Caray, Caray!

Good morning folks!

I'll come back later and fix this and maybe add some missing pieces. But I thought I'd just set out what I have right now since I will probably be gone for much of the day!

Enjoy!
 

NovelaMaven:

Fantastic recap of a three peat! Thank you so much for all the time you took with this recap and all the detail. Loved the Jose/Becks interview, it was a hoot! I liked the line where you said that Jose/Becks ran off to a TN that will appreciate them, snort!

I really wish that Bea could speak. But great that her lips turned up at the corners.

I didn't see Zully being murdered like that. Herny is one sick idiot. Those pills don't seem to be working anymore. I really didn't think that Ursully would pull that trigger, she was shaking so much. I hope Marcelino tells someone what he saw, like DamRighteous.

Pester is hopeless. How can she not see that DamFine is sooo not into her. She'd have to drug DamFine to get anywhere near him. I wonder how her seduction plan is going to work?

Marina and Mags are a lot alike. I just wish Mercy had told both Mags and Marina the whole truth. I really think if Marina had been told the whole story about what happened to Mags I think she would have seen the reason that what Mercy did was right. I can understand Marina's anger but not the abandoned part and Mercy's agony. It's sad all the way around. I can understand Mags' anger too.

Had to laugh when Mags went along with that kiss. Then tells DamConfused she isn't Marina, lol.

So the Jose/Oso plan continues. Hope it doesn't backfire.

I was cheering Laz for telling NosyRosy off and for Lucia for standing up to her. I just wish Lucia wouldn't name that baby Fulgencio. She has no idea!

Can't wait for the twins to finally meet.

NovelaMaven:

Thanks so much for this marvelous recap and also the Spanish phrases and words. They are always so appreciated.


 

Marina is grateful for Dam's presence. [So is The Patio.] Oh boy, that is vintage NovelaMaven!

As was every single word of the José/Becky interview. I really hope those two underserved actors in this story get to read your recap and realize there's a whole audience in this country that adores them and resents all the scene chopping.

Some of my other faves were"
Don't try this at home. Only
DamFine can get away with it.

and

Her husband may be DamTrusting but he isn't DamStupid. And of course the DamSceptical later on.

Simply a more than wonderful way to start my weekend. These recaps are classics of imagination and wit. And much appreciated.
 

And the title! my old editor Uncle Ben would have loved it as the kind of "headline" that made people want to read the article. Well done. Of course, smart lady.
 

Tks NM

Due to TV problems, I have missed a lot.
Who is Zully's sis?


I was impactada that Ursula could really kill Zully. I didn't think she would survive, but thought Hernan would kill her.
 

NovelaMaven,

Thank you for this Saturday morning entertainment.

And the Oliver Sack's reference.

More murders, we are nearing the end, huh?

Ursullied takes after her non-blood related uncle Fully. She is better at killing people than playing a psychiatrist.

Is it wrong to think that Maggie and DamConfused kiss better than Marina and DamSweetLips?
 

The Incomparable Novela Maven:

- Does a great imaginative opening. Great Intro! I love how things turned out for Jose and Becky. Now I don't have to fuss anymore about their story. It is such a RELIEF to have these abandoned but beloved characters cared for.

- Can pull a three-fer and make it seem seamless.

- Has the most delightfully dry and wicked sense of humor on Caray Caray.

- Can speak truth to fiction like nobody's business,


"NM: I'm glad that you bring that up, Becky. Let's talk about your drinking…


José: Yes! NovelaMaven, let's talk about it! Becky is a drunk. Plain and simple. I tried to confront her about it too (though you Patio folks will never see that scene!)...

TB: [Downs her whiskey rapidly and swivels to face José] Listen, choirboy -- I'll worry about my drinking and you can worry about your obsession with your precious doña Mercedes!

So stinking funny, m'dear.

The Ultimate Threesome was the best sub-title of the day. I LOL at the snarky darkness of the comment.

Zully was a short-lived, great looking ditz. I knew (and the Patio certainly agreed) that she would have nowhere to put the wire. Could the Mexican Federales have a device any larger or more clunky? The leg cuff looked like a RadioShack reject from the '80s.

I am so glad the twins are going to meet. Can't wait to see how the chopped up version of Hayley Mills works out for the Director.

Thanks for the great recap, NM, and a smiling start to a very busy weekend.

With appreciation,

EJ



 

Thanks so much NM. I particularly enjoyed the Jose/Becky interview.

I'm sick of Hernan's murder, mayhem, and seduction plans. With all the things that have to be worked out (the bad guys being revealed and Mercy reconciled with her daughters), do we really need to see Pester drug DamFine and show pics of their fake tryst to Marina (this is a guess if she pulls it off)? Please no.

Creep Ernie needs to scare Pester straight and then se and Herny can kill one another. Then the rest of the villains can be dispatched.

Well now that Ursullied has killed someone I guess she won't live out the tn either. Oh well.
 

