Caray, Caray!

Camilita dear, the time to wonder about Andres' identity and background is BEFORE you have sex with him, not after you've done the do numerous, numerous times.
 

Looking forward to the recap Jardinera! Thanks to all who are recapping, and extra thanks to those who are doing it during the holidays!

I missed Thursday, and only saw part of yesterday's episode, but I was thinking about Mariano. Yes, he is Mariano "the Honest" as someone said in yesterday's comments. But I bet that line about how he is never gong to lie to her is going to come back to bite him. For example, he will probably find out about Pablo being related to her and hold it back from her ... to protect *his* family, or something (I don't know, it just seems like a good story tactic.)

But the other thing about Mariano "the Honest" is that he does NOT know what everyone else close to Camila knows ... and that is that Daniel/Andres has literally been trying to make sure that she stays alive. People have tried to kill Camila. Mariano knows that Alonso and Ximena have tried to bilk her out of her money, but he doesn't know that people have tried to kill her. I think that Dan/Andres is right to a point. He can't make any claims on La Mal until his name is cleared, therefore he can't just walk into the ranch and claim it for himself and Camila. The evildoers could have him arrested, and Isa would probably poison Camila because Camila thinks that she has real rights. At present, Camila's "cluelessness" about Dan (fake or real, i.e. D'Aaron or D'Andres) keeps her from making claims that can't be backed up yet. I think that it's just enough naivete to keep her on the side of not being a threat ... yet.

I think that it will also be important for all of the people who know to show what has happened to others who knew:

Miriam knew - assassinated.

Padre B knew - assassinated.

Rafa - had a death warrant on him, but it was later pulled off. (But the evildoers don't know everything that he knows, so he is still safe, and he is still considered to be an outsider.)

Ximena - being used as one of "the evil gang", but they are planning to kill her too. And she doesn't even know anything, really. But, the fact that she is a "half-sister" and plans to lay claim has already numbered her days in Dio and Isa's respective books.

Now, let's think about this. Is Camila running off to Agustina to tell her that Dioniso is a crook, possibly with multiple identities? No. She's holding back the truth from her dear mother. Why? "To protect her." Protect her emotionally, and physically. Camila knows from Osvaldo that the POA is invalid. But yet, Agustina is suffering at La Mal with the vipers. Is Camila easing her mother's discomfort? NO. She isn't saying anything. Why? To "protect" her mother.

So, is she going to mad at Rafa, Vivi (maybe, I need to know what happened in the avances!)Is she going to mad at Natalia? (Apparently, she feels justified with being angry at Natalia). What about Amanda? Perhaps. But Amanda can easily tell her that the Padre was killed for knowing and Dan/Andres. Will she be mad at Osvaldo? At the priest? They are also trying to keep her safe. Will she be mad at Luzma?

It will be important for someone to tell her that being gored by a bull and nearly dying was not a mishap, but rather a calculated assassination attempt. Her life was, and still is in danger. If the truth is revealed too soon (before abogada Teresa can fix things), then Camila can still truthfully claim that she didn't know anything and might still have some other kinds of rights to the ranch (perhaps as a temporary custodian).

But let's think about this. This is the legal system that let "Tio sin nombre" out of jail!!!! This system could also blame Camila for knowingly aiding and abetting a fugitive. And in this crazy system (and with los Albarran wanting to get Camila out of range), Camila could be subject to charges for something crazy. At present, she is "legally" safe because she knows nothing.

Just some thoughts.


 

Jardinera - Thanks for a great title to get us started.

Netgirl - Good point about Camila keeping quiet about Dio's past to protect Gussie. Too bad Camila likely won't see how she shares this "protection" flaw with Daniel.

I like that Gussie is supporting Camila, well, at least as much as she's capable. Her face to face with Hissadora is a start.

Hissadora looks great in the gold and black. Leather pants can be tricky, but she wore them well.
 

Looking forward to the recap.

