Tuesday, March 12, 2013
PEAM #2, Tuesday 3/12/13: The Fateful Bucket of Love
Valentina's full of questions for Jesus: Why are you crying? Why are you so hairy and grubby? "It's a long story," he says. Fortunately, she LOVES stories! She's excited to meet him and wants to know everything. She doesn't seem to mind that he looks like he fell off the back of a truck. She is very impressed when he tells her he came all the way from Los EEUU to see her.
Vero is a different story; she corrects the child's pronunciation of "viniste" (she said "veniste") and tells her again to go to bed. Jesus raises his eyes to Elias in a silent plea for support; Elias signals his powerlessness with a barely perceptible shake of his head.
Alma finds Fernando and Jessica, the secretary they share, fooling around under Fernando's desk. Fern says it's none of Alma's business. (He does, in fact, twirl the end of his mustache.) Alma disagrees and tattles to his brother.
Rogelio is unlikely to be very upset about this news, because he's been very busy with Patricia. In fact, he seems grateful for the phone call to take a break from his insatiable chickie-doodle. (He explains away his breathlessness as being due to strenuous stair-climbing.) Er, Paty isn't exactly giving him a break. She seems unbothered - excited, actually - by the prospect of Rogelio getting caught. But he pretends to be outraged by his brother's bad behavior.
Alma hands the phone over to Fernando. Rogelio tells Fern to make a sad face and put him on speaker. Rogelio proceeds to chew Fernando out, but Patricia giggles audibly. Rog tells Alma that when he's angry, he gets a pain in his liver. (Huh? Does his liver make a sound like a woman giggling?) Alma wants him to demote Jessica. Rog agrees, "whatever you say," and hangs up.
Alma vows to Fernando that she'll hire the ugliest secretary she can find. Someone he won't want to touch for anything.
Elias offers Jesus some grayish-blue liquid (it's wheatgrass juice or something). Jesus asks if he can't have something a little stronger, given the circumstances. Vero says that alcohol is not permitted in her home. Only juices and shakes. Elias insists that this juice tastes just like horchata and says it will lower his triglycerides. Vero tires of their frivolous banter and assures Jesus that Valentina is going to a psychologist, er, "more like an advisor or a soccer coach" who will help her deal with the shock of meeting her father.
Jesus wants to work out some kind of visitation plan. Ah! It turns out Vero is just as inquisitive as her daughter. She's got plenty of questions about Jesus now: is he married, where does he live, how much money does he make, what kind of job does he have. I'm surprised she doesn't ask him for fingerprints and a blood sample. Elias, apparently the "good cop" of this duo, says of course he can visit Valentina. Vero agrees to let him visit at their home, but wants to make sure he's living well before Val ever visits him so she doesn't have to sleep in a compost heap. Also, he ought to take a bath.
Alma goes to her Plush Home of the Future (master control panels, automatic dimmers, ambient lighting, mood music, a star chart projector), pours herself a glass of wine (she should really have a robot to do that for her), and admires the skyline of Monterrey.
Jesus goes to a charming compost heap, er, hotel where the nightly rate is 250 pesos (about 20 USD). The desk clerk squashes a roach with his soda can (actually I think he only traps it underneath; maybe he hopes to keep it as a pet). "I've got to get a job," Jesus tells himself. He asks the clerk for his newspaper and goes to his room.
Next day...
Rogelio has more strong words for Alma about his brother's promiscuity, but is distracted by a flirtatious text from Patricia about their upcoming tryst. He's all kisses and sweetness as he bids Alma adieu.
Jessica's been demoted to the stockroom. The cuartel, or whatever we're going to call these fuchsia-clad ladies, say she's lucky she wasn't fired. Jessica doesn't feel so lucky! But she thinks she'll get her desk back before long.
Jesus applies to lots of jobs. He is rejected time and again, with increasing hostility. People notice that he has a criminal record; they've seen his arrest on the news. On the bright side, though, we get to see a lot of Monterrey, and it's gorgeous.
Comical (annoying) sound effects let us know he's hungry. Nevertheless, he continues his search. There's one more ad for him to follow up on: Avon needs an accounting assistant. He's not sure he'll have any more luck there, but it's a decent company and he really wants to be able to see his kid, so he goes for it.
