Caray, Caray!

Forgive the excruciatingly detailed conversation in the first part of the episode. I included it because I had the impression from the comments earlier that a lot of people were very curious about what our dysfunctional protagonists would have to say to one another.

Enjoy!
 

NovelaMaven, thanks so much for your recap. Your title was so appropriate for our dunderheaded galan. UA made an excellent comment about this bad trend of having tn galans being psychotically abusive. Unless they are also going to start adding another guy who actually wins the gal, who isn't a self-centered jerk (as noted by Julia) or as you stated " self-indulgent SOB who never learned to cope with strong emotions," we need new writers/better stories.

Ale continues with his abusive tirades and we are supposed to believe he'll be worthy of any woman; let's be honest, as much as I dislike Maria, she doesn't deserve Ale either.

At the least dumb Dim is complicated. He does feel for Fina but has a lot of growing up to do. I hope she kicks him out and finds some self-esteem quickly. And also doesn't give Graceless ANY money.

In spite of the phone murder, Pedro's anvil can't come quick enough and his proposal is just crazy.
 

Such wonderful detail, NovelaMaven!

I have to tell you that this episode left me speechless and not because it was good. You've dignified these wretched characters with your incredible writing.

This is bordering on one depressing story.

Fatima

 

NovelaMaven:

Thanks so much for this marvelous, simply marvelous recap!

I've had enough of Ale, NEXT! That's what poor Monse should be saying. I can't believe he really thinks Monse is that depraved and heartless to be talking to Angie, waiting for her to die. But then again, he is clueless, heartless, a pig, etc. I can't stand him and at some point if he comes to his senses and wants Monse back, he better beg and plead and well, I hope she never takes him back. What a putz!

JL still has those feelings for Monse. I hope he doesn't ever treat Angie badly or he'll be Dead to Me too.

Yay! No one, but no one can throw a cell phone like SS. I wonder if this will be the only one? Pedro also knows no bounds does he? Did anyone else get the impression that maybe Nadia knew before hand that Pedro wouldn't be the candidate for Governor? I got that feeling by her smile and saying they weren't coming. I wonder if she did something about that.

I am so liking Victor, the voice of reason. How sweet is he, and he sure put BM in her place. I was surprised she listened to what he had to say.

I can't stand the fact that Graceless is always blaming Monse for this whole mess. She always blames everyone else, but this whole mess really started with her. And Ale needs to take some blame for it too. Monse already feels guilt for her part in it.

I too wonder about Dimwit. Is he feeling something for Fina, or is he surprised it wasn't as bad as he thought? I am glad Fina heard what he said to Graceless. Now he needs to get a taste of his own medicine and see how he likes it. I hope she continues with this charade with Addled.

Will Rosie tell Ale all? I don't know. I hope she does to avert a tragedy.
 

Madelaine, I have to say that I was just a wee bit frustrated with Rosario dishing it back in Montserrat's face re how she treated her boy Alejandro; not over the top frustrated, but just a wee bit frustrated.

Fatima
 

Fatima:

I so agree. I was a bit frustrated with her myself, but she is Ale's Mama, so she would take his side. I think Rosy knows that nothing happened between JL and Monse at the hacienda, but it was the look of things. Like it looked like they could have done something, even though they didn't. She was giving Monse, Ale's point of view. At least she is still supportive of Monse and not flinging crap at her too. Ale got all that from his Papa Benny.
 

NovelaMaven,

Thanks so much for the detailed recap. I greatly appreciate it.

These were my favs:

"The Peace Talks"

"Pedro and Nadia are getting ready to entertain (in a Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf kind of way)"

"Carlota explains that Montserrat has gone to see Alejandro to try to talk him in from the ledge."

"We had to wait 66 episodes for it, but at last -- Pedro murders his first cellphone"

"Was it good for you?"

"Aren't I pretty? We are reminded of why we should care about Alejandro Almonte -- when he comes out of the bathroom wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist."

Tonight's epi was all a set up for the big showdown between Ale and JL. Question is will Rosario be able to talk to Ale before the inevitable? Also, will Ale show up at Montses' house per Gracie's text?

Interesting turn of events with Dimi and Fina. Seems like Dimi is falling, or at least feeling something for Fina. Something perhaps that he has never felt for another woman. He is going to deny it until he realizes that he is drawn to her physically and perhaps falling in love with her. He probably has never been in love and is confused by why he is feeling like he did after having sex with Fina. And all this is happening without Fina getting a makeover. Wow! Way to go Fina, even though it was with Dimi.

p.s. Maven, when you said "Montserrat is trying to remember where she left her phone", actually Montse asked Tia Carlota if she knew where Gracie had left her (Montse's) cellphone. She wanted to check if her mother had actually sent a text message to Ale.

off to bed...hasta pronto!
 

I dont understand how will Rosie prevent a tragedy? Can some help me here.


 

Good morning folks,

Karen, Fatima, Mads, AuntyAnn and Kana -- thanks so much for your early comments. I am in a bit of a rush right now, but will try to catch up with everyone this evening.

NM
 

Dear Novela Maven:

Thank you for giving us a great recap. I must start by commenting on the title—it is simply dynamite.... Be the worse you can be...

You gave us a masterful version of the dialogue between Montserrat and her estranged husband. I was pleased to see Montse call Ale on his treatment of Angelica and her uncertain condition. You wrote:

"Because his wife is dying," he says. Montse nods sadly. Well HE is also dying. Inside. He is dying of rage and fury and pain.* And José Luis has to pay for that with his life.
[*Note to Alejandro: Lauro died. Angélica is dying. You are just a self-indulgent SOB who never learned to cope with strong emotions.]

Maven, this aside was just perfect! You told him! Sustaining a narcissistic injury does not have equal weight as dying from a wonky heart or living with a terminal illness. This character is so unlikeable and destructive. I really cannot stand to watch him.

I cannot imagine, for the life of me, how they will rehab Alejandro.

However,as much as I dislike Ale, I Must take exception to Montserrat's next comment:

"But José Luis did nothing to you!"

Tut tut Monserrat. That is absurd. JL lied to Ale, swindled him, made a fool of him and tried to steal away with his wife.Jose Luis did injure Ale.

On the other hand, JL saved Ale's life three times. How soon Ale has forgotten that he would be pushing up cacti in Campecehe if it were not for Jose Luis' timely intervention.

Novela Maven, I could not wait to read your recap so I got up early but it is 3:30 AM here and I realize I am not really making much sense.I will comment more later, when I am more coherent. But thank you again, for giving us a fine retelling of this rotten episode.

Elna June
 

Oh my, thank goodness for your super sense of humor. If you hadn't thrown in:

Dim and the Arechiga girl are having a very adolescent make-out session in the car. (You can almost smell the Clearasil.)

I would have had to stop reading. Because the episode was soooo depressing. And you conveyed it so eloquently. But it was soooo miserable. However, after chortling over the Clearasil quip, I regained my sense of balance.

Also treasured:

even the Russian judges are impressed (so topical!)

these worthless sons of Peter Pan

and a new phrase:

vamos por todas las canicas

Lady, you're the best. You inform, entertain and teach. All in one wondrously organized package.

I hope that you are a prof in real life. I would sign up for ALL your classes.
 

