Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Refugio Para el Amor #162 Tue 11/27/12 Don Aquiles Goes Out With A Bang



Peace, love and forgiveness are the only gifts I want, so these are the gifts I offer to you.”*

We've seen extraordinary acts of love and forgiveness throughout this telenovela, and tonight was no exception. We continue to see how Paz and Luciana have let go of any anger towards don Aquiles leaving them free to care about his welfare and grieve his death. Violeta also has laid aside her resentment and fury and the reward was a loving final conversation with her dad, gleefully sharing wise business practices and delighting in each other's financial acumen. And Magda, unable to forgive or forget, reveals how deeply she still felt about her first love when the news of his death causes her to drop and shatter a precious piece of pottery. To me this was symbolic of the shattering of the walls around her heart. She still loved the misguided old rascal, though she refused to admit it, and would grieve his passing...along with all the townspeople.

You may find all this forgiveness and accepting to be noble.... or infuriating...but it is always a part of the telenovelas that we watch and the message that they preach.

Not everyone has forgiven though—Roselena is so furious at being thwarted in her family domination that she imagines herself manifesting the bleeding wounds of Christ in her palms.

Fortunately that bloody hallucination was not the only major event tonight. We have the Jana/Lorenzo tender kisses in the new apartment, narcissistic kisses between Vicky and Max in the new office space he rented for her, and gentle kisses and blessings from Rodrigo to Alexia as he drops her off at school.

We endure some more scenes of Gala's crude value system ("party hardy", use child to make money, diss one remaining friend Fernanda) and we all look forward to her financial ruin. The writers torture us some more with don Chelo hiding out from Luciana, Rodrigo and Pato (who could identify Mateo through the Virgen de Guadalupe medallion). And we have some additional filler of Aldo plotting Lastra and Ivan's ousting as he smugly contemplates being Max's trusted right-hand man, in charge of all the lucrative gambling dens of the north.

And speaking of endurance, we are saddled with the longest funeral procession that I've ever seen, with don Aquiles lit up like a neon corpse, mariachi music blasting, torches flaming, padre with incense parading, Procopio weeping, Paz, Magda and Violeta grieving, bright flags waving, food cooking, booze freely flowing, gaudy posters of the old reprobate flapping in the wind, some sort of scuffle between Procopio and the priest, spectacular fireworks blasting, and finally...the best part of all....the Forgiveness....yes, that's the word...of all the debt that any of the poor villagers owed to don Aquiles. Instead of being cursed for his avarice, he will be remembered for his generosity. Not a bad way to go. A glad rag party and a blessing to the poor of the pueblo. We should all be so fortunate.

That's the big picture. Now here's a little more detail.


Rod's Apartment

Pato calls Rodrigo and Luciana to the apartment, partly to discuss not finding Mateo at home, but more urgently to decide what to do about Boris and Roselena's plans to kidnap Jana. Rod actually advises caution, but also decisiveness. We must do something before she (Rose) does.

The Mansion

The next scene is a close-up of Roselena's wringing hands. Matilde creeps in announcing that she has tea and medication for her niña.
Rose: I'm not your niña!
Matilde: I know I'm here against your will; I came back for your children and your spouse, but I still care as much for you as ever.
Rose: Don't play the martyr. If I ran you off, it's because you betrayed me, conniving with Lorenzo and Jana. Now she's going to marry that wretched oaf.
Matilde: I hope so.
Rose: Do you doubt it? Of course they're going to marry. Nobody understands that everything I do, I do for the happiness of my children.

Whew. On to another scene.

Rod'sApartment

Rodrigo: We've got to get them married in the church tomorrow. The only person my mother fears is God. We'll have to talk to Lorenzo and Jana and see what they think.
Brigida: (overhearing the conversation) Ver para creer (seeing is believing) Matilde betraying her adored niña. Luciana heads off to warn Lorenzo; Pato to warn Jana. And Brigida stays to gloat.

The New Apartment

Meanwhile Lorenzo and Jana are touring their new apartment with the female housing agent lurking in the background. He's awed by the size and the height of their new quarters, but even more bedazzled by the young woman in front of him. When he notes how close he feels to the heavens, she thinks he means the view. But it's Jana who's bringing the heavenly bliss and he underscores that thought with some tender kisses and hugs. (I'm fascinated that he still uses “usted” with Jana. Will he begin to tutearse after the wedding night? Or is this just a norteño way of speaking?)

Some Restaurant

Gala, Fernanda and Julie have their usual disgusting conversations over drinks and plan their ill-fated investments with Mirko's sleazy ally. Gala also telephones home, not to ask about her daughter (who was simply a lucrative bargaining chip in the divorce) but to get other news...which infuriates her. Luciana was there...in the apartment! Zounds! Curses! Foiled again! Furious, she insults Brigida, tells the curious Fernanda to mind her own business (no seas chismosa) and Lordy! Is there anyone who isn't anxiously awaiting this character's comeuppance!?


 Mansion: Library

Aldo tells Max that he thinks Ivan is covering up some financial sleights of hand. Look at the figures. I'm not looking at all that, that's what I have you for, snaps Max. Figure it out and give me the low-down tomorrow.

