Caray, Caray!

Amigos:

I am sorry to have rehashed over the background to the show, but some recent offline feedback from a friend she has just started watching the show caused me to write an intro that would bring new folks up to date.

She said she had several friends who were just now joining us in viewing Robo and that they were somewhat confused.

I hope that these lovely humans will move out of Lurkdom and join us in commenting on the show.

Speaking ow which, tonight's recap is not funny or even ironically detached. The show was just plain grim and I felt beleaguered while writing the recap.

I am headed back to the Bunker of Ironic Detachment as soon as a eat a container of Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heathbar Crunch ice crea. Don't worry my friends, I am having a freezer full of delightful ice cream choices delivered to the Bunker this very day. Thank you Novela Maven for creating such a refuge for story weary telenovela viewers!

First question to discuss—Is she or isn't she? Is Maria dead or is this some sort of a plot that EZ dreamed up to scam Pedro somehow? What if Adolfo's gun from the glove box was not loaded?

I am ALWAYS suspicious when the cameras do not show us a body.

EJ
 

Good morning, all.

EJ, thank you for this excellent recap of a joyless episode. May I join you in The Bunker. Coffee ice cream is my fav.

I am getting a little weary of watching rage , evil, and angst played out every night. a single rose and a huge bouquet do not light up the darkness.

I do not think Malria has met her maker. This was probably another evil trick played by that old trickster Pedo.

Watching VIk opening the safe while Fabulush catnapped (not) made me cringe...stupid.

I think that Ale looks hot when he gets all dark and stormy , but JL is just ugly and scary. He is starting to remind me of the Diego role he played in Alborada. He was the BSC villain in that show.
 

EJ,

Good Morning! and/or Good Night! Thanks for the excellent recap. And for the background information on our citizens of Aguazul.

I guess we have to believe that JL forced a kiss on Montse to make her hate him even more, but I think that he enjoyed himself too. Like he said, he never got that goodbye kiss at the hacienda. What really makes me angry is that he is doing this behind Angie's back. She doesn't deserve that.

A bit surprised that JL confessed that kiss with Montse to Ale. He said that he was trying to be honest and apologize, but I have the feeling that he kind of wanted to rub it in Ale's face. Especially because JL told him that Montse did kiss him back at first, when I don't think that was true. JL had Montse against the desk, and it didn't seem that Montse gave into that kiss at any time. JL may have wanted Ale to feel the jealousy he (JL) felt when he was in jail while Montse and Ale were getting married. With this confession, I don't think Ale will be as trusting of JL from now on.

It was nice to see Ale's calm demeanor when Montse went for a visit. He was upset, but calm. He just wants to be reassured that Montse loves him. He feels helpless in jail with his life in the hands of the evil Pedo. Nice kiss to end that scene!

I was even happier when Ale realized, after BM's visit, that he can no longer trust her. Thank goodness! Finally!

Now to the question of the night. Is she, or isn't she? I was really surprised when Fofito fired the gun, but then again he was trying to save himself. Or so I thought. When the epi ended I was in shock. I didn't think BM would die so soon, but then I thought about Juvie, and how early on he died. About an hour later I concluded that BM is still alive. I am with you, Elna June. I can't believe a TN character is dead if I don't see the body. Plus, in a weird way I don't want Fofito to be a murderer. I think EZ is planting the seeds for Pedo's eventual downfall. BM will probably stay out of town, perhaps at the hacienda, until EZ needs her. Pedo won't suspect a thing because he believes that no one will disobey his orders.

Seriously Victor? That's all I have to say about that scene with Victor and Fabby.

Susanlynn, ITA:
"I think that Ale looks hot when he gets all dark and stormy , but JL is just ugly and scary."

Thanks for the invite to the bunker, but I am still sitting tight at the Ale table. Just to let you know, I am enjoying some Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake! Yum!

Off to bed...hasta pronto!
 

EJ, I know the story and still loved reading your rehash/recap. I did want to throw shoes at the TV, though. Love your description of our doldrums, and our bunker of intense agitation over the plot contrivances that are extending this story. You are quite the writer and your recaps are more enjoyable that the story.

Welcome Lurkers, give yourselves a handle and join the fun!

Monserrat kneed JL in the groin when he kissed her and JL's assertion that she returned the kiss for a minute-? That wasn't my take on it. If JL had been a gentleman we would have just told JL about the kneeing in the groin. He's been lying about other things to make Monse hate him, but NOW he decides to be honest? Porque?