NovelaMaven- Masterful retelling of last night's tale of woe.

Like EJ, I appreciated the way you pointed out to Ale the real difference between someone who is dying, and someone who is just an ass (him). He also called Monse a cancer, to her face. I just can't even deal with that.

If Ale is willing to kill someone because he thinks they tried to "steal" his woman (remember, he decided to kill JP long before he knew about the false identity), what makes it so hard for him to understand that JL was also willing to do anything to take Monse back from the man who stole her from him? Ale already knows that HE, not JL, was the original interloper, and Monse was JL's mujer (in the technical sense) before she was Ale's. In Ale's way of thinking, JL should also have a right to be all murderous and righteously indignant.

I'm tired of everyone blaming Monse, including Rosy. I wanted to slap her when she said that, because I bet a big part of her own fear in telling Ale her truth is not knowing if he'll react like a madman. Monse knew Ale would react like a murderous madman upon learning who JL was. Ok. He would be justified in being miffed for a while. But does Rosy think he's justified in kicking his pregnant spouse out, calling her disgusting names, defaming her, provoking the death of her father, taking on a live in lover, ignoring the birth of his child, and plotting to murder a man? Really? That seems like a reasonable and justifiable reaction to her?
 

Fina looked gorgeous in bed, when she just let herself be free of insecurities. The writers are having a hard time convincing us that this gorgeous actress is ugly, and fail when she gets to drop the low self esteem, hunched over act. But perhaps that's the point. Fina is likely the most gorgeous and passionate lover Dim has ever had. Hopefully, that will be the first and last time he gets to experience that, and Fina makes him pine away and beg for her caresses.
 

Excellent work, NovelaMaven.

Love the reference to the Albee play. It made me remember a story I heard in college in my directing class about a previous student whose project was that play... starring her parents! I never found out if they ended up getting divorced afterward.

Pedro is always on the warpath but I think he's getting frustrated at his current failure to intimidate Nadia. I guess we will have to wait a little longer to find out the root of his real problem.

His indecent proposal is truly obscene. Victor would never agree to such a thing nor would he want to see any child in this madman's path.

I am also wondering whether Nadia did something to sabotage this charade of a dinner party. I still can't believe she consented to marry this psychopath.

"These worthless sons of Peter Pan" is so true. At their age I don't hold out a lot of hope for maturity.

More to follow because the posting pace is picking up.
 

To get this out of the way:

The biggest problem with what has been happening is that everyone was tiptoeing around Alejandro's temper. This revelation would have caused far fewer problems much earlier. There would have been a lot of yelling, some holes punched in walls, maybe a violent confrontation, but the right words could have been said. Monserrat could have easily said then that her silence was about her fear; she's sufficiently young and inexperienced to have gotten away with this then.

I do agree that Alejandro has major problems dealing with strong emotions, like Manuel in AB. It makes me wonder (because we haven't been told) when his grandfather died and whether Benjamin abused him afterwards. I didn't quite get that vibe in the early episodes.

But indifference might actually be worse and Benjamin's indifference during Alejandro's youth and adolescence probably still hurts in ways Alejandro still doesn't know.
 

Fabulous, NM! I so look forward to your recaps and you never disappoint. EJ and Viv mentioned it but I so loved:

[*Note to Alejandro: Lauro died. Angélica is dying. You are just a self-indulgent SOB who never learned to cope with strong emotions.]

For some reason that gave me a little vindication! Now if only Ale would read your recap...

On the epi before last night when Pedro told EZ to arrest Ale the second he'd committed a crime, I thought YES!!! Isn't that the wrong reaction to have regarding a galan?

And as much as we are all irked at Ale, I have to go on record saying I am becoming very irritated, very quickly with JL. The second he said "I do" to Angelica, Montsy was off the table. The other night when, in reference to Montsy not being with Ale anymore, he said "If only I'd known" RIGHT IN FRONT OF ANGELICA was unconscionable. And pining away to Refugio is just wrong wrong wrong. Man up, JL. You married a sick wife and your mantra was: "I will make you happy til your dying day". Now make her happy.

I was thrilled we got a "Hace falta Jesus"!

Thanks again, NM. To quote JudyB: You inform, you entertain, you teach!
 

Urban- You said it- a violent confrontation would have been the result. Ale was determined to oil JL then, as he is now, and that has always been what Monse, and even Padre who kept his mouth shut for the same reason, has tried to avoid. One of the men was going to end up dead or gravely injured, and the other in jail. It was the same then, it's the same now. Does Ale's rage burn hotter now than it would have then? Likely, yes. But this guy has been in a continuous rage for over half a year now. He would have found a way to wring all the self pity possible out of an earlier revelation as well.
 

Oil? Kill.
 

NovelaMaven, a beutifully written narrative, replete with wit, humor and insight.

Thank you, thank you for translating all of the “must hear” conversations! Your providing clarity to exactly what was said is invaluable. Everything from "The Paranoid's Guide to the Universe: be the worst you can be", to the captions - every aspect of this recap was marvelous.

"You can almost smell the Clearasil" and "He lifts the phone in a smooth arc and hurls it forcefully to the floor. [Even the Russian judges are impressed" were among my many favorites.

I managed to unearth new levels of disgust and repulsiveness where both Maria and Ale were concerned. Maria's "I'll take away what you value most -- not your lover, but the child you had with him" was a vile utterance, assuring Maria's place in Hades.

And of course, Ale becomes more odious with every episode. And here I foolishly thought he had already hit rock bottom. Karen, I thought your comments were exceptional. I also want my galans to be someone I yearn to be with, not someone who is abusive either physically or emotionally. Shades of gray are intriguing but traits including abusiveness, anger and self pity should not be part of the galan equation.

Madelaine and AuntyAnn, I suspect Dimwit is indeed falling for Fina as evidenced by his murmuring her name when with Virginia. I sense rough times ahead as Fina has reached the end of her patience and cruelty tolerance. I hope she makes Dim pay dearly.

Fatima, yes, things are certainly ugly presently. I would have taken a bit of pleasure in Sergio's phone throwing had not his scenes with Nadia been so upsetting. And whoever wrote he should blow smoke in Nadia's face deserves credit. What a powerful, hideous image. It worked. I'm sure we all loathe him even more, right??

I am hoping that JL is simply sad for Monse right now and that he is concered for her and for the baby. I don't believe for a minute he would consider leaving Angie, even if Monse were still in love with him (no tomatoes, I may be a tad delusional). Yes, he was always honest with Angelica and think he may simply be ruminating that yet another chance to be with Monse may have slipped through his fingers (his perspective, we all know she would not agree). Again, I think he is upset that Monse is alone and he is responsible. But he should keep any such thoughts from Angelica. Katy, yes, I agree JL should work at making Angie happy and I have a feeling that will occur (no spoiler).

So many other excellent comments already this morning.

NovelaMaven, am hoping Rosario can save the day. You've already brightened mine considerably. Gracias amiga for this marvelous summary.

Diana
 

Katy, you are dead right. JL should have stayed away from Monserrat from the moment he decided to marry Angelica and Monserrat's name should not have ever been spoken in front of her.