Mansion: Bedroom

Roselena is removing her make-up, when suddenly the palms of her hands begin to bleed. The camera moves to show us that her hands are normal, the stigmata exist only in her crucified, paranoid mind.

Luciana's Apartment

Luci warns Lorenzo about the Roselena/Boris plans to kidnap Jana. For a few moments, he refuses to believe her. But then we see the light dawn in his eyes.

The Boxcar

Doña Chuy is having it out with don Chelo.

Chuy: Luciana and Rod's brother came to see Mateo and waited a long time. Do you really have work in Aragon or are you just hiding from Rod and Luciana?
Chelo: Are you my conscience?
Chuy: No...I'm just trying to make you see what you're doing.
Chelo: All I'm doing is just trying to make some good money to help my son. My buddies in Aragon have a good paying plumbing job going.
Chuy doubts it and let's him know by her expression that she knows he's on the lam from Rodrigo.

It's morning in Het Het. It's also morning in the boxcar barrio and we see don Chelo once more dragging Mateo out at first light to head far away from home. But back in Het Het, Procopio is alarmed to hear that don Aquiles has not shown up for work. He goes to his home and pounds on the door. No answer. So he and the other hapless fellow, whom I know only as baboso, take the door off the hinges and find don Aquiles strangely still.

If we ever doubted Procopio's affection for don Aquiles, there can be no doubt now. In spite of all the insults, the cuffs that sent him flying many a time, the rough disdain,  this little guy is devoted to his boss. He vainly begs him to get up, tries to lure him by taking out his finest  dove white suit and his ostrich hide boots. Beginning to weep now, he pleads with don Aquiles to give him his hand and he'll help him. No te vayas Patrón, don't leave me alone no te vayas todavia. Dejected now, he buries his head in the bedclothes and weeps some more. My friend is dead. A befuddled baboso  stands at his side, makes the sign of the cross and murmurs May he rest in peace.

The House of Paz

Violeta calls Magda and they chat a bit about the pottery business. Then Vi asks about her papa but Magda blows her off.  Go see for yourself if you're interrested.

El Kinder

Rod drops Alexia off with a kiss and a blessing. Races back to retrieve a pink lunch bag (lonchera) left in the back seat. ( Nice touch. There's usually something forgotten when getting kids off to school. How well I remember.)

House of Paz

Theofilo arrives with the news that don Aquiles is dead. Magda drops the lovely vase she's been admiring, and her hidden grief blooms across her tired features. Her first love, her greatest enemy, the father of her child.....is gone forever.

Padre Honesto's Church

Pato meets with the padre to reveal the kidnap plans and to try and persuade him to conduct a hurry-up wedding. He concedes that his mother is un poco especial (a little difficult) and if they let her know what they're doing, she'll simply change her strategy.

Padre Honesto quibbles a bit since there's been no pre-marital counseling or publishing of the banns, but after conceding that he's known Jana all her life—he baptized her, confirmed her, prepared her for her first communion and has confessed her many times--- well, he knows her heart is clean and pure.
Pato adds some more persuasion in the form of God wanting our happiness and Jana's happiness is surely dependent on marrying Lorenzo. The Good Lord can bless the marriage first, and the religious details can come afterwards. Padre Honesto caves.

Corporativo

Ofelia tells Luciana about her marriage plans with the architect Cardenás.

Vicky's New Business Site

Vicky's ecstatic, particularly when Max assures her he'll pay for architect Cardenás to remodel it to suit her needs. This earns him a sexy“Osito” and a smooch.

Aldo's Broom Closet

Our beloved sleaze Aldo is huddled over his laptop, juggling figures to make Lastra and Ivan look bad and him good. Good enough to take over all the norteño gambling dens. He'll get rid of those estupidos. No problem. The scene switches to Lastra and Ivan in the park, reading the newspaper and gloating that Aldo is such a dork, they'll get rid of him. No problem. Stay tuned.

Continuous Curves

The camera lingers lovingly on Violeta's continuous curves as she's wringing out car wash cloths. Delia calls her to the phone. It's Vi's mom. We know what's coming.

Claudio's Law Office

Oscar is introduced to Barrera and Norma with the explanation that he'll be in charge of operations there as well of Luciana's foundation. Luciana arrives, everybody's happy and there's a toast with champagne. Vi calls. Ya no tengo papá. Se murió.  Luciana looks stricken.  Everybody notices. (I'm sad Violeta didn't get more time to enjoy having a father, but perhaps it's for the best. No time to get disillusioned or have ol' Dad interfere in her new romance.)

Barrio Boxcar

Doña Chuy tells Rodrigo that Chelo's not back.
Rod: Did he talk to you about my wish to adopt Mateo? All I want is to give him a better life—NOT separate don Chelo from Mateo.
Chuy: Don Chelo saved his life, you know. He retrieved him from the garbage when he was just a day old. I doubt that little baby even met his real father. For him, don Chelo is the only dad he has ever known.

Dramatic music. Cara impactada de Rod. He's beginning to put two and two together.

