Caray, Caray!

Well, Mariana returns with a bang, bang, Vicki still a liar, grandpa incarcerated and a Val still on the loose.

Mariana - you done this before

Vicki - well I'm having that party come hell or high water

Salvador - may not be around for your next service anniversary

Cat - it is someone big and unfortunately you're not helping but hurting

Tita - rally the troops

Rafa - a mothers BIG disappointment

Karina - didn't think I'd say this but Blanca makes you look less a skank

Ed - whichever way the wind blows

Hugo - but one friend in the whole world and she can't even drive

Leo - what, no jailhouse cat calls for me

Ivan - in the drivers seat

 

Rarely have I disliked a lead character as much as I do Blanca. Whine, whine: "I must marry Eduardo, we love each other too much. But no, I just can't tell him the truth before we get married, he might be upset." Ya think?

Speaking of lies, poor ol' Leon couldn't even tell the truth about his crazy daughter Raq. Unless...he told Salvador the truth, and they put Leon in jail temporarily to throw Raq off guard. But I'm glad at last the boys know Auntie Val is alive.

The writers have increased our empathy for Mariana (who now admits to herself she loves Sofia) at the same time they are revealing more of her heartless criminal nature. That is a neat bit of character development for once!

Refreshing to see Dona Tita stand up to Rafa and do what is right.
J in Oregon
 

JnO. Hate Blanca too and the writers and casting lost me already with the Ed & Blanca forever line. I do want to find out what goes down with everything else. Mariana is not good but the only one on the negative side of the ledger where we see a little crack. Most of the barrio folk can't wait to show us how vile they can be. Like, Vicki telling Ed she can't wait to be married and have kids and raise Sofia. Uh, and bet Hugo never crosses your mind. Hell, you'd stand in front of a speeding truck and run over if it had Ed scrawled across the front.
 

Wow, Mariana pulls the trigger while talking to her daughter. At first I thought it would make her miss, then she'd be in trouble with Ivan. Interesting that she was ordered to kill someone Viewerville had never seen before, known anything about, nor really cared for, so is this supposed to make a contract killing ok?

If this tn follows convention, Mariana has to die before Blanca and Ed find happiness. But why do I think Sofia would be much better off is Mariana is paired with Ed rather than Blancoria. It's the bland, controlling father (I know what's best for you and I also jump to conclusions) and the secret assassin (who disappears for awhile, pops back in with presents and fun and certainly dresses better) who now loves her daughter. Can't get much more exciting than that for a little girl.

I worry about Raquel. She's asking Ivan for too many favors. He's going to want to be compensated big time and not just freighters full of guns to move. So, after making sure she gets a shiv she pushes at Adriano in the visitor's area and pushes his buttons, now she wants protection for ole dad to keep him from getting beat up, but isn't planning to get him out of jail anytime soon. Poor pops.

But, JinOR, I like your speculation that Leon told Sal the truth. It looked as though he was about ready to.

Has anyone noticed that Ramon gets to hug and kiss Cat in the visitor's room, but he has to talk to Tita through glass and a phone? Same with Adriano. Of all people, Raq should have been talking to him through a bullet and knife-proof glass. They really should have been consistent, one or the other, not both.

Where in the World is SanValentina?

Victoria and Karina. I think Vick has moved on, no looking back at the barrio and the people she "loves." The two of them looked so uncomfortable with each other standing on the steps. Yes, lame excuse, Blanca. Is it the writers or the actor that is making us dislike Blanca so much.
 

P.S. Shook my head when Anna admitted she hadn't told anyone in the family that Val had disappeared because, wait for it, Raquel is such a wonderful woman, but was afraid to tell them since it was sort of her fault. And waiting in case Val turned up? Honey, Val wanted to run AWAY. There's no way she was going to come back, so waiting is going to make it better?

Blanca still has a problem with using her fake name to marry Ed. Does she realize this or is it just that she wants the party and all the trimmings. How can she marry him and THEN tell him the truth?
 

Anita, excellent observations all. As for Cat, guess they could open mouth the glass, but ugh. I too thought it silly when Anna spoke so highly of Raquel. Another I laughed at was when Jorge gave Leo the cross and said God was on their side.
 

Tofie, I also did a hmmmm when Jorge handed Leo the cross. Maybe he will still end up going into the priesthood. But, we still don't have any fingers pointing to the real missing heir, so it's a toss up until the last 20 min. of the last episode. Raquel keeps teasing us by saying how close he is. Dang.
 

