Caray, Caray!

Sorry this is so long, guys. Like María tonight, I just couldn't seem to shut up.

What an episode!
 

Ale and Maria will carry that guilt until the end of this novela.
 

NovelaMaven- Thank you. Thank you for getting this up so quickly. It was beautifully written and not too long at all.

Ok. Here's how I see it. Maria may have started it, but Ale was the one who delivered the breath blow to Lauro. And Ale knew his suegro had a bad heart and delicate health (Maria didn't). He could see the old man already struggling, yet couldn't resist plunging the knife in and twisting. Ale KILLED Lauro, and I am going to enjoy seeing him have to deal with Monse's raw rage and grief, as she has had to deal with his. Frankly, I don't think I could ever forgive him if I were her. This wipes out her sin of not telling him about JL, and obliterates it. I don't want to hear him whine about it any more.

RIP Lauro.
 

JoseAngel- I don't think Maria feels the least bit guilty. And Ale deserves to be eaten up with grief. Maybe he'll finally learn to think and calm down before he goes off on someone.
 

Typo: Ale deserves to be eaten up with guilt.
 

Arg! More typos. Death blow. Not breath blow.
 

Great work, NovelaMaven.

I was aghast that Alejandro didn't shove Maria out of the room. He will be regretting this forever, even if Monserrat ever forgives him for this.

Maria -- true to form -- has no guilt whatsoever. I think she even enjoyed herself. While she didn't know specifically about his health (and considering her propensity for eavesdropping that surprises me), seeing that an elderly gentleman has a cane should have been interpreted as him being in less than robust health.

But knowing he was Monserrat's father she went gunning for him.

I'm not sure which was worse to Lauro, the accusations against Monserrat or the revelation about Graceless. Not that it will matter now.
 

I absolutely loved the letters, Novela Maven. They sure captured Alejandro's character as well as the feelings on the patio! The recap was great, too.

Ale was specifically cruel to Lauro by first not shutting up Maria and then piling on the confirmation of his wife's infidelity and going on to explain why he threw Montse out. He knew Lauro was not well and wasn't looking too good but he was like a dog with a bone and just had to make his hateful points

I loved how Prudencia pulled rank on Joaquin Angelica's dad in her own home and then threatened him with the investigation.

Joaquin is so much like Graciela: they only care about money.

Maria is still not getting much of a reaction from Ale but he is sure defending her and her position in the household.

Well, I am ready for things to turn even worse tomorrow with the notification of Lauro's death.

Jarifa
 

NovelaMaven this was wonderful. I so enjoyed your letters, particularly your response to Ale.

I'm w/Vivi! Maria did start the attack and Ale did nothing to stop her. He allowed her to continue until he decided to finish off Lauro. Lauro, the man our recapper described as "always so kind to him." Ale knew Lauro's health challenges and yet continued in his irrational anger. And it's not like Ale couldn't see him straining to stand let alone handle all that horrible news.

Regardless, of how pretty he is, and by golly he is pretty, I don't know if I can recover from this. Yes I said me not Monse. How can I want her w/him when he's lost his mind and allowed his rage to kill a kind, clueless old guy, who was his FIL?

JoseAngel, as Vivi and UA have stated, Maria will feel no guilt. She cursed Lauro for dying at the ranch. And this attitude most likely means redemption may not be possible for her.
 

Jarifa, ITA that Auntie Pru was the bomb! The way she threatened Joquain was so elegant and how she added, she always destroys her enemies. She is not one to be played with and its fun having a nice person who scares the mess out of people.

After Dim's performance, I'm still frightened for Fina. I don't want her abused by this loser.

Once Monse realizes Ale's part in her father's death, I believe she will stop being weepy to very, very angry (thankfully, Angelique can do rage well).

Oh and can I just say that I don't condone violence, but if Graceless were my SIL and "tried to " poked me in the head, as she did to Carlota, that would be the last time, she tried. Not saying she'd be joining Lauro but she would know that is not acceptable behavior.
 

NovelaMaven:

This recap is a masterpiece! I loved the letters you put up and this whole recap is divine. What an episode.

I agree with Vivi, Ale is the one that Killed Lauro. Ale is dead to me too. Enough is enough from him already. It's all about him and his woes. He needed that alone time and didn't take it. Instead he is wallowing in BM's poison and feeding off of it. He did know the Admiral was not in the best of health, he paid for his hospital bill once before. He should have known better, and he should have kicked BM out of the room for goodness sake. He is dead to me until he apologizes to Monse and makes amends. As Vivi said this should wipe out anything Monse did.

BM needs a huge anvil. She disrespects everyone. I don't like that she is always berating Mac and Dominga, provoking that fight with Monse and trying to fight a pregnant woman for goodness sake and then ranting at the Admiral. Ale needs to wake the hell up. Maybe this will wake Ale up, but I don't hold out much hope.

Dimwit also needs a huge anvil. He set the Admiral on this path. He didn't have to tell his Daddy anything and yet his poison was spewed too.

Monse is the one I feel sorriest for. Her Papa was the only true blue ally she had. Now he's dead and she will be at the mercy of Graceless and Dimwit. I don't want anymore slapping or finger thumping from Graceless to Monse. I hope Lottie and Rosie can be buffers for Monse.

I wonder how Graceless thinks she can get Monse and Ale back together. Ale hates Graceless too, but Graceless could sure cow BM. I would really like to see Graceless and BM in a room, alone together. Graceless would make short work of her.

I really hope Fina doesn't marry Dimwit, he doesn't deserve her at all. She is way too good for him.

I really, really like Tia Pru. Who knew she had such connections. I like that she threatened Joaquin. Good for her. Seems Amelia is on board for this wedding. I just knew JL would rip up that check. He really is marrying Angie cause he cares about her and not the money. Oh, and glad that JL has been reinstated.

NovelMaven thanks so very much for this splendid masterpiece of a recap and it was just the right length : )
 

My dear maven, I agree with my pals that your recap is absolutely stunning. Too long? No. I could have read on and on but, alas, the episode ended. Kudos to you for taking the time to translate the numerous complex conversations. It was a very busy and talkative night!

NM, I loved your letter to s**t, er, I mean Cowpies for brains. He is definitely on The List of bad behavin' galanes. I was yelling at the TV for him to ShutUpMaria. But no, he just let her blather on with her murdering words. And he joined in!! He deserves all the blame that Montse will hurl his way.

I adore Tia Prudie.

NovelaMaven, thank you again for getting the recap up so quickly. You are a star!

Off to bed but more tomorrow.
 

Ms Maven:

It has come to my attention that you have given a most excellent rebuke to that pretty, mean-spirited idiot, Alejandro Almonte.

I must here offer my thanks to you, o most accomplished recapper, in providing this excellent retelling of tonight's portentious events. Yours is a talent most rare.

I have heard it mentioned by some Members of the Patio that Sr Almonte might find himself incarcerated someday soon. To assist members of the Patio in offering a degree of non-physical misery to Sr Almonte as he considers his many lapses of common decency, I am willing to serve in the capacity of Alejandro's Chaplain while he is in jail learning empathy for the previous predicament of his sworn enemy Jose Luis Alvarez. I propose to offer him instruction in ethical conduct some eight hours a day from the most obscure Sanskrit and Tibetan texts.

He will not be allowed to speak, you understand, except to repeat mantras that encourage him toward kindness to his fellow humans.

This punishment, along with regular threats from other inmates, should drive him to once again seek the comfort of his mother church and the gossipy care of the well intentioned--if sometimes foolish--Padre Anselmo.

Please let me know if my services will be required to assist in Alejandro's rehabilitation as am afraid that nothing short of full enlightment or a State of Divine grace can rescue Sr Almonte from the inevitable results of his own cruel actions.

Yours In Deepest Appreciation,

Elna June


 

NovelaMaven,

Your recap was awesome. Thank you for recapping such a sad episode.

BM will never have redemption for everything that she has done to hurt innocent people. Yes she started the attack on Lauro, but we should really put the blame on Graceless. His wife started all of this before they were even married. Graceless has lied to her husband for their entire marriage. Ale could have done more to SHUTUPBM, but she did not want to shut up, and she said so too. I think that even if Ale had managed to ShutUpBM, Lauro would have insisted to know what she was going to say because BM had already opened her BIG MOUTH, and this time she went too far. Like the Padre said the other night, BM is going to poison Ale's heart. Hopefully Lauro's death will let him see BM's true colors. Wait til the Padresito hears about what happened at the hacienda. Ay! Caray!

I think at first Ale was hesitant to tell Lauro the truth, until he insisted. I think at that point Ale saw himself in Lauro's place (a man that had been lied to by the woman he loved) and told him the truth because he didn't want Graceless to make a fool of him anymore. Of course BM proceded to bring up Montse, which of course angered Ale into telling Lauro the truth about Montse too.

I have always thought that honesty was the best policy. I think Lauro would have been a stronger person had he been told the truth about so many things, and not been left in the dark. Maybe he would have developed a stronger heart if his family would have been more honest with him about everything. In stead of learning about all these lies all at once. It turned out to be too much for him to handle.

Lauro's 'nina de oro' was not so golden. I really thought that she was going to tell him the whole truth tonight. She should have. It would have been easier to hear the truth from Montse. But she decided to lie. Yes, I know she did it because she was worried about her dad's health, but she should have trusted her father. Montse would have broken the news to him in a much gentler way.

Ale already feels guilty. You could see it in his face. Maybe now he'll stop feeling so angry. I too think that this takes away from Montse's guilt of not telling Ale about JL. The power has shifted now. Montse had been the one feeling guilty, while Ale felt angry and deceived; now the tables have turned and Montse will be angry and hurt, and Ale will feel guilty for Lauro's death.


I don't remember ever watching such a good TN. Other than BM continuing to be bitchy, I never know what's going to happen next!
Can't wait til tomorrow night.

Off to bed...hasta pronto!
 

It is impossible for a NovelaMaven recap to be too long. I'm always sad at the end of a good book,and that's the way I feel about your always clever retellings of the episodes. And not sure I can bring myself to watch this particular one!

