelena Espinonz, also a magistrate. And Kiko and Cain? Go to Bogotá, take out Representative Villamizar and General Peraza. What about me? asks Topo. You're with me, bro. We're going to take down none less than the head of police, Colonel Quintana. Whoa! Fist bumps and cervezas all around.

On tv, Regina reports that the anti extradition law wasn't even introduced. Pablo watches almost in shock. Pati sees his look, here we go again. Yes, here we go, as we see each killer stalk his prey. I recognize Judge Espinoza from way back in the story. She's tranquil with her loving family. Not for long.

Pablo's in Bogotá, in a car with Naufrago, the guy with the eye patch who works for Mariachi. What do you need, boss? Don't worry about being here, we'll make sure you're safe.
 

PABLO ESCOBAR, Part 2

Marino shoots Judge Espinonza dead right on the street. He just says hello to her, and kills her. Niki tells the Cano brothers she was the first judge who convicted Escobar of drug trafficking. This must be retaliation. Galan says it's a cowardly act. There's no doubt it was Pablo Escobar. Niki asks if he's afraid he'll be a victim. He responds, lets first protect the judges, the journalists, the police, all of whom are working together to stop this delinquent.

Next up? Alberto Villamizar. Kiko and Cain read some Bible verses, then open fire with submachine guns. Somehow Alberto is able to duck into his car, some guards fire on Kiki and Cain, and they leave. But Alberto is okay. His horrified wife heard the shooting, rushes outside to hug him.

Pablo visits Regina unannounced. She's almost paralyzed, standing in her robe upstairs from where he entered. You comin' down, or should I go up? says our charmer.

Cano gives a fiery speech in the Senate. The vile attempt on the life of Congressman Villamizar should be the last attempt by these delinquents. They won't stop the New Liberalism party from bringing peace to our nation. How much longer can we tolerate these criminals walking our streets with impunity? Yes, how much longer, these are the words of an editorial in El Espectador, everyone's reading it. Are we going to allow the cartel of Medellin to take down the valiant judges of our country, like Magdalena Espinoza? There's still Magistrate Bernal, who continues to investigate the murder of Guillermo Cano. Will he receive enough protection?

Well, General Ulloa and General Peraza visit Bernal, who confirms he's just about to issue the findings of his investigation, which may mark the end for Pablo Escobar and Gustavo Ramirez, alias El Mariachi. The Generals say he can count on him for protection. (I'm not so optimistic).

Pablo's in his apartment, the kids fell asleep with him on the sofa. Pati, wearing a black print blouse, with pink flowers and green leaves (I remember when pink and green were big) over tight tan Wrangler jeans, tells him she wants to talk. Over brownies, she says she's reached a decision. She's forgiving him. For everything he's done. Including that lady television reporter. She takes a sip of orange juice.

Cut back to Pablo visiting Regina. I swear to you Pablo, I have nothing to do with Gildardo Gonzales. He called me because he's thinking of getting into politics, and wanted my advice. You believe me, don't you? Hmmmm.

 

Rosa Diamante
Deb - thanks for posting about Rosa as I know most people aren't commenting. I am week behind since I had a family emergency and I can't get Telemundo where I was. It isn't as bad as I thought it would be and the plot seems to be advancing without alot of the contrivances that plague the "Univision" tns. It appears to be more straight forward, but Telemundo is known for it's "Way Out" characters like Barbara and Rosura. Still I have enjoyed watching this one because there is less "filler" and the plot seems to be moving along regularly. I think Carla as "Eva" is doing a wonderful job.
SFChicaBonita
 

PABLO ESCOBAR Martes

Yes, I believe you, says Pablo to Regina. But that's the last time you give advice to those dogs. Now tell me something. Have you missed me? I've missed YOU. Pablo gently undoes Regina's robe, starts to kiss her. She's sorely tempted, but at the last minute, stops him. She tells him your days are numbered. You're going to end up extradited, sorry to say. Galan is going to be President. Maybe if you negotiate, you can stay. But now, please go. If you kick me out now, says Pablo, I'll never come back and see you, never. Regina sighs, tearfully says, I know. Pablo gets teary, too, gives her back the apartment keys, and they part.

Candongo is scoping out Bernal, who comes out of his place with a ton of guards. He calls Buitre, they took a different route. Again. Five days, five different routes. From his post in the woods, Buitre is discouraged, but Candongo advises patience.

At Nápoles, it's Emilio's first communion. Pablo is falling asleep. But here comes Santorini.

At El Espectador, a secretary take an anonymous phone call. Tell them the two of them are going to die.

Emilio gets a little moto as a present. Miguel's compadre isn't happy about this party, he hates Pablo, but Miguel tells him to stay cool. Santorini, after being made to wait for a while, is allowed to enter Pablo's office. The party is still going on while Pablo has this business meeting in the house. Santorini tells Pablo that the way to get votes is through community leaders. We want to teach Galan a lesson (un escarmiento). We need your help. Okay, cut the crap, says Pablo, how much do you need? Two million dollars. Hmmm, nice number. Well, Mr. Santo, out of that sum, how much are YOU going to keep? Oh, Pablo, how could you think such a thing? Tell you what, says Pablo. I'll give you....nada. I'm not afraid of Galan being President. I just prefer to invest my money in bombs, torture, blood and mutilation. So are we done? Santorini has one more thing to tell Pablo.

Kiko and Cain are watching El Espectador. Here, too, there's tons of security, and they're a little discouraged, surprised to find huge police escorts for the two Cano brothers.

Mariachi is upset Pablo hasn't been able to kill Magistrate Bernal. Pablo says he, too, has tons of security, have patience. Mariachi is running out of patience. While these two killers discuss business, a chubby magician is amusing the guests. Again, the contrast. Pablo tells Mariachi, I'm going to entrust you personally with the next mission. Kill Luis Carlos Galan! Mariachi has a lot of qualms about this. We see the magician pull a cute bunny from a hat. Pablo continues (this is what Santorini ended up saying). If we kill Galan, Santorini will be President, and you know how he's always been on our side. I'm being careful about where I spend my money. Why kill pawns, when we can kill the king? Mariachi swallows, takes a breath for courage, steels his gaze, looks directly at Pablo. You can count on me. I'll handle it.
 

Pablo Escobar -

thanks so much Hombre !!!
excellent recaps!

and retro fashion comments!


 

Corazon Valiente -

wow!
the Gregorio Pernía / Angeline Moncayo their scenes were incredible!
so intense!
Gabriela Borges (Jessica) was good too.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – martes – Part 1

Clara has come to see Sam and Willy. She tells Sam that she will never prevent her from coming to see the baby. Willy replies that Sam can’t go to D8D’s place because of the evil things that he has done, which he describes concluding with the fact that D8D has always been in love with Sam. Sam thanks Clara for coming over. Clara leaves saying that Sam shouldn’t thank her for anything.

Jéssica tells Miggy that even though EV is a narco, he is her biological father and she doesn’t want anything bad to happen to him. Miggy replies that narcos usually end up dead or in prison.

Just like at a high school reunion, Laura ask EV, You are Verdugo, the narco? He asks her, You are in the police? EV unties Laura and says that she will always be his “bella Maria.”

D8D tells Camilo some ridiculous story about not trusting him and therefore he needs to be at D8D’s house 24/7 or he’s dead. It’s clear to me that the whole point of Camilo pretending to be Luis and working with the police is simply to give him access to Clara especially now that she is beginning to doubt D8D. It certainly isn’t part of any rational plan to catch D8D.

The Reptile calls JM and admits to being behind the disappearance of Laura and warns him not to have any women around him.

