Caray, Caray!

I'm loving this novela7
 

Thank you, Jardinera!
There were a lot of bits and pieces of action happening last night and I think you chose the perfect way to highlight the most important things, at the same time giving your funny opinions along the way.

"the knuckle dragging macho’s at school end up having to have their tongues lifted off the pavement and rolled back into their mouths"
Haha, very funny and accurate.

The way Ana uses the wrong pronunciation is hilarious, I knew that SN was a good actress but she's really doing justice to her reputation in this tn.

Going back to the talk we started yesterday, about the reason why Fer is a widow, nobody acts as if his wife died in some mysterious way; they all say they miss her, but I could see at least Fanny mentioning it if something odd had indeed happened.
But that death scene was rather odd and the way they filmed it, I think something might have happened, indeed.
My crazy speculation after watching tns for close to 20 years (oh, God, has it been that much?!): the wife was sick, so everyone thinks that she died of natural causes, but someone did "help" her leave this world and made it seem that it was all because of the illness. What if the criminal was still in the room when Luz walked in and she is blocking out the memory for now?
It all seems too dark for a comedy, but they need to come up with a lot of stuff to keep this tn going for over 100 episodes (and the good ratings in Mexico make me think that this might be the case).
 

Thanks for this, Jardinera. But you left something out, which was that while Nando's bullies were impressed when Ana came to meet him, Fanny undid that the next day in front of those same boys, so he's back where he started, if not a few more steps behind.

I definitely think that the mother died suspiciously. I am wondering whether Fernando suspects and is keeping that from the other kids, thinking he is protecting them. I'm not a crime scene expert, but my best guess is blunt force trauma to the back of the head and the framed photo could be the murder weapon.

I'm I'm right, Fanny is going to go ballistic when they find out and Ana will have to get her to understand Fernando's reason for keeping it from them.
 

thanks Jardinera.

"Ana has lots of ‘splainin’ to do"

Kinda a rocky start for me, not helped with the abrupt editing and my constant impulse to compare everything to "The Sound of Music" (cept Ana ain't no wanna be nun) but I'll get over it. Hooked me and thankfully gave Ana a reprieve from Fernando when Luz spoke. Hope Ana calms down a bit. I can handle how rough she is but too spazzy.

Juan - god you make my skin crawl

Ana - stop signing things without consulting an attorney

Nando - nothing a makeover and some swag in your step won't fix

Fanny - the way to a girls heart is through her closet

Luz - you so cute could just eat you up

Fernando - crunchy outside with a soft chewy center

Isabela - you got company

 

What a great title! Jardinera. Love it. And nobody rassles with language quite as creatively as you do..."glare-stare" cracked me up.

"She is true to her word, and the knuckle dragging macho’s at school end up having to have their tongues lifted off the pavement and rolled back into their mouths."

Loved this also. Vintage Jardinera-telling-it-like-it-is.

I'm betwixt and between on this one. Really don't like the broad comedy style of Mexico. But the two leads are great. Silvia Navarro is my absolute favorite actress. So will check in from time to time.


 

Thanks, Jardinera, for your most excellent recap. Another enjoyable episode.

Jarifa
 

Thanks Jardinera. Your breezy style is perfect for a comedy. I'm looking forward to watching this episode this weekend.

The flashback of the death did seem a bit suspicious with the cracked photo on the floor. I guess time will tell.
 

Per UrbanA, yep I accidentally left out the scene where Fannie wrecks Nando's new rep. I put it in italics. Tks!
 

Victoria Gomez and tofie: Welcome to the 8pm novela hour! Tofie-- what a great list of character definitions! ITA about little Luz. She's wonderful to watch!

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JudyB/AdrianaN/ViviDC: I do believe this will take a while to win us all over totally, but the broken picture frame next to the kids' mother's body does raise a juicy bit of possible storyline. Still, it's the first week and IMNSHO some winning novelas take 1-3 wks before the number of mysteries presented are enough to hook us in. ; ? ))


==============

I am unable to get CC's for this one 100% of the time if at all (cannot honestly remember) so a lot of the slang is lost on me, as well. Silvia's always delivered her lines so quickly that she's an extra challenging actriz to deal with when CC's are lacking even in the best of circumstances. So, again my hat is off to those with enough of "an ear" to understand her well.
 

Wonderful Jardinera! There were some bits last night I truly laughed over and smiled. This isn't yet in the stupid antics type category that some TN's can fall into, and I actually have a feeling that as we get into plot lines there will be lightness, but also some sadness and drama. It's a TN after all. But right now, I am enjoying this and Silvia is a joy to watch.

The scene on the couch with Fernando was giggle-worthy and I think Lucille Ball would have been appreciative at the cute touches of Ana trying to stay awake.