This phrase was just a gem:

..."accessorized with ever more terrifying necklaces."

My son was walking through the room when I was watching an old episode, took one look at Graciela and burst out laughing, The wardrobe department has just done a stunning job making her look like an expensive tramp.

Prose transitions are always hard in these fast scene-changing novelas and you did such a nice one with Maria.

Graciela:...that climber (trepadora) has to be stopped....

narrator: "the climber however is ascendant..."

Wow. Neatly done. Clever. Kudos to you.

Another favorite: A DIMMED Lauro

See what I mean?...just clever, clever, clever..

Thanks also for taking us back in memory to DamFab and his wet white pants. He always looked good but he's looking even better in retrospect.

Karen_Loved your "scared the mess out of people". What a nice way to put it. I will try to clean up my language from here on in because that is such a funny way to say it, and I could use some "funny" right now!

Elna June--I love your spiritual counselor plans for straightening Alejandro out. If you're in an ecumenical mood, I'd be glad to join you in his rehab. Double-teaming is sometimes a help!
 

NM, thank you for putting the words down that we all were feeling last night. Too bad you couldn't have also delivered a good kick in the pants to our handsome brain-dead hero. Your recap was brilliant.

Agree with all that Ale's little tirade was the final dagger to Lauro's heart and may he be eaten up with guilt for a good chunk to come in this TN. He didn't have to go there, it was unforgivable.

As for Maria, if he doesn't see what she's really made of, then let him get swallowed up into her mire until he truly has to suffer some fate from her hands. There's jealousy and then there is down-right stupidity. Sorry, I'm not even bothering with a bag over my head, but my chair at the Ale table will be empty for awhile until he starts acting like a grownup and not a spoiled child.

Speaking of whom, Dim is just blech and the scenes with him and his mumsy just give me all kinds of sick vibes. Poor Fina.

Prudy is my new favorite person. Man, would I want that woman in my corner!

Daisynjay
 

AuntyAnn, you beat me to that.

At the risk of all you you getting angry with me...

Graceless is the one ultimately responsible for this. She began the long chain of lies of which poor Lauro will now never know all. Although her motives were purely selfish she did attempt to keep the worst of this from him, but seems to have never considered the possibility that Dimwit would fire such a mortal blow as he did early that morning.

In an earlier episode he yelled "So, die!" at Lauro. Does anyone remember whether there were witnesses to that?

Quite frankly, this could probably have been avoided -- or at least postponed for a while -- if Monserrat had gone to Josefina's or Nadia's home rather than to Graceless' hellhole. Going to Nadia would have created other problems, but Nadia isn't an idiot. She could have been helpful in some way.

Josefina isn't an idiot either but she is a naive fool about Dimwit.

I suspect that Graceless will blame Monserrat for all this and accept none of her own responsibility.

Did Alejandro know before this that Monserrat had gone back to her parents' home? I don't think so, therefore I don't think he saw this coming. When Maria began spewing her poison he could have put her out of the room, but Lauro would never have let him get away without an explanation. Trying to lie his way around the truth or attempting to explain anything would likely not have helped this situation. Lauro was doomed.

In fact, he was doomed from the moment he visited Dimwit in the jail.

Who gave me the same sick vibe in that scene with Graceless. Not that I think anything incestuous has happened between them, but their relationship is all kinds of wrong.
 

If all Ale wanted to do was enlighten Lauro, he would have taken him to his office, Sat him in a chair, made sure he had his pills, and told him in a less vile way the whole story from the beginning. Notice, he said nothing about how this all started with HIM making a deal with Gracie to let him woo and eventually marry Monse in order to rid them of debt, and that in order to clear the path for him, Gracie shoved aside and framed the man Monde really loved, a man who made his way to the ranch and pretended to be his capataz. Sorry Ale apologists. When Ale told Lauro the "truth", he didn't own up to his own part in it, and he did it out of pure spite, not some noble desire to bring Lauro out of the dark.
 

NovelaMaven: I could not wait to see how you titled this and was delighted that you captured exactly what I was thinking. Ale, you are dead to me! This was an extraordinary, masterful recap, replete with humor, truth and great insight.

"Maybe some time in the future you will go to jail and have the opportunity to study 'Othello'. But don't expect it to turn you into DamFab. You'll never have his avocados -- or his heart", "(Has he been studying elocution with Pedro?", "accessorized with ever more terrifying necklaces" and " She growls dyspeptically" were incredible. I see that you loved the necklace line too Judy! It was a gem indeed.

Agree with Vivi that Ale did indeed deliver the death blow to Lauro. He knew his deteriorating physical condition yet stood side by side with his despicable amante, spewing the venomous bile that crushed his heart and spirit, ending Lauro's life. At that moment, it seemed the tides of fate finally revealed what truly should have been - Ale and Maria. A despicable duo, doomed to be together through eternity.

And of course, you were totally on point Karen, with the fact Lauro loved Ale and treated him like a son. But again, Ale has no filter and cannot control his anger. He unleased a deadly tirade against someone who did nothing but embrace and love him.

Jarifa ITA with you and Sylvia and everyone else who noted Pru was amazing! What a woman.

Madelaine, yes, Monse has lost her most fervant supporter! Thankfully, she does have Carlota and Rosario.

And now to the one bright note last night. I freely admit I am a huge JL fan (he isn't perfect but...) but didn't he look handsome last night?? That khaki shirt and clean shaven look had me staring in admiration. He and Angie are quickly becoming one of my all time favorite couples. So glad at least one thing good is happening - the wedding.

NovelaMaven, your embedded vocabulary, impressive letters and marvelous recap have made my day! Thank you so very much...

Diana
 

I strongly doubt that Alejandro and Monserrat ever talked about how Lauro should have been told any of this.

In view of the succession of events, I don't think there would have been any good way for Alejandro to disclose this information.

He shut up Juventino to the degree he could about the affair and Monserrat finding out, but Juventino got his last licks in. As I predicted, it didn't hurt Monserrat so much as it gave her a defensive weapon against Graceless.

What will determine my feelings about Alejandro for the next 10 or 20 episodes is whether he consequences Maria for this. She is not bothering to conceal her hatred of Monserrat anymore and is it a leap to think that she won't even try to fake shock or regret at Lauro's death? I'm betting she will show up at the cemetery and stay a safe distance away to gloat. She whose own father was murdered not so long ago.
 

Good morning, all.

Thanks so much Nm, for yet another marvelous recap of a dreadful episode. This is the point in AR when I thought that this galan was certainly not a hero ion even a nice guy n my view. Oddly, in AR Manuel was the only one yelling at his father-in-law, so I think that in this version, the writers wanted to put some of the blame on the amante so that ale would not look quite as bad as Manuel did. On top of it all, Manuel was a doctor and certainly should have known better than to unleash his crazy rage against a sick old man. Malra is a deranged harpy.

At this point, I wish a new guy would come onto the scene! A really sweet, good guy who would take Mony away from all the crazy. hey, how about Marcero Cordoba who swept into AV at the last moment and made things right. He could be a doctor. It won't happen, but I can dream.

and what us up with the head shoving. I echo Karen in saying that Gracie would do that to me just once. I am surprised that Tia Carlotta did not give her a push back. Someone somewhere must have done that to Gracie once upon a time , and now it has become her signature move when she is frustrated with someone.

well, it is 23 here today. However, on Saturday temps are supposed to go up to 50! Crazy. shout out to all of you in the South. I am going off to teach past perfect and past perfect progressive verb tenses and American eating habits.


 

Oh My Lord, Novela Maven! I haven't gotten past your letter to Ale and if you didn't say another word I would have to stand and shout BRAVO!

I love this: "you have weaponized Bitch María. You use her as the public face of your own ugly impulses."

I cannot believe the sheer deliberate evil of Ale and that effin Bitch Maria last night! He surely has morphed in to an ugly red-eyed demon. They killed poor Lauro and how I hate he went over there out-gunned because Montse didn't tell him the whole truth.

And Montse never spoke truer words when she said she rues the day Alejandro came into her life. He has indeed turned into a waking nightmare. At this point she should just tell Alejandro to f himself and the high horse he rode in on!

How in the heck are they going to turn this back into a love story!? Haysue Creesto! It's like Montse is being punished by the writers for having premarital sex. It sure hasn't hurt JL any. He helped create Montse's nightmare, was rescued out of his own and is about to marry a beautiful, intelligent and wealthy woman. Even though he doesn't want the money his life has become a dream and he's looking noble while Montse is being drawn and quartered!

I know the recap is going to be magnificent. Off to work but I know I'm gonna cheat and read it. Thank you NovelaMaven. What a masterful start to the retelling of what, the third or fourth hellish episode!

Lila


 

Now I'm sure Montserrat won't be forgiving Alejandro anytime soon. Alejandro went way too far with all his accusations against Montse and now the person that loved her the most in the world is gone. I also agree with you Vivi, now Ale could have told Lauro the story in a more calm and decent manner. I knew Lauro would die when Ale started bashing Montse and likening her to her mother. Now Gracie will have control over Lauro's money and that means Montse won't get any and she will probably have to leave the houuse along with her aunt. Thanks for the recap NovelaMaven.
 

The head shove and all of Graceless' physical touches are displays of power. They're insulting and intrusive and in Monserrat's case they are a property statement. That's why I was almost cheering last Monday when Monserrat twisted out of her grasp and symbolically washed her hands of Graceless' touch.

It looks like this producer doesn't shrink from catfights so we may see the day when Carlota bitchslaps her.
 

Shouldn't the title be Grace is Dead to Me? Without her, there would have been nothing to tell.

Lauro came to the house seeking answers based on lies, truths and omissions that his family told him. He simply got the other side of the story and some extra information. Also, that family lies about EVERYTHING! If I was Alex, I would've doubted the heart condition because Montse's lips were moving when she told him that her father had heart problems.


 

Cynderella, that's a bit far. Lauro was in the hospital and Alejandro paid the bills. He had to have read the itemization of what he was paying for. Nobody like Lauro would have participated in that kind of a charade which, if possible, would have been an expensive gamble when Graceless would have wanted to know the odds.
 

