Caray, Caray!

Hi everyone!!

I just wanted to swing on by to post a note to everyone who contributed- be it through episode recaps or merely comments and observations- for this first week of 'Reina de Corazones'.

I have to admit that I was in such anxious anticipation for this particular novela (my gentle spirits having been recently crushed into a traumatic state as a result of living through the one-two punch debacles of the execrable 'Santa Diabla' AND the mess that became of 'Corazon Indomable') that I started watching 'Reina' on Gala TV when it premiered at the end of April.

Now that it's started on Telemundo... I rather wish that I hadn't, namely because I now realize how much more fun it would have been to experience it all with you, 'as it happens', so to speak...

BUT... now over 50 capitulos in, all I can say to you all who- with varying degrees of commitment- have decided to dip your proverbial toes into the waters of 'Reina' is...

STICK WITH IT! For, really, it is proving to be a fun (if slightly mind-boggling) ride..

For some reason, thinking of 'Reina', in trying to describe it as it seems to have evolved for you all (without, of course, revealing anything fun), I keep thinking about what I remember being said about the old, 1980''s 'Airplane' comedy movies (with Leslie Nielsen)... I remember hearing that- there were so many jokes, and so many constant gags, that of course not all of them flew, and some- indeed- fell rather flat... but that there were just so many of them that it didn't really make any difference, and added up to quite an enjoyable viewing experience.

That's sort-of how I feel about Reina... except in the place of 'jokes' and 'humor', substitute 'plot twists' and 'development'.

I've really enjoyed reading everyone's first thoughts and opinions, and even more so all the varying hypotheses and suppositions as to where all the varying events may be headed. Like so many of you, after the first week of Reina I felt that there was a dizzying amount of stuff going on... well, (and I mean this to come across as encouraging), all I can say to you all now, then is.. just wait, 'cuz it's gonna get even MORE so. And (like with the jokes and gags in 'Airplane' referred to earlier), there ARE going to be some things that will stretch the limits of your respective credulity and leave you all thinking, witheringly, 'now, that's just ridiculous' or some such sentiments as that...

BUT... (again, like with the jokes and gags in 'Airplane'), I think you'll find that there's just SO MUCH STUFF going on, and just so CONSTANTLY, that the parts that will make you roll your eyes are bearable and even worth it... because the whole darn ride is just so much damn fun! I hope that you'll feel this, anyway...
 

It is definitely a novela that I think requires of it's viewers a certain degree of abandonment of reality, or I suppose what could euphemistically be referred to as 'artistic license'.

But, if you're okay with that (and really, you need to be, or else I think you'll just think it ridiculous)... then, really... I think you're all going to have a really good, really fun, really wild time! One thing is for sure.... you're certainly NEVER be bored... :-)

I also think, with this particular novela... with so many things happening and going this way and that and every which way... it really WOULD be useful to have regular recaps. With so many sub-plots and developments and things happening, it'd be very easy to miss something and then not understand why came to pass the way that it did. Hell, even this first week... I realize (with thanks to you all), how many little details I missed out on that, eventually, I caught myself up with. And I'm thinking that- were we all 'in this together', so to speak- it'd be easier for us all to keep each other informed and collectively together in regards to where and what's all going on... so there won't be as many of those moments where we're somewhat lost in some regard and trying to get ourselves back on track.

To that regard, if need really be, I'd like to (apprehensively, and with a degree of mild fear... only because all of the esteemed recappers here throughout the years have collectively left some BIG shoes to fill), offer myself in some way, if that would help fill in a piece of what will hopefully be a completed collective 'Reina' puzzle. A caveat is that I am at present no longer in Nicaragua, but back in Toronto, Canada... ergo, I can keep up with 'Reina' (Telemundo OR Gala TV) only online where I don't seem to have the benefits of subtitles/CC. Mind you, that's how I've watched it (on Gala TV) the first time around, and I'm hoping that having the advantage of going through it 'second time around' will help me to more comprehensively gather and know what's all happening and going on for you all, and in so doing counteract anything that might get 'lost in translation', as it were, as I translate the Spanish going on before me (a language I am most comfortable with, but is, admittedly, in no way near a 'first' or TOTALLY 'fluent' language for me) into the English we all use for us all...

But it'd be no problem for me to figure out what 'capitulo' you're all on, stream whatever episode I'd need to, and then do a recap for everybody. So, basically, when it all comes down to it... if we can fill whatever 'Reina' gaps we can, any that are left, please let me know if you like... I am happy to do what I can. :-)

Thanks for listening/reading... and my continued best wishes to all.

I hope you all enjoy the 'Reina' ride! It IS a bumpy and crazy one... but I'M sure having a blast (even with, admittedly, those aforementioned 'eye-rolling' moments!!!) :-)

 

Stevey, thanks so much for your reassuring comments re Reina and your generous offer to do recaps. Speaking as someone whose Spanish is not good enough to make a similar offer, I'm most grateful to you and everyone else who is willing to recap. I need lots of help understanding what's happening (and that would be true even if the plot were less crazy). Now I'm off to the beanie store to add to my supply--your remarks suggest I'll need more than I have! :-)
 

It's good to know that the fun continues and it's a wild ride. I'll restock my beanies as well.
 

stevey,

Wow! Thanks for the offer! We'd love to have you recap here. Since you haven't been around too often, let me give you some guidelines:

1) We're not like the Univision pages -- our recaps are short and sweet. Sometimes they can fit in a single comment space, I would say that, in general, they run one to three comments long, occasionally going up to four comments in length.

2) We try to have the recap posted hours before the next episode airs. Some folks post the evening of the episode, others the next morning or early afternoon.

3. We don't include the previews in our recaps.

4. And as you already know, we are a strictly spoiler-free zone.

If that sounds doable and fun, then how about doing Tuesday, July 15? This should be episode 7.

And thanks for your enthusiastic take on what is to come. From what you say, it sounds like it may be even more fun than I thought.
 

Stevey - Thanks so much for your comments about Reina. I'm so glad to hear the fun continues. This novela does look like it will be a fun ride. Thanks so much for offering to recap. It would be great if we could keep the recaps going. :)

NovelaMaven - Thanks so much for the guidelines. I'm new to the Telemundo page too.

I can recap for Thurs July 17th this week if needed.
 

Mauricio, it would be fabulous if you could recap this Thursday. Thank you so much for offering to do it. That means we have week two completely covered:

M -- NovelaMaven
Tu - Stevey
W -- Sara
Th - Mauricio
Fr - Sara

So far, only Stevey has expressed interest in recapping regularly.
 

I can recap regulary too. I could take Thursdays.
 

Really, Mauricio! Great!
And then there were two... :-)
 

Hello all,

This is my first time posting BUT I have read this site for years! I am also willing to recap a set night. The only problem I have is that I am a trial attorney and if I am in trial I sometimes do not have the time to watch shows for a few days. However I do know in advance when this will occur so maybe someone can step in that day or I can switch with someone a later day. Also I have never blogged or done a recap before but I am up to learn!

Let me know!

Thanks.
 

Caroline,

That would be great if you'd like to give it a shot. It's so cool that this novela is inspiring fresh voices to speak out.

As for professional obligations, don't worry. We are always filling in for each other, sometimes on very little notice, so that shouldn't deter you from joining in.

Sara, if Wednesday works for Caroline, would you like to get out of doing two of these this week?