The Longest Funeral Ever

Don Aquiles gets his wish. A full blast pueblo celebration, his corpse paraded through town like a neon saint, music, eats, banners, fireworks, grieving women, some cries of “Erria!”, the works and then some.

Luciana hugs Vi after the funeral mass is over while Vi thanks her for urging her to see her dad. They talked. It was good. And though it hurts to lose him--her papá is at peace and so is she.

After more festivities outside the church, Procopio takes the stage, microphone in hand, to give the old rascal's last good-bye.

As he felt death approaching, Don Aquiles made a list of everyone who owes him money, he intones.

Nervous looks. Anxious mutterings.

Qué..qué?

AND HE FORGIVES ALL YOUR DEBTS!! THERE IS NOTHING TO PAY!!

Cheers and relieved shouts.

Valgame, breathes Paz. Even dead, he continues to suprise us, adds Luciana.

Well, when one is near death, one sees things differently, muses Violeta. Even Magda is impressed.  Finally.

VIVE DON AQUILES!!!! goes up the shout. And the music and fireworks continue, lighting up the sky and all our hearts. And there we end for tonight.

Previews:

The usual mishmash. You'll just have to watch to find out.

Vocabulario:

rejego, rejega = adj. Mexican slang. mouthy, cheeky (said the other night about Violeta...but in a good way)
raptar = kidnap
un poco especial = a little difficult
temer = to fear, to dread, to be afraid of
ver para creer = seeing is believing
avestruz = ostrich
lonchera = lunch bag, lunch box

Dicho of the Day
Poderoso caballero es don dinero. = fig. Money makes the world go round. (And we know Gala, Julie and Fernanda are about to lose most of theirs; so their worlds are about to come to a screeching halt)





*Mindful Loving Henry Grayson

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Comments:
Ay Judy-- They slowed things down tonight to give Don Aquiles a major send off, and you sent him off in style with this recap as well. Wonderfully poetic as always.

I love that all the kids, Mati and Padre are working together to thwart Rosa. She will absolutely lose the rest of her mind when she finds out. I guess she won't be using any more hand sanitizer now that she thinks she's bleeding like the crucified Christ.
 

Great recap!

Don A send off was really well done.

Rosa loca: stigmata or over use of hand sanitizer? Certainly am giddy waiting for Rosa to go "pure" crazy.
Maybe Rosa is planning to perform an exorcism of all her sinful children.


 

Great one, Judy.

I doubt that Don A was thinking about this, but could this have been an unconscious way to appease God? If so he is far more deserving than Roselena.

For Roselena to imagine having the stigmata is another act of hubris. Since she's playing the martyr already this delusion is no surprise.

She crucified herself a long time ago when she rejected Max during her last pregnancy. She killed her ability to feel anything but jealousy, fear, rejection (which was a projection), hate, and envy. If she were as holy as she thought herself, shouldn't she be as peeved as we are over Gala and Julie's greed (which is another Deadly Sin)?
 

Judy

Had to laugh over the longest funeral ever. i've been to real ones that didn't last that long. They could have gotten the same message across without the endless parade. Unfortunately that means we'll get short changed on the final showdown when Gagme and her cohorts pay for what they did.

Rod is FINALLY beginning to put two and two together so if he had any brains at all he'd be in the car outside the boxcar at the break of dawn to catch Chelo dragging Mateo off.

Love how Rosa keeps trying to put Mati in her place and the woman reminds her she is there doing her job. She hasn't called Rosa mi nina sine she got the ax. Now it is just señora.

Rosa does so like the idea that she is a martyr hence envisioning herself with the stigmata. However even she can't reconcile the fact that he sees them only when looking in the mirror.
 

Judy, great recap, thank you.

I loved your intro theme and all the forgiveness in our novella.

I loved the funeral. It reminded me of New Orleans funeral.

Hopefully we will have a wedding tomorrow.

Rosemary Primera
 

About the Usted thing...all the Het Het folks seem to use it most times, even with family and close friends. Paz and Galdino used it with each other, so I think Lorenzo is going to follow his parents' example and use it forever more with Hannah. Sometimes he and Luci use Usted with each other, and sometimes they use Tu. They always used Usted with their parents and Magda. Violeta does the same.
 

Judy what a wonderful gem of a recap. Loved your title. Ah, the ole reprobate is gone. I am sorry to say I actually thought the funeral for him as apropos, after all he was always larger than life, lol. I am glad he forgave everyone's debts, it was about time. Those Chisme Ladies and Dona Lucha with her Bishon and the crying. I liked Vio and Paz and Magda standing up and saying Arriya. It was a great funeral.

I too think Rod has put two and two together. I just wish Don Chelo hadn't taken off with Mateo. Now this will drag out.

I am so happy that Mati ratted out la loca to Pato, about time. Before she would have just wrung her hands and said "Mi Nina". She finally acted the way she should have done years ago. Yay!!! Now at least Pato, Rod, Luci, Lorenzo and Jana know what is up and foil her plans. So glad that Padre Honesto went along with them.

Urban- so with you about la loca and the stigmata. I was going to say the same thing about her and I totally agree.
 

