Caray, Caray!

Good Morning Y'all:

I am running a bit behind, but should have the recap up by this evening. Please chat while I ready this recap.
 

Hola Amiga! I love me my Saturday ear worm. I adore Marc Anthony and La Quinta Estacion (was bummed when they split and Natalia went solo but more power to her). I guess that would be Sandra Echeverria in La Fuerza del Destino with the eponymous theme song.

Back to watching last night's episode. I'm sure it's a doozy!
 

We will happily wait for you, Madelaine. We KNOW it will be good. :))

I reviewed all the words that were said during the horrible scenes with Alejandro throwing Montserrat out of the hacienda on the Thursday episode. Those were horrible, painful words that will be very hard to erase from the memory banks. In fact, some of the things Alejandro said in his (yes, understandable) rage were cruel; horribly cruel. They were arrows to the heart. In real life, I don't know if I could forget those cruel words.

Fatima
 

Thank you Madeline! Beautiful song and dramatic video! What was that the woman in the video put in the back of her jammie pants? A positive pregnancy test?
The remote?

Fatima you are so right. He really cut deep with his comments. I know how hurt Alejandro was but did the writers have to make him so vicious in his accusations and labeling? And then to go get BM the next morning! I'm not as furious as yesterday and glad to see he didn't consummate his revenge with Maria but I'm not sure he's going to hold out forever.

Ok, the boys want breakfast! Later!

Lila
 

Thanks for that song, Mads. A great one. Disturbing video though, that's for sure.
 

Lila,amiga, understand about not being as furious today, but I find myself really reflecting upon what happened and what was said on Thursday.

I stated yesterday that the Alejandro/Montserrat relationship was not initially built upon trust. These two people have so much to overcome and it is going to be a long and hard road for them and for Viewerville!!

The writers have done well. I hope that they don't fall for too many of the usual TN tropes (I'm thinking Maria and her shenanigans here) because they need to remember that we, as viewers, have invested a lot in this story. They owe it to us. :))

I'll say this for the writers, "Que Bonito Amor" sure could have used their writing skills!

Fatima
 

Hi everyone, I have never commented before just read but I have to say how much I hate Maria and I can't wait for her comeuppance. I was really disappointed in my Ale but so relieved when he didn't do anything with BM.
 

Welcome SoniaPC! We're so glad you decided to comment. You are in good company here.
 

Good Morning!

Mads, thanks for opening up the discussion!

Lila, was it you that asked if a galan could go too far? Cuz I think Ale is very close to crossing that line if he hasn't already. And per your earlier comment, Lila, yes, those words were unforgivable.

And I just have to say it: DAM FAB NEVER WOULD HAVE ACTED THIS WAY!!!! Lol;)


 

Thank you Katy. My thoughts EXACTLY! (re: DamFab, sigh)
 

Fatima, you are right. We do invest a lot in these stories and like you I surely don't want to see an Adolfo-spawn passed off as Ale's while he rejects his own child like his father did him. I'm a little heartened by the bitch slap Montse gives Maria but Montse is pregnant! Surely they wouldn't let Montse lose the baby and Maria claim to have Ale's child! Nooooooo!

Hi, Sonia! With what we're likely to be in for I am soooo glad a blog like this exists!

Yes Katy, I asked that yesterday. I mean I know they have to do the whole separate the lovers thing but for the galan to so viciously berate the leading lady and then have a sexual relationship and bear children with another woman. . .I know there are worse things but it's like there is behavior that is so unbecoming of a galan that it kills the romantic core of the story. Yeah, the leading lady may forgive him but some of the viewers can't and the reconciliation and brief lovey-dovey reunion feel hollow. I hate it when that happens!

Lila
 

Well, I am in a state of total conflict. I have been comparing our two galans. I love Ale because he is gorgeous to look at, but, he is a weak man in so many other ways. JL on the other hand has had to deal with so many really bad situations and has handled them so well.

I started out not liking him at all. I didn't like the way he looked, and I didn't like the way he pursued Montserrat. I could even go so far as to say I didn't like the way he dressed or combed his hair. Get it? But, now, he has turned out to be a man with great strength of character who actually thinks his way out of adversity. When he finally gets a chance to tell the truth to someone in authority (Robledo), it sounds right and Robledo believes him. And, I don't think he's lying about his feelings for Angelica, although he might do so just to make her feel better. That is a noble act.

I may not be able to last 100 more episodes to find out how Ale recovers since I'll be leaving the country in March. Anyway, he's in trouble. Maria is so devious she's going to concoct a pregnancy and tell him he did it in his sleep. Haven't we seen that one before? Both BM and Graceless get way too much screen time.
 

Lila said: ".I know there are worse things but it's like there is behavior that is so unbecoming of a galan that it kills the romantic core of the story. Yeah, the leading lady may forgive him but some of the viewers can't and the reconciliation and brief lovey-dovey reunion feel hollow. I hate it when that happens!"

I am wondering this myself. Can a galan be such a jerk and almost hit the point of no return that we can believe the final reunion of the lovers?

Good question, Lila. :)

Fatima
 

Pasofino, absolutely excellent points!

Fatima
 

I think, for me, the last straw was Maria. And THANK HEAVENS nothing has happened so far. But it's one thing if Ale blew up in the heat of the moment, but then in the cold, clear light of day to seek out Maria is just wrong on so many levels.

Galans, at their core, should be gentlemen. Ale is being disrespectful to Montsy (two wrongs don't make a right), Maria, AND his unborn child. He's now had two people (Viktor and Padre), caution him that things aren't as bad as he imagined, yet he's blindly ignoring all reason.

On another note, I loved it when Ale told Padre: You're so innocent, you believe anything people tell you. And Padre said "Oh and you're an expert? You go running for Maria and bring her into your house?" I noticed Ale didn't have a snappy response for that one! :)


 

...and Pasofino, I really like your comments re JL. I felt "anger" towards him on The Day that IT happened, but your description of who the man is now is on point.

Fatima
 

Nice song, would have been great theme song for this TN. Like it better than the one they have.
 

I just finished watching this episode and am happy to note I was wrong on two counts: 1) Ale didn't ask Maria to wear Montse's nightie, Maria thought of it herself! So glad she did, too, because it was a total turnoff for Alejandro. Yo Ale, skank alert! 2) Ale didn't do the horizontal with Maria like I thought he would. So now I'm buying into the half sibs theory even more. Oh sure, she will probably get him drunk, yada yada yada, I'm carrying your bebe crapola, (gotta fill those 165 episodes), but today I have a little more hope than I did yesterday.

Pasofino, great paragraph on JL, I couldn't agree more. I like him so much better now that he's stopped whining about Montse, is acting noble, and has changed his shirt. Sounds like we need to pull a few more chairs up to his table.
 

Cap'n Sharkbait, totally agree re more chairs at JL's table. :)

Fatima
 

It looks like Alejandro is going to have a series of sleepless nights and maybe rude awakenings as he will be thinking and rethinking about what Victor and Padre Anselmo have told him. If/when he realizes that he was wrong then he will have the shame to deal with. I think his character is very realistic. Now if he can just escape that BM and spend his nights alone with the camisole!

My favorite and perhaps most telling line from last night was when Alejandro told BM to take off the camisole: first of all because it didn't belong to her but more importantly (to me) he didn't want it to smell like her (BM).

On a lighter note, I was quite impressed with Sebastian Rulli when he was talking with Padre Anselmo: he flicked his head and one tear went flying. Quite a feat! :)

Poor Padre Anselmo came off like a total schmuck when he just "let it slip" that BM had moved in and taken Montse's place.

A pregnant Monste in a brawl: not a good idea.

Jarifa
 

Great scene between Nadia and Victor. Nadia was wonderful when she said Montserrat fell for Alejandro and felt the same kind of love that she, Nadia, discovered with Victor. She pretty much had him there. So now we have big-mouth Padre AND Victor who want to get Ale back with Montse.
 

Hi Y'all. So sorry I didn't have a chance to add a comment #172 to yesterday's fabulous discussion. After awhile, it seemed to degenerate (hilariously) into rearranging the chairs on the Patio Deck, food and beauty tips. Good for warming the soul in this weird winter weather.

EJ--Thank you for your masterful handling of a very difficult episode and being the floor manager for the post-episode discussion. It was a romp through plastigrass. (If any of you have read Laurence Sanders, The Tomorrow File, you'll know what I mean. It's a futuristic look at society, a bit dated now [pub 1975] where everything is petroleum-based, including food, and LS has come up with new words for it all.)

Mads, looking forward to your recap. It's always a treat. Thanks for the ear worm.

However the one that's in my other ear is a Jesse & Joy video featuring one of their songs, Me Voy. It turns out this video was produced by Carlos Estrada (of the Carla lineage) and won a Latin Grammy for Best Short Form Video. Forgotten how to add the link, but here it is spelled out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Iby9n-qAk

If you can't tell, I'm also watching Pasion in its entirety, thanks to someone here mentioning it. To add to pleasure, I've been reading the Caray recaps and comments.

Susanlynn, aka Mad Bess Kidd--You are absolutely hysterical. I will have to do a Special Up Date Page with Susanlynn's references to Fernando Colunga in one of the trio of epic roles he had us swooning over.

Not to entirely get your minds off last night, I found it fascinating that as Rulli gets older he doesn't get furrier. In his shirtless bed scenes with Rita in Pasion, he has a nice covering of velvet fur on his chest. As Alejandro, he's as shiny and smooth as a baby's bottom. Hmmm.


OK, back to the present. Neither Alejandro nor Montse were ready for marriage. They had little time to become real novios (while Montse was dealing with the death of the object of her affections, JS).

They had no honeymoon to get used to each others daily idiosyncrasies and she was placed in a position of authority in a household that even Ale had had little time to become accustomed to. She also didn't get the chance to engage in any meaningful work, independent of Ale.

In addition, she became aware of all the secrets, rancor, jealousies, murder and and attempted killings, and a fire that nearly burned Montse and Rosie to death. She had a husband who didn't trust or believe her and they slept in separate bedrooms (yeah, I know, her choice).

Any 19 year old would be confused. I'm not giving Montse a permanent pass on her behavior, she had the biggest secret of all to hide. But add it up and feeling alone and abandoned, not being able to rely on anyone in her ditzy dysfunctional family (Carlota is the least dysfunctional, but also the least helpful) or friends, was the worst possible situation. Well, the Padre could offer spiritual guidance, but all he could do is talk, ok, maybe make more sense that Tia C.