What do you ladies think?

Of course, Caroline could have Monday if she prefers. (I'm kind of sitting on Friday because I have a hunch that Sara is going to want to claim it when DQTQTQ ends on Univision.)
 

I can actually recap any day. Wednesday or Monday works for me!
 

Caroline,

Can you do Mondays, starting tonight?

Monday -- Caroline
Tuesday -- Stevey
(Weds -- this week, either Sara or NM, depending on Sara's preference.)
Thursday -- Mauricio
(Friday -- this week, Sara.)
 

Yes I can recap tonight!
 

You know me so well, NovelaMaven!!

I am thinking of recapping regularly on Friday once DQTQTQ is over (or sharing Friday.)

If you don't mind doing Wednesday that would be great. I'll still do Friday this week.

I may be able to do two days next week. DQTQTQ will FINALLY end its 2 hour marathons (since May! Sheesh!!) and I'll feel a little freer. Definitely put me down for next Friday as well.

Caroline-Nice to meet you!!! So glad you decided to join the fun!
 

Sara, I'm fine with this Wednesday, so we've got this week covered.

I'll put you down for this Friday and next.

This is gonna be good!
 

Ok this is my first recap ever! So I think it will be pretty long. I hope to get shorter with practice! Bear with me!
 

Monday Part 1

Reina is in the bridal shop and wants Navier to take her away. Delfina tells Reina’s employees that she is not right in the head and not the same Reina. Reina’s daughter starts whining again that her mom doesn’t love her and she is just like everyone else. Reina admits that she doesn’t remember her however she feels in her heart that she means something to her. Everyone is stranger to her but not Clartita!

Meanwhile Isidro gives Victor bad news. The seller is here but is having second thoughts. If that’s true, Victor says, we will have serious problems with our client. Isidro states the seller is no longer negotiating with us.

Estefenia, looking very pleased, tells her henchman (I can’t remember his name) that she just conducted the most important deal since she inherited her late husband’s business. She has just gained many enemies and that fascinates her!

Reina is still uncomfortable about being rich tells Navier to take her to her family’s home. She tells her daughter that she didn’t always have money and should know where she came from.

Susana and Greta talk about Susana failed suicide attempt. Susana tells her that she is her only reason for living. They bond. Meanwhile Juancho complains that Susana is ignoring him and is being ungrateful.

Clarita meets her step grandmother who can’t get her name right (Carlita!) Clarita already doesn’t like her and accidently (on purpose) steps on her foot.

Delfina has the following conversation with Victor:

Defina: Reina didn’t want to come back with her.
Victor :She shouldn’t have brought her to the shop-it is dangerous for them.
Delfina: So then it wouldn’t be bad for Reina to die because of everything she learned right before the wedding (I REALLY want to know about that time period!)
Victor: He trusts Delfina because she wouldn’t be smart enough to plan Reina’s murder.
Delfina: Well she doesn’t trust him!

They are interrupted by a phone call from Navier informing Victor that Reina is at her childhood home.

Reina sees Lazaro and wants to talk to him. They were like brother and sister. He doesn’t want to talk to her and tells her they “WERE” like brother and sister. Naver sees Lazaro and avoids him.

Estafenia is back in her diamond vault and stares at the red diamond making goofy sexy(?) faces. She then goes back to her bedroom and speaks to her henchman. He asks her if she wants him to get in touch with the buyer. Yes she wants the buyer to think that Victor isn’t selling him the red diamond because he got a better offer. She doesn’t want anyone to know she is running her late husband’s business. This is a unique opportunity for her and she also wants to help her “friend” in his revenge plot so he only think about her.

Javier tells Juancho he really needs this job and has to pass the probationary period. So of course he gets fired because he spills expensive medicine on the floor when he runs into Greta. Javier begs for his job back but his supervisor says no. Greta feels bad and wants to lobby to get his job back but Lazaro complains that she will never understand what it is to be poor. She leaves but drops tickets to her show on the floor which Lazaro recovers.

Navier tells Smith that Lazaro lives next to Reina’s childhood home and its going to be difficult to avoid him. Navier tells Smith that maybe they can turn this problem into an opportunity. Just then both the agency and Isidoro say that they found "him" [I’m betting on the Middle Eastern man] and they have a plan to deal with him . Smith tells Javier that if this turns out well, their mission might end tonight.

Middle Eastern man is seen at a club and then being taken out by several men with guns.

Clarita is on Reina’s bed smiling looking at a box. She tells Reina it’s a present from her dad. Reina opens the box which contains a beautiful white dress and a note that says “ Let’s start over tonight with no past or memories. Just you and me, It will be enough-just the two of us. Let’s both of us forget our memories together.”
 

MONDAY PART 2

Navier is telling Estefania that he is Reina’s new driver. She gets upset because he will see Reina all the time. He says that he will be with her at night wanting to take her clothes off. She will give him a key and yells for Yolanda who quickly appears, happy, with key in hand (guess she was listening!) (Don’t know why but I hate every scene with Navier and Estenafia. Don’t find it sexy at all!)

Susana dreams about Juancho and their first meeting except it ends with a passionate kiss. Susana wakes up flustered,

Palacio tells Victor about Susana’s suicide attempt. He doesn’t care but comments on how Palacio seems to still have feeling for her. She is only a friend, he says!

Reina comes down the stairs in that beautiful white dress. Navier stares intensely. She looks like she is going to vomit-not looking forward to her night at all!

Victor tries to get lovey dovey with Reina in the car saying she drives him crazy. She is soooo not into him and tries to get him to stop. He keeps telling her that her body will remember him (Gross!) Navier is looking at them obviously jealous.

They arrive at the restaurant. Once inside Victor tries to romance her again, kissing her. She doesn’t feel the same way he does. Her mind, heart and body don’t remember him. All he asks for is tonight-once they make love her body will remember and it will be like before. They kiss while Navier looks on.

The Middle Eastern man was taken by Isidro, who proceeds to torture him asking him who brought the diamond. He stops to take Connie’s phone girl and acts like a giddy school girl. He continues to torture him until he gives a up the name of the buyer “The Queen of Hearts”

Men storm in as Victor and Reina dance. They have guns-they threaten them and ask for the merchandise. Navier, on a motorcycle breaks though the glass window and manages to take everyone out saving Victor and Reina.

Palacio goes to Estefenia’s casino to talk to her. They go way back-when she was a dramatic actress and he was a lowly cop. He wants to know what she knows of her stepson’s relationship with Reina! She seems genuinely surprised about that connection. She then asks her stepson about Reina. He says he does not know her. Estefenia wants to investigate that connection. She thought that because of Reina’s amnesia she was no longer a danger to her! (OMG what happened before the wedding-I am dying to know!)

Isidoro has batting practice with the Middle Eastern man who does not know anything else about this Queen of Diamonds. Isidoro needs to find her and that diamond!

Smith is upset that they were 20 minutes too late and both the Middle Eastern man and the diamond are missing! She hates when operations go bad!

Victor, Reina and Navier are back at the station. Victor tries to comfort Reina but she ain’t having it. Victor thanks Navier but didn’t know he was armed. He got a gun after the last incident-thought it was best. Reina asks Victor why those men were asking about merchandise. What is he into? He doesn’t have any idea. But he remembers everything perfectly, he is not the person who lost their memory (Oh snap!) Yes, Reina says, I lost my memory in an accident while fleeing from my wedding. Isn’t it weird that a happy bride would flee from their wedding? Yes Victor replies, but most brides try to leave before they get married, not after.