Angelica must have seen La Esposa Virgen a few years ago in which the dying Blanca tries to persuade Virginia to marry Jose Guadalupe afterward. Why would anyone think this is a good idea?

Pedro seems to have forgotten that arresting Alejandro wouldn't put his property into government hands; it would go to Monserrat and she is not stupid. I don't know what Alejandro told her about Pedro's attempt to purchase that land but since I think it's the land on which the peasant community is built she's not likely to sell it to Pedro either.

If Mexican inheritance law is anything like US law, the only way he can get his hands on that land is to kill not only Alejandro but Monserrat, baby Lauro, and possibly the rest of Monserrat's entire family including his accomplice, Graceless.

Vivi, I really don't think Alejandro is half the narcissist everyone else is saying he is. He's a very flawed human being who probably has taken a lot more abuse than we know about and had very little guidance in his youth about emotional management. This is making me wonder to what degree he would have been verbally abused for having been illegitimate.

Again, one of the liabilities of trying to adapt a novela de epoca to a "modern" story. I hope the writers learn something from this.
 

Novela Maven, you had me smiling this a.m. with great lines like: "you can almost smell the Clearasil"; "we are reminded why we should still care about Alejandro . . . " and "seriously, guys, think about adding an elephant". Thanks!

What an entertaining episode! We always knew Pedro was a sick twisted puppy but he reached new depths of depravity tonight with the pregnancy proposal. I loved him getting the phone call that he was out of the race. Nadia should get out of his house. He seems to be getting more physical with /around her. She and Esme should skip town together and disappear. Nadia must/should have some money stashed somewhere.

The best line of the night goes to Dimitrio musing about impending sex with Josefina and what if he LIKES it?

Will Rosario finally move herself and reveal her identity to her son? I have lost patience with her.

Jarifa
 

Even if Ale had an abusive relationship with his patron/father, he also had living early years with his grandpa, the guidance and protection of Padre, Mac, and Maria's sad in his youth, and a college education. He should be better able to reason and deal with challenges than this.
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

That's loving early years with his grandpa.
 

And Maria's dad. What is up with my clumsy fingers this morning? LOL!
 

Maybe a Freudian slip? Maria would be considered a sad case by some, but not by me.

Her threat at taking away the baby should be taken seriously. Not from a legal perspective because she'd be laughed out of court, but if she has any real access to Alejandro's money I can see her paying some thug to kidnap baby Lauro so she could lure Monserrat out to kill her.

It's been nearly two weeks since she first tried to do so and Adolfo appears to have said nothing to anyone. I wonder how often the wastebaskets in the town hall restrooms are cleaned out because they didn't show the close-up of that one for nothing. Maybe the knife is still there.
 

Diana--you could be right about JL, let's hope he's worrying out loud about Montsy and not lamenting losing her.

I love Angelica's directness, but I think she should give the whole JL Montsy thing a rest. She should respect that JL and Montsy are trying to put it behind them and not try to get JL to visit Montsy and the baby. And having JL be Godfather of Montsy's baby is wrong on many levels. I love Angie but she's not doing JL any favors by pushing him in Montsy's direction.

Vivi: LOL re: "oiled him". I thought it was some of your cool street jargon you picked up from working with teens!
 

Katy- I should have left it alone and pretended it was cool slang. :)

ITA about Angie. Right now she's more at fault for dragging JL and Monse back into each other's lives and thoughts, than either Monse or JL.
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

NM, you are a treasure. Once again our recappers take such hard to swallow plot lines and make them into a wonderful flow of prose, humor and words to be thoughtful by.

My summation of last night---JUST NO!!

Can't even go there with Ale anymore--I think we pretty well exhausted his descent into the slime pit. I ignored it and spent a few minutes of quality time hugging one of the kitties.

Dim FINALLY shows a glimmer of Fina appreciation, and I think really feeling something, and it becomes...oh, typical listening at the door at the wrong time TN cliche plot. I was yelling REALLY??? to the unseen writers. They couldn't throw us a bone for something positive?

The whole Pedro/Nadia thing--she wouldn't dare do that to Victor. If she tells him and he willingly says ok, maybe I'll let them have their moments and we would have nine months to hopefully see Pedro's demise.

Maria threatening a baby--Her reservation card in the fiery beyond has been moved to an even hotter location. Sorry-Carlos, but I draw the line with any character when they start on an innocent child.

Gees, just reliving last night--I need a shot of something. Being at work, I'll have to settle for hitting the cafeteria and get something with chocalate and a strong coffee.

Daisynjay
 

Alejandro Almonte i facepalm upon you and i herebly declare you an idiot in the name of Father ,son and Spirito Santo (Krystie Eleison plays in the background)

 

Thank you for an outstanding recap! From the very beginning with "In which:
Alejandro gets madder and badder;
Pedro smashes his first cell phone;
Victor may be put out to stud;
Josefina loses her innocence;
and Rosario is called on to avert a tragedy," to "you can almost smell the clearasil" to your description of Nadia as "remarkably aggressive for someone living alone with a crazy man" and on and on, this recap kept me laughing instead of despairing.

The first scene with Montse and Ale was an exact turn from the beginning when Montse accused Ale of engineering all and of killing JL and I remember him asking her "What kind of a monster do you think I am?" I wish the writers weren't dragging out Montse's turn at this. Really, no matter how good the man looks in a towel, are we STILL expected to root for him?!

Re Dim and Josefina, I feel so badly for her (but I loved the scene with Dim giving himself a pep-talk in the mirror), but I do NOT hope she continues the business with Adolfo. I thought I heard him saying to Dim a few epis back that if Dim continued the way he was he would lose Josef as a meal ticket and that Adolfo was going to cash in. Did I get that wrong? Didn't Dim warn Adolfo that Dim was the ONLY man who was going to take advantage of poor Josefina? I hope that now we're going to see Dim desperately trying to win back Josef whether she has that make-over or no.

Regarding Maria's threat (this is not a spoiler just a guess) it brought back images of the end of Tempestad when Esthercita stole the baby. I HOPE they don't go that way! I'm still fairly new at TNs, if Maria says this now is it foreshadowing for later?!

Thanks again to all for the great conversation!
Becky

 

Thank you NovelaMaven: As usual, wonderfully flowing and full of humor and cathartic editorial observations:

worthless sons of Peter Pan

We are reminded of why we should care about Alejandro Almonte, this stupid, violent, abusive, murderous thug of a galán -- when he comes out of the bathroom wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist.

Amen, sister! I couldn't even watch this past Ale's vicious upraiding and death threat to Montse. Well. . .I did see BM's vile hissing at Montse and I couldn't take it. Changed the channel but feel like I've gotten the action without the visceral turbulence I can't seem to control watching this. I see why SR said this was hard to play, they just want him to look pretty and spew bile.

Another stomach-turner is this whole line of Fina supposedly being so abhorrently repulsive.

Graciela is shocked. He went to bed with that...thing?

Really? NovelaMarven even without watching I can hear the oooh oooh oooh aaah aaah aaah! of the simian scriptwriters! Sheesh!

Thank you muchisimo!

Lila
 

After my first round of caffeine I realized that Dimwit's pep talk reminded me of this song by Dean Martin.