No one in this TN can keep a secret! Carlota is risking a lot blabbing EZ's story.

Re: the shooting. My husband, who only watches occasionally and serves as a side commentator said Maria didn't really get shot. My guess (not a spoiler)-BZ betrayed Pedro by loading the gun with blanks and will try to use Fofo and Maria against Pedro. Maria will go into hiding.
 

Thank you, Elna June for the marvelous recap. I enjoyed the summary at the beginning even though I have been watching all along. What a great idea!

I agree with the previous posters that until we see the body (I'll add being buried) I won't believe Maria is dead. Let's see what they come up with tonight. Any way you cut it, Pedro is revealing himself to be sicker and more twisted with every episode.

JL sure has a crazy side buried not too far under his usual demeanor. Maybe now finally Montse will stay away from him.

At least we know that Fabiola will take her hat off for some things. LOL.

Jarifa
 

Many thanks EJ. Downer of an episode indeed, but you did it justice and I just had to giggle with "Fabi and Sandro are lounging naked in bed in the middle of the day in what surely must be post-coital bliss. Fabiola is not wearing a hat."

Yeah, yeah. JL was trying to get Monse to hate him. Well, he succeeded, but there was bit more to how he did it than just making moves and ticking her off. But whatever, we seem to have to have a triangle, so we have one. And I guess we will see him smoozing Fabs. Again, all the while as Angie goes along blindly? That doesn't bode well and I just don't want to even think about possibilities there.

Right now, I vote for Maria still breathing for another day. Perhaps Bazurko plans to use her to take Pedo down and he hides her somewhere for a few dozen episodes. Even so, when she goes missing, won't there be a few people getting suspicious and want some answers? This will be interesting to see how it plays out I guess.

Can we PLEASE get more than a 60 second Dim or Fina scene. C'mon, we've been good putting up with all this violence and evil. The patio will be empty soon as we all descend to the bunker or seek out some sunshine somewhere else.

Sorry Carlos about Baylor, but being a Big Ten fan....Woohoo Big Cheese!

Daisynjay
 

Good work, Elna June. Sometimes we can't be witty or humorous. This truly was a grim episode.

I also agree that Maria wasn't killed. EZ's internal declaration to get Pedro set that up. I've also been watching novelas long enough to be suspicious when no dead body is shown.

Maria would have to be hidden elsewhere; the hacienda wouldn't be safe for her. The narcos could report sightings and the employees hate her guts.

No matter what actually happened, I see Adolfo crawling into the bottle for a while. Hope he confides in Dimitrio.
 

Dearest Elna June,

I loved your marvelous recap complete with summary intro of "The Way Robo Rolls" ! Such a perfect subtitle. You summarized everything so elegantly, concisely, and stylishly. What a treat! It lured me on--I have a huge deadline for 1 PM but I couldn't stop reading.

I've been watching he whole time, of course, but it was interesting for me to think about how far we've come and, sadly, how far we have to go. But your description of our current situation was the best:

"Now, however, the good ship LQLVMR has entered the horse latitudes of telenovelas, wallowing in a breezeless extension where gnawed up and bloated plot-ends spin around our once-swift ship, impeding progress and generally stinking up the place."

Yes. For example, I know I resented having that scene with Fabiola and Sandro in bed. It was only boring to me--I couldn't get mad about THEM being together, as I think the writers want me to be. I was only about the fact that I have to spend 3 minutes watching them. The writers couldn't even give us a nice scene with DIM and Josie instead?

I still am enjoying the show, though, I have to admit. But I can't see how much longer or even conceive of how it's going to stay interesting since we are ONLY HALF WAY THROUGH!

Thanks again, Elna June. So glad your friend has joined us and also that she inspired you to provide all of us with the wonderful plot summary to date and recap.
 

Accomplices with benefits? Something is going to get between those two and they'll be at each other's throats before this is over.
 

EJ:

Thank you so much for this wonderful, enlightening and so finely written recap! I really liked the catching up prologue and the horse latitudes line, lol.

I too will be surprised if BM is dead. I never believe it unless I see a body too. Even though I don't like BM, I imagined a different fate for her, like the manicomio. I too don't want Addled to end up being a murderer. EZ I think must be up to something.