Reina and Navier are alone He gives her coffee and his coat. He is here if she wants to talk. Yes she wants to vent! She doesn’t understand what is going on and why someone is trying to kill her. She also doesn’t understand why would she run out of the church I she just got married-maybe that has something to do with what is happening right now.

Palacio tells Victor that the men who were after them are drug traffickers wanted by the FBI. Does he have any dealings with them? Victor denies It but throws suspicion onto Reina.


 

MONDAY PART 3

Reina tells Palacio how the men were asking about merchandise. Were they asking Victor or her? The men are drug traffickers and he has to investigate her too. She may not remember certain things but she knows that she is not a criminal!

Navier tells Palacio how he managed to stop those men (leaving out his super spy training) and how he will keep this dangerous job because he really needs the money.

Reina confronts Victor about throwing her under the bus to Palacio-he was really really nervous says Victor!

Victor tells Navier he is done for the night and can leave with any car that he wants. Reina than comes down the stairs asking Navier to take her away from here (and her sex night with Victor).

Isidoro tells Victor about the Queen of Diamonds. It’s not he first time Victor hears that name.
Victor gets a call from a man (his client?) who apparently sent the drug traffickers to attack him. He tells Victor that he killed all his men. His men threatened him what was he supposed to do. The man says Victor double crossed him –he promised him a diamond and then he gave it to another. Victor screams that he doesn’t have it but he knows who does-the Queen of Diamonds! This man has heard of her but he thought Victor was more powerful. That’s a shame. His daughter is turning 16 and he promised it to her. He knows very well that someone would kill for their kids!

Victor needs to find out who this Queen is. He and Isidro are also suspecting that Navier is more than a mere taxi driver! They are going to investigate him..again!

Reina is seen hiding in Navier’s back seat. She really has no place to go. Navier doesn’t know where to take her. “Take me to your place or are you scared?” Reina tells him. Navier is never scared. Reina than says “Well than take me to sleep with you!”

**Please correct if I made any mistakes!!**


 

What a great recap, Caroline! Thanks so much... I'm becoming further and further entrenched in my belief that for novelas such as this one- where there's just so MUCH stuff going on, with so many different characters and at so many different times- recaps really will be a HUGE help in keeping it all together so that one doesn't get confused and/or lost in any way.

Anyway, thanks again! I'm up for tomorrow... see you all then! :-)
 

Caroline this was fabulous! And definitely needed! I missed a few things, but you cleared them up. Stevey is right, this is going to be one to pay close attention to!

Like you I am DYING to know more of the back story!

I'm not a fan of the Estefania/Javier sex scenes either. They gross me out,but I think they are supposed to. I like Siachoque, but she has to stop fondling her neck and hair. It's starting to look like a tic. Or that she graduated from the Maite Perroni Pick a Gesture Method Acting School.
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

Reina

Caroline - Thank you for the recap. Great job!

I'm running out the door for the day, so this will be brief. If not for the awfulness of Vic's henchman trying to get the name of the "Queen of Diamonds", it would have been really funny when his phone rang and he took a minute to talk to Connie. Really LOL if the beating wasn't so gruesome and disgusting.

I wonder if we'll see more dark humor of this type? Hopefully sans gruesomeness!
 

Caroline,

Thank you so much! What a splendid debut! You managed to make sense of some stuff that just flew right past me. Clearly, you're a natural at this!

A few things that intrigued me last night:

Reina's egalitarian sensibility (she still thinks like a working class person) doesn't allow her to see the 'servidumbre' as furniture. So, for example, not only is she unattracted to Victor, she is embarrassed when he makes his moves in the car in front of Navier; for Victor, Navier, as a person, is invisible. And Reina treats the housekeeper Asunción like an equal, probably why she always seems to be on Reina's side.

It's fun watching the little romantic sparks start to fly between:

--Greta and Lázaro (though we have to get rid of the dreadful Miriam first; and last night we saw that Greta also has a partner who will have to step aside for this romance to happen)

--Juanjo and Susana, the opposites who can't stop thinking about each other.

--Isidro and Connie: yes, he is playing her, but he also seems to be getting into it. She, of course, is smitten.

Christian the cop and?? He has a past with both Victor's ex-wife, Susana and Stefi-, the ex porno star. Where will his heart lead him?

Siachoque seems to be parodying herself and every other role she has ever played. And that dress! Yikes! (It would never have made it past Univision censors.) I can almost buy into the Navier/Reina chemistry, but when Navier is with Stefi, all I can do is giggle.

Juan Soler is deliciously wicked, however.

Delfina is gorgeous, but so annoying. And why hasn't Reina confronted her with her hypocrisy the way she confronted Carmen?

So much going on! We are going to need all the help we can get to keep it all straight.


 

Caroline,
What a terrific recap! I clearly missed a lot that your recap included. Thanks very much!

There was one place where I think you may have gotten the name wrong. You wrote: "Javier tells Juancho he really needs this job and has to pass the probationary period. So of course he gets fired because he spills expensive medicine on the floor when he runs into Greta. Javier begs for his job back but his supervisor says no." Isn't it Lázaro, not Javier? Later in the paragraph you say Lázaro, but I think it should say Lázaro throughout.
 

Oops, I posted my comment before I had finished. I wanted to add that I agree with you, Caroline, about the unsexy sex scenes between Navier and Estefania. Like Sara, I assume that they're supposed to be unconvincing.

Thanks for the dialogue between Delfina and Victor. I totally missed that, and I'm still a bit mystified by what it all refers to, but I think I'm supposed to be mystified at this point. At least I hope so!

If Navier is trying to hide his being more than a taxista, he shouldn't rattle off the names of all the weapons the bad guys were carrying. Christian was clearly a bit surprised and probably suspicious.

I rather enjoyed the schizophrenic shift Isidro made when he was talking to Connie on the phone while beating up the Middle Eastern guy. I suspect the gruesomeness Doris asked about will continue. Telemundo seems a lot more willing than Univision to show gruesome violence, especially in TNs that deal with narcotraficantes. I suppose it's justified in depicting that world, though even in La Reina del Sur (my favorite TN of all time), I found some scenes hard to watch.
 

I found Isidro's schizophrenic behavior kind of funny myself. I promise I'm not a psychopath. In fact I think that so far they've done a good job of adding some light touches without being too corny or downright bad (Mr Mejia is guilty of adding crappy light touches.) Could this telenovela be a satire of 1940's noir detective films?
 

Yes Juanita. I meant to say Lazaro throughout that section! Thank you! I didn't realize how much work a recap is! But it was fun-it made me pay that much more attention. Tonight looks like it's going to be really good!
 

thanks so much Caroline!
I love the details.

so this attack was from the angry mob guy, (was he thinking Victor had the red-diamond) and so the piano player got shot and forgotten.

but what about the first attack?
(the only person that would seem to have an interest in eliminating Reina is Stefi, but Nicolas was there too, and she seems to have other plans)

wait, Greta and Susana finally bond, but are we forgetting Greta may be Stefi's daughter?

and it appears la Reina is involved somehow, and even though she has innocent victim written all over her, when she pleads with Nicolas with those big sad eyes, his ice coating isn't melting very fast.