Netgirl, thanks for the thoughts. I was going to ask someone to do just that for me, as I was losing track of why all this secrecy and conniving were happening. Yes, I remember the letter from Tio Dan and all the other stuff that has been happening, but I was beginning to question why all the secrecy.

Cindy
 

Jardinera- Looking forward to the recap later.

Netgirl- Great outline of all the reasons why Team Daniel kept the secret from Cami. I will say the difference between telling Gussy the truth about something dangerous, and telling Cami the truth about something dangerous, is that Cami immediately catches on and gets with the plan. Gussy reacts like an idiot, refusing o believe the good guys, which DOES put her in more danger.

But, we all know the good guys kept this all from Cami to keep her safe. That still won't make it any less painful for her to find out almost everyone she trusts kept her in the dark, and it won’t prevent her from being really mad about it. All the reasons you mentioned is why Cami will eventually forgive them. The only question is, how long it will be before she does so, and will she and Mariano be an item by then?

Yes, I'm the one who dubbed him Mariano the Honest. So far he has lived up to the name, and Cami really appreciates that. Already he told her a secret that D'Andres thought was too painful for her to know-- Xi being Al's lover. Dan didn't keep this a secret because of all the other secret stuff. In fact, he knew this would make her divorce easier. He chose not to tell her because he thought it would be too painful. Mariano also knew it would be painful, but he chose to tell her because he believes it would be more painful to find out later or some other way, and he also felt it wasn't right for Cami to be in the dark about it. That already shows a difference in philosophies between him and Dan. I think Cami will pick up on that difference and appreciate it.


 

Thanks, Jardinera, for a great title and partial recap. I'm sitting here chuckling at "Frankendaddy" and Alonso's newest name. He sure does seem to have won the lottery, at least for the moment.

Great point about Camila keeping secrets to protect as well. I really like Rene Strickler and am amazed, as I think back, at how often in novelaland he hasn't got the girl!

Mariano is pretty attractive right now and so solid and secure. (And, in perfect symmetry, he is the half brother of her half brother, as she is the half-sister of Daniel's half-sister!) With Daniel's deception, it may be easier to watch the budding relationship between Mariano and Camila than it often is to sit through the default relationship in so many TNs. Unfortunately, Camila is going to have still another crazy family to deal with, less malevolent, perhaps, but with a matriarch hell-bent on keeping them apart. Still, Camila may be a victim of so many schemers, but doesn't act like a victim. She's a great character.
 

I don't think Camila's mother is supporting her so much as worrying about "el ¿qué dirán?" over the fact that the sisters and their shared man (mouse?)- Alonsogross - are living together and the "insult" to the manhood of Dio. She worries about appearances and her hubby more than about her daughters.
 

Status report: Yes, this most unpredictable TN has, alas, become predictable. Writers could not avoid the iron clad TN law: he or she at some point must become STUPID and believe, in this case, a despicable villanis over the man she luv's so deeply, deeply, deeply, like forever and stuff and now is running amuck in doubt. She is like a calf separated from her moomy adrift in crisis...her exuberant, wonderful love now chaffing rawhide. Will she marry Marinara sauce and have happy spaghetti or will team helpers that have grown so large that they have to meet in the convention center of the local hostel rule the day with counter intell and cunning and daring do? How long before Yago, the playboy, defiles Natalie and leaves her with bebe? How long before, hell freezes over, and Illana is run over and killed by a tractor? Will Pablo be fetched to Chile for schoolin'? Will Leonicio start self flagellating with here to fore unseen religious fervor? Will Daniel have a scar that Camila will find so darling at TN's end? Will Dionisio, marred by failure, seduce himself? Will AlonSo and Ximena disolve into primal oose? Will Piedad come out with a shotgun aimed at Dioniso: "yell at me one more time, MF'er."? Will Hissadora's brain tuma be operable? Will Bruno, aka hacker, be killed by a computer virus? And, will some character in this TN finally say "domestica" or "estupida." Mi hijo 379 times isn't enough to get me through this. Making fun but this is a really good TN.
 