NvMv: I really liked your reportage before the "smushing together" of THREE capitulos. Thanks for crafting such an entertaining prelude.

And that "BOING sound
[Seriously]" Yeah, what's up with that? Another of Mejia's obnoxious devices, placed inappropriately, designed to turn off the intelligent segment of the audience (what's left of it).

At least there don't seem to be his usual distracting Keystone cops-style comic scenes. I did kind of like all the fellows clowning around the other night. It was a bright moment of contrast to the pure maniacal evil of Ernesto, Fully and esp. Loco Hernan. And I did like Fully's little heel click, too.

"Stealth therapist Abril" Great name! I keep thinking this gal is going to blow her own cover. "And the Oliver Sacks reference" thanks vita.

"Lucy and Ethel Try to Keep the Twins Apart" hilarious! You nailed it.

Karen, I'm dreading the same eventuality (Pester drugs Dam & stages fake tryst). I wish we could dispense with these tired plot devices, esp tossed into the ultimos caps. We have a lot of ground to cover in a short(ened) time.

And Zully's dress was a mite short for her to be wearing the RadioShack reject (thanks EJ). Watching Mejia takes a special kind of beanie.

I guess we'll be getting the Hayley Mills reveal on Monday.

Still can't get over all the talent from recappers and commenters alike. I feel I've stumbled into an alternate universe. Not your ordinary Blog.

—Agnes in NJ

 

NovelaMaven, thank you for yet another DamMarvelous recap. I also used your baby's point of view for my recap of PEAM. I needed to change up my style.
I love the interview and totally agree with JudyB on the asides.
You are a literary magician!
 

NovelaMaven, great writing, your dialogue and narrative-superb!
"Laconic", right on the money.
"Skoosh of...do forgive me…vulgarity".
And "..retorts the Therapist Who Mistook Her Apartment for a Consulting Room."
Just one good line after another. And so entertaining, better than the actual TN.
OK, this was a masterpiece-DamBrave hugs Marina and says how is the most beautiful cow in the world". (Darn that we can't see the pants.) You write, [*Don't try this at home. Only DamFine can get away with it.] So funny.

Since they are combining 3 episodes every time I am curious when they are going to get to "final weeks". And when they do will they still be chopping it up?

Karen, I was thinking same thing, are we going to watch Pester slip him drugs in a drink, and pose him, take pictures of him, etc, yada yada, how incredibly tiresome!

 

Novela Maven, what a great idea to invite Jose and Rebecca to the patio for an interview. Is People on the Patio going to be a regular thing, kind of like our Wednesday Hunk-Day All Day Happy Hour? I sure hope so. I just knew you were planning something fun for us. I couldn't wait!

NM, you are the master (mistress?) of the one-liners. Let's talk about your title. So simple. So deadpan. So freakin' hilarious! And when you, I mean Rebecca, called Jose "choirboy" I nearly fell off my chair. That is our Tia Becky through and through.

I also cracked up at "He acts like I'm a cactus!", "the Therapist Who Mistook Her Apartment for a Consulting Room",
"The Patio recoils" (you bet your sweet bippy we did", and of course your "Don't try this at home" crack. Just perfect. By the way, I thought wearing houndstooth pattern pants was the most daring fashion choice. Nope, it's definitely cow-pattern pants. I wonder if Sweet William ad-libbed his line?

No comment on poor Zully. She was an airhead. And Hernan wanted Ursula to shoot Zully while he was standing next to her and Ursula's hand was shaking? The dude either has nerves of steel or a death wish. Oh wait, he's insane so that explains it.

NM, thank you so much for your astute, observant and completely hilarious recap. So excellent I had to savor it more than once.


 

NM--Brilliant interview. I think Becky & Joe should sue for contract fraud. That should keep her in drink and him in tight white short sleeved shirts for a good long time.

Here's one to think about regarding TN cliches. I've heard the themes and dialogs so many times over the last few years and going back some time as I watch older ones being rebroadcast.

Maybe the cliches are used to save the regular actors too much memorization. They've learned the lines ad nauseum and only have to remember to plug in the new names.

I don't think Mejia was expecting a compactor attack on his telenovela in the States, so yes, we must prepare ourselves for female Antagonista putting sleepy pills or getting male Protagonista drunk or drugged, takes pics and female Protagonista believes he's unfaithful--hmm, where have we seen that before...
 

I fear much of this gets edited out, but I am really enjoying the current standoff relationship between Fulgencio and Delfina. He needs her to be in public with him during the election because it makes it him look good, so she's got him on a line basically forcing him to clean up his act. She keeps reminding him she's going to vote for the best candidate, inferring it is NOT he, but as long as he "behaves" she'll make a public appearance. I've got to hand it to him, he is approaching the election and his speeches with great zeal. It is Cesar at his hammiest best.
 

Anita, interesting theory about the actors' lines. I'll bet you are absolutely right. I have, on more than one occasion, recited a list of our favorites when explaining to people that I'm learning Spanish from watching telenovelas. It always gets a big laugh.
 

