Caray, Caray!

La Paloma, I was thrilled to see your recap already. Have not read it yet, but thank you so much and going to read it before i turn in for the evening.
 

La Paloma, thank you for your excellent recap!

My favorite scene was when Maricruz comes up behind Lucia in the casino, bumps her and then says "Buenas noches, señora Lucia." Very intimidating. Can't wait to see what Maricruz has in store for her.

Jarifa
 

Thank you for the great recap La Paloma.
Jarifa that was also my favorite scene. MA looking so beautiful and proud and Lucia looking like a ghost walked over her grave. It was almost sinister. Lucia is beautiful too but boy was the makeup on thick
There were a lot of good performances too. Karim being infuriated in his sick bed and MA castigating him full-force. And also Raiza getting a little morose over champagne. Well done all.
Can't wait to see Lucia faced with the quagmire!

 

Thanks La Paloma, I read the recap but will watch later today. There's a few scenes I'd like to see.

Wowsy, the Emir just completely changes his selfish ways and decides to do what's right. Not believable to me, but with this show, we must suspend belief at all times. I hope he really does leave.
 

Good to have you and your wonderful recaps back, La Paloma.

Things have gotten quite interesting now that the correct object of revenge, Lucia, has come to town. Looking forward to seeing what Mari comes up with to torture her.

Shouldn't Lucia automatically know that MA is MC? Didn't Alejandro's detective tell her MC's real name when he made it to the ranch and Lucia threw him off the scent? Maybe the writers will remember this, or maybe they'll forget it, like so many other plot points.

I really enjoyed watching Mari tell Karin off. I was cheering her on. But I couldn't help thinking that she hasn't raised a finger to help those less fortunate (or even her poor friends back in Tamaulipas) since she became filthy rich. She has spent her time and energy on her obsessions, just like Karim. Maybe someone needs to come and give her the same tongue lashing about taking care of her baby, family, and friends, and those less fortunate, instead of obsessing over one casino, playing catty jealousy games with Doris and Tav, and thought bubbling half the day about revenge.
 

Paul, you are right it was almost sinister.

Jarifa
 

Vivi, great points you just made. Lucia talked with the investigator and he mentioned her real name. And she should reward those who did help her in her past.
 

thanks,La Paloma. I did not get to see this episode.

Vivi..You are so right that Mari seems to have completely forgotten about her friends, Solita, her baby ,Tobias, and ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,THE MONKEY who used to crawl all over her daily. Have Solita, her baby, Tobias, and monk monk evaporated ? Will we ever see them again ? Mari is on a mission (a stupid, vengeful mission) ..very upsetting. Maybe someone should let her know that living a good , happy life is the best revenge. She is wasting time that she could spend with her family and friends. Her new wealth could be used to help so many people. Instead, she is eaten up by hatred and the desire to hurt those who hurt her. Move forward, Mari. you are hurting yourself and your loved ones much more than you can ever hurt those who hurt you. Karma will take care of them eventually. I am tired of Mari.
 

Great recap, Paloma, and very funny. This especially resonates for me:

"The upside? No more clocks for Ed!"

María's confrontation with Karim was such fun. Here I've been whining about how selfish, vain, and self-centered Maricruz has become and then she goes and single-handedly saves an entire country from poverty and revolution. Sooo... for the moment at least... I'll shutup. Carry on Maricruz... Next!

Carlos
 

Carlos- Perhaps the Mexican government should hire her as their Secretary of State and ship her around the world to scold all dictators into submission.
 

So, has the Guv dodged a bullet? Does he get to keep that bribe? Don't forget, he told the emir about all the nifty things he was going to do for the isla with that 20 million dollars.

Carlos
 

Loved MA's pink dress with her hair down. And she's trying to get Miguel drunk enough to lose it all with his wife present. That will be good. Does she know how much the ranch is worth to know when he's lost it?
 

Thanks for the recap, I really enjoyed this episode!

First, I really like how Karim's story line has concluded, with him coming out of his crazy, maniacal phase and turning into a human being.

Second, I love that one of the men finally got the balls to say "no" to a woman. Even though I think Ed wants to marry Araceli but just can't admit it to himself. Anyone else find it ironic that antiquated Araceli works in an antique shop??