Anon 12:26- LOL! I don't think we will get most, if any, of those tn cliches in this tn. I do have to say that Cami is not blindly believing the bad guys. Andres really does look suspicious and she is going on her OWN initial suspicions about him, that she later decided to ignore and instead follow her heart and get involved with him. She is now questioning herself for following her heart, and believing blindly in this man of mystery Andres, instead of following her initial instincts and what her brain was telling her-- be careful, don't trust this guy, he's suspicious. It's perfectly logical that she's questioning her decision, not just based on what Xi and Al say, but also on the fact that she's finding all these other little clues that don't add up- no id; Rafa's computer; different back stories told to different people; Andres initially stalking her, etc.
 

I have to get ready to go out so I will comment later. For the moment I have but one question: If Daniel is the principal heir, how does Ximeana have any rights, even as his half-sister?
 

URBAN - Great question.
Whatever applies to Xieman would seem to apply to Francisco as well, no? They are his two biological relatives. So far, we have only Isadora's assurances to Francisco of rights, no more reliable, I would think, than the phony papers she has had him peddling.

Vivi - From your lips to the writers' ears. I am so hoping that the pacing and clever turns continue as the convolutions grow. It's been a great ride so far.
 

Both Camila's heart and head were right. Her head told her there is something about this guy that doesn't add up, he's hiding something, he's up to something. Her head was right. And she was really mean to him in the beginning, questioning all of his actions. She's actually not the one who hired him. Cami refused to. Gussy hired him against Cami's wishes, and the letters of recommendation were given to Gussy. Cami tried to fight her mom on the decision, but Gussy would not be swayed. Once he was on the ranch as Gussy's driver, Dan worked hard to get under Cami's skin and gain her trust. She fought it for a while, but then attraction and love won out. Plus, everything she observed about him from that point on showed her that he is a good person.

This is where her heart took over. She still resisted for a while, even when she admitted her feelings for him. She then decided to take things slow. But after her near death experience (where HE saved her) she decided to throw caution to the wind, and threw her whole heart (and body) into a relationship with Andres. Her heart was not wrong. Dan/Andres is a good person and he does love her. All of this is bound to cause confusion for her as she tries to come to terms with the fact that her initial suspicions about him may be correct.
 

UA,

Don't you think Ximena's rights currently come through Daddy's fake Power of Attorney? Since no one except the Keystone Kops knows that they know the real Daniel, they assume that this means that the Daniel bio relatives are a new owner's family and therefore, they have as much say-so as Augustina does as Camilla's mother.

Cindy
 

Thanks, Jardinera, for a great first half and the promise of more to come. I love "FrankenDaddy" and your continued riffs on Alonso.

I was surprised when we dodged one TN cliche in this episode. I was just about certain that Becerra, who was very agitated and breathing hard, would have a heart attack immediately after telling the other lawyer that he (Becerra) felt compelled to report him to the authorities. I couldn't believe that he made it out the door sano y salvo.

I'm finding it very painful to think that Mariano is going to be so badly used. I've even wondered whether it will turn out that Miriam and the baby have survived and that Dan will go back to them. No, I don't really believe that will happen, but that outcome wouldn't bother me nearly so much as Mariano being devastated. Of course, the writers have handled things pretty well up til now, so I guess I'll just have to have faith.
 

Wow! Starting with Part I and Anon207--(which probably got Vivi thinking about the Jeffersonian/Monterde quandry of head and heart).

Jar--this is like a book that I had to put down at the most exciting part because somebody rang the doorbell or phoned. All I know is that Part II will be as good as the first.

Have a lot to think about--here and for our Refugio punishments, but Cindy & UA, I can't believe that Daniel (the real one) inheriting the ranch automatically gives FX & Xi ANY rights to it, unless he chooses to share part of his inheritance with them (not gonna happen, even if he and Cam are still on the outs).