????
Who is Zully's sister?
 

I don't think we know. She was mentioned, but never introduced as far as I recall.
 

Producers recycled the same plot:

JazLu/sister Belina
Zully/Unnamed sister

Robles as a common denominator, in charge of spies.

I wonder what happened with a social statement and awareness of sex trafficking in TN. We are focusing more on mental health (which is important, don't get me wrong), alcoholism, and child neglect.
 

vita, that's what happens when the boss takes a vacation. With Ernesto out of the picture (temporarily), Hernan and Fulgencio seem to have lost their focus. Hernan is obsessed with Marina and Fulgencio is obsessed with winning his little election. That's why neither H nor F would make a good mafia don. Lack of focus. Also, the Feds have made R-LayDee a bit hot lately.

I realize this does not adequately answer your question. I have no reasonable excuse for why the writers have lost their focus. You have made an interesting observation. This change of tack, (to spew yet another nautical metaphor) seems to be common in telenovelas.

-Sylvia, still snickering over "A Scorpion Changed My Life" and "Lucy and Ethel"
 

Syliva, haha. Lack of focus for H and F. Alicia is not alone anymore.




 

¡Hola!

Since this recap wasn't quite long enough, I added some of the deleted material at the end.

[I continue to be mortified at the length of this thing and promise I won't do this to you again.]

Thank you for your lovely words. And I thank especially anyone who had the endurance to actually READ the whole damn thing.

About People on the Patio:
I started this interview feature while we were recapping Amores verdaderos. We talked to Balzac [heh heh] the dog and, on another occasion, to Roy (el Rollero) Pavía, who was a twit right up until he turned into a mensch, if not quite a prince.

Imaginary characters often have complicated schedules, but we'll see what we can figure out for future show.
 

Is it a long recap? I didn't notice. I actually read it three times because I kept noticing things I had missed before. I totally flew over the Oliver Sacks teaser the first time. Leave it to our brainy vita to ID that one.

NM, don't you dare do a thing to stifle your creative genius.

Hope you had a nice day.
 

Mads:

Thanks so much. I also found myself thinking how much alike the twins are -- and then I said, Duh! They're the same person! The thing is, though, XN is pulling it off! She is making me believe there are two separate people. Isn't is amazing how her acting has grown from the beginning to this point in the novela?

JudyB:
Once more, thank you. I'm especially happy you liked the interview. I honestly love both the characters and the actors who play them so it wasn't hard to do. Oh and I am delighted you liked the title. Sometimes the humor around here is little dark…

Variopinta:
Zully said that her little sister had been abducted from a shopping mall. She knew it was NOT an ordinary kidnapping because no demand for ransom was ever made. Therefore she believes her sister was sold into prostitution, just as Lucía and her sister, Belén, were.

Zully and Hernán were friends some time back. I don't know how Zully came to suspect Hernán's involvement in the trafficking operation.

Most of the information above was, I believe, in scenes that were cut from the Univision version. Anyway, I hope that answers your question.
 

Hi vita:
It's nice to see another Oliver Sacks fan around here. it's too bad he can't spend a little time in Our Lady. I'm sure he would find some fascinating cases.

"Is it wrong to think that Maggie and DamConfused kiss better than Marina and DamSweetLips?"
Well. "Wrong" is such a strong word. I prefer to think that the context of the Maggie kiss was far hotter.

Elna June:

You are far kinder to me than I deserve. But I thank you so very much. [NM places nuggets of praise in her chipmunk cheeks. One never knows how long the winter will be.]

And may I say that I guffawed at this:

"Zully was a short-lived, great looking ditz. I knew (and the Patio certainly agreed) that she would have nowhere to put the wire. Could the Mexican Federales have a device any larger or more clunky? The leg cuff looked like a RadioShack reject from the '80s."

Poor Zully. She should never have dissed Ursula Horribilis.

Karen:
I do so hope you are wrong about The Trope of the Fake Tryst. I absolutely loathe that one. Gah. You're probably right. Glad you liked the interview.

lxv:
Thanks so much for your kind words. You know the beauty of sitting with us on The Patio of Lowered Expectations is that you can go beanie-free. That may not seem so important now, but in the summer that tinfoil can be oppressive.

Tabla jefa:
So glad you liked the recap. You have the baby narrating the story over at PEAM? How fun! We have to change the rules now and then, right?
 

Emarie:
Thank you very much. And now I see that you are also placing your bets on the Trope of the Faked Tryst. oh dear.

I'm wondering if there will be any hanky-panky M&M switches. (And if there will be any chocolate involved.)
:-)

Sylvia:
"our Wednesday Hunk-Day All Day Happy Hour"
Is that why you're always in such a good mood for your Wednesday recaps?

As I explained above, People on the Patio started during AV. But those imaginary guests are so hard to pin down…

Muchisimas gracias por la flor -- undeserved but still appreciated. I promise to try very hard not to stifle my [cough cough] creative genius.