At Avon, the HR guy asks Alma if the new secretary absolutely MUST have a wart. Fernando seems slightly apprehensive.
Alma is outdoors, busy with her phone, oblivious to the hazards around her, when a window-washer kicks the bucket (literally; he doesn't die). Jesus just happens to be approaching as the pail descends upon Alma like an anvil in últimas semanas. He yanks Alma out of the way and takes the hit himself. She is stunned, and who can blame her; few men wear a pail so well.
He takes the bucket off of his head, and their eyes meet.
It is Fate.
It is Kismet.
It is Magic.
It is the cleanest, most flattering washwater the world has ever seen.
She recovers, thanks him for the rescue, and goes back into the building.
Jesus shakes it off as well, silently curses his luck getting drenched just before a job interview, and bravely forges ahead with his plan. He ends up on the same elevator as Alma. What a coinkydink, she's going to Avon too. He frets aloud that she must be going to the same job interview, but he really really needs the job, so too bad for her. "I'm not looking for a job," she says. He laughs with relief. Then she tells him she's an executive at Avon. He babbles an effusive apology. "I tend to talk too much when I'm nervous," he says. Hoo boy.
Alma listens outside the HR guy's office as Jesus tries to convince him that his arrest record shouldn't prevent him from getting the job. She tells the HR guy - his name is Cardenas - she'll interview Jesus herself. Jesus promises to keep the story short, because he tends to talk too much when he's nervous, etc. He gives her the Reader's Digest Condensed version of yesterday's episode. Frankly, he sounds like he's either lying or a gullible fool, but I think she gets that he did it to be with his daughter (either that or she just wants a hot-looking gullible flunkie for herself). She hires him and warns him not to tell anyone about his checkered past. He thanks her and hugs her and says that he tends to hug people when he's excited...
(I don't think he realizes that he just got the Fernando & Alma's secretary job and not the accounting assistant job.)
Fern can't wait to hear about his new secretariA. Alma gloats that he's getting a secretariO.
That evening:
Rog and Patricia frolic at a beachside resort, enjoying drinks that are definitely not grayish-blue.
Jesus has dinner with Valentina, Vero, and Elias. Jesus thanks Vero for the "burger." "It's not meat, it's soy." How could he tolerate her long enough to impregnate her? Jesus promises to bring Val a big chocolate bar. "I can't have chocolate," she says wistfully. Vero and Elias lecture him about the evils of chocolate and MSG, not that anyone asked about MSG. I bet these two are a riot at parties.
From her Plush Home of the Future, Alma leaves an affectionate voicemail for Rog while he bathes with her best friend. Then she daydreams (evening-dreams?) about the sensitive, spanking-hot new secretary. (Hmm... will she soon have something in common with her so-called cuñado?)
It's 8 o'clock - time for princesses to go to bed. (Does Valentina get up at 4 in the morning?) Jesus and Elias put Princess Val to bed. Like Alma, she has an animated star projector.
Jesus tells Vero about his job as an accounting assistant. He'll get promoted and be an account manager, and then... whatever, she wants his address. "Oh... the house I wanted to buy was already sold." She wants to make sure her daughter only sleeps in a clean, dry, bugless, sterilized place. (I wonder if she keeps a plastic slipcover on her bed.)
Jesus knows he needs to find good apartment fast. He's passing through a neighborhood that doesn't look too bad, where he encounters a man who's moving all his earthly possessions out of his own place: the bank said they're going to kick him out, but there's no telling when they'll actually show up. (We know when: at the most anvilicious time.) This guy isn't going to hang around and wait for them to take all his stuff; he's going to move in with with his parents now. Since Jesus is looking for a place, the man says Jesus might as well camp out there until the bank finally gets around to it.
Jesus approaches the door of his new temporary lodgings, but is intercepted by Carmen Salinas, who says it's HER place and he's breaking in and she'll call the police. Oh, ha ha, she's all mixed up! That's not where she lives! It seems she's a bit forgetful. She introduces herself as Chatita Herrera, his new neighbor. She introduces him to the entire neighborhood, which is having a big party. The band welcomes him with a song!
I'm liking this so far!
Labels: Manda
Also, very easy to recap compared to PESE and UFCS.
I did miss the avances, though. Sorry about that.