P.S. where's my manners. Thanks for the recap N.M.
 

Grace and Dim set up a man for murder and falsified evidence, the ENTIRE family and ALL of there friends participated in deceiving Alex about the identity of the man living on his property. Why would it be a stretch for Alex to believe they didn't orchestrate that as well. They're grifters from his point of view.
 

NovelaMaven, you have outdone yourself and given the rest of us much needed oxygen.
My favorite things, “Patio of Lowered Expectations” and “Dear Cowpies for Brains” !!
Your list of Ale’s sins is complete, so agree.
OmGosh, your “weaponized B!%# María” so funny, load her and point her. Good point!

But I do think Fina has a point-re: Monse's actions spell betrayal, although they were all circumstantial.

After all of this I don’t know how they can possibly have Monse forgive Ale. Imposíble! If confronted by Monse for moving María back so quickly, I can just hear Ale yelling at Monse, “We were on a break!”

 

BTW, I neglected to comment on "terrifying necklaces" which gave me a needed laugh this morning. Since I make jewelry I really appreciated that one.
 

NovelaMaven:

You've just outdone yourself again. Your recapping reminds me of when I clean my teenage son's desk; what starts as a mess of disorganized papers and crap turns into a functional, gleaming piece of furniture. Your ability to organize and simplify, while at the same time adding crazy insightful writing is AMAZING!

"And worst of all, you have weaponized Bitch María. You use her as the public face of your own ugly impulses. ". Wow!

Carlos, your comments yesterday about Ale were dead on.

I have nothing to add but just want to echo Vivi's comment that Ale dealt the final blow. Maria may be a monster, but that's who Ale chooses to be with. When they stood side by side last night, taking turns firing barbs at poor Lauro, I could see the perfectly matched childhood friends and thought they deserved each other.

A ti te falta Jesus, Ale! Lol;)
 

UA, I agree that Graciela is ultimately responsible for Lauro's death and the whole mess. I am waiting for some one to give HER a good poke or a punch.

Daisynjay, I also agree with you re: scenes of Dimitri and as you said his "mumsy." Really creepy.

Elna June, your idea for the ethical and spiritual rehabilitation of Ale was too funny.

Jarifa
 

I am outraged on Monserrat's behalf over this whole mess. I want to see her bitchslap Graceless at the earliest possible time.

It was not her responsibility to rescue the family from financial ruin. Graceless should have sold herself to another wealthy jerk since she is also ultimately responsible for their impending ruin by paying off Dimwit's gambling debts while continuing to enable him. Her ultimate motive was to insure that Monserrat would share her misery. Bitch.

Now that JL's name is being cleared it's time for Monserrat to get out of that hellhole her mother lives in, get back the money that was in JL's possession at the time of his arrest and do something profitable with it.

We most certainly can expect a long separation, lots of anguish, and lots of trouble from the evil ones.
 

Thank you NovelaMaven for indeed a masterful, crystal clear, vividly alive accounting of last night's infuriating episode sprinkled with humor to keep us from blowing a gasket. Thank you for the vocabulary as well! From among many favorites:

(Has he been studying elocution with Pedro?)

Alejandro's face is a clenched fist.

She growls dyspeptically:

Fina's advice to Montse is why I hold out that she is stealthily brilliant:

Fina thinks that someone who knows her well might understand that she is a woman of honor. But anyone who judged her only on her behavior would be bound to think the worst of her.

She can see others' situations but is too close to her own to have similar sage insights? Aren't many of us like that as well? I like my girl, glad Montse told her the truth.

My friends, I haven't read your comments yet. These addicting stories and your insightful, eloquent and funny comments, the Spanish grammar, the psychological,sociological and cultural analysis of the story, the entertaining asides on a number of subjects and what you share of your own lives has removed every shred of guilt I had for "wasting time" watching Spanish soap operas. What I haven't yet overcome is the guilt I feel for reading these at work so I just wanted to thank you NovelaMaven for your skilled and entertaining installment of the latest chapter in this tale of woe and to say I can't wait to join you later. I'll try and wait til I get off work to read all the delicious comments.

Lila

 

I reread my comment. Based on "all and then entire", why is it a stretch to believe that the family lied about Lauro being fragile. Tomas confirmed that Dim is a gifted. Right?
 

NM thanks for such a well written recap I could enjoy with my breakfast.

Graciela is the ultimate person responsible for Lauro's death, but lots of people contributed to it. All the lies from all the people he cared about are what killed Lauro.

I was glad that Josephina was honest with Monse and in a kind way. Monse needs to see the reality of her actions and accept her responsibility in what's happening. Of course Alejandro is just as delusional and refuses to even look at reality. His stubborn cruelty was shocking to me.

Both of them are consumed by victim-hood and refuse to accept that integrity isn't affected by circumstance.
Marea Primavera
 

NM: Thank you.

If I had any sympathy left for Dimwit, I lost it last night. He showed himself in that jail cell deliberately spitting out venom calculated to hurt his own father.

I was touched by Fina's "handling" of Montse. She acted like a skilled confessor, getting Montse to see her situation as others saw it and getting Montse to admit she was part of the problem.

Oh, "what are we going to do about Maria?" My bet - no redemption for her.

BTW - I am snow/icebound here in South Alabama.
 

Wow! Wow! WOW! I loved that recap. The letters were truly brilliant! Many thanks.
I keep thinking it's too bad that Univision doesn't have a lottery or auction allowing an viewer to drop the anvil on BM. I think it would bring in a lot of money as many of us scrambled to be the one to do it. She is so... icky and evil that it really makes watching difficult. And I don't understand how Ale went from "I'll never forgive you" to thinking she was pure as the "un-drivable" snow that I'm saddled with here in Atlanta. I would also love to see all of the staff at the hacienda up and leave (which I'm sure they can't afford to do) as opposed to work for BM. Didn't Ale grow up with all of them as well? But now Dominga, Macario and the Padre are dispensable? I don't like it, not one bit!
One final note, I thought that the conversation Lauro had with Dim pointed more to Dim not being his son, but also to Laura KNOWING that Dim wasn't his son. "You never played with me, you didn't like me, etc." Sounds to me like Lauro suspected his son wasn't his. Makes me wonder how surprised he could possibly have been by the Graceless revelation. Not that he deserved in ANY way what he got from BM and Ale.
Ick. I can't watch yet I have to watch-- thank goodness for you people! With wonderful recaps and comments it makes the watching a bit easier.
Becky
 

Pasofino, you are so right about Fina's skills in talking with
Montse. It should help her deal with it all. Fina was so calm and rational. Sorry to hear you are having to deal with what we have been dealing with up north. At least we are used to/ready for it. Stay safe.

Jarifa
 

I have only gotten as far as Elna June's comment, but I'm laughing so hard I fear I will wake Mr. Sharkbait.

EJ, you are hilarious and absolutely should be Ale's chaplain while he visits the No Talk Zone Hoosegow. The Patio will take up a collection to fund your visits.

OK, back to the comments...
 

Dimwit is definitely a grifter and so is Graceless; didn't he learn that from her?

Which is why it is illogical that she should object to him marrying Josefina with all the money in her coffers that she would have previously been foolish enough to hand over to him. I'm still trying to figure this one out, but the only answer I can come to is that it risks her loss of her perceived control over him.

As for whether Lauro knew that Dimwit isn't his son, I'm not sure. He spent a lot of time away from home while on active duty; that's what allowed Graceless to carry on her affair with Don Benjamin. She is delusional but not stupid, so it would have made sense for her to have used contraception. However, that's not foolproof and we may still get the revelation based on a falsified birth certificate or something similar. There has been too much dialogue pointing to this for it to not be paid off.
 

Thanks for this fabulous recap, NovelaMaven. The opening correspondence between Alejandro and you was delightful and inspired. Your retelling of events was impeccable and incredibly amusing. As is usual after reading one of your recaps... I'm in awe.

Poor Lauro, there's lots of plenty of responsibility for his death to go around but when you get right down to it, it was an accidental death. He was almost like an unattended child who wandered into traffic. He was totally unprepared for such a lethal dose of truth.

Sure María is malicious and mean, but she certainly didn't intend to murder the feeble old fart. In fact as she observed as the show ended, his death right then and there is a major inconvenience for her.

What were Alejandro and María supposed to do when Lauro barged in demanding answers? They (especially María) weren't in on the plot to keep Lauro in the dark. The only lie told him was that the baby is not Alejandro's, otherwise he was only apprised of the unvarnished ugly truths about his wife and daughter.

Most here are wringing there hands over poor little Montserrat but her outright lies to her father teed him up for what resulted. With the story she told him, the result was inevitable. He thought he was going to fix things for her ... if they were going to keep him healthy by withholding the truth, then someone should have been assigned to keep an eye on him so he wouldn't blunder into it.

I suppose we should blame his chofer for driving him out to the hacienda in the first place.

Carlos
 

Amen Carlos!
 

Diana, thank you for phrasing my feeling about Ale so incredibly well: "He unleased a deadly tirade against someone who did nothing but embrace and love him." Yowza lady, you hit the nail on the head.

And yes, JL looked extremely handsome. I'm sure part of it has to do with his new look, but I also think it has to do with his new-found avocados. I loved how he told off Angie's dad. Too bad he didn't have those guts with Montse, but it just shows how his character is developing. Unlike SOME people (and I'm looking at you Ale), JL is learning and growing.

OK, back to the comments...
 

This was a veritable masterpiece, NovelaMaven.

It was a horrific episode. Carlos must be the only happy person here.

Fatima
 

About Ale knowing that Lauro had a bad heart. He actually went to Mexico City when he had his last heart attack and brought the family with him. He knew from the get go about Lauro's bad heart. He talked to the doctors. The man knew! Yet he spewed his rants anyhow. I agree with Vivi when she said Ale should have sat Lauro down in his office and gently told him the truth. That would have been far better than the way Lauro found out the truth.