Becky, there is a lot of foreshadowing in novelas, which fuels a lot of speculation on this blog and other places where they are discussed. This does not mean that it will happen; like the murder attempt Maria might plan it but be foiled in the end.

Maria will stop at nothing to make Monserrat's life miserable at this point. Her obsession has shifted from having Alejandro love her (which she is so desperately trying to not realize he never will) to destroying Monserrat because Alejandro loves her.
 

Dear NovelaMaven,
I loved every moment of this recap, starting with the fantastic title:

"The Paranoid's Guide to the Universe: Be the Worst You Can Be"

to your final wry aside in the avances:

"Tomorrow: The dreaded confrontation. Or not."

And every sentence in between. The whole was a funny, smart, informative beautifully written recap. You are the best and thanks so much!

The Ale/Montse storyline is really bumming me out, too. I can only second what others of you have already said.

On a lighter note, though, was pleased to see FINA GET HER SOME! For a supposedly prudish old-maiden type, she came ready to play, and also I'm assuming it was her first time. Guess the years of pent up sexual energy surged forth and once the damn burst she was a TSUNAMI o' PASSION.

Hey, wouldn't that be a great title for a TN? Tsunami de Pasión!

Thanks again, Dear NovelMaven, for your wonderful talent which you use so generously to delight us all every week with your stellar recaps!
 

Great title, just as Bodas de Odio would be a great title for an opera.

Why has nobody reminded Alejandro that JL saved his life three times? I am counting this as a writers' failure because those words need to be said by either Victor or Padre Anselmo.
 

I think Vincent telling Maria that Ale would go to the carcel for killing JL was the first time that had occurred to her. In her mind, El Patron is above the law, and in effect, IS the law. No doubt with his crooked connections, Benjamin could have killed someone and had it swept under the rug. Plus, she is so enamored of Ale, I don't think it even occurred to her that JL might win the encounter, plus she'd rather see him dead than ending up with Monse. I was glad to see that when Victor brought it home that he might actually go to jail, Maria tried to dissuade him. In her own deluded way, she does "love" Ale, or believes she does...

I just hope that we don't lose Jose Louis tonight. To me, he is "galan" of this drama, if there is one!
 

"Alejandro Almonte i facepalm upon you and i herebly declare you an idiot in the name of Father ,son and Spirito Santo (Krystie Eleison plays in the background) "

OMG Demetrios---as Dr. Watson said to Sherlock--"that was bloody brilliant!"

And Julia--YES!! Tsunami of Passion! But the horrors of what Univision would do to the end product!

Daisynjay
 

*upbraiding. . .but upraiding seems appropriate too, somehow!

Lila
 

Daisynjay haha yeah and i loved it when Pedro smashed the phone and left and then Nadia smiled evily ,it was so hilarius!
 

Oy vey; Venevision writers are the worst. They would make a complete mess of it.

I haven't said much about Graceless today but she is the one who started this whole mess and the person who takes the least responsibility for anything that's been happening in this story. Even her useless Peter Pan of a son sees this and is finally willing to call her out on it.

What is killing me right now is Carlota's failure to snatch that cell phone out of her hand. We know nothing good will come of this.
 

NovelaMaven: This is one of the best recaps ever. It exemplifies the snarky spirit of this blog. Just keep 'em coming.

If Rosario actually get up enough nerve to tell Ale that she is his mother, he probably won't believe her. He'll accuse her of being Montsy's lying messenger.
 

Elna June, "However,as much as I dislike Ale, I Must take exception to Montserrat's next comment:

"But José Luis did nothing to you!"

Oh my, I could have slapped Montserrat silly with this totally and utterly stupid comment. Has she not learned anything at this point? Anything?!

Vivi in DC, this: "I'm tired of everyone blaming Monse, including Rosy. I wanted to slap her when she said that..." AMEN to that!

...and this: " But does Rosy think he's justified in kicking his pregnant spouse out, calling her disgusting names, defaming her, provoking the death of her father, taking on a live in lover, ignoring the birth of his child, and plotting to murder a man? Really? That seems like a reasonable and justifiable reaction to her?"

In plain and simple English, you have stated EVERYTHING I felt and wanted to say to Rosario when she was doing her little dish to Montserrat. I was too tired last night to voice my thoughts, but no matter, I surely cannot top what you wrote this morning.

The entertainment for me now is in seeing how these crazy writers are going to redeem this repulsive galan (does he even deserve that title?).

Montserrat needs to grow up, too. Get with the program Montserrat or you and your child are going to be in grave danger. The Whore Maria has latched on to you like a pit bull. When will you wake up and move out of that house and live your OWN life?!

The Whore Maria has cemented her very own and special place in Hades. Her desire to see Montserrat dead was bad enough, but her new found desire to harm an innocent child is, once again, beyond the pale. Don't anyone even talk to me about redemption for this witch.

Vivi in DC, when I saw your "oil" comment, I had this vision of hot and burning oil! I think this was a Dark Ages form of torture!

Nanette, you mentioned yesterday that you might leave us for a Telemundo TN. I sure hope you do not leave us. What would we do without your fab lists!!??

Fatima
 

Pasofino, totally agree which is why the so called anticipation of whether or nor Rosario tells Alejandro who she really is means nothing to me.

I wonder, do you think a birth certificate would have been issued for Alejandro? I could just see Don Benny trying to pass another man off as Alejandro's father.

Fatima
 

Thanks much, NovelaMaven! Especially for pointing out idiot Ale's false equivalence of his "dying" to other people really dying.

Yes - BM is pretty dense, as it took spelling out from Vic (even after it had been 'splained to her several times) that Ale will face life in jail if he kills JL. And just now she makes a pathetic attempt to dissuade him. Yes, Carolina, up until now she has probably assumed Ale could easily get away with murder. It's taken her a really long time to understand otherwise.

Becky - BM's threat about the baby was contingent on Ale not surviving the confrontation with JL. Since Ale is the galan, that outcome is nil.

Monse - "no I can't tell Ale that Mom took my phone and sent him that message pretending it is from me - he'll think we're playing games with him!" Here we go again!
 

For you TN veterans, is it the norm to have a TN as dark and depressing as this one? Do they usually remain dark and depressing all the way to the end?

Fatima
 

Fatima,ussualy TN are never this dark, its one of the darkest novelas i seen but i still stick to it because of great actors,amazing performance and the villians are so crazy,i just cant wait to see the anvils coming!

But i think Corona De Lagrimas is more depressive.
 

I also don't think Ale will believe Rosario since to him it will look like just another attempt to deter and manipulate and fool him. Which it would partly be.

Monse seems to think the only thing that Ale can be justifiably angry about is if JL slept with her while she was married to Ale. And since that didn't happen, in her mind "JL didn't do anything to Ale". It is incredibly stupid and naive, but to her that they didn't commit adultery is the only thing that matters.
 

JL is very responsible for what he did like Ale explained he faked his identity ,been living in his house eating,drinking on expense of the house ,tried to steal his wife and lying on every opportunity he had so Monse saying JL didnt do anything to Ale is quite wrong lol ,they are all responsible,everything went wrong when Ale opened the Pandora Box with Gracie and now everyone is having a hard time because of it.
 