Well said, Judy. Your send off of Don A. deserves a special Erriah! Thank you for all your recapping duties. Appreciated your insight and themed essays.

So, Don A. avoided CarayCarayers punishments by checking out before the last episode, but I guess we could say he was punished by being taken out before he could show off his daughter and get to spend more time with her.

This is the first tn I've seen where the body has been laid out without a coffin. It was interesting.

UA--thank you for the link to Stigmata. I had made a mental note to include something about stigmata tomorrow--noting that women make up the greater percentage of stigmatics--and that modern research shows that it is linked to dissociative identity disorders (a la Roselena). I think in her state of mind, Roselena thinks she sees them on her hands--we're privy to the fact they are not there thanks to the camera.
 

Oh, forgot about Gagme, CQ and Fernanda, they really dissed Valentina, but I am glad Valentina got wise and doesn't hang with them anymore. I want that super-sized pie cart to hit Gagme and CQ really hard, and of course Fernanda will be collateral damage.
 

Vivi--I couldn't help myself...left you a last post on Monday's comments.
 

Slightly OT: In the film Stigmata it's pointed out that truly religious people are the recipients of this phenomenon. It doesn't happen to atheists (as it did in the film) and it certainly shouldn't happen to blasphemers like Roselena.

What the hell happened to her when she was a child that this is happening now? Was she that envious of Connie or that selfish about having to share her parents with her?
 

Thank you Judy for this lovely recap, so nice with coffee and toast. Loved your description of Don A's funeral, "neon saint". His dove-colored suit looked pink with the lighting and reflecting the red of the palatte they laid him on. Reminded me of one of those New Orleans funeral processions.

Appearing with Stigmata will have to be the most original way to ruin your daughter's wedding.

We should make a list of ways to ruin a wedding in a TN.
STuD-Shreechy the mother of the girl who married the village doctor, didn't she have some attack of appoplexy and ruin her daughter's wedding? Then in the wedding of the Dueña, Rosando hobbles up the isle on his peg leg with a gun but he was quickly removed and the wedding continued without blinking an eye.
I don't think I have seen any TN that didn't have a ruined or postponed wedding.
 

I so love your recaps Judy. They have been a true pleasure through this TN. Gracias!!

I'm with Decie Girl, that funeral went on forever last night. I actually began to feel a little cheated that so much time was being spent watching this endless walk through town, we have just a few days left, and some characters might get short-changed in their story telling. (Case in point--Ofelia. For someone who was so front and center for awhile, we get a two second wrap up--and never got to see her darling daughter grown up?)

Losing their riches will be a treat to watch for the two brujas, but there better be some additional justice for them. I admire this TN for not going overboard on deaths and horrible endings, but at least Gala needs to account for what she did, especially if we really don't see anything much more with RE.

As for RE--what a wretch. I was a bit disgusted that she actually sees herself as some sort of martyr and has received this "gift". This episode truly signaled her loss of any sanity she had left. Feel a little cheated that this most likely will be her "comeuppance". Loss of sanity and maybe institutionalized.

Don C. bothers me now in that he talks of wanting to help Matteo make a better life for himself, and yet he is doing everything he can to now not make that happen. I understand his wanting to not lose Matteo, but his love should realize he needs to do right by the boy. Let's get that medallion magic happen. (Would love to have Pato be the one to see it).

 

Good morning everyone. Fun to read your comments, your interesting opinions and the many shoutouts to New Orleans funerals. Yes, we have some colorful practices going on in this country also.

Now about this episode...Clearly the story of don Aquiles was more important than many of us realized. Certainly more important than I realized.

It was his ugly selfish action at the beginning that pushed Luciana to flee her home and head for the big city...and her Destiny. And the length of screen time spent on his funeral means something as well.

So what were the writers trying to show us with this outpouring of grief and love for the old reprobate? And what led to the forgiveness of all the debts.

Don A was not portrayed as religious, so I don't think he was trying to appease God. Rather, I think the writers wanted to show...once again...that money does not bring happiness. Don A had tons of it and it never brought him joy or peace. But when he finally recognized his daughter and had that brief time of bonding with her, he realized what he'd been missing all these years.

Now think back to a time when your own life was filled with love...not necessarily the getting but the giving. That love spills over into every action you take and you are generous and open-handed with Life. That's what I think the writers wanted us to see with don Aquiles' about-face. But clearly, that's just my opinion. And we have many different ones on this line!
 

MADS...We always knew Valentina didn't fit with Gala, Fernanda and Julie. It wasn't even credible that the friendship lasted as long as it did. But she was used as a a spokesperson for the "right view"...reverence for life and family, fairness, kindness...all characteristics that the other three lacked.

DAISYNJAY...Don Chelo has panicked before and he's panicking again at the thought of Mateo being taken from him. It's hard to watch him dragging the little guy out at first light but this is also a way for the writers to ratchet up the tension and keep us hanging on desperately until the very last episode. They are so talented at torturing us that way!

EMARIE...I actually had nightmares last night about don A's pink-lit corpse being paraded around town. That's an image that's going to stay with me a long time.