The ball game changes if Dan dies before changing his will to give it to Camila (which at some point they do or share the ranch, if they both live). Usually it is descendants that get first crack at an inheritance. Barring any issue, next living blood relative--FX and Xi.

FX and Xi are living in some fantasy universe that encourages beliefs in POAs. FX learned it was worthless last night, but I don't know if Xi can understand the meaning with that pea brain of hers.

Poor thing XI (can I call her Eleven?), siding with Issahunkydory and Dio-blow has just lined up some coroner to have to sign her death certificate.

 

Part II is up. Glad you liked part I. ITA that we'll have to keep faith that the writers won't fall down that slippery slope of cheap writers' tricks. They've been avoiding most of the old cliches and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it continues. I personally don't see the Mariano relationship turning romantic, but I do believe Dan'l will think it is if Cam turns her back on him. He's been so sure of himself and his relationship with Camila so far he hasn't had to fight a bit and I sort of miss that with this character.
 

Great recap all around Jardinera. It zipped along, just like the episode itself. I think we need to stop fretting that the writers are going to let us down. They haven't so far, and in previous tns by this team they haven't. There will of course be some standard plot points, but how can you now avoid some standard plot turns? It's the way it's written and executed that counts, and this story and these characters have been written very well and are fully fleshed out, down to the secondary characters.

Back to the episode-- Isn't Lon getting tired of Mommy directing his every move? Down to the women he's to marry! I thought Isa followed up Gussy's dig about children following parents' examples by saying that's why Cami and Xi are such hos? Or did I imagine that?

Isa's downfall will be that she thinks everyone except her is an idiot. She is smarter than most, but not all. At this point, I think Gussy and Xi are the only ones who don't know that the POA is useless.

It's funny to see mild mannered, meditating Aaron go into agressive/bad ass Daniel mode. The faces that Vivi and Rafa were making as he told FX off on the phone were hilarious. They couldn't believe it either.


 

Thanks, Jardinera, for the smart and funny second half.

There are a few little moments in this novela that stay with me and make me laugh later on. I mentioned yesterday how funny Amanda's ornate and old-fashioned telephone is. I giggle every time that she picks it up in her very gracious but business-like way. We noted Leo's struggle with the cell phone while staying at Dio's.

Yesterday I laughed out loud at Isadora trying to find an engagement ring from her collection small enough for Ximena. Mommy-dearest at her pettiest.
 

Jardinera - terrific recap. Love the riffs on Alonso; my fave: "Filthy Lucre Lonnie." Thanks for the vocab.

When Teresa is in Chile I guess she'll get all the info on Miriam too. Even if Dan's brother-in-law doesn't want to cooperate with her, I suppose legally his office would have to.

Camila's lawyer cracked me up with Alonso. He didn't have many words but they were choice. Loved his look of "oh, my client is so thrilled to be rid of your pitiful self."
 

Camila's divorce lawyer has been one of my favorite side characters. Too bad we likely won't be seeing him anymore. He got such pleasure out of his job and helping Cami stick it to Al.
 

Finally, I got to watch and now read the recap. Great job, but it was a bit of a filler episode. I don't like the turn it's taking right now and there will be a few more before I think I'm going to be happy again. How long before Dan can reveal who he is? Will Aaron act as Dan and introduce himself as Dan to Camila?

The Isa/Aggie conversation was so funny. Isa just makes mincemeat of her. I'm not sure that Ximena will want to be engaged to Alonso. She only wants money, she doesn't need him to get it.
 

Ximeana should set her sights elsewhere, of course, but I think she enjoys hurting Camila as much as she enjoys shopping. That is included in her Karmageddon.

I dearly hope Teresa can find out what's really going on in Chile. There definitely has been an abuse of authority and I'm betting that Miriam is still alive. Possibly in a coma, but definitely alive. If there is a baby, I'm sure her brother has it.