Loved your chickie doodle, and the while Chucho and Alma looked at each other, Fate, Kismet, Magic, the cleanest water ever, lol.
That scene was so funny and Fern twirling that mustache, too funny. Can't stand Rogelio and his gal Pati. I thought for sure that Alma had heard Pati while Rog was talking, liver indeed, lol.
I like the hood that Chucho found and Chatita does seem a bit confused. Hopefully Chucho can hold on to the place.
Don't like Veronica, she is like a control freak. Valentina is so cute and Elias is a nice guy. Hope as time goes on Vernonica loses the rigid pose.
I spied Julissa who played doña Teresita in LFMB as the office worker with the fan. Her hair is a more tame color in this telenovela. :)
Elías is the only saving grace in killjoy Verónica's joyless household: no meat, no coffee but no chocolate???
Poor Alma with Rogelio (of the sensitive liver) and the aptly named Patricia Zorrilla fooling around right under her nose. The job seeking scenes with Jesús seeing himself coming and going in the park were cute as well as him being tempted by the barbecued goat.
Tomorrow's episode should be interesting seeing how Jesús fits in in the office and if he ends up wearing fuschia too. From the earlier promos, it looks like he does!
Jarifa
Thanks, Julie! I loved it all, especially the fate kismet flattering water bit.
Vero must be a health nut with OCD and Elias is looking very 'hen-pecked'. (I thought Vero said she wouldn't let Valentina have chocolate because of the refined sugar - which equals calories and other bad stuff for the body).
liked the green star light bright machine in Val's room. with all the tech gadgets in Alma's house, I'm surprised she doesn't have an HDTV flat screen television also.
Thanks to Julia and Cheryl for the great recaps thus far! Loved the word "anvilicious".
Only two episodes, but so far it's been enjoyable. FC is in fine form (if you know what I mean and I think you do...) ;)
It is Fate.
It is Kismet.
It is Magic.
It is the cleanest, most flattering washwater the world has ever seen.
This is starting off well. It's a hard transition from one of the two best TNs ever. But I'm sure I'll get over my Eva withdrawal soon & will enjoy this .
Güera
"It is the cleanest, most flattering washwater the world has ever seen." Hilarious!
I also like the Plush Home of the Future. Kind of conjures up cheesy Tomorrowland feelings.
Elias is a saint to put up with Vero's rules. I love that he is so open to Chucho being part of Valentina's life.
Not allow chocolate? That's child abuse! Vero is a horrible control freak and really out of it. Raising a child in such an antiseptic environment will not keep her healthier.
I want Alma's apartment and I want it in midtown Manhattan.
Love the park scene during Jesus' frustrating job hunt. Is he ever in for a shock tonight.
(UA, I tried so hard to appreciate the interesting camera work in the park scene but was horribly distracted by the statue of the guy with the fish coming out of his butt. QTH???)
"Few men can wear a pail so well.
He takes the bucket off of his head, and their eyes meet.
It is Fate...."
What a delicious way to express that pivotal moment. I can't wait to see the episode.
Feeling a bit self-conscious about my soyburgers, no salt/no sugar La Croix water, and lack of chocolate in the house. But at least I never imposed those rules on my kids or grandkids! And my kids went to bed when they were tired, not at a set time since I was put to bed at 6 pm even in the summer. Well remember sitting on the porch in my pj's watching the other kids play outside and wondering why I couldn't also.
Jody, I bet Alma does have a gigantic HD TV - it's probably hidden behind a sliding wall panel! (Or maybe what I THOUGHT was a view of the city was a super-huge viewscreen! It wouldn't surprise me.)
Yes, Vero's quite the pill. I imagine that part of Jesus's mission will be to get her to chill out.
I suspect that when Vero and Elias first got together, he was the health nut, and in her efforts to impress him (to distance herself from whatever impulse drew her to Jesus, er, Chacho), she went way overboard and doesn't quite know when to stop. Because she really looks as though she's trying too hard, whereas he seems sincerely interested in health but probably wouldn't come off as such a zealot if he didn't have Vero there playing the role of Diet Police.
I'm gonna have to start calling Jesus "Chacho" because it feels weird calling him "Jesus" all the time!
Julia, thanks for filling in the avances!