Third, I loved Lucia's dress. Her dress and makeup reminded me of Scarlett Ohara entering Melanie's house, with the wolves waiting to pounce because of being caught with Ashley. Lucia is entering MA's house (ship) and the wolf is ready to pounce!
 

I haven't been able to watch the episodes in the beginning of the week so I'm just now catching up. Here's my summary of thoughts on the recaps and comments: Bwahahahahhaa. You guys are great.

Also, why does Andres have to "join" the military? Can't the gobernador just appoint him Admiral or something?

Is Carola gone for good or has there been a sighting? She was the wisest person here, to sell her stake in the casino at a premium and get the heck out.

Now where is Ed supposed to get clocks for his collection?

Kelly
 

MA was awesome last night! I really believed that Karim finally "got it" and I'm glad she was able to set him straight!

I think we need to cut her some slack. Her grandfather was killed and Solita was raped, her family was hurt gravely and they did nothing to deserve it. Octavio married her and put her in a horrible situation not because he loved her but to spite his family and then left her without saying good bye in what he knew was a hostile enviorment, I can't say I blame her for wanting to get even.
 

Kelly- Andres wants to get as far away from his crush...er, his sister, as possible. Maybe he should join Karim's entourage and head to the Emirates?

My question about the Ed-Ara breakup is, who gets to keep the cute piggy bank? And do they have to return the cash to the people who contributed to their wedding fund?
 

Eli- I wish she actually mentioned her grandpa and her sister (and nephew) in any of her rants. I get why Mari is damaged and wants revenge, I really do. But our girl is as self-centered as they come.
 

Vivi, you bring up another good point about the piggy bank. If Ed so vehemently doesn't want to get married, why did he start saving money for the wedding?
 

Thank you La Paloma---a stellar episode and a stellar recap. You had so many good lines.
Wow!!! What a HOT scene right up front and your words were right on
when you wrote---Time out for some extended kissing, when words fail our lovers.
I laughed when you wrote---Doris is in Daddy Gov's office brushing off Octavio's marriage as a mere inconvenience. It took place
in a small town after all. If the first wife shows up on the island, Daddy can make her go away. That's soooo funny. Doris you're crazy.
No more clocks for Ed---hilarious
Finally--Lucia's in a place where her resort gowns are a perfect choice. LOL Yes, and the key word is finally.

MariAle plays hardball with Karim and wins. YEAH!!! That's our Mari. He probably has never had anyone stand up to him before and I must add that he has never met anyone like Superwoman Maricruz. You go girl!
La Paloma---I liked your added line
that if he has sense, He'll make up to his wife. She has beauty, intelligence, and a bun in the
oven.
Project IOU---another good one.

Right Paul I agree, Lucia did have on too much makeup and when MC/MA
greeted her, she did look like a ghost had just walked on her grave.
Good acting on her part.

Vivi---Mari as Secretary of State to scold dictators into submission.
So funny.
Also Vivi---The whole story plot is vengeance and we're not there yet. After Maricruz completes her mission, she might help the people in her pueblo, but it's to early for that right now. If that does come and it might, it will be in the future probably near the end of the Maricruz/Corazon Indomable story.

Susanlynn---Give up the revenge and get on with your life? Just a short time back, people were saying, I'm bored, get on with the vengeance already. I ask, can this novela ever win? Am I the only one on Caray, Caray! that takes it for what it is and loves it ALL THE WAY
the gringo
 

Gringo- I’m glad you are enjoying this tn. I don’t hold tns to HBO series standards, but I don’t love all tns equally, and this one (with poor writing, editing, and a heroine and hero that I don’t really like) is not going to be top on my list of all time faves. I do LOVE Mari’s clothes though, her chemistry with Tav (the few minutes they are together), and I like her flashes of boldness and bravery, so that’s something. :)

A person is either someone who thinks of others, or isn't. After she finally realizes what's important in life (family, friends, love), Mari may very well start taking care of those she left behind. But that doesn't change the fact that this is not in her nature right now. Right now she is a very determined, brave, feisty, and also self-centered person. I appreciate her bold nature, but she's just as self-centered as our oblivious galan.