To make a long rambling comment short--ITA with everyone that feels Ale's impulsive reaction to Montse's betrayal by bringing Maria back into his house was ill-advised. It only serves to propel the story along. This modern-day Manuel probably would not have done this, but there we have it. Let Things Proceed.

Yes, QBA needed some of these scribblers to rewrite La Hija del Mariachi for us.
 

I guess Gloria gets to cover a cat fight on Monday.

The most noteworthy thing in this episode is Alejandro's lack of emotion in his interactions with Maria. When he stripped her he had no tenderness, no feeling, nothing; as though she were a hooker paid to play dead.

When he stopped himself it was as though he either realized his equipment wasn't going to work or that he is not emotionally made to have sex in cold blood.

Maria is so ridiculously blinded by her obsession she doesn't see this and she claims to know him so well. I guess she doesn't.
 

Its has been a while since I have commented...exams and all but I am finally caught up. Loved that song you posted Madelaine.

I am surprised at the action and decent writing of this show (albeit I was coming straight from CI so you can only go up from there). And to think I was gonna skip this TN.

There is so much to say but I'm gonna try and keep it short.
First Ale...I understand his anger and all but his reactions to everything makes me feel less sorry for him. He didnt have to say all those harmful things to Montse. Also Maria is where I draw the line...he knows fully well that she is not innocent and to make her play the role of "his mujer" is downright wrong! Ale needs to do what I do when I am angry....avoid people until i am ready to reason with again.

Montse: Is not completely innocent either. The truth should have been told long ago but hey we would probably have a very short show.

Maria: Dont even get me started. Girl has no dignity or shame. She either cant see that Ale is just using her or even worse she doesnt care.
 

She has been under the delusion that he loves her and could love her as she wants him to; the same silly delusion as Scarlett O'Hara had with Ashley Wilkes. And we know what that got her.

Maria has no dignity, indeed. It was clever of her to say that she found the money among Juventino's things because it seems there is no way to prove otherwise until... someone finds out that the money Angelica bribed Basurto with was taken from Dimwit's suitcase after he had taken it from Adolfo, who should certainly not be afraid to implicate Maria, whom Monse saw invade her room more than once before. Rosario also caught her there.

But that will take a while.

Loved how the padre isn't afraid of Graceless. There is more to know about her and I'll bet he knows what it is, even if he only knows 75% of it.
 

Cece, glad to see you again. At least in this episode Montse admitted she was at fault for much of what happened. Not for Ale's dreadful reaction of course, and I liked it when Padre told her not to act like Alejandro. Good advice coming from his most holy bigmouth. Too bad he let slip about Maria, but it would have come out anyway.
 

Hello , all. Oh my..where to begin ???

Well,I will begin at the end....so MALria's luck is about to change... There she was bickering with Addled, when suddenly the object of her obsessive desires appears and tells her she is returning to the hacienda as his mujer and Mony is long gone. Wow..that smile..Like she just won the lottery, made that crucial winning basket from mid court, sunk a hole in one...BIngo. Her glass is half full and there is a full pitcher on the table beside it. Malria is going to DISNEY WORLD!! She may already be a WINNER !!!! I have never seen a girl so thrilled to find empty closets. She's like a Property Virgin checking out a home in a good neighborhood on a quiet cul-de-sac with loads of storage and a double vanity in the en suite . SCORE ! ...and then, it happens....She dons Mony's nighty....a little snug, but she manages to wiggle into it possibly not remembering that wearing Mony's undies did not turn out so well for her....and that's when her dreams of fifty shades of grey turn to....fifty shades of nothing happening here folks, move along....HOUSTON, we have a problemo.

But does our girl crumble? No, the master has let this little pup up on the bed , so she will be content to snuggle , smile, anspd scheme. She still gets to boss the servants around , eat as much fruit as she wants, and , and go on a shopping spree. Malria is a positive thinker. After all, tomorrow is another day.


 

I don't think the servants and employees will take her BS for long. Alejandro never treated any of them that way and he came up from farther down the ladder than she did.

He will not like how she treats others and I'm sure they won't keep their mouths shut for long.
 

Good Afternoon Y'all:

I finally finished the recap. The blue links you see are more ear worms for you to look/listen too. The song Lendo Calendo is in Portuguese and talks about a man marked by a woman's kiss. Please enjoy the recap ; )
 

Madelaine: Thank you for the witty and clever recap. I forgot about the catfight. Ugh! I wonder which one our handsome prince will rescue? He knows Maria's habits better than he knows Montserrat's. OK, let's see, let's see. So, Dimwit actually said a kind word to his sister. I wish he had one for Fina.
 

I THINK the doctor said that it was too early to tell the gender of the embryo.
Wasn't it refreshing to finally see a woman in a professional role in this telenova? Instead of locked up, subservient etc?
I don't see Ale's rage as "justified" at all. He knew from the very beginning (on the beach) that Monse had someone else. She tried repeatedly early in the marriage to leave him for JL, when he was imprisoning and raping her. JL was wanted for murder and Ale was anything but a reasonable understanding man, one could have a heart to heart with.
I think a good ending of this one would be JL and Monse finally getting together in the end, while Ale ended up stuck with Maria--and JL raised his child. JL is clearly better husband and father material, and having inherited his first wife's money, he won't be broke anymore....MY IDEA of an improved ending.
 

Thank you, Madelaine. Great job!
I started watching the show shortly after you posted the recap, so I could actually follow them both.

I remember La fuerza del destino, too, I loved that song. And Recuerdame is pretty catchy, too, I have to add it to my Spanish playlist - list of mushy songs I listen when I feel in the mood for some amor latino.

Lila, there have been some very bad galans in past telenovelas, I'm not sure Ale is quite the worst. There was a time when Telemunod's galans were all a bunch of idiots, easily manipulated by everybody. In Perro Amor Carlos Ponce marries the heroine to win a bet with his cousin/ lover. In Dame Chocolate, Again Carlos Ponce marries the heroine because she knew the secret ingredient to the chocolate the company was making. But he doesn't realize he loves her until he humiliates her for a long while. (don't know why I'm only thinking Carlos Ponce, maybe because I love him to death?)
In Pasion Prohibida, the galan's cowardice made the protagonista kill herself.
And the list goes on and on and on.
Televisa galans are better, but let us not forget Rogelio and his wip.

The things that Ale told to Montse didn't even make me blink an eye, I guess I was expecting it and I'm kind of used to galans behaving like this. Maybe too many years of tn watching have messed my brains, because in real life I would never accept such behaviour, but in tns when all is said and done, heroines have either short memories or get beatchy enough by the end and exact some sort of revenge.

Sylvia, I'm glad that you were wrong, I was sure Ale would sleep with Maria; at least for now we were spared of that.

Pasofino, I couldn't stand sweaty JL and his stalkerish pining over Montse. But the JL that is so lovable with Angie I adore.
I do believe him when he says he loves her, because he never says that he's "in love" with her - he says "te quiero" and not "te amo".
You'd have to be made of stone not to love Angie; and if we consider all that she's done for him... I just hope that when he finds out that M&A are broken up, he keep a clear head and stays away from Montse.
 

Madelaine, thanks for the fantastic recap. It was well worth the wait. Also thanks for the musical possibilities.

Jarifa
 

Jarifa,

ITA, my favorite line in last nights epi was when Ale told BM he didn't want her stinking up Montse camisole. HA! I was relieved that Ale couldn't have sex with BM. When he stopped himself he looked very confused and a little disgusted. I think Ale is living in an alternate universe at times. That's why he yelled at Addled (thinking he was JL) and brought BM back. He wants to create a world where Montse doesn't exist so that he can stop the hurt, pain and sense of loss that he is experiencing.

I had not been home in 2 days. When we finally did make it home last night, I sat myself on the sofa and watched 2 full episodes, back to back. I went through a full range of emotions. From happiness at watching JL & Angie to anguish at witnessing BM go back to the hacienda.

Say what you will about Ale, he still loves Montse. She is still in his heart and his mind. That is what stopped him from boinking BM. He had one of those eye, mind moments, and heard Montse telling him that she was completely his, and that made him stop.

Urban, ITA about Ale's lack of emotions with BM. That just shows that he doesn't love her. He seems to be in his alternate universe and emotionally detached when he tells BM that she is the senora of the house and his mujer. It's all a state if mind that Ale has created so that he won't have to deal with reality. That reality being that he really did like JL, and considered him a friend (plus he saved his life 3 times), and that he loves Montse despite the fact that she lied and deceived him.

Susanlynn, loved your comment on BM's luck changing, and "HOUSTON, we have a problemo." Let's hope that problemo is long lasting.

BM is a fool and still a big fat liar! Montse is no longer at the hacienda, but she persists in bad mouthing her about the stolen money. Leave well enough alone BM. Oh no, wait...keep digging that hole BM, you're gonna need it for that big pie hole if yours! Your anvil is coming. Like JudyB said, temporary setback.

Have I mentioned lately how gorgeous Ale is? We at the Ale table are fully supporting him in his time if need. He has my shoulder to cry on...pobresito.

Back to work...hasta pronto!

 

Thanks so much, Mads. You are such a great music resource person...I'm going to listen to Lendo Calendo right after I post this. Gracias.

I loved the parallelism last night of Padre Anselmo with Alejandro and Montserrat, and Captain Robledo with Angelica and José Luis. Two wise older men of authority, one ecclesiastical, one military, trying to help straighten out the tangled skein of these young people's lives. Fun to watch.

I think actually Esmerelda said if the Captain came to la Escondida he could have the best hootch available and she'd pay the bill. Her jealous Refugio tried to downplay it and she laughed and said, "It's not like I'm offering a private lap dance!" Anyway, cute scenes all the way around. Fun antidote to the horror that is going on at the hacienda. My Columbian friend and I were screaming NOOOOOOOOOO during the Alejandro/Maria scenes and luckily, he seemed to listen to us. Wish he hadn't allowed her to stay in the room and bed though. Ugh.

Well....the worst is over...until Monday. Now to listen to another great Mads song!
 

Mads, your super recap was well worth the wait. Thank you! You are the tune mistress, that's for sure. I laughed when you said Pedro looked like Montse like she was Limburger cheese, hee. I'm sure his "stench" is much worse.

Anon 2:03 asked, "Wasn't it refreshing to finally see a woman in a professional role in this telenova?" YES it was. Very refreshing indeed. I also like your alternate ending which would completely surprise everyone. I'm not holding my breath, but it's fun to consider alternatives.

Adriana Noel, I just hope I'm wrong about a few other wretched scenarios that are going through my head. I was extremely relieved that Ale couldn't go through with boinking Maria.
 

Yay, the recap is ready! Thanks Madelaine. I will enjoy it during my dinner break.
 