And yes, it was a nice day: our Jack Benny Anniversary (the 39th). Just some sweet together time for which I give thanks.

Anita:
"I think Becky & Joe should sue for contract fraud. That should keep her in drink and him in tight white short sleeved shirts for a good long time."
HAHAHAHA

I agree with Sylvia that you are probably right about the clichés but I would extend that to the writers as well. They are churning out so many thousands of words daily that they need a cushion of repetition to fall back on.

Aren't most oral traditions like that for the same reason? The memory is only capable of so much and even the best of writers can't produce huge volumes of original material in such a short time frame (no matter how good their drugs are.)

Hey nonny nonny
 

Brilliant, NovelaMaven. The recap is perfection and I loved the interview.

I'm devastated. Not only did they kill off Zully, but in the process made Ursula irredeemable. Drat.

I'm not a big Mercedes fan. It's always anybody's fault but hers. Get the girls together, spill the whole story without an excess of whining, and let the chips fall where they may... Next!

Carlos
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

NovelaMaven, the Jose and Becky interview was indeed a special treat, the cherry on top of a fabulous recap.

This episode (pardon me, these three episodes) had some powerful stuff. I like seeing DamFine maintain his cool when those around him are losing theirs.

Ursula shooting Zuly--she crossed a final line there, didn't she? Now she's doomed to an ugly end of some sort.

I look forward to the actual meeting of the M&M twins. (Will DamSweet be looking for chocolate?)




 

Novela Maven,

Thank you for the re-cap. It was such an enjoyable read. and I thank you for the 'Selected Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor." Sorry that my comment is so late. I had to work today, and I got home late.

The Tia Becky/Jose interview was a delight. I sure wish we could see their scenes more often. They have such good chemistry, and their playful flirtation is so fun to watch (when we get the opportunity to watch those scenes).

Again we had to witness Hernan getting too close for comfort with Marina. He sat inches away from her, touched her shoulder and caressed her face. CRINGE!!!!!

A part of the re-cap that made me LOL was, "The patio realizes that Lucia doesn't recognize the skank. There will be trouble when she does but we won't get to see it, most likely. Oh well. Who cares?" My sentiments exactly, at this point who cares? We have missed so much at this point that I just try to enjoy what I do get to see.

I don't know what Mercy's deal is. I don't understand why she doesn't tell Marina the WHOLE truth. Just spill the beans and let it all out. Just pull off the band aid with one quick yank! "I am your bio-mom, I gave you to your dad to protect you from the evil Ernesto that kidnapped your twin sister." Punto! Then again, she didn't tell Mags the WHOLE truth either when they reunited, and we all know how well that went, NOT!

Can't wait until Monday to see the twins meet. Marina will surely be impactada.

Not looking forward to what Pester is planning for DamFine. As many of you commented, Pester will most likely try to get DamDelicious drunk or drugged to separate him from Marina. BOO!

Can't believe Ursula shot Zully. Did not see that one coming. I guess she figured that it was either Zully's life or hers. She's on the way to becoming Hernan's equal partner. I thought she would eventually turn away from the dark side. Guess I was wrong.

Hope Bea speaks soon, ShutUpRosy shuts up, Ester gets pestered by Ernesto, Lucia, Lazaro & everyone else finds out the truth, etc....

Thank you Novela Maven, and do not think that you re-cap was too long. I read it 3 times already, and enjoyed it every single time. I think it was much better than watching the episode(s).
 

NovelaMaven-yeah, I hate the fake tryst plot. Just plain tired of it.
HOWEVER, I want to mention again this whole story has an interesting sub-plot variation (happened earlier in the TN).
Estercita is an allusion to the biblical Esther. Not a perfect parallel, but nevertheless there it is.
Estercita=Esther. What is interesting here is in the Bible account, Esther's real name is Hadassah. Estercita in our story was called "Hada" if you remember.
Macario=the eunich in charge of preparing Esther. In the Biblical account, Esther obediently prepares herself according to the head eunuch's instructions. Our little Pester does the same.
Ernesto=Xerses (the King).
And as in the Bible account, Estercita becomes "the king's" favorite and he marries her.
That, of course, is where the similarity ends. But I think it is interesting, and I am sure was intentional on the part of our TN writers here.
 

Divine drama perfection. Witty, full bodied, delightful and insightful.

NovelaMaven, I was mesmerized by this. You totally drew me in, I savored every word and could not wait to see what you said next. You have made my day!

I laughed out loud and hearily at "Hernan lounges languidly on his bed, still wearing his creamsicle costume from yesterday's Halloween party". Simply great!

Your chat with our fav couple inspired so many great lines, "José and Becky embrace passionately and run off the Patio in search of a telenovela that will appreciate them" being my favorite. Others were "the good stuff, not the paint thinner Candy sells in La Guac" and your serious spot on observations that "The two women stand on opposite sides of the door, each looking slightly dazed, wounded by the skirmish" and "She clings to her absolutes".