Thank you, Demetrios. :)) I haven't seen too many TN and am really a novice at this, but I would agree, I just want to sit back and see what these crazy writers are going to do!

Fatima
 

Demetrios, so agree with you re the "Graciela Pandora's Box". See is at the center of this mess. She is the catalyst for the whole reaction. She is a user and an abuser. I hope she is left alone and penniless.

Fatima
 

This tn is beautifully shot and acted, with some fabulous actors and interactions between characters. It's worth watching just for that. For the first part, the writers kept the action tight and exciting. Now, the galan is getting bogged down in inaction and a rinse, repeat cycle of rage and self pity (making him very unappealing). Once we can move past that, I hope the story will feel exciting again.
 

Sigh ... Does it really really ever get any better than this particular soap? When this is released on DVD, even with hours cut, I am totally buying it. Just really the best. I wish I could step into it and have my own minor role. LOVE it. I could mop up the floor at the world's tamest strip club.

And these recaps are sublime. The Clearasil reading of Dimi and Virginia kissing is beyond funny.

I love me some angry, crazy, irrational Alejandro but am also exhausted by all the pain. Ya basta! Seja homen as we say where I come from. Enough with the tonterias. And, definitely, vamos al despacho!

Let's hope and pray that sexual awakening will take Josefina to the nearest salao de beleza -- Though if she had any friends, male or female worth a few pesos, she could be made over with minimal effort in her own also weirdly horrible looking house. The 80s are forever cursed.

When Adolfito was playing with her hair the other day by the sea wall I was half hoping he was ready to offer some on the spot tips himself. Sweet sweet agony.

Something is definitely going on between Pedro and the twitching Jefecito de Policia!
 

I agree, Vivi in DC, that the scenery and acting is very good, but it's still one very dark novela to me. Just wanted an idea of how these dark novelas run their course.

Thanks.

Fatima
 

A PS I've been meaning to make and keep neglecting to and am sure others have noted is that IF Alejandro had ever received the lovely letter Montse wrote him, which he never received because of Snidely Whiplash, he would have melted and they would be together now. The letter was beautifully written by the writers and wonderfully narrated by AB.

Total agonizing foreplay but at least we got the two fervent lovebirds in the same room for a few minutes. Good old Victor -- hope he survives all this even is the affair with Nadia is flat as a pancake. I'd like to seem Victor hooked up with Carlotta.
 

Fatima I thought about you last night when I changed channels, wondering how you were taking all this. Just don't understand what is to be gained with psycho "galans". The little bit I saw was a vicious verbal assault and I was like "you know what. . .screw youself Ale!"

The point is well made though that Montse needs to learn that little screwing is not the only offense. . .JL is not an innocent little lamb in this.

Lila
 

Lila, Amiga! Thank you for thinking of me. :)

You are right. A body can only take so much. :))

Fatima
 

I found it disturbing on so many levels that after Dimitrio said that he never felt that way before (after having had the best sex of his life) the first thing he did was to run to his Mommy to tell her about it.
 

Fatima- I hear ya. I prefer tns where the heroine and galan are loving and respectful towards each other, even when they are inevitably separated for some reason (that's why I will always love Amor Bravio best). And I just can't abide a galan who disrespects the heroine in such an abusive way. Ale goes on about how his manhood was disrespected. How about how he is disrespecting Monse's womanhood? Throwing her out while pregnant and calling her an evil whore in front of anyone who will listen (or doesn't want to listen).

All of them share part of the blame in how screwed up these relationships got (Ale, Monse, JL, and Gracie). But no one is responsible for Ale’s bad behavior, except him.

 

Well, technically, Mommy Dearest came to see him. Stupid woman - why would you insult your daughter-in-law, in her own house, and not expect to be overheard?
 

dang. . . .I meant literal screwing, not a little screwing! Sheesh!

Lila
 

Maria, I agree. That letter bothers me. Frankly, if I had left something for someone like that, and I didn't hear a word about it from them, I would simply ask "hey, did you get that letter I left for you on the desk?" It's on of my few beanie moments in this TN so far that Victor has said Nada about it.

I agree on the assessment of this TN hitting it out of the park with the acting and characters, as infuriating as they may be. My only fear is that because this is another of those overly-long shows, that we will start getting filler episodes, slower developing plot lines or some lame cliche plot lines as we go along. I so hope not.

Daisynjay
 

Though i think En Nombre Del Amor was very dark and very disturbing at times as well but i did think of it as a linear novela it was just " torture Paloma" in more ways then one but LC was just fantastic so that kind of makes it up for it.
 

Fatima, Demetrios just reminded me that ENDA may have been one of the darkest novelas to date (IMHO).

Many of us who suffered through this slogfest of agony, especially mourned the murders of Paloma's first love Iñaki (the marvelous Luis Hacha) and her beloved mother (Victoria Ruffo).

As depressing as this is, I fear there have been far worse.

Diana
 

Daisynjay- Victor hasn't mentioned the letter to Ale, nor that he found out that Monse DID come to see Ale at the house way back when. Two very important things for him to know, as one of Ale's gripes is that Monse never came back begging him to take her back-- meaning she doesn't love him. It might, just might also make him question who intercepted the visit and the letter.
 

Most of us who watch these know that most of them aren't going to be Sweetness and Light. We have to expect some darkness to fall. I am only hoping that since this one will be almost twice the length of the original that we won't have double the number of episodes of the leading man in a state of depression.

This one will have to have a larger subplot and it will be very different from the previous versions because there is no civil war going on. Thus far we haven't had much in the way of filler, but more stuff that further develops the secondary characters and I think there are also more of those.

To someone else's point about Dimwit telling his mother about his marital consummation, I am not surprised based on the lack of boundaries between them. It's odd that this happens when he is also on the edge of telling her off on a regular basis and defending Monserrat, something I once never thought he would do.

That Graceless would cringe at this when she has basically told her daughter to tart herself up and seduce the roaring lion is either inconsistent or completely delusional. Dimwit has just shown himself to be just as slutty as his own mother while Monserrat couldn't be a whore if her life depended on it.

Which is probably why Gracless hates her, in addition to the fact that she is Lauro's child.
 

Vivi, you are right. At some point Victor has to remember the letter. Also, we never saw Maria remove the rest of it from the stove and dispose of it -- not that it could still be there 7-8 months later in the same condition. We're too used to the writers and actors showing us everything connected with key objects like that letter.
 

Diana, thank you for your comment. Still trying to figure out what is the norm for this kind of TN. :))

Fatima
 

The letter means nothing in the end ,it was just to showcase Marias madness and her unwillingness to let go of Ale and let him be happy and to what lenghts would she go to maintain Ale at her side.
 

The theft of the letter means everything. If Victor were to ask Alejandro whether he got the letter he left for him on the desk and he asked "What letter?" that would lead to Victor's realizing that Maria had to have taken it. He's got most of Maria's number, but not all.

The closest one to that is Adolfo, who saw her with the knife stalking the pregnant Monserrat and he hasn't played stool pigeon yet.
 

Thanks Novela, especially for the dialogue in the scene between Ale and Mons.

Fav lines: “Seriously, guys, think about adding an elephant.” and “[Because let's face it, at this point he goes out and shoots at the sun every morning for daring to rise over his air space.]”