Just as Willy and Sam were separated by their parents, EV’s father and Laura’s mother separated them. Laura was told that EV was marrying someone else and didn’t want her. EV was told something, I forget what, about Laura. Laura says that being pregnant was the best thing that ever happened to her but that the baby was born dead.

Jéssica reiterates her conflict about her father to the various adults at Willy’s house and finally asks to be left alone. Once alone, she calls EV on the phone he gave her.

Sam can’t believe that a nice girl like Jéssica could have a father like EV but Willy points out that he is an example of not resembling his parents. [Of course, Jéssica wasn’t raised by her evil parent, unlike Willy.]

Laura tells EV that she when the baby was stillborn, she wanted to see her and say goodbye but her mother didn’t allow it. Since then she has been unable to commit emotionally to a child. EV tells her that their daughter is alive. At first, Laura doesn’t believe him but EV convinces her that his dad and her mom planned the whole thing.

EV gets the call from Jéssica. He asks if she wants to meet her mother. She does, of course. EV says that she has to come to him and tells her how to do it.

Clara comes home and D8D asks nervously if she told Sam and Willy that they were the baby’s biological parents. Clara replies that she did not but asks if it is true that D8D is in love with Sam.

Jéssica comes downstairs and tells all the adults that she called her Dad and she wants to go with him. Gus asks if she wants to turn him in or just be with him. Jéssica replies that she wants to turn him in.

 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – martes – Part 2

Laura tells EV that she wants to see her daughter.

Miggy tells FF that he is suspicious of Jéssica’s decision to turn EV in.

D8D tells Clara that he doesn’t deny that he loved Sam but he swears that was in the past, it was an obsession. Clara is his real love. Clara protests that D8D has Sam’s baby. D8D replies that Clara carried the child for 9 months, gave birth to her, is caring for her, etc. She is your baby, our baby. Clara says that she is not sure that she can live with this. D8D replies that they are now a happy family and he has no one else. Sam and Willy have one child and are expecting another.

Laura begs EV to let her see her child one time and then he can kill her like the Reptile wants.

The police set up their plan and give Jéssica a bracelet with a microchip in it. Sam gives Jéssica a necklace that we learn later also has a microchip in it.

Jéssica goes to a hotel, goes into a room and takes off the bracelet.

Laura calls JM and says that she is ok but she is in a crisis and needs to be alone.

Back in Colombia, the Reptile makes the maid wear a wig so that she looks more like Ofélia. The maid sees the picture of Laura that the Reptile has on her computer screen and identifies her as EV’s old girlfriend, Maria, aka Laura.

Angie and JM are in their house. Angie asks JM if he loves Laura. He replies no. He says that there is only one woman that he has loved, loves and will love and that is her. They leap into each other’s arms, kiss passionately, start ripping off each other’s clothes and apparently have sex on the kitchen table.

EV’s guys are waiting for Jéssica in the hotel basement. They also find her microchip necklace. The police realize that something is going on and go into the hotel but it is too late. Jéssica is gone.

Miggy tells FF that the operation was a disaster. He says that Jéssica chose to be with her father and has made a bad choice. Miggy is ready to leave all his friends and relatives without even saying goodbye and go to Ushuaia with FF. She agrees.

The Reptile calls EV and tells him that she knows that Laura is Maria. She asks if he is going to bring Laura to Colombia to be with Fabiola and her.

Rodrigo has apparently decided to deal with his problems by getting drunk. He insults Clara and Camilo hits him.

Angie and JM are dressing after sex. JM tells Angie that they can’t be separated. Angie replies that they can’t be together either – they hurt each other too much. JM says that he isn’t so sure about that. At that moment, Gus and Génesis walk in. Gus clearly realizes what has gone on and Génesis has that curious child look. Angie at least mentions Violeta at one point but the child playing her seem to have fallen off the planet.

EV brings Jéssica to his place with the stuffed deer decoration. He introduces Jéssica to her mom. They have a tearful reunion.

Willy tells Thelma that it’s time she left his house. She is left alone in the study and finds Clara’s medical records that have somehow eluded Sam and Willy.

Miggy and FF are at the airport but so are some bad guys.

 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE:

I haven’t been watching much of this, mainly because of time issues, but also, because it recently hasn’t been that engaging (hopefully I’ll eventually watch what I’ve missed, but prob. not before going off to Madrid… more catching up to do!) I’ve read through the recaps, so I’m probably more or less up to date now. Thanks so much for your hard work!!! Your recaps are always great and fun to read!

This was the first ep for a while I enjoyed and watched (almost) entirely. I like this new story with Verdugo, Jessie and Laura. It adds so much to all of those characters. I’ve always liked Laura, but I appreciate her character even more now that we have been shown the reasons for her cynical attitude. Verdugo is a very interesting villain, but the tired trope of "the villain must be in love/obsessed with the heroine" ruins it a bit for me. Otherwise he’d be a great character. I like how there are many more facets to him, which sets him apart from some of the other villains. He’s clearly disturbed, ruthless and immoral, but he has his limits and an empathetic side that makes him seem more human. (Unlike D8D the psychopath, who would harm even his own family) I can sympathise with and feel for him, but still acknowledge that he has to go down. I wish his relationship with Maria/Laura would be a bigger driving force than his creepy and clichéd obsession with Fabiola… Now, THAT would be interesting love story that is bound to end in tragedy anyway. I feel that the writers missed their opportunity there. (Maybe they can still seize it.. and drop that idiot plot with Fabiola. Actually both Miggy and Fabiola can get off the screen and be happy somewhere else).. I agree with Deb. The scenes between the actors playing Verdugo and Laura were intense and I also like the actress playing Jessie. I’m glad that she’s getting a more important role (at least for now). From what I’ve seen up till now, the three actors work well together and have great chemistry. The scene with Laura and Jessie at the end actually moved me to tears. (First time for this or any telenovela…)

Yeah, it’s strange how Willy is such a good person, although he was raised by a psychopath, but Jessie was also raised by a shady guy involved in drug trafficking and was abandoned by the woman she thought was her mother. Maybe that would have been the question for Sam to ask? I like the comparison to Nico’s situation. Jessie is ready to accept the biological parents she has never known, because she yearns for the love she never got from the ones she thought were her parents. (At least not from Thelma. I was under the impression that Victor wasn’t awful, just absent a lot.)


So Clara is not only unbelievably stupid, but also a weak, self-righteous and hypocritical person? She KNOWS that Sam and Willy are the child’s parents and KNOWS what D8D did to Sam in the past, but still… decides to continue to be with him? How does she think that the guy, who admitted that he kind of messed up with his kids and is now stealing a kid from his own son, could EVER be a good father? Bernie is telling her that HE needs this; it’s not about what’s best for the child at all. HE wants the child. Clara has been ready to jump to conclusions and judge people for their supposed actions, but despite acknowledging the situation succumbs to questionable actions herself and accepts them when it comes to D8D? I guess she can self-righteously judge and condemn, but when it comes down to it, it has been just talk on her part.
GAH. I honestly want Camilo to find someone else. Unlike Clara, who "dislikes" him based on completely false assumptions, Camilo’s "dislike" is actually based on the truth.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE:

The rest of my comment, because it didn't fit...


So, JM cheated on his kidnapped girlfriend. What a lovely guy. I was never a big fan of JM and Angie, but I did want them to end up together until the relationship was ruined during the separation. I didn’t want Angie to end up with Gus though, because Gus is too awesome for her. I did like that he was the one to break it off with her instead of being victimised and tossed to the wayside when Angie inevitably would go back to JM. I also liked the mature way he handled the break up.
I guess I’m still rooting for Laura and Gus? I really hope (and think) Laura won’t be killed off, since there is Jessie and she needs the mother she never had. (Her father is doomed, but maybe Gus, who loves kids so much, would be a good one?)