The only one I can stand in this novela is Adriano, and they've put him in jail and out of action.

And why in the dickens aren't they telling us where Valentina is? Considering the crap these writers have given us so far, she'll turn up at Raquel's house looking for her papí and get shot full of more drugs.

Does anyone know what the ratings are on this turkey?
 

Oh, too right, the visitors sometimes get bulletproof glass and a phone, sometimes they get snuggle time in the visiting room.
When Raq was in there I noticed a sign on the wall: "Inmates to keep their hands in sight on top of the table at all times". Yet Adriano was gripping that knife under the table when the guard came over to speak to him briefly.
Also, good point, if Blanca gets married using a fake name, is it even a legal marriage?
What a dummy.
J in Oregon
 

Interesting, the first place Valentina goes is a clothing store instead of a place to get something to eat, or, finding a policeman to help her. I thought she was going to ask the store clerk to call someone for her instead of trying to buy a dress. Maybe the drugs did mess up her brain. She is in her PJs but still, help first... PJ worries later.

I had not noticed the phone and the glass in prison until someone on this thread mentioned it. Thank you, Anita Why don't I notice these things?

Mariana is a sociopath. She has just killed two people and goes on with life as usual. Odd that she can socialize with Ivan after he beat her so badly. What was that with Ivan and a sexy text message to Raquell. ..and the look of joy and anticipation when R. read it. Like a teenager. I didn't think she cared.

Simona has been discovered. I still do not understand her characters part in this story. A subplot maybe? Very sub.

Blanca discovered...Rafa discovered

Guess everyone is being found it. Does it seem to you that we are coming to the end of this novel? I have not seen any advertisements to that fact but it sure seems like it.
 

Maybe it is going into a nueva etapa, but all these developments seems very ultimas-semanas to me.
Anyway:
Blanca goes to visit Adriano in jail, interrupting his dinner (who does that?) and starts throwing down threats? Really? To a guy who's already in jail?

Someone mentioned that while Blanca is gushing about the family of kiddies she and Ed will have, poor little Huguito sits abandoned by everybody and reading the encyclopedia Britanica.

Hooray! Cat-out-of-the-bag night! Loved it! I was almost cheering when Mariana spilled the beans on Blanca.

And Chris shared the secret about Rafa with Cat. I honestly think those two will end up together.
J in Oregon
 

It may be a nueva etapa, but LI has 120 capitulos. There was a picture on twitter with Capitulo Final 120 title.


 

Adriano & Leo, who would have thunk that.

Agree that Blanca is one dumb broad and Adriano should have done a deal with Mariana instead. Would have already be back in NY with Val & Son.

Domingo - you should be fired

Karina - get a job with the NSA

Val - if I hadn't been shopping in 20 years it's where I'd go first

Mariana - girl of her word, you didn't tell Ed

Adriano - next time you see her there won't be threats but a plea for help

Chris - wouldn't like him knocking boots with my mama either

Raquel - don't be too hard on yourself she had plenty of help

Blanca - your long con sucks, go back to running carnival sucker games

Ed - Blanca lied to get you, Mariana lied to save you & Sofia, see the difference

 

Oh, AlejoP, tell me it ain't so. How many more twists and turns is this mess going to take. Well, we have:

1. Raquel finds Val first and finally puts her out of her misery.

2. Ramon is not Val's, he truly is an orphan. He's the one that goes into the priesthood.

3. Simona is really pregnant. Even though it looked like coitus interruptus, this is telenovelalaland and stranger things have happened. (That was the intimation we were left with last night!) She can't get Jorge or Rafa to marry her, so she goes off to the convent to have the baby and on the way gets into a fatal car crash.

4. Hugito goes to live with Sofia and Mariana.

5. Mariana has sex with Ivan, then shoots him.

6. Hugito and Sofia are made wards of the state. They grow up, get married and Sofie is bored out of her tree. (She's tired of his reading the Encyclopedia Britannica at bedtime-thx JinO)

7. Adriano breaks out of prison to go help Ivan. Mariana shoots him.

8. The prison goons make a mistake and kill ole Leonidas.

9. Ed is not a good businessman and the bar loses money. He seeks Catalina's help. They fall in love. Cat gets her divorce to marry Ed. Mariana shoots her and then shoots Ed for not choosing her.