ANITA...I'll look forward to your research on stigmata. I have only read and heard about it in spiritual group discussions, especially of Padre Pio in Italy.

ROSEMARY PRIMERA...I am looking forward to the wedding as well. Thank goodness Padre Honesto got on board!

ANON 9:16...Oh my, wouldn't that be a scene...Roselena trying to perform an exorcism. Not gonna happen but it's an interesting speculation.

VIVI...Yes, we can kiss the hand sanitizer good-bye. Do you think it was some kind of perverse product placement?
 

Sorry UA...that first comment was in answer to your question.
 

DECIE GIRL...I was really annoyed with the length of the funeral. And the repetitive music, initially fun and folkloric, really began to grate on my nerves.

Plus, there were continuity glitches...sometimes Paz, Magda and Vi had lit torches, other times they were out. There was a funny moment at the beginning where the bowl of flaming incense the padre was holding seemed to be burning his hands.

Since the procession seemed to drag on forever I amused myself by scanning the faces of the extras who seemed to be from the pueblo. One fellow kept cutting his eyes over at the lovely Luciana when she bid good-bye to the corpse. Others just looked stolid and somewhat bewildered. And then there was the young fella on the bicycle. Still, I imagine it was a big thrill to be part of the crowd scene. It would have been for me anyway.
 

Extraordinary acts of love and forgiveness indeed. Extraordinary insight, sensitivity, objectivity and humor, amiga. Judy, this was wonderful. Outstanding vocabulary and dicho.

"beloved sleaze", "lit up like a neon corpse", "symbolic of the shattering of the walls around her heart" were sublime. "gleefully sharing wise business practices and delighting in each other's financial acumen" was beautifully phrased.

Don Aquiles is now gone and due to his last minute change of heart, will not be soon forgotten. I thought the funeral overall was done very well but agree it took up way too many precious minutes, which are waning far too quickly.

So disappointed Don Chelo is dragging Mateo off on more silly excursions. The poor child looked exhausted...At least Rod is coming closer to learning the truth. With only 3 hours left, let's hope that all are reunited with a little time left over to revel in being a family.

Matilde wants to cross over to the light although she continues to linger in the shadows: "Matilde creeps in announcing that she has tea and medication for her niña". Brigida still hovers in the dark, clinging to the hospital bracelet instead of telling Rod the truth.

I had high hopes for Aldo - thought he always had a good heart but am dismayed the years have not been kind to him - still stuck in the utility closet and trying to scam rather than earn his living.

Judy, thank you for this stellar recap.

Diana
 

Diana..thanks...I too am disappointed in Aldo. I can't dislike him, he's too funny, especially when rolling his eyes and grimacing at Roselena's behavior, but he IS a grifter. Happily getting free room and board at the mansion and planning to help himself to an even greater share of Uncle Max's nefarious money making and money laundering schemes. Quite a contrast to the noble, high-minded Melissa. Maybe we are supposed to "infer" (shades of Brigida!)that he takes after his feckless biological father whom Connie divorced when he was but an infant. We DO know that she supported the kids herself through her real estate work, and raised them without any financial or emotional help from their sperm donor.
 

Does anyone else think that Aldo's current haircut is horrible? I've seen this in the real world and I just don't get it. It looks sleazy.

Don A's funeral was so bizarre I was sure he would sit up and laugh after Procopio made his speech. However, that wouldn't have fit with the slow descent into hell that this tale is taking for its three female villains.


 

Well, it's come to this UA. Modern day haircuts look horrible to us.

I remember the first time I went to a new ophthalmologist and he had "product" in his hair. Yikes. Wasn't ready for that.

Then I realized he was younger than all of my cookie sheets. Must be time for me to get out those elastic waisted stretch pants and just give over.
 

To me it looks worse than Daniel Craig's buzz cut (which I don't think appropriate for James Bond, but never mind).

The actor playing Aldo will probably play comic characters or sleazy villains going forward while the one playing Lorenzo could become a leading man.
 

Ah now, Daniel Craig...have to admit I'm a fan of his buzz, just because it seems to go with his hard, sculpted face.

But yes, I can't ever see Aldo as a leading man. His round face makes it hard to take him seriously. Lorenzo definitely has a future.
 

Anita said:"This is the first tn I've seen where the body has been laid out without a coffin. It was interesting."
And I would add bizarre. Even if Don A was the founder of San Francisco (Het-Het), one wonders why, in light the funeral business, a coffin was not used. Actually the only other funeral I've seen on TV that had the body on a raised bier and carried around is the funeral of a pope. Touching and ludicrous at the same time. And yes, almost a half hour devoted to Don A while we still are awaiting the resolution of at least four major plots to resolve themselves -- now in three episodes. Get ready for a speedy resolution.
 

Judy, there was a recent scene after Don A's heart attack (I think) and he and Procopio were out taking a stroll and they passed the store with all of the flowers, etc. from the people in the town and Procopio told him that all the customers cared for him and had been praying for him. I think that was probably a small turning point for him and pointing in the right direction for redemption.