As soon as we saw Zully surprised by Ursula and Ester in the midst of her covert survelliance, we knew her motivation to catch Hernan was overriding her need for care and caution. Ursula bridged the gap between bad and pure evil by killing this young woman in cold blood, despite pathetically begging and pleading for her life. As Carlos said, there is no going back, no chance for redemption. Her fate is now sealed.

Magdelina is seeking the truth. I like that she is without any pretenses. She is who she is, is always herself (with the exception of lingering in Dam's kiss a bit too long but who the heck could blame her?), and tells it like it is. I enjoy that I always know which twin I am seeing. Despite the obvious lip color difference, the facial expressions, speech and "hard eyes" are clear giveaways. The actress has done a great job here. I hope we see her again soon.

With Ursula's descent into hell now a certainty, I'm even more worried about Ernesto's return and his plans for revenge. I'm sure there will be another death or two (no spoiler) and am very worried about losing yet another of our good characters. Evil seems to be triumping here, at least for the moment.

In addition to the wonderful Becky and Jose's scenes, I'm just as upset all the Claudio scenes are being cut here as well. Rene deserves so much better.

Great comments all! Can't wait to see the long awaited meeting of M&M although what little we will get to see after the cutting edits remains to be seen.

NovelaMaven, thank you again!

Diana
 

Carlos:
Thank you for being so kind…at least to NM, if not to Mercedes.

I confess, however, that Señora One Note is becoming tiresome even to me. Now if had me a pair of sharp, digital scissors, I know which scenes I would be trimming away…

Paloma:
Thanks so much. It (they?) did have some powerful stuff, didn't it?

I'm glad you liked the interview. (I know it is self-indulgent to add stuff when the episode is a JUMBO already. I'm grateful to my Caray pals for putting up with it.)

BTW, your use of the phrase a special treat, the cherry on top reminded me that Mercedes used a similar phrase, one of my favorites, when she was talking to Maggie about going out to the theater after spending the day together:
para cerrar con broche de oro
(literally, to close with a brooch of gold/a gold buckle)
Don't look for it -- the scene was cut, maybe deservedly. But the idiom is still fun.

AuntyAnn:
I blush. It is a real compliment to say you read this more than once.

"I'm just as upset all the Claudio scenes are being cut here as well. Rene deserves so much better."

Oh yes, definitely. His scenes are always fun and energizing. Fortunately, though, they aren't that integral to the story so their absence doesn't do too much damage to the whole.

I see you are sitting with Carlos at the "Pull off the Band-Aid already, Mercedes" table on the Patio. Mind if I join you?
 

Emarie, thank you for taking the time to do the biblical comparisons. ITA the similarities are astonishing. We have previously spent a little time discussing some other biblical similarities in this telenovela and I would bet there are many more, apparent to those who are knowledgeable about such things.

Diana, I am also annoyed as heck that they are cutting Claudio's scenes. Rene Casados is a world-class ham and they are denying us the joy of watching him wax eloquent on the beauty of Veracruz and shoeshines.
 

And you, my dear Diana, have just made my day. Thank you so much for your gracious words.

"Ursula bridged the gap between bad and pure evil by killing this young woman in cold blood…Her fate is now sealed."

Do you think the same is true for Esthercita? It seems to me that bad mothers always teeter on the knife edge in these stories. She has been consistently cruel. Even if she hasn't killed anyone herself, she has been an indifferent witness to real evil. The biggest strike against her, though, is she stands between baby Michel and his Marina. For Damián and Marina to end up as Michel's mommy and daddy, Esthercita has to be out of the picture.

Sorry Charlie.
 

Emarie:
What Sylvia said. Great comment!

Yeah, we've talked about the New Testament parallels in this novela, but I have to admit the Old Testament Esther stuff "sailed" by me completely unnoticed. Thanks for putting it together for us.

Didn't it seem to you that the writers gave up on things biblical with the haircut and image change in jail? It definitely feels like there is a "before" and "after" in this story.

Sylvia:
I thought of your comment from yesterday that

"explaining to people that I'm learning Spanish from watching telenovelas...always gets a big laugh"

...when I came across these lines in a newish Donna Leon novel I just splurged on (The Jewels of Paradise):

"Most of the other people at the table had learned Italian to facilitate their reading of opera libretti; thus few of her colleagues could hold a conversation in that language without descending into wild declarations of love, terror, remorse, and, upon occasion, bloodlust."

Hah!
 

NM...thanks for going so beyond the call of duty and recapping three episodes so cleverly and completely. I loved the witty interview withour beloved couple Jose and Becky.

Ursullied is now officially under a giant anvil and cannot be redeemed. So stupid ..killing someone to keep a crazy killer like Hernan. Awful.

I would love to comment more, but it have put off correcting compositions and listening comprehending all weekend, and now I must get to work.
 

Carlos and AuntyAnn--Your way is the easy way. Mercedes likes it the hand-wringing, tortured, teary painful, heart-rending, hard way. So, apparently does Mejia.