10. Rafa has become a danger to Raquel. She has Clemente deep-six Rafa from his yacht.

11. Cristobal goes into business with Clemente and on one of Clemente's after-dinner cruises, falls overboard and the body is never recovered.

12. The real Leticia is freed and goes home and chokes Melania to death. Raquel holds her for the police.

13. Jorge and Karina finally hook up, but it doesn't last. He takes over Ramon's photography business and Karina takes over Tita's restaurant after she passes on.

14. Blanca is kidnapped and sequestered by Raquel where she is drugged by faithful nanny Anna for the next 2 years. After Anna dies a natural death, Raquel takes over the drugging herself. All Blanca can do is dream about Ed and what might have been.

15. Salvador Estrada is promoted and then runs for a local office. He's so well liked by everyone for his honesty that he is persuaded to run for President of Mexico. He wins. This makes the cartels angry and they hire Mariana to kill him. They decide to have Clemente killed, too, for good measure.

16. Mariana and Raquel are the only ones left standing. What an ending!

 

Anita. Spoiler but I did laugh all the way through.
 

Tofie--I laughed at yours, too, but especially the one for Mariana, girl of her word, she didn't tell Ed. I missed that little irony. Thanks for pointing it out. Loved the shopping trip, too. Did no one notice she was in PJs? Of course not, Raquel allowed her to have designer PJs that look suspiciously like expensive at-home wear. She was clearly disoriented, but I think the young clerk just wanted her out of there and not wanting to get herself involved with a disturbed person.

I do love watching Rafa take on airs with the hoity-toity. He knows Cris has his number, but he has no idea how close his number is to coming up zero.
 

Are they pre-empting the show for Premios Billboard Thursday?

Anyway, Papa Leon says he is ready to confess Raq's part as the mastermind of evil. Valentina sure looks alert and bright-eyed. Boy that bartender sure found Socorro's email address easily.

Speaking of eyes, Ivan has this chronic squint that is supposed to look mysterious and sexy...instead it reminds me of a dog that has eaten the cheese and knows he is about to be scolded.

Blanca has been a horrible guardian for her younger siblings, then she has the nerve to scold Simona for the fake pregnancy lie.
Hey lady, what about the "I'm somebody else" lie???

J in Oregon
 

JinO--The Billboard Premios are NEXT Thu (4/24). Tune in tonight for a must see (or not) episode.

Dang--they stopped the scene with Jorge, Simona, Karina and Blanca JUST when it was getting interesting. I wanted to hear every last word of that ...no, never mind, she's just trying to make trouble... speech by Blanca and how she gets Simona to shut up and not the brief aftermath.

I did feel a little sorry for Hugo, who isn't going to be a tio. He sure got an earful, though, for an 8 year-old.

Who here doesn't believe something terrible is going to happen to Leon before he gets to tell his story; raise your hands. Thought so, nobody.

So, we're going to have a Val make-over. Good luck, girl. You should go for more than skinny pants and a too-tight top from Socorro. Bless her heart, but you two are not the same size. Val, ask for some money and go back to that boutique and hope it isn't run by the people who keep putting Victoria in those blousy pleated numbers. BTW, Blanca looked pretty good in that top when she showed up back in the barrio last night.

Rafa is a rake. The latest play with Claudia when he's been bedding Raquel and he got caught by her--he deserved a gun to his head, only figuratively.

I thought I heard him say she was Raquel's sobrina. I must have missed more of Raquel's siblings. Whose daughter is she (not that it matters, she's unimportant).

There are too many crosses and double crosses in this tn. I need a score card.

 

JinO--Tomorrow's show is being pre-empted, though.
 

Leo will never get the chance to tell anything. Poor Hugo and god that Blanca is one piece of dung. Flipping through the channels and saw a big boobed, long haired & banged blond on a program Infames on MundoFox and thought well that dull eyed, blank face and stumble step looks like Lisette. Upon closer review it was.