I am still liking JL. What he did was wrong, I agree, but he really is doing it, I really believe, to make Monse stay far from him. If you think about it for a tic, Monse has stymied his investigation by trying to convince people not to trust JL. I still think that JL is an honorable man, but he did this to prove something to himself, as in Monse has no feelings for him and to get her to hate him even more. He is trying to remove the temptation from his life in other words. I think he got her message loud and clear after she kneed him. Now he knows exactly how she has no feelings for him, and if he tries to do this again, then he will be on my dead to me list. I also like the fact that he told Ale that he kissed Monse. It is better this way cause Ale won't find out later and go ballistic. As far as JL doing this and not caring about Angie, I don't think so. I think he really does love and care for Angie. As far as Fablush goes. He'll lead her around by the nose to find out exactly what the hey she is up to.

On the flip side, I think that Monse didn't answer Nadia because she is sick of people believing the worst, when in fact I really think she hates JL now. Even Ale, does she still love him? The girl is stronger than she knows.

Nadia, I have to say, surprised me. I really liked how she put Peddy's feet to the fire. Either he gets Ale out of jail, she even admitted to talking to SB herself, or she wouldn't get preggers and the planting of the birth control pills. He really can't get rid of Nadia, too many questions would be raised. Nadia I think is smarter than we give her credit for. Now if she would only discover those cameras in the rental love nest.

I want Lottie to wake up! Hopefully it is soon and not on the day she marries that cretin. She deserves so much more!


 

Elna June, I agree with Urban. There are times when being witty is simply NOT required. Just the facts, ma'am. As always you did an excellent and thorough job of portraying the facts of life in Agua Azul.

Maria is not dead. We all know that. Maria is a tool in Pedro's Empty Tool Box. He collects tools. She is just one in his ever growing collection. She will emerge her usual boring, predictable self somewhere down the road, but most likely she will be a tool for somebody else.

Pedro's Karma is sure to be good as his evil grows by leaps and bounds.

The Good Ship Lollipop is definitely in the doldrums. What possibly new violent scene can the writers drum up now?

Fatima
 

EJ- I didn't watch this last night, so I appreciate not only your recap of how we got to where we are in the story now, AND your great retelling of last night's events.

Over on De Que Te Quiero, the heroine was nearly raped by the galan's evil twin. She still thinks it was the galan who was the culprit, which makes her really confused when the real galan acts all good and noble-- you know, like his real self. But the Robo writers don't bother with things like evil twins. They put these opposing personalities in the same men-- so Ale and JL can be both kind and noble, AND angry rapists. Go figure!

I also don't believe Maria is dead.

So if Nadia knows of the existence of birth control, and knows how to get hold of it (in order to fool Pedro), then why in the HELL didn't she use it so that she wouldn't get pregnant for real?!
 

Agreed, Vivi/ If I were Nadia I'd take the pills secretly until Pedro got hoisted on his own petard.
 

Excellent Elna June... perhaps not knee-slappin' hilarious but elegantly and beautifully written as this excerpt describing Pedro:

"Pedro Medina is the Shelob of spiders around whom the whole plot of Lo Que La Vida Me Robo now devolves... His web extends from the historic looking yellow City Hall and jail in the center of town out in vast interconnected and sticky concentric circles to the rich haciendas and empty lands on the outskirts of town."

What an exquisite as well as accurate picture that paints for us.

(I had to look up Shelob.)

Initially I was devastated by María's execution. The fact that we didn't see the body gave me some hope. Besides, I don't believe that her work is done. If she is alive, it is directly a result of Pedro's cruelty in that sadistic little tableau he played out with Zeke.
I'm also rather fond of Adolfo... besides, he's already demonstrated his reluctance to commit murder.

I'm convinced that JL is pathologically obsessed with Montserrat and incredibly unstable. He pretty much admits it and I'm willing to believe him.

If Fabs gets her hands on the wills... will María somehow get the blame for that?

Since Nadia is clearly aware that OCs exist... why the heck hasn't she been taking them? ¡Estupida!

Carlos
 

Vivi, great comment about Nadia, the pregnancy and the pills. Does she think at all??

Jarifa
 

Thanks for the great recap!

I don't think Maria is dead. I think EZ is putting his plan into motion. EZ wants Pedro's job. The only way to get it, or anything, is to get Pedro out of the way. First, he gets himself a reputable wife like Pedro. Now he knows that Maria has the goods against Pedro so must keep her safe. So EZ plans this whole thing to fake Maria's death to keep her safe and Pedro thinking her dead. He will then spring Maria at the appropriate time to bring down Pedro.

I really hope all I said above is true because as much as I hate Maria, and believe she is capable of killing one of the good guys, I don't won't Adolfo to be responsible for killing anyone.
 