Hmm… what else. I wish Rodrigo had something better to do than mope around, drink and get punched by the good guys. Fernanda is becoming a bit tiresome. She needs to find another purpose in life or another plot. Hopefully Sam and Willy find out about Luz soon and also get another plot, preferably not again based on jealousy.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE

I am no longer glued to this TN, but last night's episode was outstanding. I would have wished that the entire episode would have been with EV, Jessica and Laura.

I would never have thought that another actor could steal Miggy's thunder, but EV has.

Thank you for the recap, I did miss some of it and am always happy to come to Caray, Caray to read up on what I missed.

EV - I tremendously like bad men in black with a heart of gold.

It made no sense for Clara to go and torture Sam and Willy. There's just no point to her defending D8D, I hope this plotline comes to a conclusion.

I ask one thing of Telemundo, please make Angela the one who takes down the Reptile. I never quite understood the Angela character, she was a wimp, they had her train, she took front and center during the shooting at the funeral, then they reverted her and made her a wimp. And right now I don't know what she is.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE-
So EV is a vicious narco who loves his family. That sounds ridiculous but look at Pablo Escobar where it is done much better (no silly mask, for one thing).

I thought it was a little weird that Jessica had such an instant and strong attachment to EV and to Laura. I know about the "call of the blood" but I thought that Nic's reaction to finding out about his real parents was somewhat more believable.

 

CORAZON VALIENTE:

Great recap, Jean, and excellent observations. I agree that the call of the blood is quite strong in this novela (and to me, completely unrealistic, but when is a novela supposed to be realistic?).

I think Laura has snapped. Totally. I think she will now dump all her police training, become an outlaw with EV, and will end up getting killed. I never liked her with JM, thought she was unsexy, then weird, and a manipulator. Now that she has "found" her "family", that explains everything, right? Not for me.

The actor playing EV is doing an amazing job with the ridiculous plot twists they throw him. He now has three women, Reptile (sort of), FF and Laura/Maria. Doesn't faze him one bit. Yes, it was moving when EV, Maria and Jessica had their reunion. But to me, it was all the acting and the music. In real life, it could never be so loving, it would probably be very tense and strained. But I forgot. The call of the blood.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE

Thanks for the great recap, Jean.

I hate El Verdugo, especially his supposedly good sides! (Attila and Saddam loved their children too). The actor does a great job in weeping tears but as a powerful man he is just ridiculous. My favorite villain is Bernardo. Every single frame of Landeta's acting is entertaining.
 

ROSA DIAMANTE

thanks Deb.

still watching as well. I concur with SFChicaBonita about story moving along.

also, acting of protagonista (Carla Hernandez) is by far one of the better ones I've seen.
 

EL ROSTRO

I am still watching, until Eli Gutierrez departs, I guess.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE

seem to me like the never ending novela........... snoooozzzzzeeeee
 

Thanks, Jean, Always outstanding.
Perhaps Laura will end up with Gus. She knows he is a good man. He said that she was always tormented and agitated when she was with him, and that the SM wasn't his style.
Possibly she has been into SM because she always felt guilty on account of being abandoned by her father. After finding her daughter, she may get up strength to have another child, this time with Gus, thereby making a family for Jessie and killing 2 birds with one stone.

Going back to earlier thinking, I am wondering if Nora could be Angela's mother. Something weird happened when Fernanda was born, but we don't know what.

Bad things have happened to many of the characters,but I think Angela "takes the cake." She had all of those horrible things happening with her first husband;
then she ends up in prison for over 2 years; she is betrayed by JM; she acts heroically in the rescue; she loses her memory;
she is treated like dirt once again by JM; she finds the love of a good man; she is understandably confused, but she has the courage to tell him that she does not want more children.

Nellie, I agree that it would be good to have Angela finish off
Fernanda.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE

Maybe Gregorio Pernia had it in his contract that he had to be a semi-lovable monstrous narco!

I agree, Jean, Camilo is being forced to live with D8D so he can endear himself to Clara, who at this point (and I agree with Kihaku) is just too dumb to live. She's SEEN how kind Willy and Sam are; how could she believe D8D's claim she'd never see the baby again?

Sex on the kitchen table with a house full of kids, maids, and security personnel wandering around? Okaaaaay.

So they went with the well-worn novela plot of parent (or someone) telling the woman who's just given birth that the baby was born dead. I've seen that at least a dozen times. With Sam, she knew her baby lived and looked like Willy, and then was stolen by her parents.

All in all, I'm still glued to the TV for this novela. They keep a bunch of balls in the air, switching between stories pretty well, in my opinion.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE:

I like that there are different kinds of villains and it’s not like we’re supposed to excuse EV just because he has feelings. Fernanda has a really tiny human side as well, as did Luis when it came to his daughter. Other villains also have had certain lines they wouldn’t cross. I find it realistic that characters aren’t completely evil and/or have reasons for their actions and state of mind. Not that I don’t enjoy D8D as a complete monster I love to hate. :) What I dislike is when stuff doesn’t get acknowledged (e.g. with El Jefe) and when the "good guys" get away with questionable or downright criminal actions just because of their status as good guys. E.g. Miggy is a murderer, JM is a douchebag and Clara a baby thief. Of course the police are unethical as well. (That doesn't mean I want the good guys to be ethically perfect. ;) Just that they... shouldn't be excused for certain actions so easily.)

I dislike the ridiculous "call of blood", but in this case it wasn’t the same inexplicable magical connection that Sam and Angie have with their kids. Laura and EV already knew that Jessie was their kid. (Especially in Laura’s case her reaction was believable, considering that losing her baby has played a part in defining her personality.)

I thought both the reactions of Nico and Jessie were realistic considering their situations. Jessie just tried to commit suicide, because nobody loved her and just found out that her parents weren’t her biological parents (and prob. reasoned that there was the reason for the lacking love and affection). It’s not surprising that she latches onto her biological parents, who clearly love her just because she’s their daughter. Nico was raised by parents, who loved him. Of course he couldn’t accept his biological parents immediately. (Or just Willy. He accepted Sam quite quickly, which to me was unrealistic especially, since he clung to her so soon after his mother died.)
 

PABLO ESCOBAR

Thanks so much, Hombre, for your Monday and Tuesday recaps. I am up to date for a change, especially since the episodes have been so compelling lately.

Hmmmm. I have a feeling this may be a male or female point of view. I didn't think Regina was sorely tempted. I thought she was repulsed by him and scared out of her mind thinking she'd have to have sex with him to avoid being killed.

His conversation with Santorini was fascinating. Back in the day when he was trying to get into politics he was much more deferential toward Santorini. Now, he figures he'll use him if he can bump off Galan and thus he wins the presidency by default. But he's not gonna give him a dime, knowing what a dirtbag he is.
 

PABLO ESCOBAR:

Novelera, you may be right about Regina. It's just that when I was watching the scene, I was thinking about how at one time she said she was in love with Pablo, and maybe those feelings were almost awakening again, until she realized how much of a mistake it would be. Reading your comment, her being scared to death also fits the deadly silence of those few seconds. These little nuances make this show more rewarding for me than most of the novelas, where they pretty much hit us over the head with who's good, who's bad, and what we're supposed to think.

I could watch 5 murders on Corazon Valiente and not get as emotionally drawn in as I did last night with the unsuccessful attempt on Villamizar, and the looks in the faces of Bernal and the Cano brothers, getting into their police escorted cars.
 