(and I'm really liking how she is not lying down and taking it, how can you dislike a person that spits out their hospital calmantes)


"red diamonds are made purely from carbon, just like colourless diamonds, the red colour of the diamond is created by a rare deformation in its atomic structure"
http://www.capetowndiamondmuseum.org/blog/2013/04/red-diamonds/

Diamonds- the 7 most expensive,
1) The Cullinan diamond ($ 400 Million)
http://www.shzell.com/most-expensive-diamonds/

 

@ Deb-What I got from it was that Victor was going to buy it from the Middle Eastern guy but the Middle eastern guy sold it to Estanfia instead. Then she put out the rumor that Victor did indeed acquire the red diamond but had sold it someone other than the mob guy. That is why he ordered the attack.
 

Thanks Caroline. It was long because you did a splendid job.I have a few questions about the show:
1. Were Vic and Reina lovers before the wedding or she was just living in his house for those past 8 years?
2. Agent Smith et al know everything but don't know who the Reina de diamantes is? or that they actually clued her on the plan for Vic? Lol, let's hoe they don't fall for Reina the bad guy ploy.
Romy


 

REINA

Caroline, kudos for the terrific first recap! I enjoyed reading it very much.

Romy, my money is on Reina never having had sex with Victor. It's still unclear to me whether he has feelings for her or kept her living with him for 8 years as an amazing act of revenge against a man he believed caused his daughter's suicide. Even though said supposed heartbreaker is already (he thinks) dead.

I do believe he loves Clara and maybe, just maybe, Reina stayed in that house for that reason. From what we saw, it appears her wedding dress design firm is SO successful that she did not need Victor's money.

It's a real "ick" factor for me, considering my belief that Victor never managed to bed Reina, that he keeps telling her what hot sex they had before she lost her memory. He's trying to trick her into bed with him.

Again, is he exhibiting the typical telenovela villain trait of wanting to bed women he doesn't really care about just because of an overactive libido, or does he have feelings for Reina?

He certainly trashes her in his conversations with Delfina, so it's hard to say.

I am hoping for some flashback scenes to clear up, perhaps, the reason why Reina agreed to marry Victor in the first place, considering how he actually repulses her when he tries his moves.
 

I'm willing to bet Victor put up the capital for Reina to start her business. I get the impression that he really controlled her.
 

Deb- Thanks for the info on red diamonds. I had no idea!
 

From what I gathered (and based on my previous novela experiences) I would guess that Reina lived in Victor's home becase she was greatful for saving Clarita. He kept telling her that he loved her and would be patient waiting for her to love him back. Over the years he slowly began to take control over her life. She also changed, hardened by the fact that Navier was dead. She began more guarded and cold which also went along her new job as a successful designer. I think she finally decided to marry him because she loved him as a friend and while planning for this wedding somehow discovered that Victor was to blame for Navier's "death" and started to plot revenge. I have not seen or read any spoilers so this is all guessing and from what we have seen so far.

I really want to see her life as this designer because it seems that her personality was very different-traumitized from her loss and as the years passed, as she was being manipulated by Victor her peronality began to change as well.
 

Reina

Novelera – Reina’s design house is successful, but it was Victor & his money who initially set her up in that business. In episode #2, he brought Reina to a couture dress shop --- which appeared that he owned --- and introduced her to the staff, AFTER he secretly had her fired from the shop in which she was working.

I do not think Victor has any feelings for Reina, other than being yet one more person to dominate/conquer/control.

I had not considered the idea that Vic & Reina may not have had sex before now. That would be a long time for her to live with him ….. do we know for sure if she lived with him all that time?
 

Stevey: I am SO glad you called Santa Diabla "execrable". I bailed early on and watched, I think, the last couple of episodes with the fascination of watching a mid-air plane crash. You should look away, but you don't.
 

Doris, I'm basing my hunch that Victor and Reina have not had sex on the almost universal telenovela trope that the heroine (unless she's raped by a guy, sometimes with a mask: Fuego en la Sangre and La Patrona) does not have sex with the villain.

And she feels almost ill when he grabs hold of her and makes moves. AND, in the very first episode, they showed a looooooong pause after the priest said: "Accepta" before she said "Accepto" and she did not look thrilled to be marrying him.

And, he protests too much. He says over and over that her body will remember him, yada yada. I think, for whatever reason, he's hoping against hope to get her into bed by convincing her she's already been there and lots.

I think we'll likely find out lots more down the road about why she DID marry him.
 

Caroline - Wonderful recap! Thanks so much! What an exciting episode!

I too want to know more about the period before the wedding. What could have happened? What did Reina find out? What happened between Reina and Andres?

So many questions.
 

"Doris, I'm basing my hunch that Victor and Reina have not had sex on the almost universal telenovela trope that the heroine . . . does not have sex with the villain "

novelera - HOW could I have forgotten one of the first and foremost Telenovela Rules!?! LOL
 

I'm just now watching my recording of the episode. Thank you, Caroline!

I am also curious about what happened just before the wedding, and what happened the last 7-8 years. Seeing how Reina is being so insistent about going to her old hood and speaking to her old peeps, I just cannot believe that she let all those years pass without finding out why people weren't calling/returning her calls or wanted to speak with her. I'm just not buying it. Maybe if she were in a coma for most of that time, or if she were drugged or something. Why so many years before she married Victor, yet she allowed Clarita to call him papa? Well, it's cool that there is still so much backstory to fill-- I just hope the writers give us satisfactory answers when the time comes.
 

Can anyone tell me how Detective Palacios can be friends with Victor? Does he really not know his old friend is a criminal? How does he think Victor makes all that money? And even if he doesn't know that Victor is a criminal (which makes him a terrible cop), then he should at least know that Victor is a jerk from the way he treats his ex-wife and the people around him.
 

Vivi, I think you're due for a beanie tune-up. You're being waaaay too logical in asking why Reina would have simply accepted the loss of her old friends 8 years ago!

And I thought the same thing. Palacios is a really nice guy. HOW could he be Victor's friend for so many years?

In short, the same things bother me that bother you. Hopefully, we'll get some answers. Actually, Victor said right out loud to Isidro at the time he brought her home before Clara was born that the plan was to make Reina a prisoner
 

Vivi, maybe Det. Palacios is wearing his telenovela beanie hat, too.
 

Thanks ladies. I'm tightening my beanie as I type this. :)
 

Tuesday's episode

Besaron! Now it will be another 248 episodes until it happens again.

Does anyone know the song and performer we heard when Reina and Navier were having breakfast? It sounds very familiar to me.
 

TUESDAY'S EPISODE- CAPITULO 7

PART 1

The episode begins with our handsome couple in once-was-Nicholas-now-Bolivar's car, having successfully extricated themselves from the most recent encounter with violence and carnage. Reina, desirous of a little peace and a safe place with which to try and clear her muddled head, asks Bolivar if he can take her to his place and she can spend the night there with him. As we can almost hear his heart as it leaps up into his throat, he gentlemanly attempts to ascertain from her what her 'spend the night with him' may mean. Of course, Reina, innocent in her obliviousness, means if he has a spare room or chair or something, maybe he could be so kind as to lend her that and when Bolivar realizes this, he tells her that he has only got one bed , but he would willingly and gladly give it up to her (the bed, that is...).