We got nine inches of snow here in the Mid-Atlantic. Everything is shut down here.
 

Mads, he was involved with a family of grifters. At one point Alex thought...no, he "knew" that he was talking to Antonio, a foreman that he hired and that was not case.
 

Good morning everybody and thank you for your kind words and thoughtful comments.

I sympathize with those of you getting socked by unaccustomed snow and cold. In the north, our houses and cars and clothing are frozen-tundra ready so if we can absorb the shock of the heating bills, we should be fine. Layers. Think layers. (And I'm not talking Little Red Hen)

This was such a great episode, so perfectly poised between light and dark:

Lauro's terrible fate vs Prudencia's valor and power for good.

Dimitrio's cruelty vs Josefina's wisdom in her words to Montserrat.

Vivi: I agree with you that it was Alejandro who delivered the death blow to his suegro. I no longer care if he winds up with María or not -- in fact, I rather think they deserve each other.

Urban: I hated the way Alejandro received Lauro to begin with. He should have taken him in his office or cleared the room immediately, before María had a chance to speak. Instead, he set the tone of incivility: You are not welcome here, sir. Please leave! Lauro deserved better than that.

Jarifa:
"He knew Lauro was not well and wasn't looking too good but he was like a dog with a bone"

Yes. A coldly vicious dog, trained to attack. Brrrrr.

Karen:
"I don't know if I can recover from this."

That makes at least 3 of us -- you, Montse and me! I guess EJ has her work cut out for her.

And I also see no possible redemption for María. Her character has been carved out of pure malice. (And she isn't hiding her true nature from Alejandro either.)
 

NovelaMaven, thanks again for this amazing and amusing recap. I so enjoyed my re-reading of it. I especially enjoyed the conversation between Carlotta and Graciela, where Carlotta basically tells Gracie that she (Gracie) started the whole mess. Carlotta has a lot of info at her fingertips but she doesn't do anything with it. She should hang out with Tia Prudencia and learn how to empower herself.

In fact, Carlotta, Montse, Rosario and Josefina should go live with Tia Prudencia for a week or two to learn how to take control of their lives. Am I being too optimistic? Or maybe I am being influenced by the terrific Pete Seeger retrospective that is currently airing on our local college radio station - Peace and Protest! Speak up and be proud!
 

Carlos, I'm not so ticked off at Ale for the "facts" he laid out as to how he said them to a man he knew to be in ill health and who he had to know, somewhere in that pea brain, knew nothing of what they were going to throw at him. The way maria screamed at him and then Ale got all venom-spewing as soon as he started on Monse was cruel. Yes, could they have answered his question, sure. But I feel, and it's just me I suppose, that it could have been done more respectively to a man he knew was being duped and was a good-hearted man.

Ok, done with the rant.

Daisynjay
 

No redemption whatsoever for either Maria or Graceless. We all know this.

I vote no redemption for Dimwit either. Or Pedro because of his murderous intentions.

Alejandro will have to earn redemption and at the moment I don't know what that will take (although I am guessing he will have to save someone's life). The only alternative to that would be if this series breaks all Televisa rules and has Monserrat ditch him altogether.
 

Cap'n:

Peter Seeger, wonderful folk singer! He will be sadly missed. I have always loved his music.

Cyn:

I will respectfully agree to disagree with you about Ale. Ale did a bad, bad thing and now will have to deal with the consequences.
 

Mads:
Thanks for reminding us that Alejandro had accompanied the family to Mexico and paid for Lauro's stay in the hospital. I had forgotten all about that.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I also actually do sympathize most with Montserrat at this point. I do hope Carlota stands strong with her. And I also hope that Lauro left a will that protects her. If he left everything to Graciela… uh oh.

Sylvia:
I see we were on the same wavelength last night. I think it is time to take those nerfazos out of storage and keep them on hand for each show. We're definitely going to need them if we want our televisions to last through this novela.

My dear EJ:
What a generous offer! Should you need an assistant, please know that I am more than willing to offer my services. (True, my devanagari is a bit rusty, but given time to prepare, I'm sure I can bring it up to a serviceable level.) [snort.]

[I suspect, however, that what our golden boy really needs is a good klop in the kopf.]

AuntyAnn:
I agree that Graciela bears a lot of the responsibility for the tragedy that is playing out. But unless we want to see all the other characters as puppets, nearly everyone has something to answer for.

JudyB:
When this novela gets too grim for my taste, I like to hearken back to those DamFab days. It just makes me feel better.
:D

Daisynjay:
"Prudy is my new favorite person. Man, would I want that woman in my corner!"

I know! They're already pushing tables together on The Patio to accommodate all her fans!

Diana:
"I freely admit I am a huge JL fan (he isn't perfect but...) but didn't he look handsome last night??"

I wasn't a JL fan for the longest time, but I'll admit that he has won me over. And yes, he looked quite handsome last night (though I also liked him in the bright blue t-shirt the other day.)

When Cowpies-for-Brains learns that JL's name has been cleared, I wonder if that will make him question his assumptions about the man who was living in his house.
 

Someone needs to remind Alejandro that JL saved his life three times.

There are now five voices of reason in this tale:

Padre Anselmo
Victor
Esmeralda
Prudencia
Captain Robledo

Nadia needs to join that team and so does Josefina. The latter will take longer to qualify because she's still stuck on Dimwit.
 

One question for the group. Lauro dies. Ale rushes from the room to make a phone call. Who does he call?
 

"When Cowpies-for-Brains learns that JL's name has been cleared, I wonder if that will make him question his assumptions about the man who was living in his house."

Interesting question, NovelaMaven, but today, I don't care what Alejandro thinks. I want him to spend the rest of his days with Maria. They deserve each other and this is the punishment Alejandro deserves. Graciela might be the cornerstone for all of these horrible things, but no one made Alejandro speak those words to Lauro. He made a conscious and deliberate choice to speak those words.

As Vivi in DC has already stated, this now make Montserrat and Alejandro "even" when it comes to the lies, deception, and cruelty to each other. Such a victory.

I think it would be a stunning move on the part of the writers to not have Alejandro and Montserrat paired in the end; a stunning move and one which I just might welcome.

Macario will be the only source as to what really went down that day and I hope he runs to tell Padre Anselmo. Otherwise, Montserrat will only have Maria's deceitful version of the story and that simply cannot be allowed to happen.

Alejandro has gone one step too far and Maria is a cold, calculating whore who deserves no redemption for her utter willingness to see and enjoy others suffering.

Fatima


 

Katy, excellent question. My knee jerk reaction is that Alejandro will call Padre Anselmo because he is not man enough (right now) to call Montserrat.

However, my choice might change as I give more thoughtful consideration to your excellent question.

Fatima
 

Dang Ale is so lost to me,he is a very cruel ,delusional,detached from reality person when he gets giantly pissed off. Maria isnt a angel too. I would love seeing Gracie humiliating Maria and send her in her place.I was almost rooting for her in the kitchen scene but then i remembered she is a bigger whore then Maria will ever be
 

Ale is one of the most scary galans in a telenovela,Rogelio Montero cant reach the Delusional Fury
 

Rogelio was older and had more life experience. Just as importantly he had a loving mother and nanny. Alejandro didn't have either in his youth.

I suspect he will drink heavily for a few episodes at least.
 

Demetrios- It's a good thing Ale doesn't carry a whip around. But he sure knows how to hurt (and kill) people with his words. I didn't stick around LQNPA long enough, but how did Rogelio react when he found out that the Gus staying in his home was AP's Gus? Did he call her every bad name in the book like Ale did to Monse?
 

Fatima: I think that you might be on to something. Maybe Ale will rot in his own misery. We know that Angelica is not long for this world. Could it be even remotely possible that Montserrat and JL will get together in the end. With her father gone, Montserrat just could be so over Ale.

Jarifa: We are totally unprepared for this weather. We don't have snowplows or sand/salt trucks that have regular routes. So, the world comes to a screeching halt, we hold our breath and wait for the inevitable sun to come out and melt it so we can go out and play again.
 

Dear NovelMaven,

Sorry I"m late in commenting today, but I want to thank you, too, for a fabulous recap--may be my favorite of yours ever, and I love them all.

Your letters were so funny and creative. Also, loved your quote from King Lear and the memories of DamFab and his white pants. There were delightful turns of phrase in every paragraph--I could quote many. It was a pleasure to read this.

I am crazy busy with work today, but many, many thanks again!
 

Susanlynn:
I wouldn't be surprised if a new galan or two appeared on the horizon. The characters on this show have been dropping like flies. Without some new blood, we may find ourselves alone with Adolfo and Graciela while Fina flutters uncertainly in the background. That might work for an off off broadway evening, perhaps, but not a gazillion episode telenovela.

Tricia Williams:
I don't know if you have commented here before, but thanks for stopping by today. And yeah, Ale went too far. Definitely.

Emarie:
"I can just hear Ale yelling at Monse, “We were on a break!”
He wouldn't!!! [would he?] :D

Urban:
You make jewelry? Interesting. Glad you got a chuckle out of "terrifying necklaces" (they really are, don't you think?)

Katy:
I admit I was a little nervous when I started reading your comment about a "mess of disorganized papers and crap" until I realized you were talking about everything that got thrown at us in this episode. :) Glad you liked "weaponized BM." [Hee hee]

Lila:
"[Josefina] can see others' situations but is too close to her own to have similar sage insights? Aren't many of us like that as well?"

Nice. Except I might change "many of us" to "all of us."

See you later! Oh -- thanks for the Guilt Pass.

Marea Primavera:
"[Alejandro's] stubborn cruelty was shocking to me."
Yes. To me too. Even at this late stage of the game, I was hoping for better from him.

Pasofino:
Yes, we haven't talked much about Dim today, but oh lord, was he horrible last night. No telling who his father might have been, but he surely is his mother's son.

Becky:
An anvil lottery for viewers? Hah. It might not bring out the best in us, you know. [You remind me of one of the most horrifying stories I ever read: "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. If you don't know it, it's worth checking out.]
 

Paso Fino, I know in my heart that in real life, Alejandro would be dead to me for a long, long time.