PABLO ESCOBAR

Novelera and Hombre, I enjoyed your comments on the scenes between Regina and Pablo. They were nuanced and somewhat open to interpretation although I'm inclined to agree with Novelera -- Regina was terrified and just trying to think of a strategy to get out of it alive.

But ironically, as I watched yesterday's episode, I was thinking that subtlety is not the word I'd use to describe this show -- or at least in general. It is powerful and well-written and superbly acted. And the fact that it is based on (if not slavishly faithful to) historical reality makes the story particularly compelling. But the device it uses over and over of the juxtaposition of ordinary domestic details and unspeakable evil, of demonstrations of empty religiosity (a first communion celebration) where the elders sit in the background and calmly discuss the assassination of a presidential candidate -- well, these are narrative sledgehammers. They are effective, yes; but subtle, no. Or that's my take anyway.
 

PABLO ESCOBAR

NovelaMaven, I enjoyed your comment about "empty religiosity". What a perfect description! These people are always asking El Santo Niño de Atocha to help them out.

I can't seem to remember the name of the weird sicario who carries around a bible and appears to think that his God blesses what he does, but that's not only empty, but it's toxic religiosity.
 

Pablo Escobar

True, Novelera. Toxic -- or maybe *perverted* since it takes a moral good and twists it into a talisman of evil.

Is Cain the one with the bible?

The sicarios routinely pray before each "vuelta", don't they?
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – miércoles – Part 1

FF and Miggy are at the airport. FF tells Miggy that EV called her and told her that he still plans to be together with her but that the appearance of his daughter has delayed the implementation of that plan for a while. FF suggests that maybe EV is obsessed with her. Ya think?

Jéssica asks Laura why she abandoned her. Laura and EV explain that Laura was tricked into thinking that her baby was dead. Jéssica asks if Laura is going to live with them, too.

Sam asks what Thelma is doing rummaging around in their papers. She tells Thelma to get out of the house since Jéssica isn’t there anymore. Thelma replies that Willy is an attractive guy and if it’s not her, he’ll fall for someone else. Sam leaves Thelma alone in the the study so that she can read and then take the file on Clara’s surrogacy.

D8D sends Rodrigo to the showers. Camilo apologizes for hitting Rodrigo and Clara confirms that Camilo was defending her from Rod’s insults. Camilo forgets to channel Luis and tells D8D that he can’t stand to see women mistreated. D8D replies that that is surprising since he has heard that Luis mistreated his wife.

EV tells Jéssica that Laura has her own life and can’t live with them. Jéssica asks what she does and Laura tells her that she is a cop and Jéssica figures out that she is JM’s girlfriend. EV gets a call from his guys reporting that Miggy and FF are at the airport on their way to Argentina.

The Reptile continues to make the maid pretend to be Ofélia. It’s Ofélia’s birthday and the Reptile has a cake. She has also brought presents for Falso Ofélia – clothes so that she can look more like Ofélia.

Camilo has come up with an explanation of his statement about not liking to see women abused. He says that although he has no objection to abusing women in general and his wife in particular, Clara is D8D’s wife and therefore merits respect. D8D appears to buy this. [It is still not clear whether D8D believes that Camilo really is Luis.] He does warn Camilo to stay away from Clara, which is going to be a lot more difficult when Camilo is living in the same house with her.

The Reptile calls D8D and tells him that she has arranged to have Gus shot to celebrate Ofélia’s birthday. D8D doesn’t object.

We see Violeta for the first time in ages. Angie has come to tell her that they are moving to Sam’s house. The poor kid has only moved about 20 times.

Laura tells EV that she wants to stay with her daughter. Jéssica says that no one has ever looked at her with as much love as EV and Laura have. EV tells Laura that she is a cop and he is a wanted criminal so it wouldn’t work out. He calls his guys to escort her out of the house but before she leaves he warns her that if she puts him in danger, she will put Jéssica in danger.

 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – miércoles – Part 2

Miggy and FF are in Buenos Aires. We see a night scene of the Avenida 9 de Júlio and the Obelisco.

Sam is concerned about how Nic is reacting to Jéssica leaving him for her father. Willy tells her to worry about their baby and not everyone else.

Angie comes to stay at Sam’s house. When she and Sam are alone, she tells Sam that she is back in love with JM.

Laura shows up at the police station but doesn’t says where she was.

Gus is shot in a drive by shooting near his house. Although gravely wounded, he manages to pull out his phone and call… 911? Nope. He calls Angie and tells her to never forget that he will always love her.

We have another product placement. I guess they have Listerine in Argentina. Either that or FF brought a giant bottle with her. Miggy wants to rest before their flight to Ushuaia the next day but FF wants to go out and tango. She affects an Argentine accent for Miggy – how does the naïve girl from the selva know this?

Duval is informed that Gus has been shot.

Thelma brings Clara’s file to D8D. He asks where she got it and she replies that it was among the papers in Willy’s house but apparently neither he nor Sam had read it. She tells D8D that she will keep quiet about it in return for something. D8D says she’ll keep quiet about it in return for her life and sends her packing. Then D8D asks Camilo if he got a good look at Thelma because he may have a job for him.

Everybody is at the hospital. Gus is being operated on.

Miggy and FF go to a tango place, known as a milonga, in Argentina. They see a couple dancing a classic tango [but they don’t show the feet]. FF wants to tango, too. Miggy is appalled that she would even consider such a thing after seeing the other couple but FF is determined. She grabs one of EV’s guys who are also there and dances with him. Miggy finally cuts in and their totally lame performance gets applause from the other people in the place.

EV has taken Jéssica to his house in Colombia and gets to meet the Reptile.

Miggy and FF read tango poetry or song lyrics or something.

In the usual way in this novela, medical information is given to a random cast member who then tells everyone else. In this case, I believe it is JM who tells everyone that the operation went very well but that Gus will need extensive rehab. Laura says that it is too bad that Gus doesn’t have anyone. Angie pipes up and says that she will be there for Gus. JM looks annoyed.

 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – miércoles – Part 3

FF puts on a sexy teddy for Miggy. This scene is intercut with one of the Reptile and EV in bed. The Reptile asks EV if he is going to kill Miggy. EV tells her that he is going to make him suffer like he has made Ringo suffer. EV warns the Reptile not to harm Jéssica or Laura.

Laura and JM are in bed and when Génesis wants to sleep with them, Laura demonstrates how she has gotten over her inability to connect emotionally with children.

Angie is with the unconscious Gus. She says, “When you wake up, Goose, I’ll be here.”

Miggy asks FF to marry him in Ushuaia. She says yes.

Nic tells Sam and Willy that he is sad that Jéssica left him for a father who is a criminal and who she hardly knows.

D8D begins to show his true self to Clara. She again tells him of her guilt in hiding the true parentage of the baby. He tells her that if it is her fault that he loses the baby, then no more $$ for Dad’s treatment. When D8D leaves, Camilo comforts and then kisses her. Clara responds and then runs away.

Gus wakes up and is pleased to still be alive. Angie leaves him alone with Laura. He knows about her past and she tells him that the daughter that she thought was dead is, in fact, alive. Meanwhile, JM the a**hole asks why Angie is going to be with Gus. What about their love? “What about Laura?” replies Angie.

Rosario a/k/a False Ofélia welcomes Jéssica to EV’s house.

Miggy and FF are at the airport waiting for their flight. EV calls Miggy and wishes him a good trip.

Thelma comes to see Willy. She shows him a paper describing the implantation of someone with the embryo created for Willy and Sam. She says that she will tell him who received the implant if he has sex with her.

 

PABLO ESCOBAR, Miércoles, Part 1

We see video clips of the real Luis Carlos Galán. He’s very fiery, and to me, easier to understand than the actor who plays him! He calls for liberty, justice, democracy and peace.