Great stuff, Mads.

The doctor did say it was too early to tell. I'm not sure when they can, either.

Graciela is really tempting the devil, isn't she, threatening a priest. She is one for the books on toxic mothers. I have to work on the next gallery of those.


 

Thanks,mads! for that detailed recap of an upsetting episode.

I wonder what secrets padre knows about Gracie. Is it just me, or was her voice even lower than usual ? This actress really can bring the nasty. She was made to play villains.

The Monday night cat fight at the mall should be interesting. Yikes
 

Thanks for your awesome recap! Mads!

Hey, does anyone know where I can watch the unedited 6 minutes of Ale and Montsy? I've googled it a couple times but every website wants my credit card!


 

Wow. That exclamation was supposed to be a comma!
 

Thank you very much for the light touch with this episode, Mads -- we really needed it. Very nicely done, amiga! Love the earworms as well.

So our boy is hiding in his own bunker, his manly pride wounded. Boo hoo hoo. And the only person in the universe who is telling him he is doing the right thing is María. Boo.

Katy, you are so right. DamFab would never have behaved like this!!!

For some light reading in the spa --

Robó: A User's Manual

Alejandro uses María to hurt Montserrat.

Montserrat uses Rosario to hurt Alejandro. (She co-opted his mother, guys. That is going to hurt big time when he finds out the truth.)

Pedro uses Nadia as a prop for his public persona.

Pedro nurses along and then uses Alejandro's jealousy of José Luis in the hopes that at least one of the rivals will end up dead and the other in jail, with Pedro ending up with the land he covets for his nefarious enterprises.

María and Adolfo use each other as robbery accomplices, and to meet their nookie needs. The balance of power tips slightly to Adolfo during María's brief exile when she has to pedir posada.

Dim and Addled use each other for all but nookie.

Dim uses Josefina for her money.

Josefina uses Dim to prove to herself that a man can come to love her.

Graciela uses Lauro for his social standing.

Graciela uses Montserrat to protect her economic position.

Graciela uses Capt. Robledo's friendship with Lauro to manipulate him in his dealings with José Luis.

Dim uses Graciela to shield him from any of the demands of real life.

Esmeralda uses Ezequiel Basurto to protect Refugio and José Luis.

Refugio and José Luis use Esmeralda and Angélica to protect them and help them escape, (though the boys never lie about their intentions or their feelings.)

Angélica uses her tragic illness to get people to do what she asks -- love her (JL), hide fugitives (Prudencia, Virginia), and work to clear the names of those fugitives (Capt. Robledo) even when they are NOT TOTALLY INNOCENT.

Of course, opinions may vary -- especially about the last item on the list...
 

Mads thanks so much for your wonderful recap.

Fatima, ITA so much w/your statement about hurtful words. One of the things that is disturbing about this tn is how it pushes the how bad can we make this guy boundary. At least AR was set in a time where there is no gender equality or expectation of it. And though I understand wanting to have a character change dramatically, you can have a galan go too far. As Lila so eloquently stated, "I know there are worse things but it's like there is behavior that is so unbecoming of a galan that it kills the romantic core of the story. Yeah, the leading lady may forgive him but some of the viewers can't and the reconciliation and brief lovey-dovey reunion feel hollow."

Adriana's comment about becoming used to horrible galan behavior because its so prevalent reminds me of how many of my college students admit to modeling their romantic lives off of rom-coms. No matter how media savvy people are, it is possible to be influenced by watching something over and over; we know this from advertising. Having a man say and/or do horrible things however angry he is can align w/the fantasy that Maria from Brazil shared with us earlier in the week; basically crazy anger = crazy passion. You can't take back saying mean things as Susanlynn's grandmother advised.
 

Welcome SoniaPC. I hope you enjoy our great community here.
 

Jarifa:

"My favorite and perhaps most telling line from last night was when Alejandro told BM to take off the camisole: first of all because it didn't belong to her but more importantly (to me) he didn't want it to smell like her (BM)."

Yes! So glad you mentioned that!
 

Oh and Anon 5:03 pm I love your alternative ending!! And also thankful to see a woman as an adult w/power/authority.

Nice to see you CeCe. Hope classes are going well.

Katy, "DAM FAB NEVER WOULD HAVE ACTED THIS WAY!!!! Yes, I love this!!

NM, very interesting analysis. I had not thought of some of those characters as using others.
 

Karen, your comment about media influencing us was very interesting to me. When I was growing up, most of the popular songs , TV shows, and movies promoted marriage, family, and finding one true love. Everything I watched and listened to in the media promoted a positive image of life. TV was filled with happy families. Song titles were all about love ...When I Fall in Love , Please Love Me Forever. All those images and songs helped form my vision of what I wanted in life and what might be possible . It made me feel it was possible to have those positive things in life. I definitely feel that the media of that time shaped my views and attitudes on life. Things have changed so much through the years. What a difference in what we see and hear in the media today and how it is affecting people's attitudes and feelings .

NM. Thst was a great users Manuel . So many characters are using and being used.

Sylvia...I just read the comments on the last episode of Pasion. It was fun to see all the pirate names we used.
 

Anon...Your alternate ending was interesting.

Katy..I agree DamFab was a true galan and never would have done the things ale is doing. He probably would have punched Ale in the nose .
 

Karen, Fatima and Lila,

How interesting about the alienating and desensitiving effects of the galan's behavior on the viewer.

The ugly words were upsetting, but we know the speaker is going to pay for them. What gets me are the things that writers choose to let slide. To wit:

-- the marital rape either never happened or we are expected to reframe it as 'understandable.'

-- Refugio killed Lt. Avellaneda in self-defense. Anyone -- even Capt. Robledo -- would have done the same. [Not so. We were there. Besides, JL had made many bad choices that had but him and Refugio in that spot.]
 

Susanlynn:

".I agree DamFab was a true galan and never would have done the things ale is doing. He probably would have punched Ale in the nose ."

Maybe we can pool our resources on The Patio and bring DamFab to Aguazul so he can teach Alejandro how REAL MEN treat their wives and deal with their barnacles.
 

NM...I would being willing to make a contribution to the Bring In a Better Galan fund. DamFab was DamLevelheaded , and I am quite sure that he would have been Damappalled by Ale's stupidity and cruelty. DumAss DumAle you need to have a long talk with DamCalm.
 

Susanlynn, thanks for your comments. My mom comes from a large family, 12, and the older sibs generally only had one spouse while the same can't be said for the younger ones. While they are individuals, one can see how the culture including the media have influenced each of their martial decisions.

NM, ITA w/you on what the writers want to let slide. The marital rape is insane and coupled with Ale's rage is unsettling. Then add Rulli's male pulchritude and the fact that in most societies people allow attractive people more leeway doing bad things. Now unless the writers move away from the unfortunate patterns mentioned above, Ale won't be getting professional help for his anger issues but will be healed through the power of love. I think of myself as a romantic but Ale needs more than love. How is he going to cope when (not if) other future challenges come his way?

Yes and let's being DamFab to teach Ale better galan etiquette;)
 

NovelaMaven, "The Users Manual". PERFECTO!!! I like it. :))

I cannot tell you how much I agree with your point re the writers letting certain things slide. The marriage rape scene (sorry, that is what it was to me) STILL bothers me. Yes, it bothers me. What Alejandro did that night was not an act of love. I suspect this innocent baby was probably conceived that night.

So many, many relationships conceived in anger. Unbelievable.

Karen, thank you so much for understanding my thoughts re the hurtful words. I realize that my empathic feelings can get in the way so MANY times, but when someone really hurts me with words along the lines of what Alejandro used, the relationship is over. I can be polite and courteous, but the relationship is over. Erased from the memory banks. Maybe this is juvenile thinking on my part, but I suppose it's because I feel that those words that were said in anger in rage were simmering in the brain somewhere. I wonder just how long the person was really holding back. Then, BAM! The words come out and I end up feeling like this is what they wanted to say all along.

There are no "do overs". It's done.

Madelaine, I KNEW you would write a humdinger and you did! Thank you!

Fatima
 

Karen, you are on fire tonight! YES, to the comments re Alejandro's pulchritude and society letting things slide for such a person. Oh my yes are you right.

Anon@5:03 pm, really liked your alternate ending!!

Fatima
 

The way many of you are feeling about Ale's behavior is exactly the way I felt about Manuel in AR., I had a hard time thinking of him as a galan with his heavy drinking, violence, and irrationality. No one could reason with him..just like Ale. He was his own worst enemy and made one bad decision after another. It was painful to watch.


 

SoniaPC, welcome to this wonderful group! In my rush to post this morning, I neglected to welcome you. :)

Fatima
 

I think all of the galans are kind of crazy. If they weren't crazy, they would be dull, right? Watch the second half of Baja las Riendas del Amor. The galan starts off wonderful, then his sister dies and he goes BSC. He berates "his love" every day. He won't sleep with her and then hates himself for not being able to resist her. FYI, her name was Monserratt as well.
 

P.S. In Baja Las Riendas, Gabriel Soto proved that he can wear a itty bitty towel like no other. It was a treat. I hated when the show ended because itty bitty towels were in the contract.
 

Good evening y'all! Fatima, Karen and my other friends, love this conversation and the nice give and take on galan behavior. Anon at 5:03 gives an ending that would serve Ale right for how a lot of us feel about him right now. Adriana, your account of galan behavior on Telemundo is shocking! I think I would have had to bail on those shows!

Susanlynn I agree about media influence: in both tv and songs on the radio it was all positive. How I hated seeing the advent of the smart-mouthed know-it-all kid and many other media caricatures. The whole thing about media being a mirror and not a driver of culture is kinda crap. If media didn't influence the viewing public there wouldn't be one commercial on tv.

Aunty Ann I just love all your comments. . .you really sound like a wise and warm Aunty!

NovelaMaven your list is amazing! You could also link to a couple of songs like Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics; or Use Me by Bill Withers!

I want to like Ale, he is still a damn fine figure of a man but boy, is he human. Like many others my biggest relief was no boinkage! Also loved his coldness toward Maria.

Like Pasofino I came to like JL when I couldn't stand him at first. But last night as he was wining and dining with Angie, Anti-Pru, et. al. I felt a little resentful. When he came to the hacienda Montse begged him to leave, sometimes he would loud talk right in the main house and was so belligerent. He wouldn't leave until he'd "fallen in love" with Ale and could thus safely leave Montse with him. Now he's all movin' on. . . .oh well, at least he plans to go back and face Ale but he's a day late and a dollar short. I don't hate him but I also can't stop thinking about he's conveniently leaving out his killing of Loreto. Won't this be a huge deception of Aunty Pru and Captain Robledo?