I hope you get your sunshine very soon!

Fatima
 

Vivi- I cant remember it tbhbut i think he was quite furious ,even more since at that time he went to surgery and the surgery failed,Paula being pregnant ( With Gus i think) at the time.
 

I'm guessing they're going to stick with the original ending and have Monse and Ale have their happily ever after.

But in the only Televisa tn I've seen where Galan #2 wins, Querida Enemiga, the heroine ended things with Galan #1 because he chose to believe vile lies about her, and then slept with her best friend in his anger and hurt. She could never really forgive him for that, and I applauded her.

I guess here, Ale is technically Monse's Galan #2, but really he was set up as Galan #1 from the get go. This was not the case in QE, where it was a complete surprise that she went with Chef Hawt instead of Hot Doc.

I don't want Monse and JL to revisit their relationship. I like the person he has become with Angie. They're good for each other. And I love that her Madrina is not above using some blackmail and arm twisting to ensure their happiness.
 

Vivi in DC, like you, I believe that JL/Montserrat are long over. They have seen and lived too much to rekindle that old flame. Angelica has touched JL's heart in ways that Montserrat did not.

I, for one, would not be disappointed one bit if the "expected" ending unexpectedly did not happen. :))

Fatima
 

Why didn’t Alejandro or Macario try CPR on the pobre anciano?

Or they could have looked for his meds. If he had nitro pills they could have slipped one debajo su lengua.


 

Vivi, I don't remember his words; that was three novelas ago as I reckon things. I just searched my word document recaps and I didn't cover the episode of the discovery; I think it may have been episode 122.

Rogelio had his former nanny, Maria, to fight him and she wasn't afraid of his temper. Since she loved him as though he were her own son he was willing to listen to her. There was a short stretch of episodes during one of the big blowouts where he drank like a fish, but he got over it.

Alejandro sounds like more of a hard case.
 

Oxnard Huero- Lauro indeed had his pills on him because he asked Macario for a glass of water so that he could take his pills. He said this out loud, and Mac sure was taking a long time getting back. Maybe he asked one of the maids to do it. In any case, it really didn't look like Ale did much to help the old man as/once he collapsed, even if it wouldn't have changed the end result.
 

NM, you've left me speechless. Brilliant.

Loved the exchange of letters. I wonder what *really* prompted Ale to write to you. Maybe it wasn't only his drop in Q score. He was afraid to be left alone at his table so he took to reminding the ladies of his best attributes.

Being a beautiful boy does not automatically guarantee you to be a beautiful person. Take a good hard look inside yourself, Ale. You ain't so pretty in there. Right now you are just behaving like a spoiled, rotten boy--not quite in Dimmy's league, but we'll give you a 20 min. hall pass because you grew up without a mother and a hell of a cruel, womanizing patron.

Couldn't help chuckling over the visual of BM nuzzling Ale like a horse looking for a sugar cube. I'm familiar with that behavior. Wish it *had* been a horse and not Malria. How can you feel angry and jealous around a cute horsie. Horses are used in rehab. Only, please, leave Malria back in her wardrobe closet.

Lauro, QEPD, you didn't know the worst of your family.

 

Dear Carlos:
I am so grateful for your kind words and happy that you offer us a different perspective on the events of last night.

I take issue with you on the question of Lauro's death. Yes, life is a terminal condition and Lauro's innocence made him vulnerable. But he deserved better -- to die in his own bed with his beloved daughter at his side, ideally. The cruelty of Alejandro and his pit bull María made that impossible.

Fatima:
I'm glad to see you here. I knew you would be upset by last night's events. I agree with you -- I would welcome a decision not to pair Alejandro and Montserrat in the end. Sometimes too far is just too far (as people have been saying here over the last few days.)

Cynderella:
Your defense of Alejandro is remarkable.

Demetrios:
Like Vivi, I didn't stick with Rogelio long enough to know how that novela played out. But I agree that Alejandro is one of the cruelest, scariest galanes I have ever seen.

JoseAngel:
Again, agreeing with Vivi -- Ale will be tormented with guilt but María is a bit of a sociopath. I doubt she will feel anything but annoyance.

Julia R:
Thanks so much for taking a moment to stop by. I'm enormously flattered that you enjoyed the recap.
 

After seeing the last five minutes, skimming the first few comments and the last bit of the recap, this is what I have to say.

Ale: are we supposed to LIKE this galan?! The thing that bothers me the most about him is his absolute certainty that the baby is not his. Not “I’m nearly a hundred percent sure” or “I feel in my heart it’s not mine” but ABSOLUTELY not mine. It’s not like he didn’t rape Mons once or have sex with her 50,000 times, or anything.

I don’t care how he was raised, he has been out in the world. He went to college. If he didn’t control his emotions there, he’d be kicked out. Mons is 10 years younger than him and has next to no life experiences and she’s more mature than he is, and even though she bears responsibility for the initial situation, she DOES NOT bear responsibility for Ale’s reactions to it.

The prob for me is that what Ale did to Lauro was unforgiveable and I can’t like him. If Mons takes him back, I can’t like her.

Someone commented before about not liking Ale and having JL hook up with Mons at the end. Here’s my scenario. We know that Angie can’t survive, so JL has a short, but happy marriage with Angie. She dies. He hooks up with Mons again—both older and wiser. They fall deeply in love and marry. Ale still won’t acknowledge his child—either because he doesn’t accept the DNA results (no more far fetched than some of the stuff going on now) or because of the situation during his conception, etc. and marries Maria. He’s hoping for “a kid of his own” and she’s barren (if she is pregnant by Adolfo, she loses the baby—I don’t wish that on anybody or even fictional characters, but I’ll make an exception here). She lets herself go and becomes slovenly. Ale is stuck with a barren, slovenly fishwife.

I’m seriously thinking of dumping this TN. Maybe I’ll start watching the 10:00 one—it isn’t too far in. Or the new narco on Telemundo that’s coming up that stars one of the supporting actors from La Reina del Sur. Or Flaco was telling me about Azteca buying a Brazilian TN that sounds really good.

End of rant.

Nanette
 

NovelaMaven, you just insulted pit bulls! Poor doggies. But I do agree with your doubting that Maria will "feel anything but annoyance" with Lauro's death. She said as much. Bitch. And now there I go insulting all female dogs, hee.
 

What is the name of the actress who plays Tia Prudencia? I really like her. I couldn't find her name in Wikipedia, IMDB, or the Univision web site.
 

Oxnard Huero:

Thanks for stopping by. I see Vivi has already addressed your question about why no one tried CPR on Lauro. [I doubt his pills were nitro -- he wouldn't have needed water to slip a pill under his tongue.]

I imagine that real-world haciendados have a portable defibrillator around since they are so remote from medical care. Even if that had been the case here, I suspect that poor Lauro would still have been a goner.

Anita:
I'm so delighted you enjoyed the letters. So you think Ale was embarrassed to be left all alone at his table. Hmm. He doesn't really know how to talk to the ladies, does he? [Maybe Adolfo could give him some pointers on flirting.]

Nanette:
Oh dear. Leaving for the new narconovela on Telemundo? Say it ain't so! Who will cover our highs and lows????

Sylvia:
We have to watch our species language and logic around here, that's for sure. Lo siento, pit bulls!

Gobluefan:
I don't know who is playing Tia Prudencia. Maybe we'll have to look very closely at the opening credits tonight.
 

Is the actress who plays Tia Prudencia Patricia Conde? I've seen her in something else but I can't remember what it was. Will have to check later, I'm off to do some housework. Yawn.
 

NovelaMaven – You had me at “Dear Cowpies for Brains.” Fabulous recap. My favorites:

“Has he been studying elocution with Pedro?”

"A Dimmed Lauro returns home"

Sounds to me like Lauro suspected his son wasn't his.

Becky, I agree. First, Dim claims Lauro never played with him. Then, Lauro seems to believe Maria about Gracie and Benjamin. Maybe in the back of his mind, he suspected all along.

Add me to the anti-Ale-ers. No matter how low your feelings are about your spouse, you never ever disrespect an in-law who has only shown you kindness and grace. Even if he didn't well know Lauro was ailing, Ale should've kept his mouth shut an let Montse handle her beloved dad. NovelaMaven, ITA Ale should have been gentlemanly and taken Lauro into his study. Right now, Ale has about as little class as Maria.

Tia Prudencia rocks! She knows Joaquin is dirty to the bone. I hope we get her back story. All the good women in this TN need gather around her and learn.
 

Dear NovelaMaven, thank you for acknowledging and knowing that this episode would upset me. It seems even worse than the "throwing Montserrat out" scene.

I truly want Alejandro with Maria. Right now, they are both like pigs squirming in their mud pit. They are so deserving of each other and I hope they stay together.

Fatima
 

Alejandro absolutely killed Lauro. He KNEW about his heart condition. He saw how Maria's rant about Graciela was affecting him, and he decided to drive the final stake in his heart with his vitriol against Montse. So, let's say he thought everyone (including the doctors and all hospital records) was lying and faking Lauro was ill ... at what point does the man gasping for air and clutching his chest give him even an iota of pause like, hmmm ... maybe the man is REALLY not feeling well?

He's a monster, plain and simple. So he didn't have a nurturing female as he was growing up. Wahhh!! So what? How many millions of kids don't and instead of living a "poor little old me - everyone hates me and lies to me" life, they become awesome human beings?

I am now going to watch this tn with the hope that EVERYTHING goes wrong for Ale and Maria. I hope Pedro and Javier succeed in taking his lands. I hope the new police chief succeeds in getting all his money as a reward. I hope Rosario stays a "chicken" and never lets him know he has a mother who loves him. I hope every time he is with Maria he remembers the sweet times with Montse and it drives him insane.

And I hope Montse finds someone else to fall in love with and marry and raise HIS (Ale's) son happily ever after and one day in the future (time passes in the tn) Ale will come face to face with his own son and Montse and the son is played by Sebastian Rulli!!

Whew! I'm done.
 