Rosemary Primera

 

I agree Rosemary Primera...all those --whom he probably overcharged and underserved for years-- were praying for him and lifting him up to God's grace. If that doesn't turn around a crusty old character, what will?

Anon 12:37...Yes, I still can't figure out why so much time was devoted to his funeral and I found the constant focus on the supposed corpse a bit queasy-making. Hopefully they have a nice cosy box lined up for him before they place him in the ground. But I sure hope we don't spend any more screen time on it.
 

I am hoping that tonight we get the resolution of Mateo and Luci's story. I hate the idea of it being jammed into the last hour or two. This child will be taken from the only person who has ever loved him, essentially told i found you in the garbage and oh yeah your grandmother did it. Somebody better pencil in some appointments with Rosa's oh so sucessful shrink.

I understand why Chelo is doing what he is, he knows the truth is near and fears that he will end up back in that black hole he lived in before Mateo came along. What he doesn't know is how generous Luci will be to the man who raised her beautiful son to be such a loving and caring child.
 

Thanks for your great recap Judy.

Add me to the list of those disappointed by the length of time spent on Don A. While I understand the writers wanting to create suspense, its sad when TNs have to rush to the happy ending b/c time has been spent elsewhere.

ITA w/daisynjay on Don C. He is making it hard to sympathize with him and acting very cowardly. While it will be devastating for Mateo to leave him (and he should realize Luci and Rod won't do that to him), how can he keep playing this game with the boy's real parents.

Vivi - thanks for your wonderful recap also. Got to it late last night.
 

I am hoping that someone knows a lot more about Mexican Folk music than I. I have to asmit I have not been following this novela at all, but last night had the TV on as I decorated the Christmas tree and waited for Eva. The music at the funeral procession is the exact song that is played on 2 DVD's I have explaining the celebration of Día de los Muertos. I would LOVE to know the title of the song, and if it is traditional at ALL Mexican funerals or only Het-Het funerals? Thanks!!

p.s. great re-cap :) I read the whole thing in case the song was mentioned
 

Awesome, Judy! Even though I did like the goodbye to Don Aquiles and mostly his letter to Vio (showing his pride in her and telling her that as his last deed, he was making sure she would never lack anything ever again), it was indeed the longest funeral ever (I did not count but never heard 99 plays (maybe 90 times too many) of ‘la golondrina’ consecutively like that… and yes, don Aquiles WAS lit up like a neon corpse… (btw, la golondrina is one of the most used songs used in funerals for people who do request to be farewelled with music or who are beloved around… interesting that the golondrina procession happened BEFORE they learned he dismissed all the debts) I agree, if you are going out, no better way than with a huge act of generosity, it is said you are remembered for the last thing you did… and that generous act is certainly a good last memory to leave to the towns people.

LOVED how Mati tells RE off, I am not here on your request, but in any case I still love you dearly…. And Frigida noting after the good guys meeting at Rod’s house… that it blew her mind to know that Mati had betrayed (told the guys on) her adored nina RE.

But I have to say that some characters are showing acts to deserve forgiveness (Aquiles) and some others are showing more selfish traits than ever (Don Chelo, Aldo, even Vicky). As much as I want Lastra and Ivan to get their due, Aldo is showing too much ‘Max’ selfishness in him.

Have to say I loved that Claudio basically handed the law suite over to Oscar to manage and trusts him to that degree… I really hope Fernanda takes her time to ‘invest’ in the those sleezy guys business (I really hope Gala and Julie don’t drag her along in that hole they are slipping and sliding into). I also was really glad to hear that the other friend (the one Gala kept mocking all the time because of her eating disorder, Val?) was dedicating herself to motherhood and her own happiness…

 

Pam, i just answered your question without even reading it... yes la golondrina is used very frequently in funerals in Mex.
 

I have been frustrated with Chelo from way back when he told Luci that baby Mateo was 4 months old. To me, that always felt more like him trying to throw anyone who might actually be looking for Mateo off the scent in order to hang on to the child, just like him avoiding Luci and Rod now because he knows there's a good possibility that Mateo is really their son. I understand his fear of losing his child and being plunged back into the darkness of his pre-Mateo world. But, he must realize how painful it has been for the little guy's real parents/family who have been separated from him for so long.

When he met Luci 5 years ago, she clearly didn't look like an evil person who would harm the baby. Once he heard this nice young woman say that she had lost her baby two months ago, he shouldn’t have lied. He should have immediately told the truth, to see if there was any chance that baby Mateo could be hers. He never knew how that baby got in the trash. He couldn't assume that the mother did it. It could have been any evil person who did it-- someone evil enough to dump a child in the garbage, would be evil enough to steal a child from their mother. He didn't say anything at the time because he was selfish and he wanted to keep Mateo for himself. Just like now. Only now, it will also be painful for Mateo to part from Chelo and confusing for him to understand the whole situation.

I know I'm hard on Chelo, and I do appreciate that he raised Mateo to be so loving and outgoing, but I have been irked by him since that baby in the park incident with Luci five years ago.

 

I had to look at my tv three times before I finally figured out that was Don A in the procession. The way the camera angle was it looked like it was a midget in that coffin.

