Caray, Caray!

TJ~~~~ Wonderful recap. Loved the whole thing. So sad about Helena and Juan, and I am so with you about Helena. She is so lying to herself. What he did was so romantic. I wish she would see that even though he is on the run so to speak, he cares enough to do all these wonderful things for her, while Pluti just stalks her and tries to find ways to make her Mio. I wish she would stop thinking of the bad things Juan did and see the good things he's done. Hopefully, by the end of this TN that will happen.

Poor Kevin, I agree, no more girls with a C name. I felt so bad for him when Claudia was reading that poem and she gaffed him off the way she did. And she is being nasty to Eugenia again. I wish she would actually have a geniune heart to heart with Eugenia. Modesto is useless. What a jerk! Loved your name for Modesto Teflon, lol.

Renato, you go boy! I loved, loved, loved what he said to Rebe. Good for him. He is such a good guy, I hate the way Rebe treats him and those two older guys too. Loved how Renato shoved them together, that was funny.

Jennifer so didn't like what Daniel was doing. I wish she would dump him. He is getting more and more possessive. Besides they aren't married, so why is he pushing her to no career. I really hope he isn't looking to marry her!

Santi is so funny, but sad he made an internet date, and besides, isn't that what Lucia was doing a couple epi's ago, on a dating website? I really like the Santi/Lucia dynamic. They are so for each other, if only they knew.

Oh, TJ, the person Helena met at the Playa is the Councilman in Playa Majuga, not the construction foreman : )

 

There's a lot to comment about in this recap and it rocks, TJ!

Too late for bad Dad. Even though he is finally showing remorse for his behavior and care for Silvia, he would fall right back into his bad practices if Silvia moved back with him. Silvia did exactly what she had to do and there is no turning back...I hope (for her sake).

I think that Helena hit Juan a) Because she had a bad day. b) because she wanted to talk about the thesis and he wanted to wine and dine her ---bad timing c) she really loves him and as the country song goes, " you always hurt the one you love". C) the telenovela gods are 'Dickson' around with us. (My spell checker just kept me honest so I'll leave it that way).

I can't wait till we go back to the beach again. Maybe the beach director will tell Helena about the time PLuty tried to bribe him with cash. Helena is at least thinking smart where PLuty is concerned. She's getting her street smarts..asking PLuty questions about the thesis to test him. All the stuff that Juan told her about PLuty is turning out to be true. Gertie


 

Thank you, Tablet Jefa, for the recap and the "Teflon Modesto". My favorite part was Eva doing the rattlesnake imitation of Rebeca. It was too funny. I guess I just felt sorry for Helena in this episode and could even understand her getting angry with JC. At the current telenovela moment, everyone wants something from her as she is just trying to get her footing in her personal and professional life. She has to deal with the whole thesis mystery and her proposal for the Playa Majahua development as well as psycho Pluterco who is involved in both her personal and professional life. Then there is the divorce situation with her parents and her mom wanting her to make nice with Bastardo and now Bastardo wanting her to talk her mom into an alimony. Then on top of all of that chaos, JC is just adding more.
Her only solace these days is Eva.
Gertie, I agree with you about the trip and hope that the trip sheds some more light on the Pluterco situation so maybe Helena will be able to move ahead on the JC situation.

Jarifa
 

Jarifa~~~~ I liked your comment and you are right, about Helena. I'm just sick of Helena pushing JC away, I didn't stop to think of all the things on Helena's plate right now. Helena does have a lot to deal with.
 

TJ- This was a great recap. Many thanks.

I will join the small group who can understand why Helena isn't jumping back into JC's arms. This is a man who betrayed her in the worst way possible-- he not only decieved her, but also her son and her parents. He did this after knowing that she had been decieved and dumped by her first love (who stole the money borrowed from her dad to start their new life as a married couple and left her alone, pregnant, and in debt to her dad). He knew this Playa project was her life's work, and he set out to steal it. I'm sorry, but I don't think I could EVER forgive that.

But, here she is, willing to give him a chance to PROVE himself to her. Has he done that yet? I would say, NO. He has neither proven his innocence (which she is trying to help him do), nor has he proven that he is trustworthy and worthy of her love (only he can prove this). Using his same old seduction tricks that he used on her last time is definitely NOT the way to show he's a changed man, a man worthy of her love and trust. Instead of trying to romance her every chance he can get, why doesn't he go into Eva mode? Meaning, why doesn't he approach her as a friend and ask her how she is. How Lalo is? How Silvia is? What are the things that are going on with Helena? What's worrying her? He seems to forget that although he is doing this as Eva, Helena is not seeing him showing concern and interest in her and her life. All she sees JC trying to do is just get back into her pants. This is the reason why she slapped him.
 