HNM, that recap was as the Brits would say "lush", I loved every word, you are a master!

My take on this: Alejandro had no duty to keep Gracielas secret, however, he knew that Lauro was ill and he still allowed his rage to take over, he went off the rails and told Lauro the truth not because it was the right thing to do but because he was trying to hurt Montse. I thought for a long while that Montse should have told Alejandro the truth about JL long before he found out, but then last week, when I saw his reaction to the news I realized just why she had kept quiet. There is no doubt in my mind that he would have killed JL or gotten killed in a confrontation with him. I've been on the Alejandro bandwagon all along but now I find myself cheering for JL, although he was a wimp at the start of the story he really has grown, he saved Alejandro, three times! He told Montse that he would love any child she had as if it were his own and that is I think a good reflection on his character.
 

Ale knew that Lauro was being kept in the dark about certain financial dealings with Graceless, whether he believed it or not. Graciela went to great lengths to make sure he never mentioned a word of any of their dirty dealings to Lauro.

Ale lost control of himself. Maria kind of fueled his ire. Crowd behavior, maybe? It doesn't look so bad if everyone is doing it.

I hope Macario gave Ale enough to make him pause and reflect. So far, Padre, Carlota and Montse haven't succeeded.
 

Urban:

Didn't Rohell lock The Cupcake in her room with bars on the windows? I seem to remember that in LQPNA when he found out about Gus. He didn't want her to escape either.
 

I just checked a few of the LQNPA recaps and here is my take on this:

Rogelio Montero was better-educated and is more socially sophisticated than Alejandro. He understood the power of words to a greater degree. His default use of his riding crop was all about feeling physically inadequate because of the wheelchair. He was the undisputed heir to his property and bank accounts and had no reason to have a chip on his shoulder until the accident put him in the wheelchair.

Alejandro Almonte mostly holds the line at physical violence but lashes out verbally. He's socially and emotionally out of his depth, being an illegitimate son by a peasant woman. He grew up without a mother or sisters to learn or observe anything from. He was starting from a position of disadvantage because of knowing that there had been someone before him whose memory he would compete with. He is in these respects the flip side of Rogelio.

Ana Paula Carmona had some experience in the School of Hard Knocks. She grew up working class and was looking to work to support an aunt who didn't deserve it.

Monserrat Mendoza, in addition to being younger than Ana Paula, was very sheltered. She went to a convent school, has no marketable work skills, and a mother who is openly abusive. She also got the worse of the the two brothers.

Maria Gomez, Rogelio's former nanny, could say anything she wanted to him with impunity while

Rosario Dominguez is still hiding her true identity, which makes it more difficult for her to call Alejandro out when he's wrong.

Since this series will likely end up with more total hours of video than LQNPA we've got a long way to go to Alejandro's reformation.

ETA: Yes, Rogelio did lock Ana Paula in her barred-window room.
 

Novela Maven, thanks so much. Loved every bit of it. If only Alejandro actually had someone like you in his life to tell him what's what!

I think I will need some serious retcon if I am ever to see Ale as a good guy galán. Maybe he has a brain tumor that is affecting his behavior? Maybe he is possessed by a demon that Padre Bigmouth can cast out? Maybe this is Ale's long-lost evil twin, and Ale is tied up in a shed somewhere? Something.

I vote Montse goes for bachelor #3. Ale is too rotten; JL has shaped up but has a history of being too shady, wimpy, bossy, and possessive with Montserrat. When does Chef Hawt show up? I would be THRILLED if Jorge Aravena swooped in as the charmer who shows Ale what a real good guy is like and ends up with Montse. Especially after he was so stupidly written out of PEAM.
 

I found the recap for the episode when Rogelio and AP have their confrontation after the revelation of Gus' identity. It was Cap 89, and Rogelio was nowhere near as cruel with his words as Ale was. And yes, his reaction was to lock AP up, versus throw her out, like Ale did. But Ale had already done that, so...

Here is the great and detailed recap done by Urban: http://caraycaray.blogspot.com/2012/04/la-que-no-podia-amar-lunes-43012.html
 

Maybe Josefina could hire Dominga, Macario, and everyone else who works in the house at the hacienda. Or Josefina and Montse could start a business together and hire them all to work for them.
 

JudyB. and Novela Maven

Thank you for your kind offers to join me in assisting in Ale's rehab. I would love to have you, JudyB, and NovelaMaven with me in this effort!

Since Aljandro will be in closed retreat (i.e. a Mexican jail cell) and, under a strict injunction of silence, he will only have only the pleasure of our three voices to listen to.

Generally speaking, when one enters a closed long-term retreat, the first discipline undertaken is 100,000 full body prostrations done while repeating a mantra encouraging mindfulness.

Sr Almonte seems perfectly fit enough to do this. My only hope is that Pedro will allow him a cell that accommodates his fully prostrated 6 foot++ frame.

I think he should have, say, two months to accomplish this task. Yes, I think that is 1666 prostrations a day. I am sure that helpful instruction from JudyB and NovelaMaven after prostrations will give him many wholesome things to contemplate in the evenings.

Maven, Perhaps he could memorize the Torah? JudyB will have inspired ideas for his prayers and contemplations. I have always found the marvelous injunction to love given by Saint Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians (chapter 13) very inspirational.

Two months from now would be a fine time for him to return to the telenovela and we would be thus spared 60 days of viewing his shenanigans with Maria.

Oh my, I am so enjoying this fantasy.

Sylvia, as you take up collections for this work, I am sure you will remind the Patio that the Ecumenical Rehab committee has only Alejandro's best interests at heart. The first offerings will be used to purchase a large supply of antibiotic ointment and extra large bandaids for Alejandro.

He will need them.

Hee hee hee.

EJ

 

I'll only contribute to the Ale rescue pot, if I can sit outside the cell and watch the prostrations. I promise to be quiet. It might do me some good, 'cause right now I have me some big hate towards him.

Bring on Chef Hawt.
 

NM: hear! Hear! What an awesome beginning of an awesome recap.

With Lauro dead, Mons has lost her only strong family ally (Tia is very loyal, but also a bit silly).

Gracie is the weirdest mother ever: incestuously affectionate with her son and cold as ice with her daughter.

UA: From yesterday: “I am rapidly forming the opinion that most misogyny we encounter in the Western world stems from many men's refusal to admit their need for women in their lives. Some don't even want to begin to understand women.”—Wow. Very profound. I agree. I think society sometimes ridicules men for wanting to be married, in a committed relationship, etc.--it’s not manly.
 

Long time lurker. I guess I'm in the minority on here. I truly believe that it isn't all Monserrat's fault. And its my opinion that Ale brought this all on himself.
 

Anita:

I think a quiet gallery for observers could be arranged. You might sit comfortably behind the two way glass.

It is possible that you might feel especially blessed to see the effect that 100,000 prostrations on a Mexican jail cell floor has on overweening and hateful pride.

Smilz,

EJ


 

Yes, indeed. 100,000 prostrations and at least 10,000 recitations of Corinthians 13 would be a good start. Alejandro does not understand love.
 

maggie:

So glad you commented! Welcome to our friendly and diverse community of telenovela lovers.

I certainly agree with you that Montserrat is only responsible for part of the mess in which she finds herself. Alejandro has MUCH to answer for and after last night, he will also have to be accountable to his own conscience.

EJ


 

I wonder if it will ever occur to Alejandro that THIS is why no one tells him anything. The way he reacts so violently, I wouldn't tell him what's for lunch! Who knows what he'll do if he doesn't like it!
 

Julia:

Do you remember a few episodes ago when Alejandro asked Montserrat, "What do you think I am? A monster?".

I wonder how she would answer now.

EJ
 

What we're seeing now with him is the cumulative effect of repeated unsaid truths and a few outright lies.

We also know that Benjamin Almonte was a seriously bad dude but I don't think we know yet how he may have mistreated Alejandro aside from having denied him his proper place for 30 years.

Not that this excuses his actions. However, I think he will experience such guilt that he will be paralyzed by it for a while.
 

EJ:

I think Monse would call Ale her worst nightmare. He is way worse than a monster.
 

Wow once again we are nearly 100 comments.

Judy, thanks. My parents have all these funny phrases/sayings they used when upset or telling stories and that was one of them.

Fatima and Nanette, ITA w/you both that Ale has really gone off the deep end. I'm also am for Monse being with someone else at the end of this tn (though Vivi did give us good documentation as to why that might not happen).

What I will never understand w/plots like these is why the writers think the audience will want the lead couple together at the end. As NM said, "Sometime too far is just too far." After what Monse has been through (and I know she is culpable), why would she ever trust Ale again(once she is finally able to forgive him which will take more than a minute)? Rage is rage and if you don't know how to control it, everyone around you suffers. Nanette, though I would hate to see you leave, love your comments and your lists, I completely understand why you would.

Anon @ 1:17 pm, I like that narrative.

Welcome maggie! Please do comment again as we love chatting w/new people especially long time lurkers.
 

Julia- ITA. The way Ale has reacted has proved every fear Monse had. And she didn't even see the gun Victor took from him!

Ale's the one who started this mess with Monse and her family, by offering money in exchange for Monse. HE opened that Pandora's Box. Monse didn't, and even Gracie didn't. It's been pointed out often that Monse is not sufficiently taking responsibility for her part in this mess (although it seems to me that she did admit it when she spoke to Padre and Fina), but what about Ale? Has he accepted responsibility for what he did to start this whole mess?

It bugged me that when Monse long ago came clean to Ale about her first love, why she married Ale (thinking JL had betrayed her), and why she tried to run off with JL (because she learned JL was innocent and she thought Ale was behind framing him), Ale never showed more understanding and empathy. I mean, Monse and JL were the injured parties here, who had just learned about a massive conspiracy to separate them and hurt them, yet in Ale's mind it was only ever about him. "YOU tried to runaway from ME on our wedding day, with ANOTHER MAN!" Dude, you just learned this guy was her first and only love at the time, and you unwittingly played a part in separating them unjustly. Own up to your part of this, and acknowledge that other people (Monse and JL) were feeling a lot of pain at the time too. Not just you.