I want to defend Nadia a bit. I can see why she didn't use OC pills while married to Peddy, he never touched her so why bother? I don't think she thought she would get preggers this quick with Victor, a bad move on her part for not taking the pills then. Now she's all about protecting Victor. She just knows that Peddy will get rid of him. She is very scared of Peddy and is doing what she can to ward him off. I do give her credit for that, she has her ways.

I was thinking too the body count for this TN is high for not being near the end. Peddy doesn't stop to think either. He is the real dumb one here. The Navy is on to him, he kinda knows this, and Peddy is the one responsible for killings even though he has never killed anyone himself. He thinks he has everything under control and I'm hoping this heyday of his is soon coming to an end.
 

My Dearest Elna June:

I was also drawn in by your elegant retelling of the tale. (Are we working on our own troubadour tradition on The Patio?) As for your claim that this recap is free of humor and irony, I must disagree:

He wears his special, “Hi, My name is EZ and I am the CHIEF of police” name badge hanging from a long cord around his neck.

Fabi and Sandro are lounging naked in bed in the middle of the day in what surely must be post-coital bliss. Fabiola is not wearing a hat.

I too am very skeptical about the final scene. No body. Lots of foreshadowing of EZ's palace coup. Early to be losing a key villain (though maybe the actress needs some vacation time and will be away from the next several episodes, except in flash-backs).

An excellent gauge of the frustration level on The Patio: Carlos has been driven to calling Nadia "¡estúpida!" Harsh choice of word from the man who puts the 'gentle' in gentleman. :)

May I add a word about Montse's visit to Alejandro in jail? I felt his insistent questioning (Did ANYTHING ELSE happen? Is there ANYTHING ELSE you want to tell me?) was disturbing. He has tucked away THE KISS and will lob it back at her as another LIE or at least a sin of omission ("JL told me about it -- why are you keeping it a secret?") the next time they have one of their beautifully choreographed
explosions of jealous rage that passes for love in certain southern latitudes.

Thank you, Elna June, for this beautifully written, thoughtful and timely gift of a recap.
 

Has anyone else noticed that the most dangerous occupation in Aguazul and environs is fatherhood?

1. Benjamín Almonte (father of Alejandro, and probably of Fabiola.)

2. Gaspar Zamudio (father of María)

3. Lauro Mendoza (father of Montserrat and Dimitrio)

4. Joaquín Arechiga (father of Angélica and Virginia).

And you wonder why Mr. Argüelles keeps his distance? I'd stay in Europe too...

Victor and Alejandro, watch your backs!
 

Madelaine,

"I don't think she thought she would get preggers this quick with Victor..."

Yes, it's a well known fact that a woman can't get pregnant the first few times that she has sex...

NovelaMaven,

I'm sorry if that sounded harsh (estúpida)... I of course meant it in the most affectionate sense of the word.

Carlos
 

Everyone's talking about Nadia not using birth control but do we know that for a fact? We all know birth control, condoms, can fail.
 

Good Day:

I sincerely appreciate all of you coming by today to comment. Welcome, newbies!

It really was a dreadful episode and I feel like the writers are giving with one hand and taking with the other. First we get heavy foreshadowing—EZ's coming coup and Ale's saving up "THE KISS"— and then they withhold clarity on some key information.

Mdas, Urban, Novela Maven, Julia Rold
have all caught epi's where THE NOTE(S) qualify as newly introduced characters to the show. But the writers are also being cagey about the NOTE(S). How many are there? Di Joaquin write others? What do they say? What exactly did Pedro burn? Was that a copy of Joaquin's original?

It seems to me that we will be spending an unholy amount of time on this topic so I tried to write clearly about what I saw and heard.

Again, I am so delighted to all of you today. I thought most folks would be hunkered down under a cosy blanket somewhere.

EJ




Perhaps the state of confusion in which that leaves us will pass for dramatic tension in the telenovela.


 

Excellent recap, always good to refresh.

I have a question on EZ, has he really done terrible things, or has he "imagined" it. He is such a bumbler, and came out of nowhere that I think he is undercover. He could have shot Maria if he was that bad.

I am happy this TN did not go there and kill the Padre - Padre Homicide in TN's is becoming such a common thing.
 

EJ, truer words were never written:
"Now, however, the good ship LQLVMR has entered the horse latitudes of telenovelas, wallowing in a breezeless extension..." Thanks for your elegant and enjoyable exposition.

Fabiola not wearing a hat--lol! She doesn't need to impress Sandro, since he knows her so well. Too bad Victor wasn't careful about the combination on the safe.