Having agreed on this, they're just about to be on their way (and some sexy-anticipation-type background music starts playing) when, WHOOPS!! Bolivar's phone buzzes. Noticing that he does not appear inclined to answer it, Reina makes him do so, thinking that it may be Victor calling, and that not answering it would be suspicious. As he connects the call, we understand his reluctance to answer it in Reina's presence as the sexy voice of an erotically-hypercharged Estefania Perez Hidalgo comes across his speaker phone, telling him how much she yearns and aches and thirsts and lusts and hungers for him, as well as other things which would make your grandmother blush. With the level of awkwardness in the car rising exponentially with each of her words, we are treated to a glimpse of our winsome and shrinking violet on the other end, as she rolls around amongst the multitudinous gold satin pillows on her bed, wearing nothing but the barest of essentials (deep red bra and panties, with six inch red stilettos), touching herself and obviously enjoying herself way too much.


Reina, taken a little aback, in a truly heroic display of euphemism-diplomacy, attempts to apologize for her impertinence and self-centeredness in trying to impose herself on Bolivar and, in so doing, ignoring the possibility that, as she put it (in a truly heroic display of euphemism-diplomacy) he "had plans for the night". Not to worry, says Bolivar, as (with the romantic, yearning music starting in the background) he assures her that, in fact, it is SHE that is his absolute priority for the night (whereupon the romantic-yearning music segues into something sexier).


 

TUESDAY'S EPISODE- CAPITULO 7

PART 2

Next we see Greta, happy as a lark as she rehearses her beloved acrobatics, which we now learn is the 'aerial silk' kind (whereupon the acrobat does their thing in mid-air supported by special fabrics which they then incorporate in their routine, without the benefit of any kind of support or safety lines). Her rather cloying boyfriend is also there, sitting rapt in the front row. After congratulating her on her beautiful work, he then whips out an engagement ring. Cara de sorpresa de Greta.

We segue over to Lazaro, siting alone on the couch in his apparently empty house, looking dour and glum. In sashays Miriam, coming home way late, and thus the source of Lazaro's low mood. He is apparently of the 'quickly forgiving' kind, however, as soon they are getting busy on the couch, with all apparently having been forgiven. This doesn't last long, however, as Lazaro, in his empassioned gropings, finds a quantity of drugs on Miriam''s person. Concerned, upset, and angry, Lazaro tries to remind of her health, her responsibilities, her life, and most importantly, her child whereupon Miriam (in a masterstroke of selfishness and manipulation) tells him she NEEDS the drugs because they are the only thing that make bearable the miserable life she is living with him. Out stumbles a half-asleep Coni, having awoken to the ruckus. Not wanting to get her in any way involved, Lazaro tries to reason with Miriam, but her focus appears to be solely on just getting her drugs back until, realizing that there's no WAY that Lazaro will ever see eye-to-eye with her on that regard, she storms out of the house again in a huff.

Now back to our couple, as they enter into Bolivar's perfectly nice and acceptable apartment. Reina, taking in her new surroundings, tells Bolivar that this isn't at all what she thought of for him, whereupon he tells her that he hardly ever spends any time there, and then does his best to be the perfect host as he inquires as to whatever she may need or like to feel more comfortable.

Uh oh. Now to the De Rosas mansion. where the mood is anything but comfortable as a livid and desperate Victor tries to find out from his pajama-clad servants how Reina could have possibly managed to flee, and where in the world she could have gone. At this moment Reina then calls, telling Victor that she's fine and to please not worry and imploring him just for a little time and understanding as she attempts to get her head around everything, and that she will come home- promise! Victor- somewhat ameliorated but definitely not thrilled with this- shares the news with the rest of the household, whereupon odious bitch Delfina makes sure to take a minute and rub salt in Victor's wounds about the latest capriciousness of his errant wife..
Back to our two leads, now and for the moment sudden roomies, as they try and settle into this now-mercifully quiet night that they are apparently innocently going to spend together. Lots of the romantic-yearning-type music and undercurrents of throbbing emotion (which, I must say, our two leads handle very well with one another).
 

TUESDAY'S EPISODE- CAPITULO 7

PART 3

On we go to something decidedly neither quiet nor innocent, as Victor enters the wherever-it-is where Isidro has been torturing the Middle Eastern gentleman, who we see is now in quiet a bad way, heaving and hyperventilating while tied to a chair, battered, bloodied, brusied. Victor demands of the man the identity of the 'Reina de Diamantes', but the poor man swears that he doesn't know her name, only that she's magnificently wealthy and goes by that alias. Victor, already stung by the man's apparent betrayal, isn't happy to hear this but his subsequent further attempts to elicit any information from his captive also don't get him anything. Just then he gets up and- WTF??? WHAT THE HELL DID HE JUST STICK ON THE GUY'S NECK????- Victor takes from somewhere concealed on his person a little stick-or-pen-like device of some kind which he then sticks to the poor guys neck, and then proceeds to watch as- within seconds- the guy dies. A disgusted Victor then pushes both body and chair over and he and Isidro leave.
Back to Bolivar's apartment where, with Reina apparently safe and sound asleep, he proceeds to file an online report to Smith.

Now on to something completely different, where Estefania- in a pink and black satin and lace Baby Doll nightie looking (and acting) decidedly different from when we last saw her- is entering one of the closed rooms in her house- a room which is revealed to be the bedroom of every little's girls dreams, decorated wall to wall in Laura Ashley-type florals and filled with doll houses, strollers, and dolls of every shape and size everywhere, literally filling the entire room. Estefania goes and picks up a favourite doll, lovingly kisses it and holds it tenderly to her. Just then a knock at the door interrupts her reverie- it's her Isidro, her loyal henchman Lopez. Estefania wants an update as to last night's drama involving Victor de Rosas and the status of everyone, most especially, his driver (we all know who that is). Lopez reports that everyone got out of it okay, but that it was a very serious, scary and dangerous situation. Estefania tells him to make the appropriate phone calls, and that she is going to sell the red diamond so that Victor will not be killed, as he most assuredly would be were she to keep it. Lopez expresses his surprise at her concern over the life of Victor de Rosas, whereupon Estefania tells him that, basically, she's not necessarily doing it for him.

We then see a torn Bolivar, having checked on his sleeping Reina, as he picks up the phone and checks in with his boss, Victor de Rosas, shirtless and apparently having been in bed. Upset at first by his employees lack of communication, Victor quickly changes his tune when Bolivar betrays Reina's location to him by telling him where she is. Victor tells him he'll be right over to fetch her and disconnects the call wherein- OH NO!- we realize that Victor was not alone in bed, as odious bitch Delfina slithers into the frame beside him and hisses more evil in Victor's ear about Reina, whereupon an angry Victor tells her to watch herself before leaving to get dressed.

Uh oh! As a guilty looking Bolivar stares sadly down at his phone, contemplating his betrayal, Reina appears. She's heard everything, and is speechless at Bolivar's betrayal of her.

Now over to Estefania, dressed now, greeting upstanding cop Christian. They apparently go way back. Happy to see him, Estefania is taken aback when Christian reveals his motives for being there- he wants to ask her about her stepson Andres and Reina Ortiz.