And so I never understood why, after learning how Monse and JL were unfairly separated, and his part in it, Ale was so gung ho to KILL JL on sight. Seriously? Ale really thinks that between him and JL, he was the most wronged party in this mess? Stop whining, Ale.

 

Karen:

What a wonderful observation:

'What I will never understand w/plots like these is why the writers think the audience will want the lead couple together at the end. As NM said, "Sometime too far is just too far." After what Monse has been through (and I know she is culpable), why would she ever trust Ale again(once she is finally able to forgive him which will take more than a minute)? Rage is rage and if you don't know how to control it, everyone around you suffers.'

Living with rage is soul-detroying. I would never wish it on anyone.

EJ
 

NM: I have a hard time with TNs where the leads are unlikable. I like Mons now, but will be very disappointed when she forgives Ale for what he’s done.

We’re going to need another 100+ eps for Ale to be redeemed—if that’s even possible.

Ale didn’t spew his venom because he thought Lauro was a lying grifter, he did it because he only cares about his pain.

Anon 1:17: amen to everything you said!!!

Julia: “I would be THRILLED if Jorge Aravena swooped in as the charmer who shows Ale what a real good guy is like and ends up with Montse. Especially after he was so stupidly written out of PEAM.”---agree!!!

Karen: Once I start a series of any kind, I have a hard time separating myself from it. If I do decide to dump this one, it will take me awhile to work up to it. Besides, I’d miss you all.

What is JL going to do with the information Mons and Ale have separated when he gets it? I don’t see him abandoning Angie. But I am very curious as to his reaction.
 

This TN is getting a lot of comments for the wrong reasons. I remember the marathon commenting on Amor Bravio because it was such a awesome TN with very few TN cliches.
 

Well, controversy generates comments. :) I think this tn is REALLY well done because it keeps us on the edge of our seats, coming back for more each day to see what these crazy characters will do next. Their lives are a train wreck piled onto a car wreck, and it's hard to tear our eyes away.

But I don't like either of our leads, as people. I think they're hot, have hot chemistry, and the actors are doing a great job. But, I would never want to be friends with them or hardly any of these characters in real life, as I would with Camila, Daniel, Vivi, Rafa, Dona Amanda, or Aaron, etc. in Amor Bravio. I expected more from those characters, like working to get themselves out of their messes, and working to bring the bad guys down. With Ale, Monse, and amigos, I'm just waiting for them to keep making huge mistakes until they hit rock bottom, and have no choice but to start digging themselves out.

 

Forgive me Patio. I cannot shut myself up today.

Nanette: I, for one, would hate to see you go. We would miss you.

My perfect scenario would be for JL to take Angie with him to talk to Ale to tell his whole tale. Being a hopeless and young romantic, Angie would want Alejandro to hear the whole story. JL does owe Ale an explanation for all of his lies to Alejandro. I suspect Angie would lend credibility to JL's recounting since they keep nothing from one another.

Of course, Ale would have to be behind a nailed-shut door for JL to be safe.

EJ

PS: Can't we find a miracle cure for Angie? I am going to be bereft if she dies soon. She and her Madrina are my favs!
 

wow..I just got back from work and have been reading the new comments.

To everyone in the Southeast, I hope that the weather is improving . I watched the news this morning , and I saw the lines of cars stuck on the highways. Many of the cars had been abandoned. The advice of wearing layers was a good suggestion. I have been regularly wearing three layers indoors with more added when I have to venture outdoors. however, temps here are supposed to gradually rise to more normal temps.

Well, EJ, are you ready to diagnose Ale's condition yet ? Is he a narcissistic sociopath ? A little while ago,we had a conversation about empathy. Ale seems to have lost any of this quality that he may have had at one time. I just cannot understand how writers could create a galan as flawed as both Manuel in AR and Ale in this version. Malice is certainly a theme. When hurt, some people do not just lash out at the person who hurt them. They often turn against and want to hurt friends and family of that person. Also, people can not sometimes see their own roles in the problems created.

Changing the storyline in this version and having Gracie have an affair with Ben has led to very different events and I am anxious to find out if your guesses about mystery babies are correct. No such possibilities in AR. All the offspring was present and accounted for.
 

I like Jorge A. , but I would prefer Marcelo Cordoba to be bachelor number 3. However, I do not think there will be another suitor introduced for Mony. As was noted, Mony and Ale seem to be destined for each other because...Sebastian and Angelique are the leads. I was surprised when Gabriel Soto did not end up with the girl in QE. I remember that many commentersr did not want him to end up with the leading lady. we used to call him Alonslow . He was a dud of a galan...not evil...just boring and not a very bright bulb.

Ale has said and done too many hurtful and thoughtless and cruel things for me to forgive , but I am certain that Mony will. I like my galans sweet and kind and forgiving. Ale needs to start that journey down the yellow brick road in search of a heart, a brain, and some courage to forgive....right after he jettisons Malria back to Addled's home for wayward girls.
 

I think it would be hilarious if Aaron Diaz showed up (with or without giant belt buckle, perhaps as the impoverished charitable doctor in the village of peones who grows avocados in his little garden) and got the girl this time. He won't, of course; he's moved on, but it would be delightful to me.
 

Who were the day to day script writers on AR and on this? I have to wonder whether they are men who are trying to make bad male behavior acceptable.

I don't think Alejandro is a narcissist or a sociopath. Those two words describe Graceless and Dimwit. Neither of them cares for anyone but themselves. I'm not sure they even care that much about each other no matter how creeped out we all were about that cell block scene.

Alejandro gave a damn about the people who worked on his property, the poor people he's been trying to help, and too much about Bitch Maria to see what she was really all about. He even cared about Lauro enough to pay the hospital bills. He fell in love with Monserrat. However, the revelations all came to light at the wrong time and out of the wrong mouths.

One could make the argument that he bought himself a trophy bride, but he didn't immediately buy her $100M pesos of designer clothes to show her off to local society. He didn't do what Pedro is doing now. Once they reconciled he wanted to take her on a European honeymoon.
 

Additional posts because they're coming fast and furious.

I just realized as I posted the above that Graceless and Dimwit are useful to each other more than they are capable of loving each other. He is her little failure who needs her, which makes her feel powerful. She is whom he can run to bail him out when he screws up.

And nobody ever taught him how to not screw up or that he needs to take responsibility for his mistakes. Mamma is always there to fix those.

If he is still alive at the end of this tale how will he deal with life without Graceless?

Getting back to Alejandro, he has some kind of long-term issues with insecurity or he wouldn't have gone off the deep end. There's a lot we haven't heard him talk about regarding his youth and his school years. Good looks don't cure insecurity by themselves no matter what my industry tells people.
 

Ana Paula said the truth twice: about pregnancy and about Gus. Monce wasn't so brave. But the main difference is that Ana Paula never said to Rogelio that she was in love with him, they had a contract. And Rogelio even at that period treated her as his wife. Never allowed his sister to talk bad about her. He was much more human then Ale. And I realy can understand why AP fell in love with him. Why and when Monce fell in love with Ale - I dont know. And how she will forget him all this - also don't know.
Alegria
 

He was in love with her and he's hot. When Monserrat first encountered him she saw that.

Hot and rich? Who can ask for more than that? Except that he has a severely wounded heart that couldn't take one more blow at this time.

Monserrat is also younger than Ana Paula, which has to be factored in.
 

Hot and rich wasn't enough for Montse, though. She didn't fall for Ale until he started telling her about his sad stories and difficult early life, and then when he was shot and incapacitated. She sympathized with him more after she saw that he wasn't as powerful and privileged as he pretended to be. I guess she likes an underdog success story.
 

NovelaMaven,
As you know I am not watching this, but I caught the last 10 minutes of this last night and I just had to peek at your recap. As usual, you were brilliant. I loved your opening letter and the Patio's response.

"Weaponized Bitch María" Indeed. Though not following this, I will probably tune into the últimos capítulos just to see her karmageddon. The look on her face as Ale unloaded on the old man was chilling.

Despite what everyone tells me about this show all I seem to catch are episodes where AB seems to be channeling Elisa from AdP. I see from the previews Viewerville will be seeing a repeat of Augusto's funeral--llantos, lágrimas, etc.
 

Monce is not so younger. May be one year or two. I think, that Ale was great in bed and that is all.
Alegria
 

Someone mentionned that it would be interesting if Gracie and Malria met. YIKES. Gracie told Carlotta. "That climber must be stopped, whatever it takes." Would Gracie be ruthless enough and worried enough about losing access to Ale's money that Malria might meet with an unfortunate accident courtesy of the Tablecloth queen ?? Those two are cut from the same cloth whether or not they are related by blood. Malria will meet her match if she crosses paths with the queen of mean Gracie.
 

That would certainly be interesting, particularly since she could be the baby Graceless abandoned all those years ago.

That would be beautifully operatic.
 

OT: for those who need a dose of cuteness after all this angst, check out the new Bud commercial with the puppy and horse. It's on the main Yahoo! page.
 

Wow! What a great, lively discussion! I see the theme of a galan going too far continues. I have felt that for days. I also can't stop thinking about the people who write these stories. Ok, yah, ratings, money, etc. but they certainly are making statements about men and women, love and marriage, money and power, etc. The writers must also have opinions about their viewing audience. I don't like most of the statements they're making or what they must think of us. So I hear sex, fear, anger and arousal are the big triggers that make messages stick whether these are in the show or the commercials. Do these guys have marketing research data that tells them a pissed-off, agitated audience equals bigger bucks? Controversy attracts a more diverse audience and sells?

I don't know. Maybe a trend started with novelas while I took my 2-year break. Galan as sonofabitch. Then, we had DamFab and they cut that story to ribbons! Oh well, what the hell!

Karen (from earlier this morning) you were much too kind about your response to Gracie's head-thumping. I would rip the bitch's finger off and make her eat it!

Anon@1:17, thanks for the great coping strategy: to watch and hope for everything to go wrong for Ale and Maria.