Luis, Alberto and their wives discuss security. Luis wants to keep in the public eye, but the others are worried. Maruja, Alberto’s wife, says at least you should keep your schedule confidential, and Luis says he’ll try. One of their bodyguards comes in, says all the others were replaced, it was General Peraza’s orders. The politicians and their wives don’t like this one bit, why weren’t they told?

Juan Guillermo Cano and his brother Fernando have bowed to the pressure, and are moving to Barcelona. They ask their mother, Ana Maria, and the non Cano editor (wish I knew his name) to carry on the fight. When Pablo finds that his two targets have left, he’s furious at El Buitre and crew. He wants them to attack the newspaper some other way. He’s also mad at the delay with Magistrate Bernal. If that judge issues his report, we’re screwed! Buitre says can we use something other than dynamite? Pablo says dynamite is the atomic bomb of the people (as if he’s “the people”).

Ana Maria visits Peraza, who won’t give more protection for her other family members, no armored cars are available, and doesn’t even seem to want to protect the building. He cites a U.S. Embassy report saying everything was fine. Right.

Pati is teaching Emilio about his religion. She asks, what is the Holy Trinity. He replies, “Isn’t that the fork that the Devil uses?” Pablo bursts out laughing. That’s the trident. Right, says Emilio, the Holy Trident! More laughs, and Pati tells Emilio it’s time for bed. After he leaves, she complains to Pablo that Emilio had his communion, but all by himself, and also, he knows nothing about his religion. Pablo doesn’t care, for him it’s all for show.
 

PABLO ESCOBAR, Part 2

Magistrate Bernal calls his wife from the office, I’m on my way. We see Buitre has a remote control. He’s attached it to the traffic lights, and he can turn it to red on command! Sure enough, when the cavalcade approaches, they stop at the light. Buitre and Candongo spray the windows with bullets, and high tail it away. We see inside the car, the Magistrate is dead, a bloody shirt showing he was hit in the heart.

Niki interviews the President, who says we’re working on a new law which will change everything. Right. At the funeral, Ernesto Quintana (my prediction, future hero) asks his Dad, Oswaldo Quintana aren’t you scared? Father tells son to worry about his studies, don’t worry about him.

Flowers are deliverd to Quintana’s office. He later opens them, and the card says “Your death is imminent. Get out of Medellin now.”“

Pablo types lots of letters to the editor, using two finger typing on his little manual typewriter. As usual, he’s outraged about everything.

A new guy is demonstrating his shooting prowess, by taking target practice in front of Mariachi. He hits 9 out of 10 bottles. He tell Mariachi his price (for killing Galán) has risen, it’s now 500 million pesos ($250,000.00). And he also wants one of Galán’s guards to be on his side. Mariachi says okay, but make it 10 out of 10.

Galán and his family don’t trust one of the new guards, a tall guy with a crewcut who seems very cavalier and unprofessional, always joking. I don’t like him either.

Topo and Chili are working on a bomb car. Chili says, since they drive Mercedes cars, which have very thick bodies, we need to get our car right up next to theirs, for maximum impact. (I’m not liking this!!!)
 

CORAZON VALIENTE:

Thanks for the recap, Jean. I also was surprised Gus didn't call 911.

I wonder if Jessica will think the Reptile is weird, and find her father with her.

Now that Thelma isn't Jessica's Mom, she really doesn't have much role in this story (yes, to try to seduce Willy, but please!). She should have thought about that before showing the papers to D8D. Hope she has some life insurance.

As much as I'm frustrated with Clara, I do understand her struggles with telling the truth. She's worried about her father, she had invested so much in thinking D8D was good and kind, etc. She's one of the few characters in this show who are "on the edge" between good and evil. El Jefe was another. If she can just be tipped to the good side, this whole novela can be resolved.

Or it could go on for another 100 episodes!
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE:

Thanks for the recap!!!

Not sure why Jessie would choose to go with her fugitive father instead of staying with her mother, (which would not only be safer, but she'd get to see Nico as well.) That didn’t make much sense to me. In addition to that she can be around another criminal: a dangerous, psychotic serial killer. Why is this girl so comfortable with evil people?

Oh Thelma… Willy clearly dislikes her. She wouldn’t be getting much out of that deal. Also, as if there aren’t other ways of finding out the info she is offering. (Even if Sam and Willy haven’t had the best luck with private investigators, Sam can always use threats..)

Clara is not a good person. I don’t care what Camilo thinks. However, I have a bit of sympathy for her, since D8D threatened her and it seems like she hasn’t got much of a choice. (Except.. now she has rich acquaintances, who could help her.) I suppose NOW she also realises that Bernie is kinda evil? I never know with this woman. At times it looks likes she’s got a clue, because there is no way that she couldn’t have, but then she acts ignorant again…

Hombre: I agree that I wouldn't put Clara in either category. I think the show wants to make us think that she IS good, but I'm not seeing that. However, I understand her actions and know that she hasn’t gone so far to the dark side that she couldn’t turn back and make up for what she’s done.
I FERVENTLY disagree with you when it comes to El Jefe. The guy tried to rape Sam and felt like his actions were justified... not to mention all the other crap he did. He was introduced as a villain right from the beginning whereas Clara has been playing the part of an ingénue.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE

That was a great recap, Jean. Thanks!

How many times is Miggy going to propose to Fabiola?

Sometimes this show is pretty laughable, but I do enjoy it. Why in the world did EV allow Miggy and FF to fly to Argentina? Wouldn't it have been a lot easier to grab her up at the LA airport?

Actually, there was a funny moment at the hospital. Gus grinned at JM and said, basically: "Too bad, I'm alive". And JM replied with a grin that he hoped for the opposite, but was OK with it.

I think D8D had Gus shot. The Reptile asked him for this birthday present for Ofelia. And later he had a phone call on his cell and told some guy he'd pay "them" later.

Sigh. Clara drives me crazy. She's now had D8D threaten to cut off funds for her father's medical bills. I suppose the law of the telenovela means they can't possibly get Mini-Sammy back until the last week. So they'll torture us with her guilt, but she'll keep quiet.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE

Thanks for the recap.

I have a question, have we seen Clara's dad? I wonder if he will play a major role in D8D's termination, or if he will continue to be an offscreen role.

Why is it I can never see the numbers to do my signage, can it get more angled and more blurry?
 

GENERAL

Nellie, that Capcha sign-in can be seriously annoying.

What I often do, if I can't decipher what's there to type, is select preview at the bottom of the screen. This gives you what your comment will look like. I then click edit at the top of the box. This re-sets the Capcha and you get another chance at something you can SEE!!
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE

Thanks so much Jean.

novelera, this time Miggy suggested a specific time.

I like Clara and I think it's not that easy to judge her.

Unlike EV's exaggerated and cliched "good sides", Reptile's behavior (calling Rosario Ofelia etc.) is interesting and fits her character - her feelings and complexes - as a whole.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE:

I missed that conversation at the hospital. What a jerk JM is if he would even joke about it being better for him if Gus were dead.

I assume that they had FF and Miggy go to Argentina so that we could kill time and be charmed by their wonderful relationship. Someone posted a while back that the writers couldn't understand why Angie and JM didn't click as a couple the way Sam and Willy did. I think the writers are trying to have another engaging couple with Miggy and FF. It doesn't work for me. I never tire of seeing Sam and Willy together and I like Miggy but he and FF just don't do it for me.

I don't know about waiting until the last week for the return of mini-Sammy. This show moves very fast. It would be kind of weird for Sam to end up with a newborn just as she is about to give birth. I don't think I've ever seen that happen.