The ploy of being Nanda's girlfriend was so adorable, but darn Fanny for ruining it. Did she have to be so loud in her reaction? Poor guy--and I agree, let's give this poor dude a makeover. Those bow ties have to go.

And I have decided that anyone touches a hair on Luz's head they will be answering to me. Brava to Dad for rushing home after that phone call ( boy, did I start getting something in my eye at that scene.) I think our smart and savvy investor may turn out to be an Ana champion perhaps in the future and someone on to the Back-stabbing Bela (heretofore as BBB (love your moniker)--makes it easier for me.)

Check in later. Getting ready for a long weekend trip today.

Daisynjay
 

Daisynjay: Hey, amiga! Glad you're on board, here also. As for Isabela, I kept thinking of her as the female answer to Bela Lugosi, the guy who played Dracula in the very, very old B & W movie days. She has the same dangerously angry stare....... Bwwahahahahah!
 

Jarifa: glad to see you here also! This was a good episodio for really realz.
 

Jardinera, thank you for the thoughtful, fun, vibrant recap.

"the ultimate in a business babe with brains and Ana’s total polar opposite" and "She is true to her word, and the knuckle dragging macho’s at school end up having to have their tongues lifted off the pavement and rolled back into their mouths" were a few of my favorites.

"they need to come up with a lot of stuff to keep this tn going for over 100 episodes". Adriana Noel, I still can't see how this will be accomplished but I'm enjoying this so far.

I had to smile at Fannie's late night escapade, looking way too grown up - although quite lovely (and wow a 1:00 curfew)! Quite a change from Liesel's rendevous in the gazebo from the Sound of Music. My how times have changed.

I liked the last scene with DonFer trying to resist the urge to kiss Ana. I suspect more temptation will follow.

Thank you Jardinera! This was a treat.

Diana
 

Jardinera!! love your title, the entire recap and the nick for the villainess... BBB is perfect!!
I second the admiration of Tofie's list... totally on point!

About the first scene... Ana showed up unannounced, and their disguise with black sunglasses and their false 'gestures', which made the receptionist and the VP think she was this older woman investor they were expecting.
When she went in, what the VP had was, according to him, sciatica pains, which is what triggered Ana into giving some unsolicited chiropractic therapy that was a bit graphical... and according to what she or Fernando said, sent the VP to the hospital... LOL!.
As Fernando came in the office, he found the investor lady Mrs Fernandez, the one that had the appointment with him, waiting in the reception. By the time he cleared up the chaos in his office, apparently she had left and was not happy...
They rescheduled with her and during that appointment is when Fernando got the call that Luz was talking...

 

MartaIvett: Thanks for filling in the gaps! I was at a loss, but of course it all makes more sense now. This Tn's editing is really testing me, along with the fast dialogue, slang and the lack of CC's. I'm afraid I will not be able to do this novela much justice! Je-je-je!
 

Diana: times have definitely changed since the days of Liezel.... As for temptation, yep ITA and I was thinking that JS played that bedroom scene as especially tempted to perfection! It did bring a smile to my lips. These two actors have great chemistry.
 

I'm a native Spanish speaker, and even I have trouble catching some of the slang....it's so darn fast, but there have been some great ones in just the first four episodes. One of my favorites was when Ana complained to Juan that her biological clock was running out of time....she said "mi cajita de los bebes se me esta fundiendo" - which roughly translates to: "the light is fading inside my little box of babies." Hilarious!!!!
 

Jardinera- Here is a clip you might find amusing of SN and JS being interviewed the other day on Sal y Pimienta. They joke around a lot about SN having to be sexy for this role, and JS mentions how when they did Labios Rojos SN had a great bod, and she does now too, but she's gotten really muscular and is half the size she used to be. SN laments now needing to stuff her bra since she's also lost some boobage after getting toned and thin. They both say there's no shame in any woman's game if she wants to get a little surgical enhancement, and joke about it. I love how at ease they are with each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7Kd_4iKSbs
 

Thanks Latina... i knew she had said something funny about her 'baby clock' running out but i didn't get it all. lol!
and yes, SN speaks fast... not quite as fast as Margarita Rosa de Francisco in Cafe... she was TOUGH to get all her wording right but SN is too.
 

no wonder Fernando puts so many faces like 'what did you say?' when she speaks fast to him, he not only has to decypher the slang but the actual words...
the face he put in the previews when the next tray ends up on the floor is priceless!... .
 

Latina/inMD/ViviDC: Thanks for the translations, cuz once again half of this went straight over my head!
 

Martai: "no wonder Fernando puts so many faces like 'what did you say?' when she speaks fast to him, he not only has to decypher the slang but the actual words..." and I thought it was all part of the acting method and preplanned!! ;>))
 

-Daddy, you are not going to die like my Mommy did, right?
-No dear, I will die in a completely different way, don't worry...
 