 

TUESDAY'S EPISODE- CAPITULO 7

PART 4

Now over to a furious and hurt Reina with Bolivar, as he attempts to justify to her his actions. He uses the concern of her family, her work, her loving daughter, and that she has going for her in her life as excuses and it apparently works, as next they're all gently loving buddy-buddies again, as they sit down to the delicious breakfast that Bolivar cooked for the both of them (and with, of course, the romantic-yearning-type music playing in the background). Bolivar leaves the room for a minute to go and fetch something and when he return- SURPRISE!- Reina flew the coop!

Bolivar pursues in hot pursuit through his now-open front door and a cat-and-mouse chase ensues throughout the apartment building as Bolivar tries to locate Reina and Reina tries to evade Bolivar. The pursuit moves to the buildings stairwell....

Now over to Juanjo and Lazaro. Lazaro muses on fate and the fact that- in a 24 hour period, he lost both his job and his girl. Juanjo is a supportive listener, until he spots of all people Susana, sitting alone and looking sad in her car, perhaps contemplating the events that transpired when last she was at this place (when she attempted suicide). Concerned that perhaps she's going to try it again, Juanjo dials a number on his phone...

Well, Reina has made it to the roof but, of course, where can she go from here? And, indeed, it is here where Bolivar finds her. Their confrontation as he catches up to her gets heated, and then physical as Bolivar attempts to physically pick Reina up and bring her back downstairs.

Well, all that chase-excitement means that Bolivar's apartment is now wide open and empty of people and it is a confused Victor and Isidro who now enter, puzzled at what's happened. Isidro finds evidence, in terms of clothing and the unmade bed, of possible hanky-panky, whereupon Victor reassures him that Bolivar has told him everything. It seems in betraying his beloved Reina, Bolivar has gained the (for now) unwavering trust of his boss...

Back onto the stairwell (going down this time), with a screaming and kicking Reina doing her best to resist the physical restraints of Bolivar's manly arms that are currently confining her. She struggles, she resists, she screams, she squirms, Bolivar lets her down momentarily to try and get a better hold of her, she bites him, he grabs her again, she screams in his face, two inches away from one another.... and.... HELLO!!! PASSIONATE KISS! (and of course, crooning romantic music in the background). LONG and passionate kiss! Unfortunately, back to reality, Victor and Isidro are trying to follow the screams, and head up the stairwell. They, of course, catch up to Reina and Bolivar (who, thankfully for them, had just left their embrace). Victor attempts to intercede for Reina who, desperately, lashes out to all of them- telling them that all she wants is some peace and quiet and some time to herself to try and sort out her head. Victor reminds her of, amongst other things, her little daughter at home, and it appears that Reina is realizing that flight- as much though she feels she needs it right now- might not be the most realistic course of action for her right now.

Over to Estefania, now at her shrink, musing over the possibility of Andres and Reina being involved, which she just can't get her head around. She muses further on people and their secrets, including her own and, when her doctor inquires of her about them, she tells him that she's got more secrets than anyone.
 

TUESDAY'S EPISODE- CAPITULO 7

PART 5

Now back to Susana, looking sad, lost, and small (FWIW- I think Wanda D'Isidoro is doing great with Susana and with being sympathetic in general, such a change from her amoral vamp Barbara in the execrable SD!). As Lazaro and Juanjo watch from afar, she starts her car, turns around and goes back the way she came. She almost gets run over by a rampaging transport truck, and then sirens start blaring and we see a cop car in hot pursuit of her. As Lazaro and Juanjo watch from afar, they pontificate upon peoples lives, their struggles, their voids, and their happinesses,

Briefly back to Bolivar's apartment. A deflated, dejected, and defeated Reina is ready to go back. Big sigh.

Back to the bridal boutique (or whatever you want to call it). Odious bitch Delfina is assisting Greta with her wedding gown. Odious bitch Delfina gushes about both dress and wedding, Greta doesn't look too thrilled at the prospect of either... Just then Estefania walks in, inquiring about Reina. Greta is surprised to see Estefania, Estefania- her motherly urges long suppressed but certainly not dead- is delighted to see Greta. They talk about Greta's sudden change (or upcoming change) in marital status, and Greta confesses that her true passion is for her acrobatics and that she really doesn't want to get married. Estefania, flattered at Greta confiding in her, tells her not to lose track of her dreams, and that a woman with no dreams isn't a complete woman at all. Greta looks grateful for Estefania's understanding.

Bolivar now, barging into Smith's office and renouncing both his job and mission. Smith is having none of it.

Ooh! Greta's big night (not her wedding night, the night she was looking forward to. Coni, Lazaro, Juanjo, and the kid are there to take in the circus fun and festivities, and ever-supportive Susana is there, looking stunning if out of place in evening gown. Juanjo engages her and they banter a bit back and forth (I must confess, I'm not usually one on the 'couples', 'courtship', 'romance' aspects of telenovela mostly, but I love these two!!)

Now back to the De Rosas mansion. Reina is trying to sneak out again, poor thing. She makes it outside and to the foot of the driveway before crouching in front of the SUV and subsequently setting off its car alarm. If it wasn't for bad luck, she'd have no luck at all.

More people arriving, Victor- obviously not really thrilled to be there but determined to at least try to support his daughter somewhat- Clarita and, of course, Isidro. The cloying boyfriend is also there, and he reassures Victor that- once they are married, he'll get Greta to get rid of this stupid dream of hers.

Meanwhile...

back over at the de Rosas mansion, one of Victor's goons has come out to investigate the car alarm. He does so without incident while Reina hides behind a tree... (and here all I can say is thank God Paola Nunez is skinny, because that tree was little more than a sapling and if her hips were any wider, she'd have been screwed!!)

Next, whilst waiting for Greta's show to begin, we have a little interaction between the two children, as Clarita and The Boy collide and spill each others popcorn / confectionery items. Here I must confess that I have no idea what actually went on because generally speaking I uniformly can't stand all children in telenovelas but, whatever it is, I'm sure it was precious (nauseatingly, the children even have their own 'precious' background music) and overall of no relation or consequence whatsoever to any plot, be it main or sub... BUT... it should be noted that, whilst watching the children in all of their preciousness, Coni catches site of Isidro, and subsequently gets all nervous/weak-at-the-knees and makes a beeline out of there before he notices her.

 

We then see a liberated Reina, walking down an urban sidewalk somewhere, assuredly thrilled with herself that she's (once again) managed to fly the proverbial coop. In the background trailing her, we see a familiar figure on a motorcycle with a REEEE-ally distinctive dark helmet...

Back at the circus show, Coni (who obviously was steeling herself for this), approaches Isidro and expresses her delight for finding him here at the circus. Isidro, with his two worlds ('cold-blooded, fiercely loyal hitman/bodyguard' and 'regular, well-meaning, somewhat lonely guy who'd love to meet a nice girl and settle down') now thus colliding, doesn't really know what to do... so he does nothing. Coni is understandably perplexed at his sudden coldness and lack of response.

Meanwhile, back to our Reina... ever vigilant (read: 'paranoid', but give the girl a break... she's got ample reasoning for being so!), dodges behind a corner to escape Figure On Motorbike. Just as she thinks that she has done so Figure On Motorbike appears from out of nowhere and pulls up right in front of her (and, as he does so, we see some familiar curly locks portruding from the aforementioned distinctive helmet...)

Now back to the circus... we see Lazaro is now joining the rest of his group and, as he enters the auditorium (accompanied by The Boy, who must have found him in the lobby or something), he espies a promotional photo of Greta. Lazaro stops in front of it and gets all wistful, but covers well when The Boy asks him about it.