I think the reason why last nite was devoted so much to Don A's funeral was so that we can roll full throttle thru the Rod/Luci/Little Rod, Gagme/CCQ Julie/Rosa, Janna/Lorenzo & Pato storylines up to Friday's finale.

I believe Fernanda is one of those "friend-hanger-oners". The ones that if you have $$$ & prestige "oh yeah I'm your buddy". But once that $$$ & prestige is gone, they too disappear. And yes Valentina is the smart one of the four. She got out while she could & with her dignity intact.

Yea for Mati finally wising up and going behind Rosa's back. I think she too has had enough of Rosa's meddling and is not going to let Jana's happiness be ruined.

I think Chuy will be the one who will find Chelo and talk some sense into him. She seems to be the only one who can. And yes Rod is starting to put two-and-two together. I wonder if tonite will be the nite that someone finally recognizes Mateo's necklace???

~Paula~
 

And from here on out to the end, everyone get ready for one of the BEST and I mean BEST (and i have watched novelas for over 40 yrs) 3-ep endings ever... get your hankies ready ... you will need them.
 

PAM..Hope you saw Marta's comment since she named the folkmusic as la Golondrina. And we're glad you stopped by on your way to Eva.

DECIE GIRL....I'm figuring a man who once sank into alcoholism is a man who is anxious and easily frightened...so while logically he should not be afraid Luciana would keep him from Mateo, it's understandable to me that he would be fearful and panic.

MARTA...I agree...Fernanda hasn't really been evil to the extent that Gala, Julie and Roselena have (although she's sure not nice) so I have no desire for her to lose her money. Sounds like Gala was dismissive of her interest anyway...like, girl you don't have enough moolah or smarts to make it worthwhile.

VIVI...Ah, the lie about the baby being four months old. Yes, we certainly act in craven, contemptible ways when we're frightened. And Chelo was. And of course that way the writers could keep our heroine confused...for five frickin' more years. I'm not so much mad at the character don Chelo as I am at the writers. I stil cringe at a child being separated from his true parents that long.

But it's just a story, just a story.

KAREN...The writers are testing our patience aren't they? So many loose ends to tie up and it could have started earlier if we hadn't spent so much time on the funeral procession. I like the folklore aspect, and the forgiveness of debt, but that could have taken 3 minutes instead of close to 30.
 

here is a very long version of la golondrina (the swallow) lyrics... the most commonly known are the first two paragraphs

A donde irá (where is it going)
Veloz y fatigada (fast and tired)
La golondrina (the swallow)
Que de aquí se va (leaving now)
Por si en el viento (in case in the wind)
Se hallara extraviada (she would find herself lost)
Buscando abrigo (looking for warmth/cover)
Y no lo encontrara (and she won't find it)

Junto a mi lecho (beside my bed/home)
Le pondré su nido (I will make it a nest)
En donde pueda (where she might)
La estación pasar (spend the season)
También yo estoy (I am also)
En la región perdido (lost in the region/area)
Oh Cielo Santo! (OMG)
Y sin poder volar (without the ability to fly)

Deje también
Mi patria idolatrada
Esa mansión
Que me miró nacer
Mi vida es hoy
Errante y angustida
Y ya no puedo
A mi mansión volver

Ave querida
Amada peregrina
Mi corazón
Al tuyo acercare
Voy recordando
Tierna golondrina
Recordare
Mi patria y llorare
 

PAULA...I'm with you, hoping with all my heart that tonight someone sees Mateo with the necklace and the mystery is solved.

And since Marta has mentioned the finale, I will join her saying that while I have only watched telenovelas for six years, I have never seen anything like the Refugio finale. This show will go down for me as the best ever. Not to be missed, as Marta said.
 

Wow. Thanks for the words Marta. PAM, "your cup runneth over"...you've got the title and the lyrics.
 

JudyB, i too hope Fernanda noticed how Gala dismissed her intent to invest with them enough to spare herself the same fate... like you said, she is not evil, even though she never saw Gala and Julie's true nature as clearly as Valentina did.
 

JudyB---Yet another great recap. I really liked the way you gave us the big picture and then followed through with the detail. I hadn't thought about it but the way you showed how the telenovela presented forgiveness several times was very enlightening.

I had never seen a Mexican funeral before. The Het Het [small town] funeral was done quite well. I learned from it but I thought it was a little long. I am worried that some other stuff may have had to been cut because of it's length last night.
I thought that the big guy would be taken out by another heart attack during one of his tirades but no, he went out peacefully. I guess that they were trying to show that he was at peace as he had made peace with everyone and though not very religious, he probably had made peace with God.
The old codger did have a heart after all. To bad he didn't find it a little earlier. I would have liked to have seen him together with Magda and Vio as a family at least one time before his death.

Daisynjay---I was also thinking about Ofelia's daughter. I really enjoyed the two Het Het children at the beginning of the show. We didn't get to see the daughter all that much--too bad.

Diana---"Matilde wants to cross over to the light although she continues to linger in the shadows."---Well said.

Urban---I do not like Aldo's new look. I'm with you, I vote a BIG no.
the gringo
 

GRINGO...I'm with you. It would have been nice to see Magda and Vi both reunited with don Aquiles and living as a family.