No, Fofito!(Love that nickname.) I'm sure the Maria murder is a fake and our pretty rascal isn't a murderer.

The recap was so much more worthy than the boring, boring, boring dreck we see onscreen.
 

Susanlynn:

I am delighted to have another coffee ice cream fan to sit with at the charming cafe tables that Novela Maven has so thoughtfully placed next to the bomb hardened windows of the bunker.

I fear I must disagree with you on one thing, however. We shall have to engage in polite conversation about Alejandro looking hot when he is in one of his frequent rages. I think both galans look scary, crazy and brutal when they are mad.

It seems to me that the undercut shots we get of angry Ale make his nose grow like Pinocchio's and his BIG WHITE TEETH fill the entire screen. JL just looks like a crazyo obsessed madman.

Being such nice friends, I am sure we will be content to disagree. Smile.

Aunty Ann: So nice to see you, O ye faithful Ale fan. Where would he be without you?

I like your analysis of the Kiss. It certainly did not look to me like Montse enjoyed it.

Like you and several others, I do not want Adolfo to take the highway to hell. I really enjoy the actor and think he is quite appealing when he is not sporting muppet hair slicked with hairgrease.

Still, I am not optimistic about the recent turn of events. Fofito is so weak that it looks like he actually pulled the trigger last night—even if the gun was full of blanks. I suspect that he is doomed but he will probably do some heroic act on behalf of Josefina before the end of the TN.

Emarie: You said:
"Love your description of our doldrums, and our bunker of intense agitation over the plot contrivances that are extending this story." I am so glad you enjoyed the rehash, as you so appropriately call it. Thank you for your kind words.

It sounds as if Mr. Emarie knows of what he speaks. No blood spatter, no body shot, like many of you I think that Maria has been tucked away by EZ.
He has a bit of a thang for her anyway.

Jarifa: You made me laugh with this,"At least we know that Fabiola will take her hat off for some things. LOL." I am glad you liked the recap.

Daisynjay:

This whole paragraph in your comment was a gem:

"Yeah, yeah. JL was trying to get Monse to hate him. Well, he succeeded, but there was bit more to how he did it than just making moves and ticking her off. But whatever, we seem to have to have a triangle, so we have one. And I guess we will see him smoozing Fabs. Again, all the while as Angie goes along blindly? That doesn't bode well and I just don't want to even think about possibilities there."

These characters tell so many lies and half truths that I can't keep them straight. I cracked up when JL looked indignant at the suggestion that he would lie like he did when he was Antonio Oliveres. Honestly! Big smile.

I do not know what JL is thinking when it comes to his beloved wife. Perhaps when she finds out about THE KISS he will spin her out a new tale of how it was all done to keep tempting Montse out of his life. This whole plot line is absurd.

Urban: Thanks so much for commenting on our grim episode AND for giving me a nod regarding the lack of humor in the contents of the capitulo.

I like your idea that Adolfo might descend into substance abuse to hide from his own conscience. He still has one, I think, but he is too slothful to follow it.

It seems that none of us is buying the idea that Maria Zamudio met her Maker last night.

Elna June





 

EJ thanks for your eloquent recap. As NM mentioned you did have two great funny zingers in spite of this morose episode. Also glad you and others pointed to the obvious about Maria not being dead. Coming off of PSMA, the 8 pm tn, where the writers permit all types of horror to occur to the good guys and people on their way to redemption, I thought Maria had bought the farm.
 

Fatima: So glad you appreciated the plain ole recap. Smile. Thank yo for your kind words.

Great comment on Pedro's Karma. If we believe in the ineluctable laws of cause and effect, no single fiery death can be enough to create balance for Pedro's hideous acts. I fear he will do some time (eons) as one of the lower forms of life. A ciffin fly, perhaps?

Vivi: Thank you so much for coming by and for giving us a little insight into our latest telenovela.

I loved this comment, "They put these opposing personalities in the same men-- so Ale and JL can be both kind and noble, AND angry rapists. Go figure!"

I share your incredulity. These two anti-galans are a piece of work. There is almost no one to well-wish in this TN. Our fav couple is Dim and Josie and Dim had been a lying, thieving man killer up till quite recently.

As to Nadia, I can only repeat what my cat tells me. He still yowls when she comes on the screen. She's pretty and brave. From a cat's perspective who needs smart.

Getting pregnant with a child that Pedo could conceivably torture for a lifetime is a depraved act in and of itself, IMHO.