"I'm also watching Pasion in its entirety" Anita do you have a link! I can give you my email address. I would love to see it again! I may need some Pasion to make it through this.

Stay warm y'all, polar vortex is coming back to Michigan and more snow!

Lila



 

No, that wasn't left out. Robleto knows about this and has already suspected corruption in the police department at Agazul.
 

Cynderella, I watch Baja Las Riendas del Amor years ago. . .where can I find it? I know it's not wise to post links, just wondering.

Lila
 

Urban, are you saying Robleto knows about Loreto. . .must've missed that. Thanks!

Lila
 

Lila, you can watch old episodes on you tube.
 

Susanlynn, Manuel is all kinds of crazy, but he is a sexy beast.
 

Lila...I love Bill Withers's Use Me.

. It was snowing here today, too. I am trying to get creative to get through the rest of this winter. I've decided that I need to wear bright colors . I also think that I should get out a canvas and my paints and paint a colorful scene. Everything is white, grey, and brown. I need more color.
 

Oh my goodness, my manners! Thank you so much Madeline for the songs, the humor and vivid images you paint with your recaps. Thank you soooo much!

Thanks Cynde, I'll look for Riendas. . .I guess the networks don't care about old shows being on YT. I guess maybe Pasion is there, too!

Lila
 

Cyn...I have to agree with you. ...sexy beast for sure. ...as long the beast part is not overriding the sexy part. I just don't want him screaming at me and throwing on the floor. How do you like his boots and the long coat ? Fifty shades of Manuel. Have oyou watched the whole novela ?
 

Hello,
I just wanted to say thanks to all the recappers. I sometimes feel like I'm butting in when I comment, but I love reading all of the recaps and the comments, and I'm super grateful now, because I think the next SEVERAL episodes will possibly to painful to watch. I hate watching the bits where we have all the information that we wish the good guys had! The one thing I keep thinking about in Ale's defense is that it wasn't like he had any relationship role models growing up. Not sure about nature versus nurture, but in this case his nature seems to be pretty great (with the exception of a ridiculously bad temper), but without the nurture he doesn't have a clue about how to have a relationship. I really wish Rosario would man up, tell him she's his mother and talk some sense into him.
Thanks again,
Becky
 

Welcome, Becky. No, you are not butting in!

You're dead right about Alejandro not having had proper relationship role models. I'm sure his grandfather was a widower, as he has never mentioned a grandmother. When he died Alejandro lived with Gaspar and Maria; Gaspar was probably widowed relatively young. No married couples in his immediate environment and his next closest adult male was Padre Anselmo.

Rosario will have to out herself eventually; it's all in the timing. Right now is probably not the right time to tell him, but it is the time for Monserrat to get her suspicions satisfied.
 

Hello,

I am with all of you who want to bring DAMFAB in. Just to have him back would be great. All of you are right when you say that DamFab would not have had the same reaction as Ale. But remember that DamFab had his father when he was first growing up, and he always had the wise Madre Eusebia. Having that mother figure made a great difference. Ale had no mother or mother-figure relationship growing up. That's why Rosario needs to speak up and spill the beans. He's going to be upset that she lied about her identity, but eventually Rosario will win him over. And when that happens I hope that the first thing she does is kick BM out.

p.s. Was it just me, or did anyone else think that Ale looked kind of uncomfortable lying on the bed with BM. Sorry, but I just can't stand the bitch!
 

Susanlynn, Manuel can wear or not wear whatever he likes.

I haven't read Fifty Shades of Grey.

No, I haven't watched the entire Amor Real tn. I do think Manuel is incredibly sexy.
 

Aunty Ann, I don't think that he will be angry with his mother. All she has ever done is beg to be near him.

P.S. Did Adriana Noel sign the documentation yet? Did you teach her the secret handshake?
 

AuntyAnn, yes, Ale looked as uncomfortable as . . . ever and I was glad, too.

Jarifa
 

Madelaine,
I am such a dork.
I forgot to THANK YOU for the most excellent recap.

Some of my favorites were:

"Okay, take a deep breath, inhale, exhale as we come to the crux of this capitulo. Sigh! Think good thoughts, if you can, and you will be able to get through this scene."

"Oh, and Ale has got his pants on and BM is completely nakkid, just so you know."


And I just LOVED it when Ale told BM that he wanted her to take off Montse's nighty because he didn't want it to smell like BM. My guess is that Ale will be using that Montse smelling nighty as his blankey from now on. Just a thought.
 

Cynderella,
I don't think Adriana Noel signed the document yet
 

Cyn,
I did not teach her the secret handshake. I was leaving that up to you, the founding member of the Ale table.
 

Cynderella, Aunty Ann - unless we are all really crazy, I believe the secret handshake is just a joke, right?
If not, let's meet up in the parking lot of the Patio and you can teach me all about it. I'll be the one with all the wheelbarrows - I've been thinking we should start selling them at our table, since Ale pretty much decided to wheelbarrow Maria back into the hacienda.

Lila, yeah, Telemundo galans are all 50 shades of grey (hehehe), not pretty to see.
Karen, you make a great point about media's influence on our perception of reality. I was an advertising major in college, so I know all about it. And I have been watching tns since I was about 10, so, very impressionable and curious about love and relationships. I grew up watching nasty galans, I realy don't know how I didn't end up marrying some whelthy jerk de buena familia.


 

Good morning all...we were shoveling 5 to 6 inches of snow here yesterday. But fun to wake up this morning (a little bit achy) and read all these interesting comments.

Love the User Manuel...and let's not forget the Original User--Don Benjamin, using all his comely servants, both for work and for pleasure. Without that old reprobate, there would be no Alejandro. Which for many of you would be a good thing, regardless of his pulchritude.

Karen, you make a good point about society cutting attractive people more slack. True.

On gender equality, that's an elusive concept. In Mexico, not so much, according to what I've read and according to Jarocha. Ditto for South America.

And gender inequality still exists in that most men are stronger, heavier and more susceptible to physical violence when stressed. And, even in America, most men make more money than most women. And where there is power, there is always the potential for the abuse of power.

And we see this playing out in this highly dramatic story and it's eliciting all kinds of emotion from us as we watch. I think part of the fascination of these stories for us--apart from the gorgeous people, sets, locations and the Spanish language--is what it triggers in our own emotional core. Telenovela therapy. Talk it out. Get listened to. Learn the "secret handshake" (I'd teach you, Adriana, but I'm still on probation!)and party on.
 

Judy, I had to google "inches to cm" to see what you're up against. 15 cm is not a big deal in Eastern Europe, that's what we usually call the beginning of winter :)
But in the Paris area, an inch of snow will make everyone crazy. I remember my first winter here, it snowed some and everybody was completely stressed out. I watched in disbelief as cities like Marseille (it is the south, but still) practically closed out because they got 2 or 3 inches of snow. At the same time, talking with my mom on the phone, she was telling me there were areas back home were the snow was 5 feet tall!!!
The whether changes are truly dramatic, it doesn't matter anymore if you live in a place with 4 seasons or not, you just never know anymore.
And I must admit that when you're not used to a certain type of wheather conditions, things can get really tough.

I hope someone is helping you with the shovelling. I don't want your hands to be freezen to death when you get to teach me the secret handshake.
 

Just made up a word: FREEZEN! BANG!
 

Judy B., your comments on gender inequality are so true.
In many ways, things have not changed much at all.

We have 2-3 more inches of snow on the ground this a.m. as it marches eastward. Tonight we are in for the subzero experience again. Oh well, what can we expect? Time to grab the shovel and get going.

Jarifa
 

Loved when Maria wetted Dimwit and Addie that is the only moment when i liked her,someone please give me an anti-BM spray im gettng allergic here. I do wonder what Karmageddon will BM get,probably being rejected by everyone..
 

It's too early to predict the Karmageddons but I suspect that Maria will earn a serious one because she has no conscience at the prospect of killing Monserrat.

There will always be gender inequality in society as long as there is a double standard of appearance or social behavior independent of the actual law.
 

Good Morning Y'all and thank you so very much for your kind words.

Thank you Jarifa and Aunty Anne for the chemise+oder+BM. I fixed the recap.

Lila:

The woman in the video is hiding a positive pregnancy test.

SoniaPC:

Welcome to Caray Caray. Please join us here.

Anon 5:03:

Thank you about what the Doctura said and you are right. I do like how they show professional women in TNs. Have you ever seen PVAA, Para Volver A Amar? That TN was really great and showed women becoming strong in business. It was really well written. I fixed the recap and also I too liked your alternate ending. And Welcome to Caray Caray.

Becky:

Welcome and you can butt in as much as you want. This is a wonderful community to share our thoughts.

NovelaMaven:

Thanks so much for the Robo Users Guide, and it is indeed a complete guide. It kind of reminds me of "Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon". I actually played it once and there are indeed so many connections to Kevin Bacon : )

Anita:

Thanks so much for the link. It is a great video ; )

Cap'n:

Thank you so very much. Natalia Jimenez is now on "La Voz Mexico" doing a stint as a judge. I bet she's a great mentor, as you are to me. Thank you.


 

I want to say a bit about the music I chose for this capitulo.

I put "Recuerdame" as the title because Monse and Ale especially can't forget each other, can they? They'll try, but it won't happen. They are already in love and that won't go away. The storm in that video is what their lives have become since the truth has come out about JL. I am hoping the coming calm is swift and we aren't tossed around for a long time.

"Woke Up This Morning With A Blue Moon In Your Eye" (Shame About It) came from the "Sopranos" 'natch, but so fits Ale right now. His Papa never told him about right and wrong did he? He couldn't have cared less about him. And Ale got himself a gun, thinking that would solve his problems. He found out he loves Monse profoundly and won't be able to forget about her so easily.

"Lendo Calendo" was a different choice for me. I do like the artist Dan Balan. He was in the band "Ozone" that did the "Numa Numa" Song back in the day. I liked the imagery and words for this one. It talks about a guy that is "marked" by a kiss from a woman he won't forget. Notice the blonde in the car with him, and think of Monse, then look at all the other women he is looking at and the abuse of fruit. 'Nough said! If you get a chance check out his video "Freedom", I almost used that one for this capitulo. Dan Balan is amazing. He speaks five or six different languages and speaks English with barely a trace of an accent. He is originally from Moldava.
 

The Sopranos' thing had slipped my mind for a while because it's been years since I've seen that series. Thanks for that one. On that note...