The 12-Step groups like to say "we're only as sick as our secrets" and Magda kept her secret, and her anger and resentment, for most of her life.

Still, she did a great job of raising Vi and became a great friend to Paz. So there is nobility and strength in her character...just not forgiveness!
 

Marta -- Muchisimas Gracias!!!! Thanks for the words AND the title. When I find some free time, I will see if I can find a recording of it.
Sounds like I may need to watch these episodes the remainder of this week :)
 

Absolutely PAM...do not, under any circumstances, miss anything this week, especially Friday. Glad to have you aboard for this final week.
 

Thanks so much, Judy! Great recap and I agree w/ those who've commented on the length of the funeral impacting the remaining story lines. That would have been interesting on National Geographic.

The character I want to see dealt with the most harshly is Julie. I detest parasites and that's all she is. Roselena couldn't be more convoluted and perhaps Padre Honesto should see about having an exorcist brought in to deal with her.

Re the stigmata, our older son once rented a cassock and fake beard, bought a red Sharpie and went to a Halloween party as Padre Pio.

Ofelia has the cutest dimples. She and arquitecto should be very happy. I guess by now her daughter is in later adolescence, that is, past the storms of puberty.

Thinking about Don Chelo's encounter w/ the street vendor last week. The vendor had one of Chelo's LPs from years past and was praising him as one of Mexico's greatest tenors ever. So he's fallen quite a way and, yeah, he should have turned Mateo over to the authorities so the little guy could be raised in an unloving orphanage by a disinterested staff while Chelo was put in jail. Easy and fun to say what someone else should have done.

Looking forward to the last three episodes. Emilia said the word is that the new 7 pm TN is less than wonderful so I'll have to start paying more attention to Por Ella. Well, they can't all be CME, eh?
 

Judy

Am looking forward to the finale only to see how they do it. The previous version which was almost 14 years ago was hands down the best ending i ever saw. They had time to concentrate of the core family not a bunch of rushed scenes. I'm putting together the post script so spent this morning going over the notes i wrote 14 years ago and it stilled packed a nice emotional impact. i can actually still hear Christian Castro singing the theme song. Talk about obsessed. Can not wait to buy the DVD for this one.
 

There will be no weekend topic posted this Friday due to the Friday finale of this series and the double header of opera I have this weekend (Friday night and Saturday afternoon).

Since someone has mentioned an original way to interrupt a wedding, we can come up with plenty of examples of Bodas Interruptus for a topic to be posted on the 7th.
 

MIKE...Yes, I can understand why don Chelo didn't take him to the authorities. But, like Vivi, I'm still troubled that he lied to Luciana about Mateo's age. But that's how the writers wrote it, so asi es.

Yes, Julie is a parasite, but to me she's not as bad as Gala and Roselena. Rose's crimes go way back to giving away Luciana as a baby. And I don't think she was crazy then...although crazy with jealousy over the imagined affair, yes.

And how about an update on the cutest little baby on earth. What's she up to?

DECIE GIRL...Looking forward to your postscript. So this one goes back 14 years! Oh my. Can't wait.

UA...thanks for coming up with a good topic for the 7th. And enjoy your operas. Lucky gal to be living in NYC.
 

Hey, Judy, thanks for asking about Aly! Emilia and I are going to visit Nuestra Princesa Saturday. Can't wait!
 

Well, great. Hope to see some more pictures and hear some more stories. Grandchildren make all those stretch marks and gray hairs worth it, amigo.
 

I agree with you Vivi- Don Chelo had no reason to lie to Luci in the park 5 years ago. I like Don C, but I'm as frustrated with him as I am with Brigida. Luci should not have had to wait so long to be reunited with her son.

I don't know about anyone else, but I cried like a baby when Procupio found Don Aquiles . Poor guy.

However, I was a little annoyed at the length of the funeral. There's still so much story to reveal that they could have cut thefuneral short and got on with the rest.
 

I am really sorry for blogging late on this episode. I am running errands here and there and have only time to watch my dvr a day late since after TG day. I just have to say something about this episode. I too cried a river on the Procopio scene and also upset about the wasted time on the funeral procession. Before they had announced the final capitulos I have already pleaded to please give the couple about two weeks of happiness with their found lost son and not abruptly end the story on the last day. They like, procrastinated on it, showing all the loose ends being tied together but the most important plot being dragged towards the finished line. To Decie Girl, where can I buy the dvd for the first or original tn of this ? Is there one? I also previously have said that I liked the character of Valentina, the good conscience of Gala, who kept on shutting her down. I'm glad she was made pregnant and was excluded for the poetic justice she might be getting just because of her connection with Gala. What about the janitress that caused Luciana to ran away with the baby totally confused and scared to death. Will she also be forgotten due to lack of time?I saw the schedule and there is only an hour so what kind of an ending will we have? I hope not disappointing.
 

VIDA2...I don't think you'll be disappointed with the ending, even though there are some loose ends that never got tied up....there are some truly stunning scenes in the finale that will stay with you a long time.
 

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