It is hard to believe that we still haven't had the remotest hint that CV will end anytime soon. We're at episode 152. The longest TN I ever saw was Pasion de Gavlianes, which ran for 188 capitulos. I know some Univision novelas have gone on for longer than that.
 

Capcha

To reset the Capcha you can click on this sign.
 

Corason Valiente ,
Dear Jean but as you told Miggy and FF have a wonderful relationship and I love them together and it really works for me and I perefer them to other couples of the Novela(100%) I never tire of them as they way you never tire of Sam and Willy , anywho everyone has a different taste and the Novela can entertain different people
 

CORAZON VALIENTE

Jean,
The Miggy-FF couple are SO popular (specially among the younger viewers) and get good ratings; that's why they showed them in Argentina! Besides too many fans, the couple have also non-fans and anti-fans though! :))
The show will end in Dec. Good for me! I enjoy this show!

 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE:

Despite the frustrating issues and hardly anything interesting going on with them I still like Sam and Willy as a couple. They can basically do nothing and even annoy me, but I still like their scenes. (However, I’d like them to have an interesting plot again. It seems so long since anything…) As far as I know they’re a very popular couple as well and unlike Miggy and Fabiola don’t have a significant amount of haters, so it’s a little strange that they haven’t had much to do lately while Miggy and Fabiola have had so much screentime. M&F are the main reason I don’t enjoy this novela as much as before. I try to sit through the scenes that are more essential to the plot but skip scenes like the ones in this episode. I absolutely LOATHE them as a couple and don’t really like either as individual characters that much anymore either. (Although their coupledom isn’t the only reason for that.)

I also hope Sam and Willy get Luz/Bernardita before their third child is born. Or then the other way round. I want Sam to be back in action. :)
 

El rostro de la venganza -- hasta miércoles

I'm no longer watching this one just because it happens to follow Pablo Escobar. I've decided I really like it. I love the film noir feel, the color filters (obvious but effective), the hardboiled, glossy characters and their shifting alliances and betrayals.

Last night's small "blue movie" (I mean Martín and Mariana in the bedroom) was very sensual without being vulgar. These actors sizzle together. And how ironic that their love scene takes place just as Ezequiel is finding out that Martín was not Mariana's lover. Well that was then.

Now Ezequiel has Diana's phone with Luciano's recorded admission of perfidy. He is furious. What kind of monster did he bring into this world???

When he gets home and his mother greets him with Tanya's revelation that Martín is really el niño monstruo and Tanya demands compensation for keeping the secret, he explodes in rage: Everyone wants a piece of me! Go to hell, all of you! (Tanya is likely to be there very soon).

Diana notices that her mother and Ezequiel aren't exactly strangers to one another. What's the history between these two?

A drunken Luciano proposes to Veronica. It would suit them both -- neither one wants to fall in love. Love is dangerous. It makes you weak.

Even though Vero is kind of falling for Luciano, she realizes he is in love with another woman, the fake Sofía Reyes, (the actual Diana Mercader). (We already know that Diana has fallen for bad boy Luciano).

Hapless Marcos is pining for Vero and tries to warn her away from his brother.

Mariana is surprised when Martín confesses that Antonia was the first woman in his life; until a few months ago he was a virgin. "How long were you in prison?" she asks.

Ezequiel's not dead wife, Laura, reveals to her mother that her husband wasn't the only one with a lover. She was unfaithful too. With whom? Diego's old teacher, Ramón. [He's the man now in a persistent vegetative state as a result of abusive and repeated electro-shock "therapy". Or so the now dead Drs. Jorge and Antonia led us to believe ...]

Samaniego's evil BSC wife Valeria is gunning for Diego-Martín? How good is her aim? Stay tuned ...
 

PABLO ESCOBAR -- miércoles

Dynamite as the poor man's atomic bomb? Hah. I had the same reaction you did, Hombre! Great job as always.

I couldn't believe the "flower delivery guy" was given free access to the inner offices of the Police Academy. And this is when everyone is on high alert -- what was security like before???

While Chili was working under that car, I kept hoping it would explode right then and there. That guy is surely one of the most mind-blowingly evil people in the story. His sadism is unbearable.
 

El rostro de la venganza

Even though the episodes are only 1/2 hour, they pack a lot into each one. not a lot of room for fillers... thank heavens!

Interesting turn of events:
- Luscious Luciano in love with enemy's sister
- D/M possibly son of Zeke. que?
- D/M now with Mariana, with Antonia's body barely cold.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – JUEVES – Part 1

Willy tells the odious Thelma that he’d never have sex with her. She lays on some more teasing about knowing where to find Luz. Before leaving she plants a kiss on Willy, and Gael sees it.

Miggy tells FF that the call he just got was from El Verdugo, who knows they’re in Argentina. He tells her not to look around, but there are a couple of guys watching them. When she asks what he plans to do, he tells her: “Create a distraction.” And begins some passionate kissing.

Jessica tells EV she’s afraid of the Reptile. He tells her she doesn’t have to be afraid of anyone. [He’s not as smart as he thinks he is.]

María Laura tells Gus about her child being alive, but she’ll never see her again.

The Reptile is irate with her father that Gus isn’t dead. [She ought to be used to it by now. Her plots only seem to kill off ancillary characters.]

Clara, looking miserable, tells D8D that she needs the treatment for her father. He’s pretty short with her, telling her then she should behave. When Camilo comes in after D8D leaves she tells him he confuses her. Sometimes he seems like a different person.

Willy calls Miggy and tells him about his Thelma Dilemma. Miggy says he wouldn’t have that problem; he’d put a gun to her head and she’d tell him.

Miggy’s distraction and pre-planning are excellent. The kisses cause the two guys to get on the plane ahead of them. Then he tells FF that he bought four tickets: two to Ushuaia and two to Jujuy in the north of Argentina. The thugs just boarded the plane to Jujuy, and Miggy, FF and Cielo are going south.

JM, tactful as always, looks María Laura in the eye and tells her he’s in love with Ángela. He’s going to fight for what he wants. The first thing he’s going to do is go to Colombia to confront the Reptile.

The Reptile keeps poking at EV, this time about his daughter. He tells her that FF is the essence of life and he WILL have her. She tells him she only had one love. Since he’s so powerful, can he make her the woman of Juan Marcos Arroyo? EV tells her he can tie him up, he can torture him, even kill him, but he can’t make him love her.

Willy tells Sam Luz is alive. Lorena did inseminate someone. Sam faints.

EV gets a call and discovers that Miggy and FF got away. He’s enraged and tells the guy on the phone to show up with them or consider themselves dead. The Reptile says now they’re equal. He tells her that’s not true. She had JM, touched him, used him, and then he didn’t choose her! She slaps him, and gets a closed fist punch in return. He says that what’s different is that he never had FF, but the day he makes love to her she won’t ever touch another man. [Hah!]

Sam, after another hospital visit, is OK – as is the baby. Thelma calls him again with her insinuations. Willy tells Sam to let him look for their daughter.
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE – JUEVES – Part 2

Rod is behaving like a complete jerk. He looks like he’s going to make a pass at Clara when Camilo grabs him around the neck.

Fabiola and Miggy have arrived at what they’re calling a cabana in Ushuaia. She tells him she wants a baby right away.

Willy shows up at Thelma’s hotel room and points a gun at her. He tells her he isn’t a killer, but he’s desperate. She might have raised a child she didn’t love, but he and Sam very much wanted their baby. He says he’s not going to disrespect his wife nor do something he doesn’t want to do. It doesn’t work. Willy isn’t as scary as Miggy. She just takes off her blouse.