-sez Julia, who lives in a place too small to consider getting another table just to put a star projector on, with not enough outlets so I have to unplug something if I want to plug anything in, and not even a thermostat so adjusting the heat is a skilled art form.
I am also hoping Elias and Jesus will become beer and (meat)burger friends at times to alleviate the hyper-sterile life Elias has with Veronica.
Looks like Fernando will have to spend many hours down in the storeroom to have a reason to twirl his moustache.
And Vero, sterile environments, really? Poor Valentina is not going to develop much of an immune system.
Chucho's new neighborhood is fun, but I wondered why all those great neighbors weren't helping the poor guy move his stuff.
It's one thing to prefer (and serve) certain types of foods. It's Vero's snotty attitude that's offensive. You can tell Elias means well when he's talking about about their dietary preferences, and his comments are generally positive. But when Vero does it she sounds angry, as though she's punishing herself and everyone around her. Sort of a modern version of parents who punished their kids with cod-liver oil.
Or maybe I'm reading waaaaay too much into it. :)
Jarifa summed up my reaction perfectly:"Elías is the only saving grace in killjoy Verónica's joyless household: no meat, no coffee but no chocolate???" And to me, worse yet, no sense of humor!! Ack.
As others have noted, this has been better than expected. Colunga seems so earnest, he's bringing believability to the role which I think is no easy task. Good for him.
Alma wants to demote Jessica? Nothing done to Fernando? That doesn't strike me as quite fair.
Seeing your post and reading Judy's commment have made my day.
Diana
Hey Sara, thanks for the shout out to Soyburger Solidarity and Diana, yes, fun to be sharing in CarayCaray chats again. I'm enjoying this one so far. It's just campy enough.
And while we're supposed to hate Alma's false friend and the unfaithful fiancé, I have to say they're having a whale of a time together.
So may they lust happily ever after and leave our wholesome Alma and Chucho to find juicy starry-eyed love at long last.
This is fun so far & if it is as good as UFCS, I'll be happy, FC is enough for me.
I guess Veronica has gotten the latest medical news, coffee & chocolate are good for you.
Judy, re Vero's unaffectionate treatment of Valentina - yes, and I noticed that when Chucho and Elias were talking about Val making the adjustment, Vero cut them off (cutting things off is her hobby) and snapped that the therapist would take care of it.
WOW. If the kid doesn't need a therapist now, she certainly will later on!
As for Fernando - I think if he'd been anyone other than Rogelio's brother, Alma might have demoted him too. (Actually, I don't know if she even outranks him... they share a secretary, so maybe not.)
I believe she was expecting Rogelio to demote Fern. That's why Rog is making a big show of saying angry things about Fern - hoping that Alma won't realize that talk is cheap and he's not really taking it seriously.
Consider me a part of the few men can wear a pail so well camp and what's Veronica's problem? Does she still have feelings for Jesus? I also chuckled at the reference to Valentina having to be in bed by 8, does she wake up at 4?
Thanks, UA for the fountain info. I did remember the Madrid fountain and forgot about its Mexican counterpart. You brought back a wonderful memory.
And actually, while there are adults who function well on 5 hours sleep (I interviewed one for a feature story once and he was a real dynamo) there are others who need 10 to 14 hours rest. Just like calories, there are those who can get by on very little, and others who seem to need tons. No "one size fits all" for humans.
But again, the problem with Hierro is she's like her name, iron-hard rigid and with no soft spots of tenderness, indulgence or affection.
Nice to see mi querida Judy on board.
I didn't read Monday's recap. Did anyone already mention the Fea similarity?
* Our hero is an accountant (probably a financial whiz)
* who can't get the kind of job he's qualified for because of unfair discrimination
* so he takes a job as a lowly scty
* to the very high-ranking executive
* and he's all love-at-first-sight the moment he meets her.
- Vero… wants to make sure he's living well before Val ever visits him so she doesn't have to sleep in a compost heap. Also, he ought to take a bath.
- The HR guy asks Alma if the new secretary absolutely MUST have a wart. Fernando seems slightly apprehensive.
- Alma…gets that he did it to be with his daughter (either that or she just wants a hot-looking gullible flunkie for herself).
- Rog and Patricia frolic at a beachside resort, enjoying drinks that are definitely not grayish-blue.
- I bet these two are a riot at parties.
Fun!!!