Silvia is awfully thin compared with her roles on MEPS and AB, she just need to drink a smoothie or two and she'll be fine.
 

Jardinera

I agree that most novels take 1-3 weeks to reel us in and I'm still not sure of this one. It's cute, fast and there is humor but sometimes cuteness gets to me. However i've seen nothing that is a turn off so will keep riding along to see what happens when Triple B makes her moves. I just hope they keep a tight rein on the slapstick which always turns me off. Like the SN JS chemistry, it's there but it isn't being flung in our faces.
 

Really enjoying this so far but worry that there wont be enough good plot lines to keep this from going from charming to idiotic in the long run.
 

Excellent, Jardinera. It's so great to be once again following a TN that you are recapping. What a treat.

So far this TN is a lot of fun. Ana clearly is winning over Fanny and managing to bond with her earlier than I anticipated but I wonder if it was wise of her to choose this direction. To me it didn't appear that Fanny needed much coaching in being alluring. I hope that she arrives home safely by 1:00. Though she is younger, I think she resembles Areceli from CI.

The way Nando has been presented, I can foresee him (with Ana's well-meaning encouragement) undergoing a marked transformation which likely won't be altogether pleasant for anyone.

Carlos
 

I think a wardrobe makeover and getting contact lens vs that nerdy eye glasses would go a long way for Nando's image... but he also has to kind of open up from his shell too.
Fanny's 'ways' and language remind me of Frida from QPTR
 

Thanks, Jardinera! I loved your description "Fernando does a double take and gets a dose of dry mouth as his macho takes a powder."

Fannie reminds me a lot of Nikki in Amores Verdaderos, but fortunately she is not nearly as snobby. I liked that she had no problem with wearing the clothes from the tianguis that Ana got for her. Also she talked about outlet shopping. So she may be a brat, but at least she isn't one of those super snobs who think anything that isn't super expensive and exclusive is beneath her. She also seemed to hear and believe Ana when Ana was talking about how she needs the work because everything she has was destroyed. I don't think Nikki would have cared, at least not in the beginning.

Wasn't sure why Fannie Banannie was even at Nando's prepa school, though. And how hard would it have been to say "No, a different Ana"? Although I was a tad squicked by Ana's little pretense of being his novia, knowing that she will end up with his dad.

I don't think Nando needs to lose the glasses. He looks good with them. He could use a different hairstyle and a big lightening up of attitude, though. And if he wants a novia, surely there's a nice nerdy girl who will appreciate him the way he is.

Ana won over the kids quickly, but I think there is still a heap of sturm und drang to come on that front when they realize their father has the hots for her. A nanny is one thing, but a stepmother...that would really be horning in on departed mama's territory.

I really hate watching these shows when one of the kids is getting teased at school and the masses side with the bully instead of with the nice kid. I know it's mostly true to life, but it's painful to watch.
 

Pablo, very funny!

Jarifa
 

yes, Pablo. very funny. i missed that too.
i think Fernando will end up engaged to Isabel before he even looks at Ana as a man... and the kids will probably prefer Ana to Isabel as a stepmom... but it will be a long rough road there.
 

I see a makeover in Nando's future, too, especially since the actor is quite handsome in real life.
I searched for some of his pictures on line and I found out that he is/ was involved in a little scandal (apparently he took some naked photos of himself a couple of years ago) - I hope this won't have a bad influence on his acting, Nando's evolution should be as important as Fanny's in my opinion.
 

Jarifa:

Loved it:

Bela the Biznez Babe

How in the world did you come up with that one?

You recappers continue to amaze me!
 

Victoria,

That wasn't mine. I wish it was but it wasn't.

Jarifa
 

Thanks, dear Jardinera..It feels like the good old days reading one of your snappy recaps. Hope that you and yours are fine. it has been awhile since we watched a telenovela together. I like this show so far.
 

"Luz Lights the Way To Ana’s Return"-what a great, visual title you picked Jardinera. That little girl indeed illuminates the screen when she comes on. She is my favorite so far along with Ana. Like Decie Girl, I too hope it doesn't end up with too much slapstick. I've liked it so far, except the other night when the girls at the club were pouring water on the back of another girl. Just didn't get how that added to the plot.
Maricruz
 

That water pouring scene at Chicago was weird and out of place. I did not get what was the point of it. Maybe to show that Ana is used to juvenile behavior and hazing?
 

A few thoughts. (part 1 of 2)

A really good idea: To impress your high school friends by having an older beautiful woman by your arm (assuming she does not get arrested for child molestation). A really bad (bad) idea: Have that woman also be your nanny!

How old are the two eldest kids? Fanny looks like she is 16 or 17, yet if I understood correctly she is attending a university which would place her in the 18 – 19 range. Kind of old to behaving like (and inciting) her younger siblings. How about Nando? If he is still in high school then he would be like 17 or 18 (actually, if he is 18 then at least the “older woman” won’t be in danger of being arrested).