Next we have Estefania, who I think we've all gathered by now really gets off on getting herself into as extreme a situation as possible, being led blindfolded into a stretch limo, wherein awaits a rather greasy looking character who greets her as the 'Reina de Diamantes'. Estefania is cool in her response and then gets right down to it- she tells him that she has what he wants, and will give it to him, but on the condition that he leaves Victor de Rosas and his family alone, and will seek no vengeance on them for anything. The greasy rich guy is agreeable to this (I gather that most men are with Estefania), but tells her that if such is the case, then he also has his own condition.....


 

TUESDAY'S EPISODE- CAPITULO 7

PART 7 (I really need to learn to make these things shorter, don't I?)

Now on to the performance, we see Greta in the middle of her routine, which is right out of something 'Cirque du Soleil' might do. She's having the time of her life, and the audience is clearly loving it. Interestingly too, though, is that while this is going on we are treated to glimpses of several of our main players here, and whatever they themselves may be personally going through- Lazaro looks on at the enigmatic girl twirling before them all with what looks like wonder, a delighted Juanjo finds that- in spite of how much he's enjoying the show- he still finds himself perpetually looking over at Susana and in her direction, and that she- even if on the other side of the auditorium and seemingly, on another side of the world entirely, also finds herself continuously looking on over at him (Yay!). There is also odious bitch Delfina, sitting off on her own, looking decidedly sour and unimpressed. Then we have Coni, sweet and now a little bit confused, looking over hopefully at Isidro where he is obviously caught between these two very disparate aspects of his personality... trying to be cold and emotionless as Victor's bodyguard, yet still trying somewhat to engage Coni with some kind of eye contact or a fleeting smile....

Now back to our Reina and her motorcycle man, who does indeed now take off his helmet and reveal himself to her as our Bolivar. She is not at all pleased to see him, and reminds him if her attitude towards him is as negative as it is, that he has no one but himself to blame for it thanks to his most recent betrayal of her to her powerful husband. Bolivar tries impressing upon her how dangerous it is for her to be out on her own, he also tries explaining and apologizing. As the two gaze into each others eyes (to which it must be said that these two are REALLY good with the whole 'eye contact' thing, and at the whole concept of using gaze to express things that words never could...), we can almost feel the various discerning emotions both are feeling right now, before Reina snaps out of it and tells Bolivar to, please... just leave her in peace and leave her alone. Bolivar, who of course, only wants to do whatever it is that Reina wants, lets her go as this, and she storms away from him through the parking garage where all of this had transpired. Just after she takes leave of him, however, a car speeds through and narrowly avoids hitting her. The young driver immediately gets out of his car to apologize and then....

Oh NOES!! He rushes up to Reina and chloroforms her, before dragging her now-unconscious body to the trunk of his car and tossing her inside!!

What happens next? Did Bolivar see?? Tune in tomorrow!!! :-)

My best wishes to you all! :-)
 

Masterfully done, Stevey! You've hit the nail on the head with "odious bitch Delfina."

More later when I'm at a real keyboard.
 

Excellent, Stevey!

One thing I caught when Navier tried to quit the spy business because he thought he messed up by letting his passion for Reina take over, Agent Smith alluded to making a similar mistake with Victor in the past. Hmmm....

Let me pause for a wild theory: If we have some suspicions that Navier could be Smith's child. And if a young Agent Smith got pregnant by a young Victor while she was undercover, and let herself get swept away by passion...then, Navier could be Victor's kid. End of wild speculations.

I enjoyed the kiss on the stairwell, but can't believe that Victor and Isidro didn't see it. They were right next to them practically when they broke away. LOL!

Seems that Victor was the one who urged/made Greta's boyfriend propose because he hates her work (although he pretends to be supportive). The writers know we're in 2014 in the U.S., right? Where a woman can continue working after getting married. Why would marrying that dork mean that she can't continue to be an acrobat?
 

Vivi I had the same wild thought.

I'm kind of hoping Victor somehow comes out a good guy cause I'm finding him seriously hot as hell and I hate to think I'm attracted to such a violent controlling a$$. Or is Juan Soler just that good?
 

And once again Reina proves that it should not have been so easy for Victor to isolate and cage her all those years ago. Unless the excuse is that she was pregnant and grieving, and wasn't really herself when it all began, and then it was too late.
 

I definitely think it's time for some more flashbacks.
 

stevey - Thank you for the recap!

Last night's LOL moment was Navier carrying Reina down those stairs and saying STTE of --- "I can't believe you weigh this much." LOL!
The writers are definitely blindsiding us with their comedy moments.

Vivi - I like your theory that Nico might be the son of Smith & Victor.
 

wonderful recap stevey!
lots of little details.

loved Estefania in her doll house.

wow, and a limo so big the camera crew can sit at the other end, were the legs we saw earlier from mafia guys 16yo daughter?

say, did Christian tell Estefania that Andres returned from Europe earlier than he had let on and that he was traveling with Reina, or something? (so now she thinks they are amantes)

[ah, Raúl Arrieta (Andrés) was the fast talking radio guy in "Perro amor" with the samurai hairdo]

and so did Juanjo dial 911, and later Susana tells him she was stopping by to compensate him, but, too bad.

I think Delfina is running the dress shop in Reina's absence, I don't see how that could be doing well, no wonder the employees were pleading for help.

and I was wondering why everyone is calling Javier, Navier, are the spellings interchangeable?

 

Navier is just a combination of Nicolas and Javier.

I guess you could Javolas too. ;)



 

ahha, thanks Sara!

 

It always annoys me when characters end up going by two names. I never know what to call them in recaps and comments.
 

Wow, Stevey! What a terrific debut! I your writing style and the bits of humor. I hope you'll agree to recap every week.
 

All right, I'm in on Reina. I watched the first two episodes On Demand and I like all the action. Such a difference from En Otra Piel(EOP) in which nothing ever happens. I will keep doing my Thursday recaps of EOP, of course. I am giving up on Escrito en las Estrellas, which is one of the worst (and most boring) novelas I have ever seen. So much for all Brazilian novelas being good.

Speaking of EOP and the novela it is based on, El Cuerpo del Deseo, Rosalinda Rodriguez, who plays Reina's evil stepmother, Carmen, also played Cantalicia, the equivalent of David Chocarro's character in EOP - the confused wife of the guy whose body is taken over. Pablo Azar, who plays Juanjo in Reina was also in Cuerpo playing the younger son of the housekeeper, Gabriel, in EOP.

I will go on record as saying that Juan Soler does nothing for me. I like Eugenio Siller mostly because of his hair, I think. I do like Paola Núñez.

Reina reminds me a lot of Corazon Valiente where there was lots of action and the plot was beyond ridiculous.
 

Jean- I am in awe of Eugenio's hair. It is a truly beautiful thing.
 

Thanks, Stevey, terrific recap with lots of humor.

I don't expect Victor to be redeemed. But I'm not so sure, at least at this point, why the CIA wants to get him so badly. What we've seen so far is that he buys and sells precious stones. He was planning to buy the red diamond from the middle eastern guy and sell it to the narco. This isn't really illegal, at least in my mind. I think they may be hinting at some point that he's involved in buying or selling stolen precious stones. But they haven't said that outright, I don't think.