I thought Dim moved out of Fina’s house.

Avances: a duel? Seriously?

Now on to the comments.

Nanette
 

I was thinking about Vic explaining to Maria about the repercussions of what Ale wants to do and I’m suddenly realizing that everyone is wringing their hands about it, but no one has actually doing anything seriously to stop it. He’s been ranting about it ad nauseam for months and not one person has done anything more than look concerned and talk to the hand.
 

Thanks, NovelaMaven. So vivid. And thanks for all the details; I have started FF>>ing Alejandro's scenes. I can't listen to him anymore.

I wish Montserrat had asked him about the letter she sent with Victor, and why he "refused to see her" (per Maria's lie) when she tried to go talk to him.

So now we get a bare-chested rainsoaked duel on the beach? I hope Ale both gets injured and has to go to prison. He deserves it.
 

Hola! I'm back earlier than planned on this snowy afternoon. I'm pretty impressed by your comments today. This little show is really getting to us, isn't it?

A note to my fellow nerds:

The line that Josefina quoted last night was this:

El día que me quieras, los sotos escondidos resonarán arpegios, nunca jamas oidos.
(The day you love me, the hidden groves will echo arpeggios never ever heard.)

It is from the poem "El día que me quieras" by Amado Nervo. If you are interested, you can find the full text here:

http://www.poemas-del-alma.com/el-dia-que-me-quieras.htm

Well done, Josefina!
------------
And a word about the harm that, as Elna June reminds us, José Luis did indeed inflict on Alejandro (the narcissistic injury, if you will):

I have noticed the repeated use of an expression in this novela: Ver la cara

According to our friends at wordreference, this is short for "ver la cara de tonto/estúpido/pendejo" and means something like "make a fool of someone;" "Mi novia me está viendo la cara" (My girlfriend is making a fool of me/cheating on me); "Te vieron la cara" (They made a fool of you.)

This is what JL did to Alejandro: Le dio la cara. Apparently that outweighs the fact that JL saved his life three times.

Which brings me to Fatima's question about the dark nature of this novela.

My sense is that yes, as Vivi and Urban and others have pointed out, novelas do indeed go very dark. But normally the bad guy is…well…the bad guy. The good guy can be flawed and stupid and fall into the traps set by the bad guys. The protagonists may be separated by absurd and frustrating obstacles. But we still know they are the good guys.

There is a difference between a flawed hero and a man who could have been the centerfold in the DSM IV Review of "Paranoid Personality Disorder". (You know, if there were a Review and if they had centerfolds.)
 

I think En Nombre del Amor and Mi Pecado are the darkest telenovelas I've ever seen. This one isn't quite that dark. I've never seen a galán dig himself such a deep, deep hole before, though. If Ale weren't the lead I would easily think that he was a villain and that we weren't supposed to be hoping for his redemption. At this point I would be happy if he ended up with life in prison, Montse got a job and worked to support herself, and Macario and Dominga took ownership of the hacienda and lived happily and richly ever after.
 

NM--You would have re-written this novella ten times better than what we got.

Vivi, I hope you are right about it gets better. Still, we got what we got and we raise a glass to NovelaMaven for inching the Montse-Ale story forward.

Actually quite a lot happened last night in other locations. I have to wonder if Dimi's drive came from wanting to do the deed and get it over with or having been frustrated by Ginnie's running off leaving him *up in the air,* so to speak.

It seems to me that if they had updated BdO or even AR to the early 1900, it would be much more believable--uniforms, horses, letters, duels, deceit, lies, extra-marital relations (or not), wealth (or loss of same), friendships, political corruption--what's not to like? The costumes could have been borrowed from Downton Abbey--the 'Teen Years.

Were our two lead men really standing on the beach at the water's edge facing each other? Shades of Sortilegio.

For some reason I noticed JL was not wearing his wedding band last night. Maybe he takes it off for operations.

Nadia did look a little smug when she averred that the guests might not be coming. I think she might have taken the call and never told Pedro, just to be onry.
 

We've had novelas with antiheroes and antiheroines before. Ones far less deserving of redemption than Alejandro.

Rubi was a greedy b!tch who stopped at nothing to get what she wanted. Teresa was equally ruthless but at least more intelligent. I didn't buy her redemption at the end because I felt she gave up the money for show and she didn't deserve to get Arturo back. But she did.

Rogelio Montero of La Que No Podia Amar also suffered from deep depression, like Alejandro. However, he had more verbal self-control because (I suspect) his verbal weapons could have been ever more deadly. Lots of peeps here were angry with him for ages through the series.

This too shall pass.
 

UA, while I don't expect tns to be sweetness and light, when galans (and Fatima makes an excellent point about whether the term should even be used anymore for Ale) act this badly, there are real emotion and mental problems with the character as written. And as much as I am a romantic, the power of love is not going to heal Ale from his rage. Even if he does save Monse or the baby, will the writers show us that he has learned to control his temper?

What made watching this last night so sad to me was the scenes of Ale spewing bile and then Pedro acting cray, cray with this wife. There really wasn't much difference between the two men but one is supposed to be the hero. I just wish that when tns have the "galan" loose his mind, they get the boot like Gabriel Soto got in QE; new hottie comes in and gets the woman.


 

Karen- What an excellent comparison between the scenes of Pedro, a villain, spewing bile at his wife, and Ale, the supposed hero, spilling the same kind of bile at his wife. Both have also threatened to kill their wives. What makes Ale different than Pedro? The fact that he's not also involved in corrupt business?
 

I didn't think the ending of Teresa was a "happily ever after". They still seemed rather miserable, just resigned. And as bitchy and greedy as Teresa was, she wasn't stuck in blind rage mode and threatening murder for months and months on end.

I guess I did see a little of Rubí. She was bad, but she wasn't supposed to be a sympathetic character.

I guess what makes Ale so intolerable, to me, is that the premise seems to be that he is basically good and sympathetic, yet he is so consumed by his hateful obsessions.

I wonder what the general feeling is about him in the Mexican audience. We've had discussions here before about the differences between Mexican and gringo culture. For one thing, apparently people north of the border tend to have much less patience for self-pity, and also to see jealousy and machismo as signs of weakness and insecurity rather than strength and passion. Could that be coloring our opinions of Ale? Was he meant to be more sympathetic than we are finding him?
 

*preparing a banner and a feast to welcome a new hottie who should come swooping in on his handsome steed any minute...*
 

A duel is definitely something from a period novela, but the writers seem to be determined to have a modern one.

It will be interesting to see what happens, since it is apparently inevitable.
 

Karen
"as much as I dislike Maria, she doesn't deserve Ale either."
I'm starting to thing she does. In fact, right now, I'm feeling like they deserve each other. :D

Fatima
I hope you are feeling better after our group therapy session. You are right -- the story is dreary right now. But it's still interesting and beautiful. Besides, you can't beat The Patio for company.

Mads
It didn't even occur to me that Nadia might have had something to do with Pedro's getting 'aufed' by the Party. Wow. I like it!

AuntyAnn
I know these are difficult times. I'm glad you got a few chuckles from the recap. And yes, the Dim/Fina story is one to keep an eye on. How great if she never goes near a pair of tweezers and still ends up triumphant (maybe with a man not quite as dim as Dim?)