Leo - better late than never is still never if the telling don't get told

Adriano - what's your plan B, you'll need it

Val - actually if drugged for 20 years and I escaped I'd hit the bar first then go shopping

Socorro - yeah, dress her like an American tourist

Rafa - you better use that name up while you can

Ed - justice for you is what you say it is damn the law

Salvador - you have the patience of Job, just bitch slap Ed

Simona - the good sister

Jorge - sorry, I wasn't paying attention

Hugo - know it doesn't seem like it but not every woman lies to get a man

Cat - STOP ASKING DAD FOR HELP

Ivan - schoolboy crush, but Raquel

Raquel - whatever you got planned for her, I wish you luck

Mariana - just sit back now and let that crash happen


 

I"M BAACK after spending 6 weeks I the hospital with a broken hip but have been watching and loving the snark. Rafa is now dangerous and if he but knew it the key to bringing the mafia murderess down. However in the long run he'll be sleeping with the fishes.

I hope that Socorro has the brains NOT to introduce Val to her "son". Since we are but half way through I'm thinking she will get he make over and go after Raqevil. Val is strong enough to have survived 20 years of hell and is entitled to her revenge.

I agree that Leo, the worst father ever, will never have a chance to talk. You'd think that since he is budding up to Adriano he would tell him who his son really is. On that score i'm still in camp Ed. I've always like the Ed Sofia and Adriano scenes and can easily slot Val into the picture.

Obviously Blancoria's dreams of HEA with Ed are going to crash for most of the rest of the story. I'm also seeing her getting pregnant and him not believing her.

Ed is twit and i suspect part of the problem is that this is based on an original story where the roles were reversed. In the beginning the Blanca part was a strong clever girl who somehow became a lobotomized idiot when paired with the vapid Ed. We aren't helped by the miscasting of a woman who is ten years older than the galan and looks it

As things stand the true love story here is Val and Adriano not Ed and Victoria.
 

Decie Girl--Glad you are back. So sorry to hear of your travails and such a slow recovery. I thought you had just bailed on our dwindling number of commenters. We certainly need some fresh insight into this telenovela to keep us amused since the plot doesn't.

 

Wow, DG so sorry but glad you're back.
 

Yes, welcome back Decie!
I don't know if our commenters are dwindling but they are sure (understandably) getting more cynical!
I hope Val gets an emotional makeover and comes back swinging. Maybe she will pretend still to be weak and vapid, so she can destroy Raq. I almost wish they could just cut Blanca out of the story, really, they don't need her anymore. I would have gladly switched to Team Mariana, if not for the that second hired hit...
J in Oregon
 

ditto JnO
 

Val - quick study and see some fire in those eyes

Ed - you better sit down before you read that letter

Raquel - drag it out some more, kinda enjoy watching her squirm

Vicki - love, love, love it. like a little mouse in a cage

Karina - at this point it doesn't even faze me

Cat - why are you doing this, really?

Chris - let me get this right, so you're not a prick anymore, for how long

Clemente - what, there are corrupt politicians

Masseur - If I had a rocket launcher...

Salvador - so another cop may hand a victim back to their abuser

Leo - that's what you get for trying to shower out of turn

Adriano - you and knives don't mix, allow someone else to butter your toast


 

Where I live there will be no episode tonight. Sigh! Despite what others say I am addicted to this TN. and enjoy watching.

Whoever predicted that Leon wasn't going to get to tell his story I am kind of sorry that you were right. I think Leon was feeling good that he was helping his daughter. Rather late, but, well, it was a big step for him.

Tofie- I wondered why Leon separated himself from the rest. Thank you for that insight.

Vickie-How cowardly. You are not 18. You don't tell someone something that personal in a note. You tell them to their face.

Does anyone know what all those guns were about at the end with Raq's henchman? Gunfight in the OK corral? Did I miss something?
 

April, Ivan wanted the first shipment of arms to go out and it was those in the warehouse. Raquel's condition for using her shipping company was for Ivan to have Adriano killed in prison. The attempt failed but no one knows that yet.
 

Guess we wait till Monday to see if Leon makes it. (How did he manage to wander off through an unlocked door?) Not sure I get why Adriano was so broken up by the attack on Leon. It was sad, sure, but all the hollering and crying? Oh wait--maybe 'cause Leon had promised to tell the authorities the name of Val's hijo the next day. But wait again--Adriano still thinks that stinker Rafa is his hijo. Oh well, the important thing is that Adriano's bath towel stayed on through the whole ordeal...
J in Oregon
 

Thank you for the information about the arms. I was under the impression that Raq. was not going to open her shipyard until she got news that Adriano was dead. She is not a trusting individual and considering the things she does, she shouldn't be. It blows my mind that she would just take Ivan's word he was going to kill Adriano for her. Things can go wrong, as she should know. I guess I just assumed she would be waiting for the news. OK that is cleared up now.