EV asks Jessica about her mother. Jessica tells a very sad story about how cold and distant Thelma was. When she had nightmares and wanted to get into bed with Thelma, she sent her away. She forgot her birthday. And, after she separated from Victor, Jessica couldn’t even find her. She tells him that Sam, Willy, Nicolás and Nora were her family. This doesn’t please him much. He tells her that he’ll be her family.

FF and Miggy are discussing how they’ll earn a living in Ushuaia when someone knocks at the door. A guy with an Argentinean accent comes in, and Miggy points a gun at him. He says he’s the neighbor and shows them his keys.

Of course Gael shows up and begins to tell Sam about the “encounter” with Thelma. Willy glares at him. If I were Gael, I’d start looking for jobs online.

JM tells Ángela he broke it off with Laura, but he’s going to Colombia. He asks her to help him with Génesis. She says she’s going along. They kiss, while Laura looks on sadly from the doorway.

Sam does her usual hissy fit about Willy. He tells her he has the papers to prove he knows their daughter was born.

D8D buys Clara a bunch of clothes. She smiles from ear to ear and kisses him back, apparently forgetting he was ready to let her father die the day before.

EV calls D8D and asks him to do something. He says he wants a death. D8D says he won’t let him down. Clara asks D8D if Luis has to live with them. When Clara leaves, D8D tells Camilo not to show his bad side when Clara is around; she’s sensitive. He tells him he has a job right up his alley: killing someone.

Willy tells Sam he needs her permission to go to bed with Thelma. After she freaks out, he tells her why. He says the woman is crazy. Sam agrees finding Luz is the most important thing. There’s no alternative.

EV comes to tell the Reptile the people in town are praying for her. He gets a call. We only hear his end, but it sounds like his guys have found Miggy and FF. [What? How could they?] Meanwhile Fabiola has brought Miggy to a church. She asks the priest to marry them that very day.

Willy shows up to “do his duty” and finds Thelma dead in her room. I knew she was toast when Jessica told EV about her fine parenting skills. But I can’t believe Camilo did it.
 

Rosa Diamante -

wow!

in a scene worthy of a gran final,
Rosa, who has saved the doomed family company from failure,
gotten all of the lost souls in this story pointed in the right direction,
and touched by JI's concern for Eduardito,
(he was the donor for Eduardito's bone marrow transplant)
has allowed her love for him to surface,
finally agrees to marry him,
and in a grand church wedding, with all present,
they each in their own way, say their I do's,

and in walks Barbara,
clack, clack, clack, straight to the altar,

and with proof,
denounces Eva, as an impostor, in front of all,
as an orphan named Rosa Puentes,
the bad guys all marvel at her reveal,
the not so bad guys are shocked,
JI is crushed, says he will NEVER forgive her, and storms out,
Rosaura, Rosa's possible mother could save the day,
but she has totally lost it on the pills Miss Margaret has put in her headache pill bottle,
(Lupita Ferrer is really good at this)

as Rosa rushes to stop JI she is met by the police,
who arrest her, handcuff her, and take her to jail,
and place her in a cell with all the usual novela cellmates,
tears in her eyes, wedding dress and all,

so what will happen to Eduardito?
the heir to the Sotomayor fortune,
Miss Margaret wants Rodolfo to kill him...
 

PABLO ESCOBAR, Jueves

At El Espectador, Ana Maria Cano is now in charge. The atmosphere remains tense. We later see Juan Guillermo and Fernando in their cramped apartment in Barcelona, kids sleeping on the phone, they’re unable to sleep, feeling guilty and powerless. The speak of their Mom, of their little brother Camilo, of someone named Leni (either that’s a sister, or maybe that’s the “non-Cano editor I keep talking about).

Chili and Topo have scoped out the route for Quintana’s car to be bombed. Pablo is glad, but he looks a little out of it, almost drunk. He asks Gonzalo to take charge of finances, especially purchases of dynamite.

Quintana asks Ulloa is he can be relieved, he’s received death threats. Ulloa refuses, saying you know your job. Later, Ernesto Quintana begs his Dad to get out of danger, but he tells his son not to worry.

Luis and his wife Gloria visit General Peraza, and complain about their new bodyguards, especially the talk one with a dark crewcut, their kids don’t like him either. Peraza says I’ve know him for a while, I’d put my hands in the fire for him, you can trust him.

Cain (yes, he’s the one with the Bible) watches boys at the rich private school. He pulls one aside, tells him to deliver a message (to either Luis or Alberto’s son). Later, we find the message is, get out of the race for President or you die. The two couples (Galans and Villamizars) discuss this, are frustrated that Peraza isn’t helping at all. The President has offered Alberto an Ambassadorship to Indonesia. Luis says take it, but Alberto wants to stay.

The tall bodyguard, whose name, I think, is Tomás, strangely leaves the other guards at one point.

Pablo tells Mariachi the killing of Quintana has to be right in front of El Espectador, to teach them a lesson. Mariachi complains that just before Magistrate Bernal was killed, he already signed an accusation against Mariachi, and they may have to kill whichever judge inherits the case.

July 28, 1989, Medellin: The bomb car is ready. Chili and Marino walk about 100 yards away to await Quintana’s convoy. Chili has the remote. Here comes the convoy. Booom!! But here comes Quintana’s convoy, going the other direction. Huh?!!! It turns out they blew up the wrong convoy, killed Governor Antonio Betancourt, whoever that is. Chili tells Pablo, sorry boss, but it was a white Merdedes, same route, how could we know? Pablo is livid. He says so many cusswords, it was basically total bleeps on my tv. He ends up telling Chili, if you don’t kill Colonel Quintana, right away, I’ll replace you. Got it?!!!!
 

PABLO ESCOBAR, Corrections

I meant kids sleeping on the floor, not kids sleeping on the phone (a freudian slip?)


Also, the tall bodyguard, not the talk one. Sorry! :)
 

EL ROSTRO DE LA VENGANZA

Shallowgal:

" D/M possibly son of Zeke. que?"

You are a genius! I never even thought of that. If Sonia Mercader and Ezequiel had a thing years ago ... then not only Diego but also Diana, Diego's fraternal twin, could be Zeke's too.

And now that we know Laura was heating up the sheets with ex-chemistry teacher, Ramón Farias, is it possible that one of Zeke's kids, say Luciano, isn't really his?

So let's say Zeke gets his illegitimate son Diego into his wife's ritzy school. But when Luciano *appears* to be el niño monstruo, he sets Diego up to take the fall for his legitimate son.

Zeke silently follows Diego's life in prison and then 20 years later, he takes charge of his life when he is released.

Meh. Just a theory...
 

EL ROSTRO:

NovelaMaven, I like your theory. That also avoids incest, since if Diana and Luciano were both Zeke's kids (half-siblings), aren't they now almost lovers? But if Luciano is not's Zeke's son, it'd be okay.

(I'm only half watching this show, so if I got something wrong, I apologize).
 

PABLO ESCOBAR -- jueves

Thanks so much, Hombre. These are such hard episodes to watch. The good guys keep trying to do what they think is right, they appeal to the "authorities" to support and protect them and then realize they are basically on their own.

From what we've seen, El Espectador needs some army back-up. But the paper and its staff are left to their own devices. And it looks like the brothers Cano will be joining the family in Colombia pretty soon to share their fate.

The Galans complain about the bodyguard -- why isn't that sufficient to get him replaced?

Quintana gets a death threat, reports it to Uloa and Uloa basicaly tells him to suck it up. It makes you understand a little why so many on the inside would simply choose the "plata" to avoid the "plomo" when they know they can't count on their own.