Carlos: Thank you for your kind words regarding my description of teh place of Pedro in Aguazul. I am delighted that you enjoyed the description.

I am convinced that your girl Maria yet lives. You are so right about the sadistic tableau played out from a distance by Pedro. He is one twisted reptile, that one. If Maria did live through that scene then it will be the second time he has psychologically tortured Maria into thinking that she was about to ide. No one deserves that!

As to JL's mental stability, if his impulse control is as poor as he claims it to be, "I couldn not help myself," then he should probably be somewhere safe, under medical supervision.

Tolkien's Shelob is one of the most hideous monsters to ever darken a good story. I am glad you were able to source the reference.

Carvivlie: Wonderful to see you. Thanks for stopping by. I think your take on EZ's plan sounds just right. And, by the by, how do I pronounce your blog name? Big smile.

Julia Rold:

Did I already agree with you about how much I hated the writers wasting my time with Fabi and Sanndro in bed. Honestly. I hope you made your 1 PM deadline and I am always so glad to see your comments?

Mads: Thank you so much for your kind words! great to see you after this abysmal episode. I am interested in your idea that the Navy is already on to Pedro's perfidy. I know that JL and Refu know, but do you think Robles agrees with them? How could you envision the Navy taking Pedro down? He has kept his hands so clear, so far, that I am worried that he will trouble us until the Gran Final!

I sure hope you are right.

EJ


 

As Amelia and Angélica were looking at bridal dresses in the magazine, Amelia made me snicker when she reminded Angie that here in Agua Azul that "women like Esmeralda" don't wear white when they marry. Heh heh.

Carlos
 

Dear Novela Maven:

It seems that we ARE building our troubadour repertoire here on the Patio. I keep writing the same stuff in different ways, hoping it will make more sense in the retelling. Surely Mads could put this sorry song to music to lighten things up a bit?

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am glad you were at least drawn into the overtold story.

Oh, yes, and thank you for adding more about the jail scene with Ale and Montse. These two characters are such game players I could not detect a sincere moment between them, except for perhaps their kiss.

Ale and Montse do have wonderful sexual chemistry but I am not inspired to root very hard for them because of their constant manipulations of one another. Yuk, yuk, yuk.

Your observation on the most dangerous occupation in Aguazul was fabulous. I do not think Victor and Nadia will make it to happily ever after. Pedro has already had Victor beaten nearly to death and he will be completely expendable once Pedro knows Nadia is pregnant.

I also thought that Nadia gave a pretty impassioned defense of Jose Luis last night. If Jose Luis loses Angelica they will need to pair him up with someone. Perhaps it will be Nadia. She is as pretty is Montserrat and enjoys just about the same brainpower as our Campeche Barbie.

Thank you, as always, for your words of support for the recap. They, and you are genuinely appreciated.

Anon @ 12:42; Thank you for your comments. I think that EZ is both a bumbler and a murderer. And I share your hope that Padre Anselmo is not killed off. That would make me VERY unhappy.

La Paloma: You are such a nice friend to drop by and comment on this gloomy capitulo. I appreciate it. I also thank you for this, "The recap was so much more worthy than the boring, boring, boring dreck we see onscreen."

I am delighted that you found it to be so. I love the word 'dreck'. We do not use it enough, I think.

Karen: I am delighted to see you today. Thank you for commenting. I hope your weather is improving these days and that you have suffered no more losses of power!

I have heard the PSMA is dark, dark, as well. Yikes! Are telenovelas themselves breaking bad?

What do you think about this denizens of the Patio and the Bunker. I for one would welcome a little more love and a lot less death in our telenovela world.

The shows do seem darker these days—at least in terms of body count— don't they?

EJ

 

I never commented before on this thread even though I've watch the show and read the forum from the start. I am over the whole JL is noble and upstanding guy shtick. He is sitting on my last good nerve and I ain't got a spare! Newsflash: people do fall out of love, my goodness. It is not a new concept, jeez louise. My daughter's name is Fabiola so I'll give a pass :-)
Romy
 

Carlos:

Grin.

I thought that scene was great. Perhaps Amalia should commission a special limited edition scarlet wedding dress for Esme.

Imagine throwing someone a surprise wedding? The idea boggles my mind. It also makes me think that Angelica is not long for our telenovela world. More's the pity—she and Josefina are my favorite characters.

EJ
 

Romy:

Thank you so much for commenting! You are most welcome here on the Patio of Lowered Expectations, LQLVMR, at Caray Caray. We adore meeting new people.

I agree with you, JL is getting on my last nerve too.