Am pretty sure Adriano was screaming for two reasons. He knows someone is out to kill him now and was being put back in with the prison population so that whoever was behind killing Leon could now try again with a better thought out method to get to him, and, he feels genuine guilt that Leon took the knife instead of him, who it was meant for. He has stayed a fairly decent guy throughout this story, though he has truly been dumped on.

I was thinking that Ivan's contact lenses didn't fit right causing that weird squint.

For Monday I am hoping that Socorro lets Adriano know where Valentina is. She probably is afraid to leave her for fear that Raq. will find out. She may find out before Salvadore does.

Valentina is so much the opposite of Raq. Forgiving nature too, though I doubt she will be very forgiving of her sister, R.

The magic bath towel; must have been velcro. He does have a good looking bod.

April

 

Concerning is Val said she wanted to meet Blanca and even Raquel thought that is where Val would end up. Damn that Blanca I wish she would just go away.

I don't know why she hasn't let Adriano know Val is with her too. Way too many people telling the wrong people the wrong thing but not telling those that need to know what they need to know.

I want Val to open a can of whipass on Raquel. Girl gotta score to settle
 

Watched the episode late last night. Already forgot most of the action. Was there any? I do remember the towel and wondering if it was anti-gravity. Thanks for reminding me of the wonders of Velcro.

I thought it was a little odd to be making the prisoners shower at night. Wouldn't it have been normal to let them shower in the morning?

Of course Val and Addie are going to be kept apart. It's not ultimas semanas yet. So, will Blanca lead Raq and the goons to her? If so, she'd better hope the police aren't following Blanca, too.

ITA, Raq miscalculated. She should have waited, but for what? She starts getting paid when the first arms shipments go out, so she's ahead no matter who dies. Of course it wasn't Ivan's fault that Leo got in the way.

Ivan cannot be redeemed; not for arranging to off one of his oldest acquaintances. And for what, a temporary roll in the hay with a black widow? I would not be surprised to find out that her first hub died under mysterious circumstances.


 

This novela seems to have been written by some brain-damaged writers!

They introduce a fascinating character, Ivan Montenegro, bad to the bone. Then they change up on us and make him an old friend of our good guy, Adriano. He does a couple of favors for Adriano, but then ... he appears to have his brain bathed in testosterone because he is willing to have his old buddy killed in prison to 1) run some guns through the Altamira shipping company and 2) get in Raquel's aging panties. All of this makes no sense whatsoever.

I knew the minute Valentina sent that email that someone would be tracing the IP address. I could have reached through the screen and slapped Raquel when she turned to the police with that line about how worried she was about her sister. AND, IE (Idiot Ed) sits right beside her in the cop's office. Nothing between his ears but air as he should have figured out that his mother was the one who kept her drugged and imprisoned for more than 20 years. But, no... he's right by her side as she arranges for the police to find Val so that she can move faster than them and have her killed.

I assume Leonidas is going to die. Wonder if this will matter in the least to Raquel? I think she had the guilt extraction many, many years ago.

Occasional Lurker
 

Every novela has a theme to it and for me this one is disloyalty. Almost every character has been quick to double cross someone, to throw them under the bus. The Barrio Bunch who I am now calling the Barrio Bums have all betrayed each other except for poor little Hugo of course.

The Altamiraa's ditto except for dumb Ed who is sure to do it sooner if not later.Even little Sofia has jumped back and forth and was responsible for the cheep disaster. Melania deserves a special place in hell as does our Mafia hit woman.

Ivan remains a mystery-is he really betraying Adriano for the dubious charms of Raqhell? If so he deserves some nasty STD. Sometimes I think he is playing her and sometimes I fear he will end up like that hunky cop on LP who fell in love with her but who did do his job in the end.

Bianca where did the feisty girl from the beginning go and do I care (nope)

It is also so interesting to me to see that in a novela where we are supposed to drool over the young studs the really hot guy is an over 50 year old - Adriano. He is aloe the most interesting sort of a modern day Job who is being dumped on over and over again but who in the end will be on top of the heap.

Why the hell didn't Leon tell him who his son really is. Adriano should have asked when the old man mentioned he would reveal the truth in court.

I don't think the hit was really supposed to be on Adriano as much as it was to get the old man although why is a mystery.