Another question came to me in the last 24H which was whether Alejandro yet knows the full extent of his own father's shady dealings. I can understand him not knowing everything at the time he inherited the estate and businesses but has he figured anything out about them since? He does suspect that Pedro is corrupt but when it comes to light that Pedro used Basurto to deliver the photo of JL will he make the leap of figuring out his motives? More importantly will be be clear-headed enough to be able to deal with it?

I have the horrible feeling that something could happen to also make him lose his fortune, if temporarily.
 

Dear Mads,

Thanks for wonderful recap, as always, and great music, too!

I loved your kind, handholding moment as you introduced the scene between Ale and BM:

"Okay, take a deep breath, inhale, exhale as we come to the crux of this capitulo. Sigh! Think good thoughts, if you can, and you will be able to get through this scene."

Yes, we did make it through together and, considering how bad it was, it was still much better than I think most of us were hoping. Thanks for recapping this, and so glad you didn't have to write the lines none of us wanted to hear.

Hooray for ED!

Think we're going to be enduring some epis of BM spiking Ale's tequila with Viagra?

Was thinking we should all also have a moment of silence for our un-loved Juventino. Too bad for him to have missed out on this period at the hacienda. How he would have loved it!

I am often wrong about my plotting predictions (yes, I admit Necrophilia was out there) but I am actually thinking Ale is NOT going to consummate things with BM in the end. Dramatically last night was the night, and this moment has passed. She will try, but I think it won't happen.

Thanks again, Mads! Your recap and music selections were one of the pleasures of my otherwise cold winter weekend.

 

Madelaine - Thanks a bunch. My favorite: "cause the bull head ain't listening"

Poor Maria. Finally where she's wanted to be and Ale shrinks on her. Maybe she thought he left the nightie for her to wear. Poor Ale has set himself up to be hounded by her for the rest of the TN. But hopefully at least, Ale will cut her out when he catches her treating the staff like crap.

Ale made a big gesture of asking Lauro for Montse's hand in marriage. I know some find this old-fashioned, but I love this ritual and my family still does it. But now I'm thinking, since Ale has thrown Montse back to her family, and with child, shouldn't he at least talk to Lauro?
 

Great comments y'all. What a delight that we have some NEW commenters! (And no, commenting is not butting in.)

NovelaMaven, kudos to you and an escorted queen-walk around the pantheon of stars for your Robo User's Manual. May I say...sheer brilliance! And it's good to see a list of who has been using whom as a way to remind ourselves of the history of our characters and why they might act the way they do.

The question was will Ale be angry with Rosario when he finds out she's his mother? Clearly Alejandro's Hot Button issue is not knowing all the facts. Not knowing when everyone else does makes him crazy. He might be angry for a bit, but I think his need for mommy will override his anger, especially when he finds out that daddy jailed her for THIRTY FREAKING YEARS. (Sorry for yelling.)

And yes, Ale did look uncomfortable reclining next to BM. It was a most interesting camera angle, and if there was any question as to his possible arousal...um nope.
 

Good Morning Y'all! Snowing since before I got up and cold air is a-comin'! School was closed Friday and we may get wind chill days Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Becky, thanks for the reminder of Ale's upbringing which I know I totally forgot during the traumatizing fetching of BM back to the hacienda. BM growing up with Ale from childhood makes her whole come on to him very icky. I need to go back and look at the "take the nighty off me scene". Did Ale actually say I don't want it to smell like you? Whoa! Nice diss, Ale, there is hope!

Good point, Urban. Hopefully the police corruption issue will help Ale make that connection to Basurto and also hope he'll have an eye-->mind moment to remember how he was saved from execution by another dirty cop by JL. Do you guys think the JL/Ale talk will happen soon or will they divert us with cat fights and other stuff?

Looking forward to Montse getting some good nurturing from Rosario. I know the reveal will come at the right time.

Lila
 

Galans always respond with anger with missing mother -father issues . It is a well known cliche.
 

One thing about Viagra is that it enables the blood vessels to work but can't create desire where desire doesn't exist.

However, there is nothing preventing Maria getting him thoroughly drunk, telling him the next day (when he wakes up with no memory of the previous night past the fourth or fifth drink) that they vo-de-oh-doh-dohed, and ending up knocked up by Adolfo.

Is anyone else wondering if the actress is pregnant in real life? She isn't looking as slim from the side as she should.
 

LILA--
I'm in the Mid-Atlantic region and my cable provider is Comcast, so it may not be in your area. It's being broadcast at 11 am on UniMas (used to be Telefutura).

Reading the Caray recaps will get you in the mood.

P.S. I remember when your name was a lot longer!! It was a number of tns ago, so long I can't remember when. Love your comments.
 

Madelaine, I only listened to "Recuerdame", so I had no idea one of the other songs belonged to Dan Balan. I CAN NOT believe you, Americans, know about him.
Dan Balan is from Moldova, which is an old Romanian territory (imagine if California or Texas or any other border state would become independent). Since I'm from Romania, I pretty much grew up with him and his music. The old band O-zone was really popular back in the day - the expression numa numa comes from "nu ma ... nu ma iei" which means "won't you... wont' you take me with you".
The world is seriously small!

 

Mads has a love of music and a range of knowledge and taste that goes way beyond the average person here, Adriana. And she really FEELS the lyrics and connects to the story lines. And her memory seems to be Vivi-sharp when it comes to music as well. You know, she spent time in Europe, so she is all over the world in culture I think. Fortunately for us!
 

Cap'n Sylvia...I blush to admit that I too looked to check if Alejandro was the least bit aroused. And he was not! But can't be easy, lounging in bed with a comely actress like that. Kudos to his acting skills!
 

Oh and 6 inches may only be the beginning of our Winter also Adriana! Wet, heavy snow, as it was yesterday, can tire you out. We have a long driveway. Light snow, when there is sun, is a lot more fun!
 

Urban, I would so hate for Alejandro to lose his money at the hands of Pedro, but it is a distinct possibility given what you have just stated.

Alejandro is in for some more potentially devastating reveals (gosh, I think I picked up that word from "Ghost Hunters". I doubt that it is a real word, but will check!)in the not so distant future. He knows enough about Don Ben that he was not a first rate guy, but I think he will be pretty surprised at the extent of his dealings, shady and otherwise.

Niecie in MD, I think you bring up a good point about Alejandro doing some 'splaining to Don Lauro. Personally, I think Don Lauro has been in a semi-comatose state not only because of his finances, but because he really does know ALL the truths about his wife. The man is not dumb. I think we will eventually see the awakening of Don Lauro. I'm waiting. :))

Fatima
 

good morning. I just read all the new comments.

No snow today, but we did get a little yesterday...just enough to make driving a little dicey.

Judyb....Good point about Ben being the original user in this tale. Was it Aretha who sang "Who's zoomim' Who ?" Today, I thought of Ale and Mony when I listened to the Beatles' Can't Buy Me Love.

Aunty Ann, that was a great point about DamFineDam having the advantage of growing up with a good dad and madrina,. So true.

Cyn...I have never read 50 Shades of Grey either.

Well , I hope that everyone has a good day.




 

Sylvia and Judyb...I must admit that I had the same thought about that unusual camera angle. Teehee hee. I think that we have become bad influences on each other over these past 6 years, As I have often said, we would never be allowed to sit together in studyhall.
 

I think that poor Don Lauro has been in a state of willful denial about certain aspects of Graceless' character:

-- He has never witnessed her abuse of Monserrat and never heard her insults.
-- If she was "marrying up" he would certainly be aware of the concealment practices of the people of his social class which would include the concealment of an inconvenient pregnancy.
-- I'm guessing that he was a younger son who didn't inherit the bulk of the family fortune and thus entered the military (other choices being the law or the church). Therefore, he didn't marry as young as a first-born son who would ultimately inherit the estate.
-- Graceless would have been beautiful, so she would have been a trophy bride for Lauro 30 years ago.

The big question now is whether he has done the math on any of her activities since their marriage to determine that she was cheating on him. If he does he may conclude that Dimwit isn't his after all.

 

Urban, I think that Don Lauro is very slowly doing the math. Maybe Montserrat coming back home might speed things up.

I do agree with your points.

The bad guys can't be winning everything all the time. I'd like Lauro to wake up and help his daughter.

Fatima
 

Silvia, JudyB, Susanlynn, I always look "there" during this type of scenes. If the camera is more or less filming it, my eyes are glued to the area. But I'm a romance writer in my spare time, this is research for me. :)
About love scenes: a few months ago I watched a making off for Pasion Prohibida and they discussed love scenes, too. It was not the first time when I read/ watched something similar, but it's still interesting to see every particular case.
What we see as a 6 minutes love scene (if we're lucky) can last up to hours of "Action", "Cut", "From the top". Usually the actor's job is to cover the breasts of his partner, make sure nothing that he does will make her uncomfortable.
The scenes between Ale and Montse looked very realistic and were rather revealing, too, because I believe the actors feel comfortable enough with one another and she doesn't have a problem with filming a certain degree of nudity. Have you ever seen Adela Noriega do that? Even in FELS, a modern tn, she wore clothes that covered her from head to toe all the time.

I also remember reading an article about the first love scene filmed by William Levy and Ximena Navarette - apparently, it took them 17 hours to get it right. I can't imagine any man being turned on in these conditions and with a bunch of camera techs always around, in search of the right angle and whatnot.
But I'm also sure that it DOES happen sometimes, too.
That's why I always check... maybe I get lucky... in my research. :)
 

Adriana Noel, so glad you could join us at the ogler's table. It's a big table with many chairs as you might imagine. At least you are doing "research", snort! With that camera angle there was no way to look anywhere else. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. (Not that we need an excuse.)
 

RESEARCH?!?! Adriana Noel, I gotta love it!!! :))

Fatima
 

Anita, thanks for the information on Pasion. I'm Comcast, too but they don't carry Telefutura. Poopy cakes! Thanks Anita, what a memory you have. I am Khalilah!

Adriana Noel and Cap'n. Oooooo! I'm tellin'! Couldn't resist that old childhood naughty alert phrase! You know, I've often wondered how these love scenes are filmed. Some of them so hot and realistic-looking. I've seen some strategic placement of pillows and untucking of shirts but for some reason I didn't catch the significance of that "interesting" camera angle. Y'all are too much! So Ale's rejection of BM was "anatomically correct"!

;D Lila
 

Research. That's your story and you're sticking to it? BTDT.

Unless you're a p0rn star it would be impossible to be turned on doing scenes like this with 20-30 people all over the place and all those hot lights and a director yelling "Action" and "Cut!".

I agree that AB and SR are very comfortable with each other to be able to do scenes like this.
 

.."..what Sylivia said...... also, Sylvia and Judyb made me do it.