"How could he tolerate her long enough to impregnate her?"
Cute.
but...
Now a few words in defense of Veronica.
When Jesús showed up looking like s street person asking if Valentina is his daughter she was honest about it and did not deny him access to her (albeit limited).
She invited him to dinner (such as it was).
She provides a structured safe (maybe a little strange) environment for their daughter.
She's very pretty (in a stark sort of way).
She doesn't seem to have any bad habits or vices (though too bad about the chocolate thing).
Let's get to know her better before making harsh judgements.
And then there's Pati...
Carlos
Pati, I have no problem with. She is funny and ultimately, in a very bad and twisted way, she's doing Alma a favor.
Julia..maybe the writers and producers agree with you about Blanca Soto. There was a lot of mockery in her dazzling entrance to Avon in the first segment...exactly like the appearance of a lovely beauty contestant. And she certainly lacks the rambunctious down-and-dirty-come-'n-get-it energy of her best friend. No wonder her intended keeps spending his nights with his hottie rather than his celestially sweet fiancée.
I have a real problem with Vero. She's making Jesus beg like a dog for scraps to get time with his own daughter, who Vero failed to inform him he had FOR SIX YEARS. I get that he's not feeling like he deserving of her right now, but Vero's attitude is amazing to me.
I do like that Elias is not jealous of Jesus--or vice versa.
Like the meet cute. FC's laugh lines around his eyes. BS's almost Aishwarya Rai in color eyes.
Julie: Love your recap. Everyone else has quoted my many fav lines.
Carlos: Of course you have a soft spot for Vero and Pati.
This is my first comedy. I think I'm going to like it.
Nanette
AB commenters notified that there is a new Pope. From Argentina.
Question, if Hierro is so strict and unloving and unfeeling, why is Valentina so adorable, warm and friendly--I guess in this tn Valentina Has Two Daddies is the plan--a nice blend of nature and nurture.
Julia--I think many would agree with you about Blanca's pose. Maybe that's why they chose her to play the role of an executive for a cosmetic company, they are always into beauty--at least the external kind.
Thank you for the recap, I missed the first 20 minutes--so I missed the bucket, but at least I saw it in the previews and "saw" it in the recap.
I do find that one thing that I really like about Blanca is that her body is REAL. I noticed last night that her *ahem* gals are normal looking and she doesn't have a bubble pompi (Ivanna from STuD I'm looking at you.)
Her acting does need some work, though.
I have an issue with Vero because she didn't tell Chucho he had a child...and he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy she had to protect herself from. It just strikes me as very selfish.
Her absolute control over every aspect of Valentina's life is really more a parenting thing and I'm sure we all have differing ideas about how to raise a child. I subscribe to the "lazy" school of parenting. LOL.
As for the dropped floor mishaps - I don't need a drink or even a dropped floor to stumble over my own feet, but yeah, combine that with a breathtaking view from a panoramic window (or is it a glass wall) and I think most people would forget to look down and watch their feet.
Anyway, a dropped floor would make it more difficult for the robot to get around. Not that I have a robot, but seriously Alma really should. But now she CAN'T because of her fancy floor!
Now, Vero - she couldn't always have been so sour. Maybe we'll find out if she got that way because of Chucho or for some other reason. (Seems to me she would have told Chucho about Valentina right away... UNLESS she had to contend with some even bigger/more serious distraction that totally burned her out on being a warm and open person.)
As far as her parenting style - loose, strict, whatever - what bothers me more is what Judy noticed: she's not affectionate to her child. Maybe Val really is another man's daughter, and the backstory is too painful for Vero to reveal to anyone.
So I'm also willing to bet she was also hurt in the break-up and wouldn't have told him right away and later, it was too late.
From his mannerisms, Chucho was probably a suit 'n tie man. He's mentioned a couple of times that he was a financial planner. It could be that legal or not, without certification or better English language skills he couldn't find a job in his field.
I think Blanca Soto may discourage me from watching this one regularly, but I do think FC has comedy potential. As for the LFMB similarities, I would also add much of his characterization of Jesus--like Lety, he talks too much, especially when he's nervous; he's sincere; he's awkward.
La Paloma
<< Home
© Caray, Caray! 2006-2022. Duplication of this material for use on any other site is strictly prohibited.