Anyone can make mincemeat out of Gussie. I don't see any improvement in that situation in the immediate future. She has no illusions about Ximeana but she is absolutely stupid when it comes to Camila.


 

Just watched last night's episode On Demand without commercial interruption. Yea!

Piedad had the best line of the night: "¡Parece telenovela!"
 

I think Televisa has a superstition about that. There is a line like it in every one of them. In a novela de epoca someone is likely to say "Usted ha estado leyendo demasiados libros."
 

Jardinera, thanks for your recap.

Netgirl - great summary and thoughtful commentary

Vivi your analysis of Cam's heart and mind were very good. Poor Cam. I know she will be distraught when she finds out about being left in the dark. I just hate the part of the TN when the couple is not together.

I am looking forward to see what Teresa finds in Chile and the possibility that Dan can get asylum in Mexico. It will be satisfying to have some justice concern Dan and his ex BIL.

It will be fun to see the look on Isa's face (the other snakes too but her the most) when the real Dan is revealed b/c she does think she is the smartest person alive.

Niecie - ITA that Cam's lawyer is a riot. He loves makes Al look like the loser he is.

Rocio's pseudo-snobbiness to cover her adultery is so icky. Her downfall will be satisfying.

 

Jardinera, I always look forward to your recaps and I am never disappointed.

The comments are always interesting because of the many different points of view. I'll often see a different way of looking at a situation. For example, even though I love Cami and D'Andres the same, I was beginning to get a bit annoyed with D'Andres for not confiding in Cami and revealing his true identity (especially since so many other people know). But as someone pointed out, he probably was aware that she would become criminally involved for harboring a fugitive. Regardless, it looks like he has backed himself into a corner right now with Cami and he totally has my support.

Juanita 03:15:00 PM , you said, "I'm finding it very painful to think that Mariano is going to be so badly used."
I respect your opinion but I don't understand how it amounts to Mariano being used. Afterall, he's the persuer in this case. He senses that Cami is vulnerable right now and he's seizing the opportunity to offer his shoulder. (Which is fine even though I'm sure it's with a romantic versus strictly friendly intentions). I'm not suggesting at all that he's using Cami, I just gave that example to explain why I don't see how he's the one being used.
 

Foxy- I agree on your take on Mariano. He's going to be disappointed and broken-hearted, no matter what, even if Camila never gives him the time of day. Look how many romantic hopes he's already built up and she's given him no encouragement, other than being her usual friendly/bubbly self.

As for Camila-- she's a straight shooter (unlike some other heroines). She's never going to be the kind of woman who claims she doesn't love D'Andres, even if they are broken up. She's never going to lay a big kiss on Mariano in front of D'Andres to try to make him jealous. Even if she at some later point tries to give a relationship with Mariano a go, it wouldn't be based on lies and games. It would be based on the respect and affection she has for Mariano-- even if it isn't the same as the love she has for D'Andres. And thinking about it, I don't even think she would fall into that trap again after Alonso. I think she'd rather be alone than get into a relationship that is based on anything less than love again.
 

Vivi--In reference to your head and heart "essay," wasn't it originally Alonso that hired Andres behind Camila's back and set him to mucking out the stables, after Natalia begged him to hire D'Andres for any kind of job? Cami had told Andres there was no work for him at the ranch, so she was pithed when she found out about it. He was definitely not like the other vaqueros (not humble enough)--and she called him on abusing the "ranch regulations" about kissing girlfriends in public--that he was supposed to maintain a certain decorum and if he couldn't--he was gone. It was Gussie who rescued him from the sh** house and put him in the driver's seat.
 

Anita- What I remember is that Gussy hired him. Cami got ticked off. Gussy put her foot down. Cami agreed. Al found out. All got ticked off (because he felt Cami went over his head). Cami put her foot down and says he stays. Al says, ok, but I decide what he does. That's when he put him to work in the stalls. Then he was promoted when Cami found out what Al was having him do.
 