I love that your daughter's name is Fabiola! It is a beautiful name. Does your daughter like hats?

Hee hee hee. Thanks again for coming by. Now that you have raised your head above the parapet let us see you when you feel like it.

Warm Regards,

Elna June
 

Elna June:

The Navy needs to get ahold of Samuel. That's how they have a chance of catching Peddy. I think the Navy was supposed to have him in custody, but Peddy beat them to it and made him incommunicado. No visitors. But once the Capitan gets back, there will be hell to pay. I think the Capitan will insist he be in their custody due to Samuel being wanted by the Federales and the U.S. Actually the Federales should have had first dibs. Now will Samuel talk? That's really the key.
 

Carlos:

Yeah, I understood what you meant about the first time you do it you can get preggers, but really Nadia is a novice at this. She's as naïve as them come, but brave, very brave ; )
 

Hi Romy!

Welcome! It's great that you decided to break out of lurkerdom and join in the conversation.

" I am over the whole JL is noble and upstanding guy shtick."

Well said! (He should take some of that simmering rage and direct it toward the writers who are making his character take all these bizarre turns.)

I hope to see you here again!
 

fofo = flabby. I like that.

I agree with the sentiment here that this soap is stuck en una ciénaga.

One thing overall I have noticed is that you never see children anywhere.

Not only do the characters not have any school-aged children one never sees kids anywhere, going to school playing in the streets and the like.

That adds to the somberness of the story.
 

Elna June:

You asked an interesting question about the trend in telenovelas:

"Are telenovelas themselves breaking bad? ...The shows do seem darker these days—at least in terms of body count— don't they?"

I've been thinking about it. I don't know. I kind of think they've always been places where tragedy is just around the corner. Even comedies manage to incorporate tragedy among the yuks (though they don't rack up nearly the body count of a proper melodrama). (It's a cliché to say it reflects a cultural difference, a certain fatalism, and that only we gringos are naive enough to expect stories (and lives) to resolve themselves neatly.)

What is annoying here is the infusion of HAMBURGER HELPER to get more servings out of a limited amount of meat. The Hamburger Helper has changed the taste and the texture of the product.

Yup. The more I think about it, the convinced I am. This is and always has been a memento mori kind of universe. Sometimes the losses are tempered with a display of faith. That hasn't been the case here, though...

Which brings up another question -- are telenovelas getting more secular? Does that make the tragedies harsher?
 

Elna June - Thanks, I needed that. The episode was so ugly, but you gently put it all in perspective and still had room for choice snark. May favorite:

There is no one there to tell these two brain surgeons that birth control pills don’t quite work that way, except the maid, Susana.

How I saw the kiss: For a brief second Monse responded, probably just instinct from old times. She loves JL, yes. But she loves Ale more. Now that JL loves Angie but loves Monse more, he should understand this.

JL can rat himself out to Ale, under some arcane Gentlemen's Honor Code, about kissing Monse. But ratting out Monse by letting Ale she responded just for a sec was low.

I vote Maria is alive and sure hope this is part of EZ's plan to ruin Pedro.

Not feeling good about any of the characters right now, but I'm hanging on for Angie. Love that she is doing what she can, planning Esme's secret wedding, to make herself happy. I will put up with JL being loving in her presence, only cause it makes Angie happy.
 

I don't think so. And contrary to popular belief not everyone sees nothing but sunshine in children.
 

Is Mexico becoming more secular? The Catholic church has taken a lot of well-deserved hits in recent years because of the paedophile and Magdalene scandals. It would not surprise me if Mexico and the rest of Latin America began to follow Ireland's example.

If that is the case, we can expect to see more secularization in novelas which I don't see as a bad thing.
 

NM and Urban:

I do think that the novelas are more secular.

To your point Maven, tragedy is always lurking around the corner in melodrama. When I really think about it, one of the darkest novelas I have ever watched was 'En Nombre de Amor' and there was no drug trafficking in that show.

Oxnard: I miss seeing children in this Novela! Baby Laurito is the only kid we ever see. Great comment about the absence of children darkening the show.

EJ
 

I'm sorry, but you'll have to put me on the "Nadia is a ditz" list. She didn't use birth control although she says to Monse she's afraid Pedro will kill Victor, and she plants birth control pills for Pedro to find, and then lets her maid know this is a ruse, to what end? It should be the other way around, use the pills to prevent pregnancy, and hide them from Pedro (and everyone). Glad your cat likes her, EJ. But perhaps your cat is having the same frustration with her that many of us are.
Maybe Nadia's stupidity is really on the part of the TN writers.
Birth control pills rarely fail.
 