Oh, and Condolences on the passing of Zully and the passing over of Ursully into the iredeemable, irretrievably unrehabilitable mundo de telenovela anvil punishments.

AuntyAnn--I haven't had a chance to welcome you to the Patio yet. Your comments are great and much appreciated. I hope you have found the liquid stash, a comfy lounge chair with a good view and TempeTommeeTippee Cups for when your head starts spinning. T-shirts with appropriate epigrams can be ordered from The Storm Cellar™.

Available now:
I Heart DamIsms
I belong to the Sprachgefühl Club
I lift a middle finger to UNI

People on the Patio may appear in a future edition. Maybe our intrepid interviewer can catch up with Becky & Joe to finish the interview.

One serious question, noting the detour in the focus of the original sex/human trafficking storyline. Thousands of these young girls "disappear" from the streets of town all over Mexico and most are never heard from again (The Bridge; Montecristo-The Azteca version deals with this also).

What happens to them after their "usefulness" is over? It's not like they would be permitted to look for jobs in the legitimate work force. Mercedes must be one of the few examples of this--but she never dared expose either Ernesto nor her own past.

NM--I'm so glad you added the Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor. (That would make a good movie title. --It could be about fashion, murder, telenovelas???)
 

That's a future edition of La Tempestad Confidencial.
 

Susanlynn:
I hesitated before replying to your post. I didn't want to give you any reason to turn away from your homework. [bwahahaha] I did, however, want to thank you for stopping by for a quick one on the Patio. Now back to work!

Anita:
I forget. Are you watching Santa Diabla on Telemundo? Because human trafficking is also lurking in the background on that one. I doubt that there will be any moral lesson drawn there either.

My suspicion is that since it is politically incorrect to deal with narcos in non-narco novelas, involvement in human trafficking has become the substitute marker for the human bottom-feeder, for pure evil. In short -- for the devil.

PS. I still want my vita-inspired EVOLVE ALREADY coffee cup. I contend that no vocative is needed. Let the viewer use his or her own imagination.
 

I have corrected all my papers and recorded my grades, so I rewarded myself by reading the new recaps.

Emarie..that was a wonderful analysis of the biblical references in this novela. When you mentioned Xerses, I had a strong memory of studying with my college roommate for a history of civ test at midnight. She was laughing uncontrollably as she held her nose and reenacted Xerses' servants whipping the sea after a violent storm. The guy was a little power mad.

Anita..would it be possible for us to have a teeshirt or mug with one of Carlos's favorite sayings ..."NEXT" ...? I would definitely buy one of those.
 

Red-haired Esther
Such perfect destiny name
She will not comply
 

Anita, appreciate your preview of the next issue of "Tempestad Confidential."

Emarie, what a great and disturbing biblical link to Esther/Hada/Macario/Dark Mafia Lord Ernesto.
 

"How is the most beautiful little cow in the world?" sure sounded like something Will might have improvised. it reminded me of my student from Colombia whose husband used to affectionately call her "gordita" , and the one from Peru whose hubby called her "cosita." I would not mind being called "little thing" , but I would not be thrilled to be referred to as "beautiful little cow" or "little fat one." However, my choice would be "mi Amor" or "mi vita."
 

NovelaMaven: I have very conflicted feelings about Ester. True, she is spoiled and selfish and skating precariously on the narrow line separating Purgatory and Hell.

I am FairlyDamSure she would not have shot a young woman screaming for her life. Although without morals or scruples, she has had a rough road and does not deserve the same ending as Hernan and likely, Ursula.

I fear Ernesto's rage may make that decision for us (no spoiler) as it seems unlikely Dam and Marina can be together while she is still alive (as you so rightly pointed out).

Anita: I am ordering "I lift a middle finger to UNI"t-shirt. With a note conveying my unabashed disgust for chopping a good story with an excellent cast into an unrecognizable minced mess.

Diana
 

Susanlynn..I finally saw this episode on line and I'm willing to bet the farm William ad-libbed that line. You could see the actress breaking up. Delightful scene. (And who the heck picked out that outfit!?)
 

I just want to say thank you to all the recappers that fill in the cut scenes for us, thanks for the extra work!!
 

NovelaMaven - brilliant recap. you got style, girl. I really got a kick out of "[*Don't try this at home. Only DamFine can get away with it.]"

All recappers - thanks for always making me laugh.


I, like ya'll, am so sick of Mercy's whining/anguish. We've had to put up with it since the start of this tn, and these last 20episodes or so that have been condensed, L-Uni should've shaved off a lot of her scenes.... agony!

What should've been kept, and I stress, if I understood the dialogue correctly:
- Oso and Lagarto not joining DamFab and others in current project cuz they miss the sea. (I miss seeing DamFab's long locks, and him in his boat, in the open seas);
- Mags looking again at newspaper article of Mars, wondering if when they finally meet, what kind of sisters they'd be ... if they'll be friends or foe, accomplices or rival (please don't let her be another rival for DamFab)
- Zully bumped into DamFine, spilled an envelope of photos, which I think he saw some pix of Herny, and Dam wondering what her business is with the H;
- Mags also bumped into Pester, who bitched at Mags thinking she was Mars, and Mags giving it right back to her with equal venom;
- Claudio soliciting Jose's help in saving Mercy's assets/companies.