I remember Oprah had a show years ago interviewing soap actors . When she asked if they ever really felt turned on, Joe Lando grinned and said, "Well , your body doesn't know that you are just acting. "

This interesting conversation also reminds me of something Hub told me. An old guy he knew once told him that he used to go to senior dances at the local fire hall . He would put a shot glass in his pocket ....."just to make the ladies feel proud." (Did you steal glassware from the bar or are you just glad to see me ?)

I thought it was interesting that when Ale removed Mony's nighty from Malria, he stood between her and the camera and you couldn't even see her. Not that I would ever defend Malria or anything she does or says, but Ale told her to leave her things at Addled's so she only had four choices for bedclothes
..1) the clothes she was wearing 2) her birthday suit 3) the purloined nighty 4) Ale's denim shirt that she had been sniffing. ( What is up with all the sniffing of clothing in novelas. ???? I remember Hot Rod the Bod. ...Big Ed Yanez...inhaling Gaviota's scarf every chance he got.)
 

Yes, research! Ask JudyB, she'll back me up, she read some of the results of my hard work and sacrifice. Ahem...

Lila, you better don't tell on us or else!!
Come join us, everyone is invited at this table (or, better said, can anyone stay away?)
This also reminds me of a Pride and Prejudice 1995 Making Off(I swear I don't spend ALL my time watching stuff like this, it's only like 75%, the rest is for Nietzsche and laundry). Anyway, they were talking about the costumes and the fact that they wanted to be historically correct, which meant no modern underwear for the men. The pants were so tight, you couldn't help but stare at Mr. Darcy's you know what - the cast was having a blast making fun of him and the other men who had to wear gentlemen clothes (nothing to gentlemen-y about it, if you ask me).
 

Susanlynn, in movies it's always sexy to smell the guy/ woman's clothes.
I only smell my hubby's clothes to check out if they're dirty or I can make him wear them another day - no time for laundry with all the research I always have to do! Hehe )
 

HA......Nietzsche and the laundry.....Do you focus on those two separately or simultaneously ?
 

OK Adriana Noel, you have your own chair at the ogler's table. You are a wealth of pertinent, or shall I say fitting, information.

Susanlynn, I think the sniffing thing can make sense. Sometimes these shows add a sniff scene for the ick factor, but in Ale's case it made total sense. The olfactory sense can trigger memory much more vividly than the visual sense.
 

It is funny about smell. I've read that people can be attracted by the smell of another. I guess it is pheromones or something. When Hub and I were in high school , he played sports. After a baseball game or wrestling match, he was very sweaty, but he never smelled bad to me... no BO ever to me unlike other guys. Also, his shirts always smelled so good . I thought it was the detergent his mother used, but maybe not.
 

A few hours later, however...

The smelling of clothes has an ick factor with the likes of Juventino. There was a missed opportunity immediately after his murder for someone to have gone through his stuff and found women's underwear, probably not all of it Monserrat's. Not to mention any ill-gotten gains.
 

Yes! Aroma can trigger both positive and negative reactions.

UA, I still can't believe someone didn't go through Juventino's things. Or maybe he was good at stashing them. Also, you make some good points about Lauro's possible background.
 

Concerning Ale nuzzling Mony's nighty, she may wear a distinctive perfume that clings to her clothing. What perfume would suit our Mony?
 

Thanks Mads for the recap! Well worth the wait. I like how you prepared us mentally for the BM and Ale scene. I myself, had to pause that scene and prepare myself mentally for what lay ahead......

So many comments! This is such a funny and active group! I love reading everything opinions and viewpoints.

Susanlynn, I too wonder why people in TNs like to sniff clothes so much but Cap'n Sylvia raises a good point. I never thought of it that way.

Last thing, Can you really blame Ale for not thinking that baby is his? Not really defending him because he is too adamant in believing this but no one else believes Montse either. Even the Tia questioned the extent of her relationship with JL when he arrived at the hacienda. The only people who believed her outright are Nadia, el Padre and maybe Rosario.
 

Its not hard to not bring yourself in Ales position obviusly after hearing a secret on an such a extent,being blinded with anger and confusion,immune to reason and believing ,everyone but him knew the secret and he found out the last.
 

If I had to pick a perfume for Monse I'd choose something like Le Couvent des Minimes Fleur d'Oranger. Or if we want to go expensive, the high end one would be Santa Maria Novella's Zagara. Classic, light, memorable, and suitable for the weather in their part of the world.

For JL it would be Nautica, or something else aquatic.

For Alejandro, something with amber and wood, like Caswell-Massey's Jockey Club.
 

Susanlynn at 1:56 p.m. I know many have probably put in their comments and you guys have moved on but I remember this sniffing thing being brought up on the board years ago with whatever we were watching. Anywho, I don't think I weighed in because I felt my viewpoint would be weird. Ok. Here goes. The sense of smell (whether we're conscious of it or not) is intimately involved in our sense of attraction whether to food or the object of our sexual desire. The whole olfactory factor seems more openly acknowledged and expressed in these "Latin" productions. I thought at the time that the inhaling of the essence of the beloved was not only natural but damned sexy and about as graphic as one could get without exhibiting erections and secretions. Everyone else that posted thought it was pervy so I kept my mouth shut. But ok, well, it's out there now.

Dang, y'all are fun. Now, back to comments.

Lila
 

Lila, I very much agree with your viewpoint on personal scent. Susanlynn also mentioned that aspect. I also remember discussing the subject some time ago, not sure if it's the same discussion you remember, but scent can be a huge attractor/repellent for people. (Oh, and "pervy" is fine with me, hee.)

UrbanA, you have a good knowledge of perfumes. I'm impressed!
 

Nietzsche!? Now, I have heard it all!!

Fatima
 

LILA--Telefutura changed its name; it's UniMas now.
 

Unimas. . .ok, let me look at my line-up again Anita. I'm sure Comcast has peeled it off into a separate package for which I'd have to contribute a good portion of my extremities to watch. Grrrrr. Thanks!

Lila
 

I did a double take at the Nietzsche too! But hey, he could offer some good advice to our star-crossed lovers: "It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages."
-Friedrich Nietzsche



 

Cap'n Sharkbait, :))

Fatima
 

I read somewhere that scent is the sense most strongly tied to memories. I can attest to that.

A friend of mine gave me a gift of a set of Thymes Frasier Fir liquid hand soap and hand lotion a couple of years ago. The first time I squirted the hand lotion I was taken back several decades to the floor of my childhood bedroom in Montevideo. I had to think about it and finally realized that it had the same scent as the lotion in some little girl's cosmetic set my mother had ordered from the States and had never had any that smelled like it since then.

You all have kept this titillating conversation going on and on and on. I have to admit to checking out guys "packages" on screen.

Even as a child, I was always fascinated by male ballet dancers' whoppers until I learned (very recently) that everything is deliberately pulled up so they don't get pinched when they do some of their fancy jumps.
 

Great stories Anita!
 

Anita re ballet dancers: I'll be dangoned! This has got to be the thing I've learned today!

Ok, re sniffing: It's sexy if it's done by the people we want to boink, and pervy for those that shouldn't?

See y'all a little later!

Lila
 

That last point makes a lot of sense, Anita!

Sylvia, I'm active on a perfume forum where there is lots of interesting info.
 

Urban, thanks for that link. I love perfume and have to confess, that it is my one true weakness! :))

Fatima
 

I often do giveaways on that forum, as do others. Join us and jump right in!
 

Susanlynn, Nietzsche and laundry go together perfectly, you should try it sometimes.

Sylvia, I love the quote about love and marriage! So fitting for this tn.
If I had really read N., I would have probably known it. Busted!
I did study him and some other philisophers in high school - my teacher was under the impression that I was a very good student, mostly because I had a big mouth and a lot of imagination.
I was watching tns back then, too.:)

Urban, I know absolutely nothing about perfumes, so I'll go with your suggestions for our heroes. How about Graceless. Do they make a Tramp No 5 fragance?
 

According to others on that forum, Thiery Mugler's Womanity or Vivien Westwood's Boudoir would probably suit Graceless.
 

Fatima, your ONE true weakness? (Grin) You are sounding like Dorcas on Lark Rise to Candleford. I loved her numerous "one" true weaknesses.

I know nothing about fragrances too, except that ambergris is whale barf and highly prized by perfumers so I am always keeping my eyes peeled for floating blobs of it.

UA, I just looked at the perfume site and it's fascinating. Thanks for the link.
 

I have to issue a major warning about that site: It seriously enables heavy addiction.
 

Wow...had no idea such a site existed UA. Looked like there was a bewildering amount of information there.

Shalimar is the only thing that I can wear. Everything else I have tried ends up smelling like Raid once it hits my skin.

But I suspect only women in my age group (70+) wear it any more. Still, I started wearing it at 19 when I was first in Europe, so a whiff of that makes me feel young and fancy free again. So right that scent triggers memories!
 

I also wear Shalimar and I started at 15. When my mother died a few years ago I inherited her stash.

The info on that site is rather overwhelming to new guests and members, but you just need to take a deep breath and plunge in. Click here for info about a major event in the spring. Went last year and it was a bla$t.
 

Madeline, another exceptional, thoughtful, delicately and deliciously detailed summary.

I can add little to the 137 comments already posted but I do want to list a few of my favorites: "trolling the streets...", "does he ever clean up good, wink, wink, nudge, nudge" and "talk to the hand, cause the bull head ain't listening".

So many astute comments have already beeen made, my only hope is that these loathsome events, with Maria's return in particular, hopefully signal that the proverbial rock bottom has been reached. Let the sea of anger subside. Monse and Ale need to meet face to face, air and respond to their respective recriminations and have an open and honest dialog. They must leave their hurt and anger behind, full disclosure and honesty are essential for these characters to move forward. Understanding and forgiveness must follow.

The comments were amazing.

Madelaine, thank you for always doing a truly wonderful job!

Diana
 

Wow! Is that what sets us apart, JudyB & UA? I'm a Shalimar die-hard since I was 17, although I still occasionally dab on Arpege and now I like a spritz of Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo line--Mirto di Panarea in the summer (very citrusy).
 

Anita, did you try the vial of Santa Maria Novella EDC I gave you? That is one of my faves because of its history.

As to whether we are now in the rock bottom of our story, I'm not sure. I expect many evil things to come from Pedro who is barely out of the gate as our primary male villain. Does anyone think he and Graceless will end up in cahoots?
 

So good to hear from Diana on the blog! And to know that Anita and UA also wear Shalimar. Feeling less alone now!