Kana
The idea is that if Rosario tells Alejandro she's his mother and then pleads with him not to go after JL, he'll listen to her. [Does that sound plausible to you? Nah, not to me either.]

Elna June
While I would never wish a 3:30 am wake-up call on anyone, how lucky we are that it resulted in this gem for us:
How soon Ale has forgotten that he would be pushing up cacti in Campecehe if it were not for Jose Luis' timely intervention.

P.S. I did address your excellent point (about Montse denying JL had done any harm to Ale) in my comment above.

JudyB
What can I say? You are such a peach. I'm glad I was able to dispel a bit of the gloom with a bit of lightness. Thank you so much, Miss Judy.

Vivi
I'm so pleased you enjoyed the recap. I've enjoyed reading the several eloquent comments you've made here today about the dynamics of our story. I'm especially fond of this observation:
"Fina is likely the most gorgeous and passionate lover Dim has ever had. Hopefully, that will be the first and last time he gets to experience that, and Fina makes him pine away and beg for her caresses."
 

I've seen (new) Teresa, never saw Rubi, but agree with Julia that Teresa's ending was not a happy one, just one of resignation (let's be miserable together). Part of the fun of watching Teresa was waiting for those moments when she would get her comeuppance. It does not seem that the audience ever expects the anti-heroine to have a happy ending. But the audience does fully expect an anti-hero like Ale to have a happily ever after, wife, children, family and wealth ending. Same with Rogelio Montero (who I never forgave). Why is that? There does not appear to be the same standard for the anti-heroine as there is for the anti-hero.

As for dark tns, I agree that Mi Pecado and En Nombre del Amor really put the heroines through the wringer. But they had more worthy galans.
 

We actually have less patience with emotions in general because they get in the way of business and other social interaction. Crying in the office, for example, is career death in many industries because it shows you lack self-control.

And if your father is in the military it's even worse. That's why I wondered what was expected of Graceless as a military wife and an officer's wife at that. There are major expectations of that status in the US military.
 

Hey, maybe Sebastian, Montse's first fiance who left in a tiff when he found out she had a boyfriend other than the prometido she hadn't seen in 3 years, should come back all calmed down. He could get together with Fina or Esme, maybe.
 

NM:

Excellent idea. An illustrated (so to speak) DSM. Submit a photo of Ale, in a towel with a gun.

EJ
 

He's too young for Fina, but Esme would probably be just right.
 

Urban
I never saw Teresa, but I did see Rubí and I have to agree with Julia -- Rubí may have been the central figure, but she was never meant to be sympathetic.

I agree that our sons of Peter Pan are a little old to be running around in tights. But they are no older than Alejandro, and presumably he is going to grow up at some point. So why not Dim and Addled too?

Katy
Thank you so much! You said about JL:
"The other night when, in reference to Montsy not being with Ale anymore, he said "If only I'd known" RIGHT IN FRONT OF ANGELICA was unconscionable."
God yes. I actually gasped when he said that!

Diana
Thank you for yet another lovely, thoughtful comment. About Pedro/Sergio, you wrote:
" And whoever wrote he should blow smoke in Nadia's face deserves credit. What a powerful, hideous image."
I have a hunch that Sergio adlibbed that one. What do you think?

Jarifa
Thank you!
"The best line of the night goes to Dimitrio musing about impending sex with Josefina and what if he LIKES it?"
You're right -- a great line!

Daisynjay
I do believe you've discovered the antidote to the dark mid-novela ages -- hug a kitten (or a puppy -- or an actual small human, if you have one on hand.) :D

Demetrios
Fabulous image! And you even include the Kyrie (which always sounds so ominous)!

Becky
Great point about that first scene being almost a mirror image of the earlier one where it was Montse making the accusations. I hadn't thought of that.

Lila
I'm immensely flattered that you read the recap even though you couldn't stand to watch the whole episode. [Of course that means you missed Adonis in a towel. Meh. Life is a set of trade-offs.] :D

Julia Rold:
Thank you for the lovely words. I would certainly tune in to a novela called "Tsunami de pasión" -- especially if I could watch it with this Spanish Study Group!

Carolina:
I didn't see JL as a galán at first, but he sure stepped up in his relationship with Angie. Lately, though, he has done some backsliding. Even so, I would hate to lose him tonight. [gah. That would be awful.]

Pasofino
Thank you so much! And I agree, Alejandro will be skeptical about Rosario being his mother. [What will Rosario have to do? Get María to vouch for her? Ale isn't even listening to Padre Anselmo these days.]
 

Fatima: glad you like the lists. If I do leave this TN it will be gradual. I’m going to watch both for a couple of weeks then, if I’m really liking the Telemundo one, I’ll do what I used to do when I watched DAYS OF OUR LIVES—I’ll read Robo's recaps and then watch the scenes that look interesting-or that I may need to watch to clarify something for the lists. If I’m still disliking it after doing that for a while, then I’ll just read the recaps and comments (so I stay up-to-date in case it takes a turnaround and I want to start watching again) and use that info for the lists. I doubt by that time that I’ll completely drop this one since it will be nearing the end by then.

The real problem with this one is that Ale has really done too much to be redeemed. Even if he has a personality transplant, I would be disappointed in Mons for taking him back when he’s done such unforgiveable things. And, unless this TN does a complete 180, she will.
 

NovelaMaven: You read my mind! I did wonder if Sergio improvised blowing smoke in Nadia's face.

I have no sense at all as to who Sergio Sendel is. He always plays such dark roles and I have not seen him interviewed or on anything that might give a hint as to his personality. If it was, he has a good sense of humor as it was a loathsome gesture befitting Pedro's character. Whoever had the idea, it was a bright and very effective one!

Diana
 

All:

A number of you have commented on the vibe between Pedro and EZ. When EZ is talking to Pedro and working his twitching jaw, it is hard to tell whether he love/hates Pedro or lusts after him. Or both.

I noted last night that Pedro is not being too discreet with Nadia about the future of their sex life. When Nadia said "You never touch me!" Pdero came right back with his harebrained scheme for Nadia to reproduce with Victor and then just hand the beloved child over to Pedro to parent. Uh huh.

I think we are really not supposed to like EZ. Alexis A. is playing him as a really odd duck.

EJ
 

Audrey
I'm glad you pointed out that María's threat to snatch the baby was contingent on Alejandro's death. Whew.

I wonder if Alejandro will take Graciela's bait. Let's hope not -- although he might -- just to give us some scenes of our two beautiful actors together. [We do come here for the beautiful people, right?]

Maria de A
I love your enthusiasm! And yeah, you're right -- even when it's bad, it's good. You cracked me up with this:
"I wish I could step into it and have my own minor role. LOVE it. I could mop up the floor at the world's tamest strip club. "

Oxnard Huero
That Dim should be talking to his mother about his intimate relations -- anywhere, anytime, for any reason -- is plenty disturbing. It shows just how far he is from being whole (as opposed to being an A-hole. snort)

Nanette
Thanks for stopping by. I didn't get a chance to tell you yesterday how much I enjoyed the latest lists.