My oh my, I don't blame Mags either for wanting to savor DamFabLusciousLips a bit longer before pushing him away. oh gaaad, let me reiterate, I hope the she's not another rival for his Fab-ness.









 

I think that Mag could really be a great defender of her twin against Pester. Pester is used to the delicate and demure Marina. What a surprise to confront the rough and tumble, streetwise Mag. Mag could certainly put Pester in her place.
 

NovelaMaven - clearly, I did not see past your avances until now. duh



 

Mercedes should've taken both of her daughters up in the helicopter at the same time and kept them in the air until she finished her whole story. They would've had to hear her out up there with no place to run to.
 

Aw shucks, Shallowgal -- thanks!

I didn't include that chance meeting of Dam and Zully but I can add it now. (It was kind of a strange scene; I couldn't quite figure out where it was going.)

It's possible that some of those omitted scenes may be inserted later (though obviously not the one with Zully). Maybe we will get to see Oso explaining that he is leaving and that Lagarto is going with him. (I thought he said it was due to a death in the family and he had to support his nieces and nephews.

Anon 5:33
I like the way you think. But I'd be afraid the helicopter would run out of fuel before Mercedes could manage to spit out the story. Of course no-nonsense Maggie could take charge and tell Marina what she knows and maybe between them, the M&M girls could fill in all the blanks themselves.

Diana,
"I am FairlyDamSure she would not have shot a young woman screaming for her life."

Really? I'm not. :-)
 

NM,
You're right. I can just see Mag yelling at Mercy, "Enough with the tears! Just give us the facts!" LOL
Anon 5:33
 

NovelaMaven - Fantastic recap. Thanks for bringing Jose and Becky to the front burner. Loved the interview. Strangely enough, my favorite snark is "Hernan in a leafy green shirt."

My favorite scene was Mag's giving Mercedes that "woman, what *is* your problem?" eyeroll cause Mercedes failed to tell Marina about her twin.

Diana - I was wondering too what Estercita would've done. Shoot or not. I can't decide.
 

Hmmm.....Pester seems to have no moral compass or empathy. She has not lost the childhood notion that the universe revolves around her. She also has not shown any evidence of having any particular talents or abilities. Maybe she would have started crying or taken the gun and dropped it or fired it and missed Zuly. I am reminded of a commercial in which a girl says that her coat let's people know that she is a go getter...she goes out ...and gets things...and brings them home. Ester is not a go getter. Ester is a whiner and a wait-er. Ursullied is a go getter. She wanted horrible Hernan , and she wanted to keep breathing , so she did what she had to do and shot Zuly. Ursullied is now lost.
 

NovelaMaven- I never did get around to watching the episode, but I so loved the recap. Thank you for the recap, the B&J interview, and the extra cut scenes.

Looks like Mercy continues to stick her foot in it when trying to tell the truth. Oh well. We know it will work out in the end. I'm really looking forward to the twins finally meeting.
 

Niecie,
I'm glad to see you here and pleased you enjoyed the recap.

About "Hernán in a leafy green shirt."

He is such a snake! So increasingly reptilian, successfully insinuating himself where he is unwelcome, making his hateful hissing sound like a lover's whispers and then disappearing into the jungle.

Susanlynn,
Maybe Ursula started out as a go-getter but she is devolving into the worst kind of submissive, StandByYourManiac slave.

I'm not sure that Esthericta has the potential for that level of submissiveness, though I don't doubt her ability to fake it if she had to.

What if Ernesto ordered Esthercita to kill Marina? She'd do it in a heartbeat if she thought she could get away with it.
 

Thanks Vivi!

"We know it will work out in the end."

Yes, thank goodness.

Even so, I wish Madre Eusebia were still alive -- she'd know what to do to make them all come around.
 

Good morning, all. Did everyone enjoy the extra hour if sleep ? Well, it is sunny but cool here.

I wonder how many episodes will be smoothed into tonight's offering ? Later, gators..off to work.
 

Smooshed
 

NovelaMaven:

Thank you so very much for the cut scenes and the way you put them altogether in such easy marvelous style.

I too think that Claudio is getting the shaft. I really like this character.

I too can't wait for the meeting of the M&M twins, this should be interesting.

Thanks again NovelaMaven you took this threepeat and spun this mess into gold!
 

SusanLynn:

OT: UNI has a cable channel listed as UTLNO on the cable grid. They are showing Amor Real at 11:00 Am and reshowing the epi they showed in the morning at 11:00 PM. I just discovered the channel over the weekend. I have never seen Amor Real so watched some of it over the weekend. This channel also shows the epis on the weekend, as a marathon for whatever was missed during the week. They are also showing En Nombre Del Amor, Tres Mujers, Peregrina, Dinero and soon will be showing La Madrastra. Except for Dinero, I have never seen the others until now. Just thought I'd let you know.
 