Thanks, TJ. I also liked the new nickname, Teflon Modesto. He now bothers me more than Too Bad Dad, who just tires me at this point. I keep thinking there's some big explanation for why he's so cruel to Helena. But maybe the explanation is that he's an ass.

Poor Kevin. I felt so bad for him. This is the kind of thing that turns men into what it is that women complain about.

I wish they would marry Lucia off already so she can see that marriage is not all sunshine and roses. It can be a lot of work. She thinks it's the answer to everything. She's like a one trick pony.

I approved of Helena's reaction to JC's romantic set-up. I completely agree with her that it's the same type of thing he's done to woo hundreds of other women, and yes, that includes her. He has changed from living all these months in Eva's heels, but she doesn't know that yet(because he's afraid to tell her). I don't know what it is exactly that she's looking for- I hope the writers do give us something that feels real- but she does need some proof that he's changed and not just his say so. She's made a lot of bad judgment calls. I think this one- putting Juan on hold- is a good one.


 

Thank you, TJ.

Kevin may be sad, but he really dodged a bullet; Claudia isn't girlfriend material at this point.

The Helena/JC event by the mausoleum was the culmination of the past 2-3 capitulos where Eva/JC is unsuccessful at finding out the "eso" that Helena wants. I do believe that eventually he will discover what it is.

Has Pluti changed is look? Are the shiny suits gone? It seems he's been wearing normal clothing.

Does anyone know where Modesto actually goes when he walks away form an important conversation? The kitchen for a snack? The bano for a pee? Out for a drive?

I have to confess, Adriano's lovesick puppy act is starting to bug me. Is he incapable of having a mature, adult relationship with his intended, even it she wants to stay out of the sack until after the wedding? Maybe he should marry Lucia.

Sue in Florida
 

Loved it TJ -- especially the teflon Modesto.

Add me to the group that thinks Helena is absolutely right to reject Juan Carlos' seduction attempt. This is a part of the search for "eso" that women want. He needs to treat her with respect and support. He needs to listen to her instead of asking her to listen to him.

I may be the only one who feels sorry for Eduardo. Helena's pregnancy & the fraud that ost him a lot of money is a lot for an old school macho male like him. But I bet there is more. Perhaps Helena's situation triggered some deep reason for his distrust of women. I think he is really beginning to value Silvia for herself-not for her role. Maybe some day he will be able to value Helena also. He is still a wife beater --at least once and that will make it hard for him to be redeemed. Still I expect that in the end he will see the light and regain his family.

Güera
 

Vivi~~~~~ You are right too about Helena and JC. Even though I really want Helena to give JC a chance he still doesn't get how much is going on in her life as you said. He only asked about Lalo once and that was awhile ago. I thought he had come such a long way as Eva, but he does really have some more way to go before he truly understands.

Sue in Florida~~~~~ You had me rolling on the floor about Modesto and where he goes, when he exits, stage left : )
 

Thanks, TJ! Good stuff!

They were really trotting out the asshats last night, weren't they? I don't know who's worse: Modesto ("There you go TALKING again!"), Bad Dad ("I'm always right, you know"), or that little mini-macho Daniel ("You don't want all that hard math in your pretty little head...") Eva saved the day with her ogre and her rattlesnake impressions -- too funny.

What did Elena say about JC's little music group? It sounded like she called them "little monkey angels" or something.

Hope the Abismo gang caught the loving camera shot into the Tostitos vending machine. :)
 

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Vivi, you described it PERFECTLY, how Juan still doesn't "get it" with Helena. Nothing I can add to that. So I will go beyond it.

I think, if we're lucky, this will lead to a "Stage II" of Juan's transformation. The writers have crafted the story well so far, and maybe they'll do this one for us too. Forgive me another Fea reference. The night before Lety read the letter and he lost her, Don Fernando was ready to throw Lety under the bus. After his world turned to dust, he recognized that he loved her and he got to the point where he put her before himself. But that was only Stage I of his transformation. He couldn't win her back, because he wasn't worthy of her, until he ripped his first love (the company) out of his heart. That was his Stage II transformation. (BTW, the Colombian captured that moment spectacularly, when Armando trashed his office and Mario kept trying to put it back together.) Only then could he win her back.