Julia
"So now we get a bare-chested rainsoaked duel on the beach?"
And you thought Christmas was over! hahahaha

Anita
Aw shucks, Anita. And I work for peanuts!

Elna June
You could illustrate the whole DSM with novela characters. [There'd be so many great choices for borderlines, you might need an extra photo insert.]

As for EZ, I think Pedro has cut him to the quick. He is going to seethe quietly, but at some point, this little man is going to get his revenge. After all, le dieron la cara
 

oops. I meant "le vieron la cara." I see I made the same mistake above too. "Dar la cara" -- to take responsibility, woman up -- means something quite different.

Sheesh.
 

NovelaMaven – Thanks a bunch. I quote eloquent JudyB: "You inform, entertain and teach." The best show in town.

Did I hear Pedro give Nadia a time frame for the rutting with Victor? Two weeks or two months maybe? Or perhaps the blood boiling in my head screwed up my ears.

[Nadia] and Esme should skip town together and disappear.”

Jarifa, I want to add Angie and Fina to the list of women skipping town.

Katy, ITA all you said on Angie. I wish she would leave JL, though he was always honest [except when he lied about not seeing Montse in Aguazul before their wedding] that Montse was the love of his life. Angie deserves someone who puts her first, in both action and thought. I want to see the Angie of old who stole Dim’s stolen money and bribed the police. It's not fair that she spend her last days in hand-wringing over what JL is feeling inside.

Victor is looking so good next to all the bums in this TN. But dang you think he’d ask his best friend about that Very Important Letter or DNA.
 

Niecie
Thanks so much! I thought Pedro said something like "Take two weeks -- hell, take as long as you want."

Victor is a good egg, definitely, but he does have his lapses (like mishandling crucial letters, say.) Oh well.
 

Niecie: Angelica may deserve more than JL, but, JL is the man she fell in love with and the man she wanted. She pursued him ore than he pursued her. She went into that relationship with her eyes wide open.
 

Niecie: Angelica may deserve more than JL, but, JL is the man she fell in love with and the man she wanted. She pursued him ore than he pursued her. She went into that relationship with her eyes wide open.
 

I wanted Mons to say, “Seriously. You’re comparing your “dying of rage and fury and pain” the same as my father actually dying and a young girl who has terminal cancer. Seriously?! SERIOUSLY?!” and then have her walk out in disgust.

I can tell you one thing, a Silvia Navarro character would NEVER take the s**t that Ale dishes out.
 

Pasofina - I agree with all you said. But Angie didn't think that Montse would become a free agent.
 

Niecie: great point about how Angie's character has changed. She's lost that twinkle in her eye and devil may care attitude. Maybe she should call her magical Madrina and have her work some magic.

I guess the reason I would like to see Ale do some jail time is to humble his extremely arrogant character. When he first got to be patron, he was all about being kind to the servants, working alongside the "peons", building a health center. Now he orders everyone around like he's a king. Where did that sense of entitlement come from?

You landed on third, Ale. You didn't hit a triple.

Hey, where the heck is Sylvia?! I miss her comments.
 

And NM, you are always so sweet to reply to each of our comments. It makes us feel special!:)
 

Katy, I can't do it every time, but I like to when I can. It's the give and take of this blog that makes it fun.

And I miss Sylvia too. She has gone off on another sailing adventure. I think she will be checking in with us from time to time when she can, but I don't expect that to be for a while (weeks? months?)

As for our imaginary friends, I'm not happy with what is happening between Angie and JL either. I remarked the other day that a noble gesture is fine, but sustaining it is another thing. It sounds terrible to say this, but neither one of them expected Angelica to live long enough for them to have any marital problems.
 

wow, I haven't gotten through all the comments, but I will pause for a minute to thank Novelamaven for another clever, insightful, and detailed recap. I am always captivated by your writing. I will have to confer with Julia, but I think that as life coaches, we should advise you to consider a writing career.

These two sentences ran through my mind as I watched last night's episode..Love is patient. Love is kind. Well, not much evidence of patience or kindness in this novela except among the women who try to support each other...Tia, Mony, Angie, Nadia, Rosario, Josefina.

What can I say about Ale that you all haven't said. How in the world could he ever make up for his behavior and redeem himself ?..He finds a cure for Angie's illness . He rescues the entire town from something. He adopts a dozen orphans. Or perhaps, he just promises to never wear anything but a towel wrapped around his waist...no, even that wouldn't make me forgive him for the way be has been behaving.

As for Pedro finally giving us the cellphone toss, I thought that he spiked it like a football. I have heard of blowing smoke up someone's ***' but never in someone's face. How rude...and odd. And when he whipped that tablecloth off the table, it made me think of that trick people do where they quickly pull off the cloth and leave all the dishes on the table. if that is what he was trying to do....it didn't work.

Well, we here are waiting for the next snow which is supposed to start tonight and drop y to 1w or more inches on us. Meh..bah...boo...help. Now , I will finish reading the comments.
 

Thanks for presenting us with another wonderful masterpiece, NovelaMaven. Once more, I'm in awe of your wit, humor, and style.

My mouth is still gaping over Pedro's demand. As many here, up till now I've been somewhat disappointed in Sergio Sendel, but now I see that he is brilliantly developing this character by unfolding his personality bit by excruciating bit. We know so much and yet so little about Pedro. I thought he was riveting last night although horrified and disgusted by his plan.

I enjoyed all the performances last night, especially Fina and Dimitrio. I was surprised at Graciela's lapse in allowing her conversation with Dim to be overheard... odd for someone with such attention to detail... she even locks her bedroom door.

Looked like Alejandro's pistol was smaller than JL's.

Carlos
 

SusanLynn
I am so honored that you would consider taking me on as one of your career counseling clients, should your colleague be amenable. I know your roster is quite exclusive. I am, however, aware of your usual fee. I must warn you that I have no briefcase of money at my disposal -- not even an envelope purse full -- so I will understand if you wish to reconsider the offer.

Carlos
I blush. Thank you so much.

I am rather relieved to see that everything is out in the open in the Medina house (everything marital, that is -- everything criminal remains to be revealed.) There is a kind of balance of power in the marriage that protects Nadia physically, if not emotionally.

And yes, Sergio Sendel is building a doozy of a crazy in his Pedro. What fun!
 

Wow. Finally had time to look up and copy the whole poem. What a nice Valentine's Day present. That line would have flown right by me, if you hadn't caught its literary significance NovelaMaven. The monkey writers just upgraded themselves a bit, no? And you Smart Cookie, you snagged it for us. Muchas gracias, amiga mia.
 

My pleasure, JudyB. It is lovely, isn't it? And you're right -- the monkey writers redeemed themselves a bit by including it (or perhaps it is the new elephant on the team who should be applauded?)

Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the poem. I always hesitate before posting something like that, and it is heartening to know that someone I admire thought it was worth reading.
 

I want to share the daily quote from the local newspaper with our pal Ale ...." opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging."...Joseph Campbell So, Ale, maybe this whole hot mess you are simmering in is just the universe providing you with a chance for self improvement. Glass half full, Bud. Keep your sunny side up.
 

Carlos--
Looked like Alejandro's pistol was smaller than JL's.

Shame on you. Or are you really talking about pistols? You are making me laugh too hard.