Off Topic, but I just had to share with my Caray community--I just got an e-mail from the Dems and the headline is:

THIS IS BIG--THE SENATE IS GOING TO VOTE ON ENDA.

Wow! This IS big. I know the Senate is slow to do the country's business, but not that slow. ENDA was broadcast in 2008 and I didn't know the Senate was even interested in influencing telenovelas.
 

Madelaine--what a coinkydink. ENDA being rebroadcast. I haven't explored the grid to know if I get it. I'm up to here with tns right now, but I want to see that sensuous love scene between Matilde and Manuel--and it's not the bathtub scene, it's the night they spend in the convent. It was inconveniently left off of the DVD (grrrrr.)
 

Anita:

Too funny about the vote and ENDA. The one I want to see is La Madrastra. It starts on the 11th of November. I have seen so many clips of it from "The Soup" it peaked my interest. Sure it has a crying Ruffo, but still CE will be worth the watching, jus' sayin'.
 

Anita, that is so funny! I'm so glad to hear that the Senate is finally going to vote on something, lol.

Back on the subject of Estercita. In terms of telenovela anvils her "crime" is worse than Ursula's. Estercita is inconvenient. Ursula might end up in jail but the inconvenient characters almost always end up six feet under. Poor Pester, she is a tragic figure in the classic sense; her own character frailty and errors in judgement will lead to her downfall. She just can't and won't leave DamHawt alone. NovelaMaven nailed it when she said for Dam and Marina to be happy Pestercita must be out of the picture. I can see only one way for that to happen.

NM, thank you for explaining para cerrar con broche de oro. I couldn't figure out what in the heck Mercedes was talking about.
 

Cap'n:

You hit the nail on the head about Pester for sure. She is inconvenient. It seems like her usefulness is wearing thin. I am curious about her ending. I get that in order for Dam and Marina to be together she has to go, but Dam already got the Church annulment. I can't wait to see what the writers have cooked up for Pester.
 

With both his parents awaiting big-time anvils, Baby Michel will end up with Damian and Marina, since he's legally registered as Damian's son. It can't happen too soon for him.
 

Novela Maven:

I missed the weekend conversation, and it was a good one. I reread the recap this AM, and, nope, I do not think it was too long. I love the parts you added that were edited out and I especially appreciated you including my telenovio Claudio.

Of course I think the character would have been better named 'Polonio', because he is as free with his tired homilies as was Laertes' father. Still, I can forgive Rene Casados anything. His delivery is so SINCERE, and I am a sucker for sincere.

As to inserting yourself into the recap, well, I like 'yourself', and therefore am glad to see a bit more of you. As a prime offender in the 'making myself part of the story' crowd, I was delighted by your interview, and I look forward to more episodes. I laughed at the wicked Novela Maven-interviewer/character and her willingness to poke at the obvious. Oprah should be watching her back.

But really, when we feel wronged by the TN's story or delivery deficits, a recapper can throw in the creative towel and give up or resort to a feat of imagination. I applaud your choice and your product.

Nice work.

EJ

 

Sylvia:

What great analysis,

"Back on the subject of Estercita. In terms of telenovela anvils her "crime" is worse than Ursula's. Estercita is inconvenient. Ursula might end up in jail but the inconvenient characters almost always end up six feet under. Poor Pester, she is a tragic figure in the classic sense; her own character frailty and errors in judgement will lead to her downfall. She just can't and won't leave DamHawt alone. NovelaMaven nailed it when she said for Dam and Marina to be happy Pestercita must be out of the picture. I can see only one way for that to happen."

All I can say is, Wow, sister, you nailed it. I'll bet our Prof Karen would welcome a paper expounding on your thoughtful insight. I can just see it now, You and Karen standing at some podium at a Westin Hotel somewhere in the World, in a jointly delivered presentation on "Doomed by Inconvenience—The Fate of Secondary Characters in Tele-Storytelling". I predict it will be a great scholarly hit.

Thanks for raising this idea, Sylvia.

EJ
 

Madelaine
I can't find anything on UTLNO, searching the web or searching Univision . If you happen to live in the east, what channel # is it?

There is a new Channel called Fusion, an ABC Univision collaboration, but Comcast is not carrying it.
 

Univision tlNovelas channel:

Variopinta- I couldn't find much of anything on it either, and it doesn't appear to be part of the Comcast offering in the East. But here is the only info I found: http://nuevosiglotampa.com/noticiashispanicprwire/25204/bright-house-networks-lanza-nuevas-cadenas-univision-deportes-network-y
 

Here's more info on the channel. Seems like it's just folks with Direct TV and Dish Network: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univision_tlnovelas
 

Vivi and Variopinta:

I have Cox Communications and it is Channel 299 on my cable grid.
 

Oh, and I also get Fusion and found that too this past weekend.