I think you have to order it on-line now from someone who finds hard to locate scents. At least that's what one of my daughters told me when I asked for it for Christmas.
 

Cap'n Sharkbait, YES, just like Dorcas, I have a one TRUE weakness!!!

Didn't you love that show? Every time they rerun it, I watch. :))

Urban, I think you have got me hooked on that perfume website. I love, love, perfume!! Now, I can pick your brain about that, too! :))

Fatima
 

Interesting discussions while I have been gone.

I cannot wear certain perfumes. They make me feel sick. A wealthy Russian lady I was tutoring gave me a bottle of Shalimar, but I just could not wear it. In high school, I always so re White Shoulders. Then, I got tired of it after wearing it for many years. It took me a while to find a perfume that did not make me feel sick. I finally started wearing White Linen. Now, I usually wear Falling in Love by Philosophy.I especially like using the shower gel, body lotion , and perfume, and it is a subtle scent, not overbearing. My younger daughter always says "you smell good" whenever she hugs me no matter what I am wearing.
 

Urban:

I love perfume! Thanks for putting up that site, I will have to check it out. I too wore Shalimar, Arpege, and Evening In Paris, yes, that one, put the perfume not the eau de toilette ; ) I found one I really love called Rose Noire Absolue. It has just the right amount of rose essence to smell like a rose without overpowering one's senses. My Mama used to wear My Sin, it was made by Lanvin. I don't think they make that anymore but what a wonderful scent that was. I tend toward the French perfumes because they smell better on me than the trendy ones seem to do.

Fatima:

Oh, I love Dorcas and her one true weaknesses ; )
 

When my daughter first started working in NYC after college, she was so proud to be able to buy her grandmothers Chanel No. 5. My younger daughter likes Beautiful by Estée Lauder. Hub's mother bought it for her for Christmas every year.
 

Totally love the discussion on perfume. I agree that certain scents bring back memories, just as songs do. I used to wear Youth Dew and Escape while I was in college in the 90's, and every time I smell it I think of walking through the campus, and all the good times I had in those years.

I few years ago I started to wear Happy by Clinique (I can't afford the French stuff). I have never received a compliment on my perfume til I started wearing Happy. I use it to this day. It's fresh, citrusy, and it doesn't trigger my husband's allergies or asthma. Too bad my husband doesn't wear any type of fragrance (he can't because they all make him sneeze and feel miserable). I really love some of the fragrances out there for men, but since my husband can't wear cologne, I gave grown to love the smell of his deodorant. I know that sounds weird, but I am like those characters on the TN. Sniff! Sniff!


 

Maria's perfume: Midnight Fantasy by Britney Spears. Because it's cheap and that is all she will ever have.
 

Madelaine, I'm so glad you love Dorcas, too! I used to love to hear her that line about her one true weakness!

Aunty Ann, you are not alone in loving the smell of deodorant on men. I love Old Spice. It is SO manly. Of course, I think I love it because it reminds me of my handsome grandfather. He was so handsome and the ladies loved him, but my grandmother would just sit back and smile because he was hers and there was no doubt about it. Old Spice brings back wonderful memories for me. :)

Urban, LOVE your choice of perfume for Maria! I am going to have to watch myself or I am doing to get too attached to your perfume site. It is a fantastic site!!

Fatima
 

Dominga: English Fern by Bronnley
Macario: Old Spice
Juventino: Brut
Lauro: Newport by Caswell-Massey
 

I know I'm awfully late to ask a question here but I'll give it a try. I'm confused about Malria's parentage. I know she was the niece of Juventino (rip) and the daughter of his brother whom he shot up mortally but who is her mother? I thought it was the woman in the kitchen but she doesn't act like she's related to Malria. And when there is speculation about her being Ale's half sister, who would be the mother? Gracilia? Please help me figure this all out!
 

MollyC, in the opening episode I also thought that Dominga was her mother, but it turned out that Dominga was Gaspar's lady. Maria has never spoken of her mother, so it's a safe assumption that Gaspar's wife (if he had one) died when Maria was very young.

Graciela was in a convent for an unexplained reason for several months prior to marrying Lauro. Her affair with Benjamin Almonte had already begun. There is a secret that nobody now knows except the priest and I believe that secret is that Graciela was pregnant, gave birth, and abandoned the baby.

I think that Maria was that baby. However, that doesn't mean that the padre knows this and it Juventino may not have known it either.
 

Love all your perfume and scent attributions for the characters, UA. This has been such fun.

And there is an Old Spice deodorant commercial that is as enthralling as a telenovela. I think it was on the link to one of Mads' songs. I could watch it again and again!
 

Good morning. My dad wore Old Spice,

Was Dominga Gasparms lady, or was Gaspar just her protector against Juvie. Dominga was looking at a photo just before Juvie came into her room that time Malria gave him the key. was that a photo of Marcario ?
 

It could have been. What episode was that?
 

I agree with Susanlynn...Gaspar was Dominga's protector, knowing what a slimeball Juvie was. But Dominga was sweet on Macario, and still thought about him.
 

UrbanA, Dominga was pining over Macario's picture the night that Juventino attacked her and Gaspar saved her.

I like your chosen scents for our characters, especially Maria. Well done.
 

Angelica: Santa Maria Novella Angels of Florence

Refugio: Hero by Prince Matchebelli

Esmeralda: Flowerparty by Yves Rocher
 

Love your suggestion for Esmeralda!
 

Holy Cow do I like your perfume suggestions for everyone, Urban! Your list is great!

Yes! Susanlynn and JudyB have an "Old Spice" connection, too! I can smell that deodorant (and sometimes do it intentionally) and remember the most loving, handsome, and wonderful grandfather a child could ever have. :)) He was stylish, too. He always wore a Fedora!!

"Old Spice"; manliness in every sense of the word. :))

Fatima
 

Madelaine, thanks for the recap and the music. The weekend discussions always seem to morph and meander in fascinating directions.

Urban, thanks for the perfume site link. One could easily spend a day there. Scent suggestions for the characters were fun, especially the Maria suggestion. What would evil Pedro wear?
 

Don't forget about the Aqua Velva men. I have one that's in my past and it brings back memories when I get a whiff.
 

Pedro could go either way. He might want to be throwing his weight around and taking up the whole room, so he might wear something expensive with a lot of sillage and longevity like Amouage's Epic Man (because he's a legend in his own mind).

On the other hand, he's not exactly the picture of sartorial elegance on his own time and might regard that as effeminate, so Aqua Velva might be his speed.

Nadia: Chanel No. 5

Victor: He would like something charmingly retro like Visconte di Modrone's Acqua di Selva (not in that site's database).
 

Mads: thanks for the great recap.

Welcome SoniaPC and Becky. Lots of fun here.

UA: agree with you that it’s not the time for Ros to reveal herself to Ale, and I think it would help Mons if she told her—Ale’s mother accepting her.

I use Chanel No. 5, but only on special occasions (UA: I see you posted Nadia as wearing my signature scent). My everyday scent is usually one of the Bath and Body Works body lotions: Cherry Blossom, Butterfly Flower. I also like Crabtree & Evelyn’s Lavender. For men Old Spice (my dad used it for years) and I had a teacher who wore sandalwood essential oil. Yum. I’m actually looking for a new perfume to alternate with my Chanel No. 5. Believe it or not, when it comes to perfume, I usually don’t like the flowery scents.

A little peeved about all the blue bags Lottie and Mons brought home. I hope it’s a girl.

Poor Ale. If our speculation is correct—Maria and Dim as sibs. That man can’t catch a break.

Nanette
 

Adolfo: Tom Ford's Azure Lime, which is expensive and has some element each of today and yesterday. Nothing that will turn off a female.

Dimwit: Axe anything, because he doesn't know any better.

Josefina: Yardley April Violets, because she's stuck in a time warp.

Tomas: Geo. F. Trumper's Extract of Limes. Traditional and high quality.

Rosario: Myrugia's 1916, a lovely citrus.
 

Late to the party, but thanks for the recap! And the song!

I love this discussion of fragrances...now I can almost watch the show in Smell-o-Vision. Will have to hold my nose when Dim walks in with his overpowering Axe stench (because no one who wears Axe wears only a little).

I love the Old Spice ads, but I could never consider that aroma sexy because it's what my dad uses.

I'm pretty lowbrow, myself. I like Clinique Happy. I also sometimes wear Jessica Simpson "Fancy". One time I asked my sister if she thought I was ridiculous for wearing a Jessica Simpson perfume called "Fancy", and she said whatever; no one can see the label when you're wearing it, and it suits you.

My absolute favorite smell, though, is a combination of Coppertone sunscreen and swimming pool water. That takes me right back to relaxing childhood summer days. I almost feel warmer just thinking about it.

Do you ever find any ambergris, Sylvia?
 

Courtesy of Anita’s excellent suggestion, from this point going forward, lists will be in reverse order.

Week of January 30, 2014:

Low Points:

Ale doesn’t know the touch of his own wife’s lips very well.
Ales says once he’s deceived, he never forgives.
Maria tells Mac that Dom and Pervie got it on.
Gracie keeps accusing Mons of being a slut.
Nadia looking lovingly at her skunk of a husband.
Virgie’s parents leave her alone and crying.
Tia needs to shut up about JL’s character.
Tomas is mean to Fina.
Nadia destroys Vic.
EZ tells Ale that the real Antonio was killed and his capitaz was an imposter.
Ale realizes who his Antonio really was.
Ale gets a gun.
Ale plans to kill Mons and then himself.
Ale being congratulated by Dom and Mac just after he finds out Mons lied to him.
Ale locks Ros and Lottie in L’s room and nails the door shut (I kept thinking—what if a fire breaks out?).
Ale will not listen to Mons, accuses her of carrying JL’s bastard, kicks her out of the house, threatens to kill her (and does kill some furnishings).
Pedro’s plan to have Ale and JL kill each other or at least one jailed for the murder of the other.
JL is being watched by Mr. I’m So Obvious.
Ale won’t listen to Lottie and kicks her and Ros out, too.
Lottie picks now to berate Mons for her part in this mess.
Ale feels betrayed on all sides.
Ale keeps saying the baby is JL’s even though it will be easy enough to prove otherwise.
Ale tells Mons she’s worse than her mother.
Ale’s breakdown after Mons leaves the study.
Ref doesn’t want Esme to tell the dinner guests she is an exotic dancer. Get over it.
Ale still has murder on his mind. Get over it.
Ale sobbing while holding Mons’ nightie. Heartbreaking.
Big Gracie/Mons fight.
Ale goes to find Maria.
Ale tells Maria she’s Senora of the house and his mujer.
JL thinks Ale is his ally.
Maria threatens Mac.
Gracie is determined to keep her mind in the gutter re: Mons and the baby.
Maria spews more venom to Ale re: Mons.
Ale insists the baby isn’t his.
SOME people forgetting this is the 21st century and DNA testing has been around for quite some time.
Amelia’s grief.
Joaquin is not being told about Angie. He is not going to be happy when he finds out he was kept out of the loop.
Padre A can’t convince Ale he’s wrong about Mons and Maria.
Both Mons thinks, and Pedro says, that Vic betrayed her.
Ale/Maria bedroom scene before and after Ale doesn’t/can’t perform.
Dom is worried about Maria being the patrona.
Padre A tells Mons that Maria is at the hacienda.
 