There are plenty of examples of revenge tns where the main character getting revenge also takes the time to think of and care for others. La Patrona is the most recent example. The audience could enjoy the revenge on the bad guys, criticize the heroine for the wrong turns she was taking, and admire her for the way she took care of the people around her, including her son. I am sure I will enjoy what Mari dishes out to Lucia, but I just can’t like her me, me, me attitude. In many ways she sounds exactly like Lucia, Doris, and Karim (the Three Crazies) much of the time.

 

I wrote this about last night on the wrong thread!

So MariAle singlehandedly resolves all the political problems in Karim's country, while also being the only one running the casino at this point, buying new dresses and running around in high heels every day, getting some heavy kissing in with Octavio, and being a single mother to a newborn (well, that last one she is not really doing!)

So was Eduardo also babysitting when both Lucia and Miguel were at the casino tonight? Eduardo looks more like Octavio's brother anyway, and certainly sounds like it. Did Miguel go to boarding school in Argentina? Don't actors change their accents for roles?
 

I know that I am taking up a lot of space today but last night's episode has really got me wound up

Carlos---Maricruz single-handedly saves an entire country from poverty and revolution. That's our Mari. No, that's our Super Mari.

Right on Eli---I agree.

Carvivlie---Antiquated Araceli works in antique shop. LOL But seriously, Carvivlie, Araceli is a good girl who wants to stay that way. Nothing wrong with that, she has principles and morals.

I didn't post this before but I will now. Last Tuesday I was in a market and needed a manager. When she came over to help me, the lady looked like she might be Mexican or of Mexican/Latin roots. While she was helping me, I asked, Do you watch novelas, Have you seen Corazon Indomable? OH YES!!! That's my favorite. Some I don't watch and some I mis from time to time but Corazon Indomable I never mis. If I have to leave home for some reason, I record it because I don't want to mis even one episode.
I told her that I liked it too and we talked briefly about Lucia and Miguel. We couldn't talk long as she was busy, she had a store to run. As I walked away I thought about the poor writing and the holes in the story but I also thought about the magnetism that this novela has. It draws people in and like the market manager, I am not going to mis even a single episode. I absolutamente love it.
And no, I am not putting you guys on. It's true, just as I wrote it. It really happened.
the gringo
 

gringo
I wish you had asked her what she thought was the worst TN.
 

Gringo- That's a great story, even better because the lady you met admitted to watching tns. So often on this board when people share stories of telling Latinos that they watch tns, the standard answer is to be dismissive of the genre, and to say something like "my mom/grandmother" watches them, but I don't. There seems to be a shame or stigma attached to watching tns in the Latino community. It's refreshing when you meet folks who proudly say they watch, and want to speak with you about it. I'm off to get allergy shots, where I recently shared my tn habit with the nurses. They of course "don't really watch", but they sure know a lot about William Levy and Victoria Ruffo. ;-)
 

Didn't Mohamed simply beam when Karim tore up those papers and announced that he was completely pulling out of La Isla Dorada?

I wonder if it was because the character was so happy for the change of heart by his boss or because the actor is so glad to be escaping this TN?

Carlos
 

Gringo I too am loving pretty much every second of this TN. I haven't seen too many others, but I am enjoying this to the nines.

Daniela, I found your comment about Miguel sounding like he's from Argentina so interesting. I am 100% non-Spanish speaking, and honestly to my ear all the actors sound the same. Do some of them have different accents? It never occurred to me that they might.
 

Paul- Not only are there different accents from actors who are from different parts of Latin America (or American Latino), but also within Mexico.

There is a neutral accent that most Mexican actors use, sort of like our broadcast news accent in the U.S. (which is considered accent-less). But then there are distinct regional accents, and Mexico City accents (for both rich and poor) that we hear a lot in tns. Northern Mexican accents, like Ana Brenda/MC is using, and coastal accents are very common regional accents in Mexican tns.

Since there are so many actors from other parts of Latin America that work in Mexican tns (the biggest tn producer in the world), you can often hear how well, or how poorly, they have done taking on the neutral accent. Daniel Arenas/Octavio is from Colombia and has done really well with the neutral accent. Rene Strickler/Miguel is from Argentina, and it's still very easy to hear his accent slip through, especially with the s and ch sounds, which are much softer in Argentina.