The morons Chili and Topo blow up the convoy of the governor of Antiochia. Oops. Pablo may be angry and the morons may be kicking themselves because they got the wrong innocent victims. But we -- and I'm sure the Colombian people at the time -- are just appalled that more innocents have been killed.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE:

Thanks, Novelera, excellent recap.

I like how Miggy and FF are freezing in the airport in Argentina. Of course they're only wearing light jackets, as are all the other passengers, who aren't freezing one bit. I wonder if anyone on the show (shot in Miami, right?) even owns a heavy winter coat. FF and Miggy are fun to watch. But why do characters always have to want babies right away? Is there any value at all in getting established in a career? Guess not.

I was sort of hoping Willy would get Gael to help him with Thelma, maybe tell Thelma to be blindfolded, and Gael would do the deed, but I guess my imagination was on overdrive. It was much simpler just to have someone kill Thelma (I agree, can't be Camilo).

Now that Laura has her new nicer personality (all problems solved when she found her daughter), maybe she CAN end up with Gus and Jessica. Although she was quite upset about JM and Angela's kiss, and could still go over to the dark side because of that.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE:
Jean and Novelera- Thanks so much for the recaps this week. Sorry I haven’t commented much. To be honest, I’m bored with the story. Yes, bored, bored, bored. I know stuff happens each day, but it’s like running in place. The rose is off the bloom for me and this tn just feels stale and never-ending now. Not even Miggy and Fabi (who still acts like a 15 yr old) are doing it for me.

Angela and JM make no sense as a couple any more. The man made the biggest mistake of his life (his words, not mine) by not believing in her, letting her rot in prison, taking their son away from her, then going through the pain of thinking she was dead (meanwhile he shacked up with and married the Reptile). But now that he has this second chance to prove his worth to her, he messes it up by once again jumping into the sack with the first woman to cross his path, doubting Angela’s love for his daughter (because she was kidnapped, like several other people under his own watch have been), and trying to take her son away from her (AGAIN!). And yet she starts to feel love for him again at the time when he is being his most jerky to her?! Good grief. I understand why she broke up with Gus. The kids issue is huge. You can’t get around it. One wants kids; the other doesn’t. But getting back with JM?! Idiotic.

The narco story makes no sense and is tedious. The EV obsession with FF makes no sense and is repetitive. The Clara/baby story makes no sense and is maddening. Just how many kids will Sam and Willy have by the end of this thing anyway? They will at least be tied with Angela and JM (3 kids). Is the baby Sam is carrying a girl? In that case, it will be 2 girls and 1 boy—just like Angela and JM have. Just like siblings Sam, Angie and Miggy. Just like siblings JM, FF, and Emma (I guess she and Pablo’s story is over).

Before I sound like a totally negative Nellie (and this is so unlike me), there are a few things I do like: I like Sam and Willy’s devotion to one another (despite the jealousy scenes); I like the dynamic between EV, Maria Laura, and Jessica; and although I don’t like her, I like the chemistry between Clara and Camilo.

Thanks for letting me vent. I just needed to verbalize why this show isn’t grabbing me like it used to. Maybe things will pick up and I will get that old feeling back. :)

 

CORAZON VALIENTE:

Jean, thanks for the pictures, which I guess you added. I doubt the actors were anywhere near southern Argentina, so it was nice to get the real image of the area.

Vivi, I agree with just about all of your assessments of the characters. And yet I still can't stop watching. It seems crazy, but the endless plot twists are like potato chips - you know they're bad for you, but you can't stop eating!
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE:

Thanks so much for the recap!!!

Well.. JM wasn’t completely honest or he would have told Laura that he’d already slept with Angie. Oh well, I guess by his standards he was being a "good guy".

Oh, of course Clara hasn’t got a clue yet! Or she gets it… and then loses it. I wonder what it actually will take for her to realise that D8D is evil.

Yeah, Gael needs to be fired ASAP. (Also there have been reasons for it before, if Sam had bothered to tell Willy that her ex has been acting suspiciously..) Of course he needs to be around causing trouble, and Willy is probably going to be arrested for Thelma’s murder anyway..

Hmm.. yeah, I wonder who carried out Verdugo’s orders (assuming it was him)? I agree it can’t be Camilo, unless the writers decided to ruin his character.

Vivi, I also agree with your assessments, except that I’m no fan of Camilo and Clara. (I can’t stand her). The EV/Laura/Jessie story rekindled my interest. I watch for that and (as usual) Sam&Willy. :) At this point I can laugh at the ridiculousness as long as the show isn’t boring. Some stuff does get on my nerves, but in general if a lot happens and the Miggy&Fabiola action is kept to the minimum I’m good. (Unfortunately, that isn't always the case.)
Btw. Sam and Willy don’t know the sex of the baby. I have a feeling it will be a boy and be named Miguel. Sam said that she had wanted to name her son Miguel, and then we’d have one for another generation. :)
 

ROSA DIAMANTE

yes deb.. last night's epi was riveting. finally, her true identity revealed. and what's-his-face stepping in as Rosa's lawyer?? is he gonna burn or really help her? how long will she be in jail?

I have to say, the wedding/church scene is one of the most beautiful I've seen. everyone looked amazing, and the girls' make-ups were not caked-on... sorry, these are the things I notice, and the clothes.
 

EL ROSTRO DE LA VENGANZA

NovelaMaven - elated you're into this show, so I don't feel so alone. since no regular telemundo shows tonight, I saved last night's ERDLV for later.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE

Vivi in DC - I sooooo concur.
 

CORAZON VALIENTE:
Thanks for supporting my crankiness everyone. I promise I'll be in a better mood next time I comment. :)
 

CORAZÓN VALIENTE

Vivi, you are totally forgiven for venting about CV! We always like to hear from you. I guess I'm with Hombre in the potato-chip eating camp. I love that things actually happen on this novela, instead of the standard TN crap of four days of people standing around talking to each other about doing something, with a fake cliff-hanger of possible action on Friday! I'd rather see ridiculous events than no events at all.

Jean, thanks for the great photos of Argentina. I'd love to go there, but haven't managed to pull it off. One of my co-workers is from there, and he invited me to his wedding in his home town about 5 years ago. I'm still kicking myself for deciding I had too much work to do to go to Argentina at that time.

Kihaku, I think you're right about Sam's baby being a boy. Of course, they're going to get Luz (Mini-Sammy) as well, so a baby boy seems appropriate. And Miguel seems like a great name, unless Miggy and Fabiola want to reserve it for their offspring!
 

Rosa Diamante
I'm still watching this and enjoying it very much. Can't believe Federico bit the dust--darn!
Deb, thanks for the reminder about Miss M putting the substitute pills in Rosaura's pill bottle, that explains her wacky disorientation lately.
J in Oregon
 

Corazon Valiente
Novelera and Jean, I've been enjoying your recaps all week, thanks very much.
Reading the comments above, it sounds like we all have our pet peeves with characters. I personally get tired of watching Miggy and Fabby make out, although I do like both characters. And I get aggravated when the writers drop a plot point and never get back to it, like all the crimes Esteban committed against Sammy and which will likely never be revealed--what would be the point now?
J in Oregon
 

Corazon Valiente:

Looks like lots of us are feeling the same way as Vivi with this one.

Yeah, I'm still recording it but so much of it is so hard to take, I just fast forward it. The stuff with Miggy and Fabiola has gotten to the point of unbearable for me. This girl really does act like she's 15 and all the eating, stopped being cute about 4 weeks ago. Isn't she AWOL?

This thing really is as bad as I've seen top to bottom.

On a positive note, I'm liking El Rostro a lot better than this one.

Rand.