All that to say, Juan has changed a lot, but not enough. This "eso" subplot demonstrates that. He thinks he can get what he wants with romance. He doesn't realize that his problem is not his choice of method - romance. His problem is the part about "getting what he wants." He has to get what she wants instead. I think something big will happen, and Juan will have a big crisis or make a big sacrifice for Helena and it will propel him into that Stage II, where he focuses on HER instead of on GETTING HER.
 

Thank you for the recap, TJ.

Bill as for why Ed is so cruel to Helena. I think it's some sort of projected survivor guilt. He killed his own son when he hit Sylvia. He couldn't bear to blame himself, and he couldn't blame Sylvia since she was his other victim. All that left was little Helena, so he projected his guilt onto her. How dare she survive? If she had died then his son would've lived. It must be her fault, in his twisted mind. And he's never forgiven her.

I love how Helena asked Pluto about the thesis. In the past, when she got evidence of his being a nogoodnik, she confronted him and he slithered out of it. This time she gave him enough rope to hang himself. Yeah!

I'm sure that tonight she'll find out that he tried to bribe the PlayaM leader. Maybe she'll also find out that they refused to agree to the project unless Helena was in charge of it. Then she'll realize why Pluto REALLY rehired her.
 

Paula H- Interesting view on Bad Dad (Hard to remember his real name now). I think he could come around but it's going to take a lot more than the 30 or so episodes we have left. If he could focus on seeing Silvia as a woman instead of "the wife whose job it is to clean up after me" and start wooing her again on dates, he might have a chance (because it's a novela). But only with dating; he still can't be trusted as a husband.

I saw a Spanish movie a few years ago (can't remember that name either) that was about a couple where the man was abusive. She finally leaves him and he starts therapy to try to change. It's an interesting view since normally the abuser is a characture of a monster rather than a human being. (SPOILER ALERT- the guy fails in the end to change and she leaves for good).

Not to say I support automatic forgiveness, heck no. But people are capable of change and if this is the push Eduardo (Eduardo!) needed and he can do it, then good for him. But Silvia should still should keep her job and her separate living quarters. She's given him enough.

Side note- Is Daniel 18? If so then Fer should take out his anger on that dumbass kid. Don't need another Eduardo.

Kelly
 

Thanks for the great recap TJ and thanks for all the great comments, commenters! There are a lot of nuances that I miss, and not only because my Spanish is so ad.

I love the Too Bad Dad moniker. I can't decide if it too late for him or not. Everytime I think he's going to be a good guy he regresses to Bastardo again.

Agree about JC. Helena needs more than romance at this point.

Loved seeing Lucia giving Santi the look. I'm sure they will end up together and it's fun seeing it happen, oh so slowly.

Mil in NC
 

Thank you all for your comments.
Thank you Madeline for the correction about the Councilman.
Vivi- thanks for breaking it down regarding Helena. I don't think that she should fall into bed with him but the slapping is getting old.

 

I agree with Ithabill. If Helena had fallen for Juan's big move (female orchestra and all), it would have shown us that while he may have changed, she has not. And after Juan Perron and Pluti, she's bound to be on guard where men are concerned, especially the men who have toyed with her--and Juan was el maestro (at some point).

I think she wants him to get his life in order. He told her that he doesn't care about his freedom or social status if she's not in the picture, but how can she be in the picture when he is not in it himself?

Yep, Juan, show us some cojones. Get your life back on track, and show us that your life has meaning whether Helena is in it or not. No more games. Make yourself worthy of her, then woo her all you want. One thing at a time.

I loved that Rebe was all Siberian tigress with a mix of wolverine and bitch for good measure. She's a hoot. I love to hate her and I hate to love her, but I do. She is too funny.


 

I meant to add that Kevin is better off without Claudia-the-mental-baggage. Betetr a broken heart than one trampled over by Miss Inconsideration.
 

Thanks Vivi for the superb analysis of Why Helena is still so frustrated with JC. Great follow up by Paula and I do agree that Helena's 'lefty' slap knocked him right into stage 2. Poor guy, he forgets she's a lefty and never sees it coming.

Sue in Florida I think he runs to el bano to take a leak....your comments about this habit of Modesto's were fantastic!

Gertie