 

There is one way in which CI is head and shoulders better than Amor Bravio. Honestly there is. Can you guess what I'm referring to?



The use it makes of Rene Strickler's talents. In AB he was pretty near wasted in a banal role as a good guy with no depth. In a show where most of the rest of the cast had plausible motivations for what they did, his character, Mariano, instantly fell for the heroine with little encouragement, and--when the storyline demanded it--turned his emotions around at the end and fell for someone else.

But here in CI Miguel is about the only character whose emotions and thoughts seem to follow some kind of logical path. Deeds and knowledge have consequences for Miguel, and so he's making an ass of himself and doing foolish things for actual reasons. Sure it's melodramatic and cheesy, but it's a kind of cheese that Strickler can get his teeth into and it's fun to watch.
 

Uhm, ok Utah Desert. :) Maybe I'll give you that. Although I sure as heck can understand falling for women like Camila and Miriam, way more than I can understand ever being in love with or loyal to Luciafer. But I do give Miguel credit for being the ONLY person in this tn to have (brief) moments of reflection, regret, and guilt, like a normal human being.
 

Octavio should be realizing that MA is insane. She's telling him that she's marrying the governor for revenge on Doris, because Doris tried to insult her by having her thrown out of the emir's party. What's she going to do when someone cuts her off in traffic? If a server short-changes her? Will she divorce her current spouse and marry a close relative of each person who offends her?

That's the thing about this show's characters. The trivial (the embarrassment of your in-law having poor table manners, someone unsuccessfully trying to revoke your party invitation) matters immensely. The important (the horrible murder of an old man, a young deaf-mute girl being raped) matters not at all.
 

Variopinta---I never thought to ask
that, I would have but I wasn't thinking along those lines.

Vivi---You made me laugh. They sure know a lot about William Levy and Victoria ruffo.

Paul---They sound the same to me also but I guess that it's like over here with the Southern, New York, Boston, Texas drawl etc. We just don't know the difference.
the gringo
 

UtahDesert,

Not too long ago, right here, I added Maricruz to the official list of crazees. Not a popular opinion but someone had to do it. Your assessment is dead on.

Carlos
 

I've been in the MC is crazy group. I mentioned it when she shot Octavio to keep him from leaving.

I've talked to a woman who cut my hair once if she watched the shows. She said she did, but missed a few episodes so I filled her in on it. I think it was Amor Bravio at the time. Then we talked about passed shows and she watched a few of the ones I had seen.
 

Vivi in DC, you've definitely got a point. Falling in love with AB's Camila would be plausible for any character, without the slightest build-up or explanation. (And certainly loving Miriam is more believable than loving Lucia.)

There are a couple of other characters I kind of like in this show--ones I wouldn't have thought I would like. Elizabeth Álvarez is doing a great job of playing Lucia as BSC. In her own bizarre way Lucia makes sense. As all of the other characters act sillier and sillier, Lucia stands out as the only one who has a right to act the way she does--because she's a villain and because she's crazy.

And then there's Ana Patricia Rojo's Raiza, for a totally different reason. Raiza has been gradually becoming a more likeable and even intelligent character. (Remember when she suspected that MC really was Don Ale's long-lost daughter, simply because it made sense?) Raiza's motivations aren't entirely clear, but because she's been changing gradually and because the plot isn't requiring her to say idiocies or take bizarre actions--and because Rojo is doing a good job of playing her as a thinking, feeling person--we're willing to believe that there's something real going on there.
 

Gringo -- I just had to weigh in on your TN story. When I first stated watching TN's I was confounded by the word "Corneya" I asked several Spanish speaking friends what it meant, and none recognized it. I asked one friend if she watched "Amorcito Corizon" my fav at the time, who replied "Oh no, but my husband watches it every night." I would wager that she watched with him as well.

I did find out, when one actor slowed down enough for me to realize, he was saying 'Con Ella". Mystery solved.
 

UtahDesert...What an excellent analysis as to exactly why this novela is very frustrating to watch.. I completely agree with your points. There is a a lot of strutting and fretting over unimportant matters while the big issues are ignored. Que the hell. ????
 