It was interesting that the kids started to chant “she wants to cry” (quiere llorar) after tormenting Ana was the same chant that the high school kids chanted to Nando after they found out that the beautiful older woman was the nanny.

So let me see if I understand this. The diabolical plan of The Maleficent Seven (henceforth just The Seven) is to torment any nanny who would dare set foot in their house because they do not want anyone to replace their mom. This seems illogical since it would make more sense to scare off any women who would court their father. I would think that the mom getting replaced would come from the father taking an interest in some one rather than a nanny coming in to watch the kids. This would be more akin to a “Parent Trap” type of story line.

Now that Ana has endeared herself with the kids I can see them liking her so much that they would actually want her to pair up with their dad. This would be a better way to guarantee that she won’t up and leave. I can see how The Seven will conspire to scare off dear Isabela. I see green hair in her future. In a not so sudden turn of event The Seven will actually act the part of cupid to the seventh power to get their clueless dad to notice Ana (although from the two scenes that we’ve seen he has taken notice, it just has not sunk in).

 

And clueless he is! As other posters have mentioned, Dad’s favorite parenting style is to let some one else do it. But in his defense, he was most likely brought up this way so his behavior most likely comes from a long line of “let some one else do the parenting” fathers. This parenting style works very well as long as the other parent believes in the parenting style “I’ll do this all myself” which I believe she was (otherwise she would have left him after the third kid).

Of course Dad’s parenting style assumes there is another parent. As we can see, everything collapses on itself like a black hole when the second parent is absent basically letting the kids grow up in the wild. Enter Ana. She calls him out on the lack of parenting. While watching this scene I could imagine that he wished he was at some board meeting. He was unable to defend himself, falling back on the old “I am boss, you do what I say” defense. The ironic part is that she was following his most important instruction to the letter: The welfare of the kids, in spite of him.
Movie analogy: Ok, now that the Parent Trap and Overboard have been mentioned another movie comes to mind: Pretty Woman. Both stories are about women who have a questionable job, don’t particularly enjoy it and have other dreams. Both women are involved in a relation with a guy that does not deserve them and both are “rescued” by someone they meet by accident. This man is easy on the eyes, has honor and integrity and has a profession that allows him to enjoy the luxuries of life (i.e. is filthy rich). But the man has a flaw that binds or enslaves him. And then as the story develops we find out that in fact it is she who rescues him.

And this story shows that the kids need Ana, they need a catalyst to move on after their mother’s death (even if this is limited to the eldest as has been said by other posters). Ana provides the strength that they need; she also provides the love and relentless energy and joy to show them that there is life after death. So far it has worked wonders. What is not obvious is that Fernando Sr. needs her too, but is just too clueless to realize it. And this is where the story can get interesting and Ana guides him in the journey where at some point they will find each other.

Family Ties: Some posters have commented that there might be a family relation between Ana and Bruno the house’s Super Butler. Hmmm… I was thinking (and cue the mob running to the bomb shelter) that perhaps if there is relationship it is with the kids’ mom.

 

Hi all! Just stopping in to add my two cents about Silvia's awesomeness! She is so versatile and effortless no matter the story or character, and I'm having so much fun watching her in this one! I just wish I could understand more of her one-liners and expressions... I watch online and don't have closed captions (thanks Latina for your "little box of babies" translation!! Someone should start a list of these...). She is by far my favorite tn actress, and one of my favorite actresses in general!

Since I'm in Honduras I have to watch online and I'm quite a few episodes ahead so I won't comment much. But I just had to send more good vibes Silvia's way!! :)
 

Fanny and her friends go to university and their campus is on the same grounds as Nando's school. He's a senior in high school.

Hello Salvador:

Fanny is nearly 19
Nando is 17
Alicia is about 12 or 13
Sebastian is around 11
The twins are 6 or 7
Luz is 5.

We only got confirmation on Fanny, Nando, and Luz's ages, the rest are just my best guesses. Ximena is probably also close to 19 too. I think the other kids are playing characters near their own ages in real life.

I like Fanny more than Nikki or Frida because she's a bit more compassionate and understanding. I would like to see Nando get some more character development because I find it odd that the writers really only focus on Fanny's life outside of the home.

I don't know if Mrs. Lascurain's death will ever be explained. She probably died of unexplained natural causes or had a terminal diseases with little visible symptoms. But since it's a comedy, I don't think the writers will spend much time dwelling on that.
 

Thanks Anon! Interestingly enough, they brought up Fanny's age in the next episode. She is indeed 19. Regards
 

Is it really true that MCET will be at least 181 episodes without a darn extension?

If so, I think I will op out now and watch on HuluPlus at my leisure and in chunks of episodes at once. LQLVMR was too much.