Nanette. I feel you girl. If I get more tummy-churning and growling out of this thing than I get sighs. .

Lila
 

anon 1:17: "and one day in the future (time passes in the tn) Ale will come face to face with his own son and Montse and the son is played by Sebastian Rulli!!" Hahahahaha!

Julia: "I wouldn't tell Ale what I had for lunch!" Love it! Yes!

Awesome comments today.
 

I think the writers are in cahoots with the purveyors of booze and ice cream. They're trying to drum up demand for comforts and coping mechanisms. It does take a fair amount of skill to give us this much angst while keeping us intrigued enough to not just quit watching, though.
 

NM...HA...I have to do a shout out to one line in particular from our resident wordsmith..."sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can kill you." Great.

NM...I have to tell you that something from one of your past masterpieces will not leave my brain...that eye cam monologue...." Cute , blonde on the beach-> cute blonde -> blonde. ". I cannot get it out of my mind .
 

My goodness, you guys have been chatty while I was away. Still catching up on all the comments, but wanted to be sure to thank everyone for stopping by today.

Niecie, Eli, Julia -- thanks for the great comments!

maggie -- welcome to the blog! I hope you come back frequently and speak up whenever you like. I think you'll find plenty of people who agree that Montse is not totally to blame.

Sara -- ooh. So excited to see your name here. I gotta say that I like Angelique a lot more here than I did in Abismo de Pasión. This one really is a superior production on so many levels and it is eliciting a fine performance from the actress. But you know -- de gustibus…

Susanlynn -- thanks!
 

I think the writers are in cahoots with the purveyors of booze and ice cream.

That's it, Julia! They want us all pissed-off, fat and tipsy--it's a conspiracy!

;) Lila
 

I've been thinking…

Last night Montserrat cursed the day Alejandro crossed her path...

Alejandro should be cursing the day that Benjamín recognized him as his son and made him his heir. He would probably have been able to carve out a fine life for himself away from the hacienda and all its ghosts.

He was completely unprepared for his new role, the power and responsibility it implied as well as the vulnerability to predators.

The hacienda became a kind of prison for him which he would otherwise have been able to escape.
 

I keep looking for the product placement. Maybe it's subliminal. What could it be?

(I did find myself craving mixiotes after that nasty trick over dinner, but nobody's making money off of that, right?)
 

Interesting NM, then he and Maria could've married and that bitch would never have been inflicted on anyone other than Ale.

Ale and Montse should never have met because even if he hadn't offered to buy Montse, Gracie had already shit in that nest. . .maybe she and Juvie would've managed to kill each other off.

Maybe JL would've found avocados somehow and made Montse a fine husband and with Gracie Dimmie would've reformed or moved away. . .

Lila
 

*with Gracie dead Dimmie . . .

Lila
 

Lila:

I don't think Alejandro and María would ever have gotten together. He would have ESCAPED from her obsession. He was never interested in her as a girlfriend or a woman, much to her frustration. Even though in her mind, Montserrat stole him, in reality, he was never hers.

She could have stayed behind with her greasy pervy uncle and the stray peons who enjoyed an occasional night with a two-bit dominatrix.
 

She could have stayed behind with her greasy pervy uncle and the stray peons who enjoyed an occasional night with a two-bit dominatrix.

Whoa, girl, you finished her! Hee Hee!

Lila
 

NM..HA.."two-bit dominatrix"..that pretty much describes Malria . She enjoys bossing people around. Heel. Beg.

It is funny that some college chick did not snag Guaypo while he was studying whatever he was studying. I wish the writers would have given us more background on Ale. I think we had more information about Manuel's life before he inherited the land from his boss/secret dad.
 

What I remember of Manuel's life in AR was that his sperm donor tried to prevent him learning how to read and that the local priest interfered with that. Somehow he made it to school, university, and medical school, but I don't remember how that was financed.

I am surprised that nobody at Alejandro's college got him. He most definitely was never romantically interested in Maria and he never would be even if he had never met Monserrat.
 

Ale's stupid enough to have fallen into her trap this time, I don't doubt Maria would've found a way to snag him. Nobody at college wanted him because he probably regularly threw fits over whatever got under his skin.

Lila
 

There's not much to add, after so many excellent and exciting comments. NovelaMaven, your letters (cowpies for brains! je je)were superlative and very funny. What a special bonus to your fabulous recap!

I guess no one ever told Maria that pretty is as pretty does, no matter how many new dresses you have. There were many factors in Lauro's death, but she turned the switch for the final phase. Ale, no matter how rabid, should have known better than to jump into the fray. He wasn't the sharpest blade in the drawer, but his death was sad.

Carlos, I liked your "blame the chofer." Graciela probably will. She would have kept Lauro home if she'd known of his plans.

As despicable as Dimi is, I give the actor credit for some excellent work in this role.

Graciela's last top was still some tablecloth lace, held together with zipper seams. Was it a designer trying to give the lace a current youthful vibe, or just a desperate measure? Looked strange to me, but what do I know?

Our sweet fairy godmother Pru was rather chilling with Joaquin. Loved the way she told him she destroyed her enemies. She's the queen bee that Graciela only aspires to be, able to wield her power with grace and gentility.

The good thing is this TN has a logical flow of events, or at least events develop in a way that makes some sense. (Unlike CI, our late unlamented account of love broken by vengeance and anger.)

The bad thing is the stress we suffer from the rage, the betrayal, and suffering. I'm not going to quit, but I think I'll dial back the intensity of my involvement.
 

Or is it more likely that they knew he was from the "wrong" social class?
 

La Paloma:

What a perfect description of fairy godmother Prudencia:

"She's the queen bee that Graciela only aspires to be, able to wield her power with grace and gentility."

I'm glad to see you here. (You're right -- things have been getting a little heavy. Chill pills for all? Maybe that's the subliminal message...)
 

Maybe Ale got some kind of scholarship and had to keep his grades up, so he had no time to socialize . Perhaps, padre pulled some strings and helped get Manuel into school. In those days, it probably did not take as many years and as much money to become a doctor as today and perhaps the rural community was in need of a doctor. Manuel was whipped when his rotten boss/father find out that he was trying to learn to read and write. Manuel and padre were very close. They seemed to me to have a much stronger relationship than Ale and padre. Ale does not seem to be very close to anyone. Manuel also had a much closer relationship with Silvano (Marcario here) and Sixto (Victor here) than Ale has with Marcario and Viktor.
 

Was it just me, or was Lauro a bad father to Dimi. I am in no way justifying Dimi's actions, but according to Dimi, Lauro seemed to prefer Montse, and totally ignored Dimi. That might have had an affect on Dimi's childhood and converted him into an "hijo de mami". I really think Lauro thought that Montse could do no wrong.
 

I have previous comments on that one, but I think that because of their age difference (Dimwit is 28 to Monserrat's 19 or 20) Lauro was away more during his childhood.

Possibly Dimwit was also an "hijo de mami" from birth and that was a turn-off to military man Lauro. Since Dimwit barely knows how to tell the truth we don't know what to believe here and there is unlikely to be someone who can confirm or deny what he says about this.
 

Yeah. I wouldn't take anything Dim says as the gospel truth, and it does seem that Lauro was on duty a lot and away before he retired.
 

People are weird. I once had a student who told me that she had three children , a daughter and two sons..and added that her older son was her favorite. QUE? I also know someone who has 8 children , and she told me that when someone asked her why she had 8 children, she told her that it was because she loved boys. I stared at her with my mouth open because she has 5 boys but she also has 3 girls..what about them? ..collateral damage??? I have since learned that the children , all grown up now, were neglected throughout their childhood.
 

Who has 8 children these days?

As for declaring one has a favorite, that is sick, sick, sick.
 

Her sister has 10.
 

Cynderella,

Nice to have some company at the Ale table.
 

Is the actress playing Tia Prudencia the same as the woman who played Daniela Romo's secretary in Tempestad? They look alike to me....
Night! Can't wait for tomorrow's recap!
Becky
 

Becky,

Cap'n Sylvia thought the actress playing Tía Prudencia might be Patricia Conde. I looked carefully at the credits tonight and I did notice her name added, although her character wasn't identified.

I don't know the name of the actress who played "Alicia" in La Tempestad, but I'm pretty sure it was a different person.
 

NM she is definetly not played by Patricia Conde,just looks at her appearance : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Conpatri3.jpg
 

Demetrios,

There are apparently two actresses with the same name.

One is the young Spanish actress whose photo you linked to.

The other is a 68-year-old Mexican who seems to have been very famous in the 60's but has also recently worked in several novelas in smaller roles. I can't find a newer photo of her, but here is a link to her Mexican Wikipedia page:

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Conde_(actriz_mexicana)

BTW, we don't talk about characters who haven't entered the story yet, so I had to delete your last two posts. They were spoilers for those of us who like to be surprised. Please don't do that anymore, ok?
 

Okay sorry i wont do it again ,Novela Maven.My sincere apologies.
 

Also to add,she appreantly starred in AB as "Netty" but i really dont remember who that was,dear AB wanna help me?
 

I found a picture of one of her roles,that is from Rosa Diamante starring as Leticia Sotomayor


http://forum.acasatv.ro/viewtopic.php?p=5948619&sid=5b3c74c6b20a747935beeabf61ae2129
 

ooh, excellent detective work, Demetrios -- that is definitely our Prudie! Thank you!

Sorry but I don't remember her in AB. (Maybe that's the role Sylvia was thinking of.)
 

No problem,glad i could help! And i need some help too,i have been looking for a song from TDA for ages and cannot find it,it appears in this video : http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Re-uiaAYtPU

It mostly also appears in scenes with Bernarda ,it sounds like a church anthem and it also appeared in LQNPA when Rogelio showed Ana Paula the chapel in his house for the first time..
 

It is church music, Demetrios -- it's a Gregorian chant. If you listen carefully, you can hear the words:

Kyrie eleison

That's actually Greek and means something like "Lord have mercy."

It's from a Catholic mass. I'm not sure where this particular version comes from.
 

@ elna june sonoma Thanks for your warm welcome.