Ha..emerald rose...My first telenovela was Alborada. I did not know any Spanish and did not have captions, so I would listen and write down words and phrases phonetically. then, in school the next day, I would repeat them for my student from Dominican Republic. He could usually figure out the words I was saying. I kept hearing something that sounded like "colonel" to me. I discovered it was actually "con el"..."with him." The heroine husband and her lover were always asking her " We're you 'con el?'"
 

Gringo: Araceli can be a good girl without being 1866 good. I mean she can't go out alone with a man at night to the movies? She needs a chaperon? A bridge too far for me my friend!
 

I think with MA everything that has happened just kinda hit her. She want from being a carefree girl to being married in a nano second and her marriage turned her life into a living hell (that's marriage for ya!), next thing you know she's pregnant and alone and I think the wounds are so fresh that she can't see/think straight.

In regards to younger Latinos and telenovelas, I can confirm that going around telling people you watch them is not considered cool,lol. I grew up watching them because my mother watched them but as I grew up I gave them up and watched regular prime time tv. Then my mom got sick and was really too weak to do anything, so after work I'd get into bed with her and watch La Reina Del Sur (she was the one that told me about it, she knew I liked Kate! That was the last novela we watched together and I've kept watching because (a) I found this blog and find that the recaps are often times better than the show and love to compare the recaps to the epi (b) because it reminds me of my mom.

I told my BF when we started dating that I watch Telenovelas and blog about them and his reaction was "well it seems like it makes you happy, so go for it" of course he might change his tune once I start making him watch them with me! He's African American, so I doubt he has ever seen one,lol.

Gringo, several weeks back when AV was on I had a client come in to make a payment in the office, he looked at me and said "can you please hurry, I'm missing my telenovela!", I asked him which telenovela it was and he said AV, we then spent 10 minutes talking about how evil Anibal was,lol
 

The only accents I can detect are España and Argentina. However I can't detect an Arg accent in Rene Strickler. Everyone complains about Wm Levy but to me it's no different, I have trouble understanding them all. One actor that speaks slowly & clearly is Eric del Castillo, he is Mex. I can detect an educated Mex as opposed to the uneducated.

It is getting harder to detect some accents in US, which I think is due to TV & of course mobility.
 

Carvivlie- to continue with Carlos' theme from a few weeks back, maybe Araceli is a Jehovahs witness, when they date they often are encouraged to not go alone and to have someone else come along.
 

Eli,

"...because it reminds me of my mom."

Oh my, now you've got me all teared up. I'm so sorry about your mom but how wonderful for the both of you that you had that experience and that time together.

Carlos
 

One of the best scenes of this episode:
Octavio, Eduardo, and Miguel are discussing--for the umpteenth time--whether MC and MA can be the same person. (For me this is one of those things, unlike vengeance monologues, that does not grow old.) Miguel is once again, as he did with Lucia earlier, earnestly insisting that they are completely different people. (I swear that Strickler is delivering these lines every time in a super-sincere way, lecturing with a know-it-all index finger up, so as to emphasize his character's stupidity and to play the comic straight man.) But anyway:

Octavio: But there are other details!
Miguel: What kind of details?
Octavio: Ones that only I would know.
And then we get big grins from Miguel and Eduardo, two men that can really do the big-grin thing, as they crowd in close hoping to hear the good stuff. For some reason I thought this was adorable.
 

UtahDesert- That was one of my favorite scenes too! LOL! Boys will be boys.
 

Carlos
Is there anyone sane in this basura?
Maybe the babies and the monkey, Tobias, Solita.
Are Tobias, Solita & the monkey on vacation or what or did the writers forget about them?
 

Carlos, thank you.

My mom was rushed to the hospital on Memorial day, which also happened to be the day LRDS ended, we were in the hospital room when she looked at me and said "I can't believe we are missing the ending, I wonder what will happen to Teresa", this after being told a few minutes before that the cancer had spread and that it was just a matter of days before, well you know. Still, she managed to wonder how it had all ended for Teresa, ah my mom, she always worried about the important things.
 