Highpoints:

Mons’ “Alejandro!” when she catches him with Maria.
Mons gives Ale an ultimatum.
Maria lies about her involvement with Ale and he sees her for the first time.
Ale tells Maria she has to go.
Mons slaps Dim (we would all like to get in line à la Airplane! and do the same).
Ale not only kicks Maria out, he fires her.
Ros finds the money.
Amelia give Gracie the “cut direct” (as Urban and all us fans of Regnecy novels know, is the ultimate diss).
Dim helps hang Maria.
Cute Ref/Esme scene—no fighting.
Ale promises not to doubt Mons again.
Fina and Tia bond some more.
Ale tells Dim he can’t go to town with them.
Maria goes to torment Alpo (they deserve each other).
Mons makes sure Gracie sees she has the bracelet on.
Mons tells her father he’s going to be an abuela.
Gracie is not happy about the news.
Mons remains dignified during Gracie’s vitriolic tirade.
Mons shows her disgust of her mother.
Dim falls in the manure.
Dim proposes to Fina (this is going to be interesting!)
Ale tells Tomas Fina is fine and takes him back with them to the hacienda (possible romance for Tia?)
Tia tells Gracie she’s to blame for Dim.
Fina’s rules.
Angie is happy.
Maria thinks of Ale and gets Alpo.
Tomas gives Dim a black eye.
Dim has to pay off his debt by working at the factory (lowpoint for Vic, though).
JL doesn’t want Angie’s money, he wants his name cleared.
Tomas apologizes for being mean to Fina.
Tomas wants to hold the purse strings.
Dim thinks he’s in clover.
Ale/Mons “alone at last moment”.
Gracie has a secret past which Viewerville hopes will come up and bit her on the a$$.
Maria doesn’t fool Padre A.
Mons telling Padre A. about the baby.
Dom and Mac go on a date.
We learn more about Gracie’s past which Viewerville hopes/knows will come to bite her on the a$$.
Lottie knows Ros is Ale’s mother.
Lauro kicks Dim out of the house and threatens Gracie with the same.
Vic realizes why Nadia rejected him.
Vic tells Ale to give Mons a chance to explain.
Mons tells her story, finally.
Mons gets the last word.
JL tells Rob he’s the one marrying Angie.
Rob agrees to hear JL’s story.
JL means it when he kisses Angie.
JL finally gets to tell his side of the story.
Prudie accepts Esme for who she is. Ref, get over it.
Ref confesses to Rob that he killed the lieutenant.
Dom tells Mac the truth about Juvie.
Ros tells Mac to tell Padre A everything.
Sweet JL/Angie moment in the garden including nose rub.
Lottie kicks Gracie out of Mons’ room.
Alpo kicks smug Dim out of his house.
Mons baby is fine despite all the trauma she’s gone through.
Dim brings up DNA testing.
Dim tells Mons he’s sorry for what happened.
Capitan is going to help JL and Ref.
The face Mac makes behind Maria’s back after she threatens him.
Mac goes to Padre A.
Amelia heads for Pru’s with Ginnie.
Ale wants Maria to take Mons’ nightie off because he doesn’t want her skanky smell on it.
Ale stops himself (or his body stops him) from doing it with Maria.
Ale looks like he’s not liking being in bed with the Maria.
Ros says that Mons needs her more than Ale needs to know who she is.
Padre A. gets to Gracie.
Nadia talks to Vic about the truth that Mons is in love with Ale and the baby is his and Vic looks convinced.
Mons’ determined face, despite her crying, when Padre A. tells her Maria is at the hacienda.
 

Sorry, guys. That should read "Week of January 20, 2014"
 

Do you have to have a cable provider to watch videos on Uvideos? That is so ridiculous. Maybe I don't want facebook or twitter to know what I am watching.

Cynderella
 

I don't have cable, so I went on line to watch and they want to know my cable provider or I have to sign in through my facebook or twitter. I am so annoyed.
 

All the Patio hates Graceless but im sure we will all be repeating her wise words time after time: "A Ti Te Falta Jesus ,Perdonate!"

And Maria is a disgrace of all Marias on this world,she should call herself Juventina Jr.
 

UA...I do not recognize many of the perfumes you listed, but my late mother-in-law used to use Yves Rocher products and often bought me the shower gels for my birthdays and Christmas. She ordered through a catalog, but I was surprised to find an Yves Rocher store at a mall in downtown Toronto. It is a French company. I still use their face creams sometimes.

Hub has been wearing Brut for years. I guess I should try to upgrade him, but he always smells nice to me. My son-in-law wears Aveda Men Pur-formance.

Julia..I am with you on Copper tone bringing back memories of summer...the pool..the beach. I guess it is a coconut smell.

I can close my eyes and smell my mother's delicious pies baking in the oven..Apple, peach, cherry, molasses. ...yumm. yummm. My mouth is watering.
 

I remember wearing Heaven Scent when I was a kid. It was solid and came in a small gold oval shaped box with a jewel on top. Also, Cachet which was advertised as smelling different on everyone who used it. But I think that's true of all scents. Also wore Charlie. I'm a big fan of Ekaterina Gordeeva and wore her scent Katya for awhile.
 

I am inspired to write a parody song entitled "Oy vey, Maria". One of these days when I have time.
 

Nanette...amazing lists. How do you keep track of everything ? I bet that you are a very detailed oriented person !
 

Cynderella:

Yes, to watch the videos of the TNs on UVideos you must have a cable company. You can however, probably watch them on Hulu. Hulu puts them up the day after airing around 7:00 am. Remember the numbering is different on UVideos and Hulu. They didn't count the capitulos as two separate hours, but as one hour, when they were showing double episodes.
 

Nanette:

Thanks so much for your great lists. I too think you must be a detailed person.

SusanLynn and Julia:

Ah, the smell of Coppertone. I too liked that smell, but they have changed the formula and it doesn't quite smell the same anymore.
 

I can still smell the mock orange bush at the farm and the lilacs. ...the smell of springtime. "When lilacs Last in Dooryard Bloomed". Walt Whitman
 

Julia, no I have not found any ambergris. I haven't even been able to spy a Japanese glass fishing float even while sailing/motoring for 16 days from Hawaii to San Francisco. Sadly, I saw a lot of other trash in the sea, mostly plastic.

Susanlynn, ahhh...lilacs, one of my favorite aromas.

 

Urban, love your razor sharp wit:

"Dimwit: Axe anything, because he doesn't know any better."

 

Susanlynn and Mads: thanks for the kind words. The lists come from a combination of viewing, recaps and comments. I try to write down the previous night's ep's LPHPs the next day so as not to get behind and overwhelmed.

Lilacs are my favorite flower.
 

Wow, Nanette! Amazing! Thank you!

Lila
 

Nanette, amazing lists! Your high points list reminded me of one of my favorite Friday scenes, when Amelia included Ginny in her plan to see Angie.

Your avatar is a scream. I can't believe I never noticed it before.
 

MAads:

thank you for doing such a nice recap of this episode.

Hi, All: Just back from a weekend off. what a marvelous set of conversations you had this weekend ++.

I'll try to read them this PM and catch up.

Best to all,

EJ
 

Nanette...thanks for that unbelievable list. You're right, doing it a little at a time, keeps it from being overwhelming. But I find I need to stick to just the high points. Going over the low points again gives me a bad case of the blues!!!! But thanks amiga.
 

Thanks Lila, Sylvia and JudyB.

I only post the list in two posts when there are too many characters to post in one. However, because there are some of you who like to only read the high points, I'll start always posting the lists separately from this point on.
 

Thanks Nanette...there's so much pain in these stories (in addition to the hot romance and hot bodies)that I can't bear to think about it any more than I do! Charter Member Wusses Are Us.
 

Wow, Nanette! You are one detail oriented woman! Thank you so much. I am SURE that is a lot of work to put that together. Like JudyB, I can't read the low points right now. Silly me. It kinda gets me down.

Thank you, Nanette!

Fatima
 

I read the Low Points lists. They take the lows and make them high-low-rious; in other words, practically highs, they're so funny! I loved the repeated "Get over it" theme.
 

BTW, Julia, I love your avatar because I LOVE, love, love Calvin and Hobbes!!!

Fatima
 

hello, thought I'd butt in. I enjoy your exchanges very much. I just have a question, I did watch Riendas with my one fav galan too, Gabriel. Was the girl, Monse also the young actress who is now Graceless? And wasn't she named Monse too in that older tn El Noveno mandamiento or so? and when you mentioned DAMFAB was he David Cepeda in Abismo?
Also Ale's meanness reminded me of Tav in CI he called MC a ho. and who could forget Daniel in Revenge when he uttered those words"getting you sterilized is my greatest gift to the universe" to Emily in ABC's "REVENGE". Damn these leading men!!!! Could we ever forgive them? Thank you very much.
Nina
 

Question..the actor that plays Pedro...does he speak with hesitation in all of his TNs..or is this speech impediment something he created for this character. I've never seen him in anything else.

Nt
 

A few answers: DamFab is William Levy's character Damian Fabre in La Tempestad.

No, Sergio Sendel (Pedro) does not always talk like that. I'm not sure why he is using that clenched-teeth muttering thing for this role. Maybe it will be more apparent later?
 

Nina:

Adriana Fonseca was the lead in Bajo las Riendas del Amor but you are right that the character was named Montserrat.

And Daniela Castro, who plays Graciela here, was the lead in El Noveno Mandamiento but her characters were named Alicia and Isabel. Alicia was the protagonist in the first part but she dies halfway through the story and the novela did a fast-forward two and a half decades later and her daughter Alicia (also played by Castro) was the lead of the second part.

Jarocha
 

Nina, wasn't Gabriel mean to Montse in Riendas? He was vicious! He did not murder the furniture (R.I.P, Eli..:-) like Alex.
 

THANKS A LOAD GUYS. I KNOW I'm LATE POSTING THIS. hAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.Nina