UA

"And contrary to popular belief not everyone sees nothing but sunshine in children.'

EJ

" I miss seeing children in this Novela! Baby Laurito is the only kid we ever see. Great comment about the absence of children darkening the show."

Two disparate points of view.

To me, having children around makes adults less self-absorbed.
 

I am laughing so much over Carlos's remarks on Amalia's white wedding dress comment. Hysterical! One Scarlett O'Hara red floozy dress coming right up!

Mads-Yes, Nadia is brave if not brilliant. But that is the fatal combination, is it not?
 

EJ--Thanks for the straight reporting. We probably needed that given the situations, but I love the idea of B&J's in the Bunker. I've been in there cowering in a dark corner hoping Pedo can't see in.

I think Maria survived the set up on the beach. Concur about the no body, no killing.

It is most likely that EZ is setting Pedo up. From Maria's reaction as EZ held her--and she was screaming and Dolfito's terrorizing conflict--it's her or me, I don't think EZ told either one of them ahead of time that it was going to be a fake, to make it look more real. Maria and Dolfito should take a powder.

I think EZ knew how valuable Maria was and decided to take things into his own hands before Pedo got one of his henchmen to carry out the death sentence--he was the first one to suggest getting rid of her and then got first in line to take care of the matter--with Pedo's approval. I think EZ wanted to be in control of the situation.

Sorry this is such a late posting--have only read EJ's first comment. See you folks at 9:00 EDT.
 

On the Nadia/Birth Control Issue:

If I remember correctly, Nadia really wants to be a mother. She said so at the beginning of the novella. That was one of the reasons why she got married, to have children. And that is why she was so upset when Pedo wouldn't have sex with her. Also, she was jealous of Montse when she found out she was pregnant, and throughout her pregnancy.

So I am not surprised that she got pregnant even under these circumstances. She knows she could have used birth control, but maybe at the time she figured at least one of her dreams could become reality. If she couldn't have a loving marriage, she could at least have a child. The thing she hasn't thought through is her growing feelings for Victor, his safety, and the fact that no child should grow up with Pedo as a daddy.

Back to work...hasta pronto!
 

It seems there is 100% consensus on Maria's fate and why. Just wasted everyone's time and my finger tapping.
 

The unanimous consensus here on the Patio has me really nervous about María's true fate. When have we all ever agreed on anything?

Carlos
 

Thanks for the welcome. One word when I am work I don't post with my Google name: haitianmama but at home I do. Elna June, about hats,lol, can you imagine a 20 something with hats? oops! I forgot that Fabi-lie is supposed to be in her twenties. So no. I was sitting on the patio quietly observing but now I'll pop up as needed. Take care. Romy
 

Thank you for a splendid recap.

I wanted to agree with Aunty Ann. While it may not be correct, safe, or even moral to bring a child into Pedro's house, she DID say she wants a baby and I would imagine that clouds her judgement.

Re the JL kiss, the thing that bothered me most was how out of character it was. This guy has not been set up as a man who forces himself on women. Sadly, I'm not with those who think he did it so Montse would hate him more. I think the writers set it up with the funeral convo between JL and Fabi-- I'm just not buying it. I thought it was "monkey writers" trying to fill up capitulos!

Finally on the Maria front I don't think they can kill her off so quickly-- not in the story and plain not so quickly! In my limited TN experience, the biggest villains always have big death scene with some words and chasing and maybe a little burning at the stake. I don't think it would happen like that. I'd LIKE to think that EZ is turning toward good but I think he's just getting his revenge set up for Pedo.
Night!
Becky
 

You're right, Becky; it is too soon for Maria to be out of the story. However, I think the writers are trying to keep up suspense levels and are planning more plot twists, as they did with LQNPA, which has the following things in common with this series:

1. Leading man with issues
2. It started as a novela de epoca and is now a contemporary tale
3. It was twice as long as the original.
 

I have a suggestion to divert us from the wandering story line. Try focusing on the camera work and music. I am impressed with the quality of the production. It seems like a movie rather than a tn sometimes. Tonight the talk between EZ and Pedo was set up against a black background with one face in 3/4 profile and the other full and I was mesmerized. Of course threating music ran behind the conversation as well.
 

hello guys, please can any of you give me a link to download english subtitles or english dubbed versions. I would really appreciate it. All the videos I have is in spanish and I don't comprehend it.
email address: boatseth3@gmail.com