Eli -- My heart went thump when i read about you watching TN's with your mother. What a caring, loving child you were to her. I have tears in my eyes as I type this. i will always have a soft spot in my heart for you.
 

Eli- I am sure your mom would have loved this blog. I'm checking in on my phone at the doctor's office. :)
 

Aracely can go to DF to visit Ed but she can't go to the movies???? Por favor, Dios ayudame!
 

Eli, I am right there with mi amigo Carlos grabbing for a tissue. I started watching novelas (Alborada) right after my dad died after a two-year illness. I needed a little escape. The human condition. ....we are all so much more alike than we are different. Anything that makes us remember those we have loved and lost is valuable. I think of my mother and aunt when I see reruns of shows we watched together...Golden Girls, Murder She Wrote, The Thornbirds. It feels a little like they are with me again .

P.s. Your BF's reaction was very sweet. He sounds like a keeper to me.
 

Variopinta,

but don't forget that poor Eddy ended up driving Araceli all over DF all night long and then flew her back next morning. Maybe he should ditch the Drakkar Noir and invest in some Old Spice or Lilac Vegetal.

Carlos
 

Thank you for all your kind words guys.

Susanlynn, my mom did not watch many English tv programs, she watched Judge Judy with me, Top Chef and Laker basketball games, but I always remember her watching telenovelas and telling us not to make noise, that's why I keep watching, plus they are so darn campy and truly do take your mind off of real life problems.
 

Carlos, I loved your Ed comment:
"Maybe he should ditch the Drakkar Noir and invest in some Old Spice or Lilac Vegetal." That gave me a much-needed laugh after a demanding evening.

Utah Desert--your comment about the trivial outweighing the important was very perceptive.

Gringo--I'll come sit at your table and cheer for MC/MA. I admit the absurdities and giant plot holes in this TN. I even find them frustrating and disappointing. But, I still like Ana Brenda, Elizabeth Alvarez, Daniel Arenas and others in the cast. And I want to see how they work toward their happy ending.


 

Eli, thanks for sharing some of your mother's moments with us. Your stories were very touching.

 

Eli: thanks for sharing your story, it reminded me of my mother. Growing up, I also used to watch novelas with my mom and grandmom.As I got older, I thought I was too sophisticated and made fun of my mom for still watching them. A couple of years ago, I started watching them again because they reminded me of my childhood. I was all excited to start discussing them with my mom again but my dad informed that she no longer watched any of them because she could no longer remember the storylines. Her memory has been steadily deteriorating over the years. I wish I could turn back the clock and enjoy them once again with her.

 

Utah,

I agree with you that MC/MA's reasons for revenge are pretty petty--she was basically insulted by despicable people--but this novela does grab you. I'd read some of the earlier recaps, but hadn't watched regularly because the first eps before MC's transformation were painful to watch, but I caught a more recent ep OnDemand, and I like it. Ana Brenda and her galan are good together. But it would be good if MC/MA would stop majoring in minors and help her family back in the pueblo-they need it badly. In Santa Diabla and La Patrona, the protagonistas were/are mad and vengeful about some serious issues.

Novela accents:

I can detect different types of Spanish accents well, not because I speak Spanish so well, but because I'm surrounded in NYC by different Latino accents, and if you hear them enough and get to know the people behind the accents, you can pretty much tell the difference. I knew that Jorge Luis Pila in La Patrona was Cuban before I looked him up on Wiki because, even though he tries hard to do a neutral (educated Mexican accent), the Cuban elements popped-in inadvertently. Also, when he's interviewed, he's full-blown Cuban. I saw one about how he interacted with Sonya Smith and how her hubby was jealous about their fictional relationship and he pronounced mujer "mujel", a classic Caribbean Spanish thing--Dominicans, Colombians, Puerto Ricans and Venezuelans to that as well. And he also said "chamaco" and "metrefeque" funny, too, so I knew he wasn't Mexican. It seems to me if you don't use the "neutral" accent in everyday life, like Christian Bach or Diego Saldano, who are both Argentines but use the neutral accent in interviews, it'll slip out while you're on the job.

But, in La Patrona everyone was easily understandable. My favorite were the actresses who played the two Montemar sisters, but especially Alexandra de la Mora, who's accent was crystal clear.