Just went back to #16 and saw why I'm confused about this. Both Cami and Gussy hired him on the same day at different times!
 

Foxy, your comment about my statement about Mariano's being "used" made me realize that I hadn't expressed my thought well. What I meant was not that Camila was using Mariano but rather that the writers seem to be using him by allowing Camila to turn to him and give him a lot more hope than he'd otherwise have. (But I do NOT mean that she's leading him on.) And the higher his hopes soar, the more painful will be his inevitable fall.
 

Vivi--Yep, all straight in my head, but not in my heart, haha. I'll have to go back and see where Natalia fits in, because Andres would not have been hired without Natalia's influence. That's a big reason why Cami is questioning Naty's wisdom in recommending someone she barely knew.
 

I wonder if Cami will next question Gussy why she hired Andres--if I remember right, she did ask at the time and Gussy's answer had something to do with his covering for her from some trouble--was it a minor collision with the car?
 

Anita- Yes. Gussy ran him down accidently, and he was so nice about that when he told her he needed a job, she offered him a job on the ranch. Dan was working multiple angles at the same time to get the job-- Cami via Natalia, and Gussy.
 

I'm still alone on this but I don't like Mariano ... he's just too "honest" and someone wrote poor him he'll have his heart broken or they're just using him. I don't know about that; Mariano is the one that is fantasizing about Camila. Camila appreciates him as a friend, and told him so numerous times; she never gave him reasons to think otherwise. She even forced him to accept his pay for his work at LMQ so that she's not indebted to him.

Myo-
 

I'm with you, Myo--unless Camila gives him some other signals, he's just fantisizing a relationship with her. He'll only end up hurting himself.

As for being "honest," he's been that, so far...with his family, with Camila with LuzMa, even with Alonso. He's on the side of LUURVVE, so he's supportingPablo and Luz. Also contesting his momma's and dadda's opinions of Camila and the La Malquerida bunch. But he never told Camila he had an 11 year-old daughter and was a widower.
 

What Mariano really needs is a new 'do. That center part on his hair has got to go. Ditto for the stubble on the chin. With his current 'do, he looks even dorkier than Alonso.
 

Thanks Jard for your great recap, as usual.

Anon 10:30, I agree with you. Mariano needs to beautify. His 'do and scruffy beard is a no-no. It takes so much away from him.

Ann-NYC

 

I'm just glad Daniel finally took that surgery cap off his head!

Also, I agree that Camila's divorce lawyer has made a big (favorable) impression for such a small role.

Thanks for the recap Jardinera! Also, thanks to this recappers I haven't had a chance to thank during the week.
 

I want to thank the rest of the crew of recappers for another terrific week of snark and snicker.....The blog wouldn't work if it weren't for the humor.....of the team and our Bloggers!
 

Great recap. Only saw half the ep, so it helps.

OT: I was flipping last night and found Existos TV. They were playing Las Plateados with the girl who played Liliana in MEPS. They also had these TNs (I'm assuming they're TNS) on their schedule: La Tormenta, Anita No Te Rajos and Victoria. When I scanned the schedule over a couple of days, it looked like these were the only shows playing. I don't know if they keep repeating an ep for the whole day or if they're showing them consecutively as they loop around.

Nanette.
 

Nanette - Exitos TV is a digital subchannel launched by Telemundo early this year. They rerun four old Telemundo novelas, repeating them six times a day, six days a week, Mondays through Saturdays.

Their current schedule in Eastern Time:
La tormenta 6am/10am/2pm/6pm/10pm/2am
Anita no te rajes 7am/11am/3pm/7pm/11pm/3am
Victoria 8am/12pm/4pm/8pm/12am/4am
Los Plateados 9am/1pm/5pm/9pm/1am/5am

Anita no te rajes and Victoria are both about a week or two from ending, heaven knows Exitos will be airing next as there are no promos on the channel.