Yep, that scene at the circus was patently ridiculous. Dorky fiancé almost seemed like he'd been Victor's plant all along and he certainly was planning to play ball about getting Greta NOT to run away and joint the circus. Of course, it's meant, I suppose, to be another example of Victor being SUCH a controlling guy.
 

I loved that the circus scene was so indecisive. We had folks in jeans eating popcorn and Susana in a full length gown and up do. Cracked me up for some reason.
 

Wow Stevey long, detailed and entertaining. I like the show so far but it's kind of disjointed a bit. Victor is a bad guy and he'll probably stay one. He killed a guy and liked it(Katy Perry) nod and Navier always playing the super hero in not believable at all as a chauffeur. Vic and Izzy better get on that.
Romy
 

Glad you joined us Vivi and other familiar names. Thanks novelera I agree they never had sex or maybe they had coerced/thanks for saving mi hija sex that is why she recoiled at his touch but that would violate the novela rule.Oh well, we need flashback darn it. Stefie has a few screw loose, doll house, lol. The actors(guys) don't float my boat but I'll play along.
Romy
 

This is the third telenovela where a woman with a screw loose had a doll fetish.
 

Tho I guess Raq from La Impostora doesn't really count.
 

Stevey - Thanks for the wonderfully written and detailed recap of this exciting episode!

I loved your description of Estefania yearning and arching for Nicolás/Javier. She needs an ice cold shower.

The doll room caught me by surprise. I was not expecting it at all.

Deb - Yes. Christian told Estefania that Reina and Andrés had been together in Paris and had returned home on the same flight a week before the wedding. I'm really intrigued by this bit of information. What could have happened between the two of them?

Sara - I also hate when these characters have more than one name.
 

Estefania just has that room because she's still suffering the trauma of losing her little girl (which we know is alive- Greta). So, she probably buys trinkets for the long lost daughter througbout the years. Cuckoo. Cuckoo. Cuckoo.


Ysidrio is looking better and better to me. I'm starting to have a little crush on the guy, move over Connie!

I believe that Victor has been trying in vain to sleep with Reina all these years, to no avail. Then when she lost her memory, he relished on the idea of getting another chance to get her into bed, without her being against sleeping with him. However, Reina inherently has this disdain for Victor which is working against his desires.

What we don't know is why Reina decided to go along with the wedding after finding out about how devious Victor is. Other than Clarita being her only motivation. But now we know that she and Andres know each other...so maybe it was part of the plan?
 

By the way, does anyone know who is in charge of the wardrobe department in this telenovela? There's a couple of things I want! And I keep trying to find info on the website (although I've only accessed it through the mobile format), and the opening credits. Where are they getting their clothes?



 

Reina de Corazones, ep. 8, miércoles

Part 1

Reina walks away from Javier and straight into the arms of a thug who grabs her, chloroforms her, and throws her in the trunk of his car. Javier sees it is about to happen, but before he can save Reina, a second thug intervenes and leaves him on the ground, somehow incapacitated.

The thug drives away, drumming a little victory rhythm on the steering wheel as he reports by phone that he has "the queen without a crown" and that Bolívar is under control. In the trunk, Reina comes to and pounds on the metal that surrounds her, calling for help.

Javier comes to and looks around.

Reina grabs her cell phone. She pretends to be asleep when her captor checks on her.

In his streeeeeeetch limo, the panorgasmic Stefi tells the diamond buyer she isn't for sale. She wants to know who the diamond is really for. He says it's better if she doesn't know: it's for someone that moves the world.

The buyer drops her off. Stefi tells Lopez that the buyer is offering to pay even more than she imagined; there's something more to this red diamond than meets the eye -- as rare and precious as it is -- and she's going to find out what it is.

Skanky Miriam (Lázaro's woman) shows good cop Christian into Andrés' office. Christian has a photo of Andrés and Reina together in Paris and asks what their connection is.

Intermission at the Aerial Circus. The gang mingles, scowls, flirts, threatens. Victor warns Greta's fiancé to make sure he does what he is supposed to do. Lazario gets a text message: the hospital has decided to give him a second chance!

Reina calls Javier from the trunk of the car -- "Someone kidnapped me! They're going to kill me!" He tells her not to cut off the call for any reason: "Think -- what color is the car?"

Andrés smiles smarmily at Christian. "Oh, of course, Reina! We met at a fashion show... We were... ahem... lovers. I was separated from my wife at the time, and Reina wasn't married yet. It was one of those things that gentlemen don't discuss."

Christian leaves him with the photo.


FLASHBACK
Paris, France. (You can tell because Reina is wearing a red beret.)
Andrés introduces himself to Reina, who sits at a bistro table, apparently waiting for him. She says they met years ago when she came to the casino looking for Stefi after Reina's fiancé had been shot. But now she wants to talk about his father. He didn't die a natural death -- he was poisoned. She shows him a copy of the autopsy report.

She doesn't know who was responsible. But she refuses his offer to take over the search for the truth. She is on a path of no return, a path that will lead to the truth -- or to death.

No one else knows about this. Reina will talk to Andrés after her wedding in Las Vegas in one week. First she has to make sure her daughter's life is safe.
 

Part 2

Flashback over.
Skanky Miriam offers Andrés a drink and a lap dance.

Javier tries to calm Reina. He tells her again not to hang up. He will call 911 from another phone. He is at the agency and Rocky is following his lead.

Greta's putz of a fiancé tells some guy, must be her boss, that it would be best if Greta were fired after his wedding -- he doesn't want a wife who flies through the air. "Just name your price." Greta overhears this and is furious. She kicks the putz to the curb.

Javier encourages Reina -- she's a fighter. "Try to remember the color of the car." She remembers -- it was sand-colored. "How fast was it going?" "Fast." "What sounds did she hear?" "It sounded like a street."

"What about the man?" "Not too tall, dark complexion."

"Are you still on the street?" "No, on a highway."

Rocky wants to call the police. Javier tells him not to -- they'll get her killed. He keyboards furiously.

Images of Greta performing, jubilant, high in the air.

Stefi sits in her dollhouse and does googles. She reads about the Curse of the Red Diamond. As she reads about the possible link of the beautiful gem to suffering and death...

...the audience at the circus gasps at the horror unfolding before their eyes. Greta loses control and falls from a great height. She lands on the grand piano with enough force to smash the instrument and send the pianist reeling backwards.

As Stefi's voiceover continues -- the curse is invoked when one of the three diamonds is separated from the others -- Victor and Susana watch helplessly as the paramedics rush Greta away.

Stefi continues reading -- only a woman, a goddess, is safe from the curse.

Now Javier is speeding in his car towards Reina. "Don't hang up the phone!"

The kidnapper's car stops in front of a house. The driver pulls Reina roughly from the trunk. She lets her phone fall to the ground. He sees it and stomps on it, and then hits her hard. Unnoticed by either of them, her cross falls to the ground. Her tormentor blindfolds her and forces her into the house.

Javier reports to Smith that they have lost the signal. He'll go to the last location he has.

Stefi tells Lopez she is going to sell the red diamond. If she doesn't, that man will try to kill her, like he tried to kill Victor de Rosas. "Listen carefully..."

Andrés, sated, dismisses Miriam. He stares at the Paris photo.

Reina's tormentor doesn't know why he has been ordered to kill her, but he can tell her that someone wants her to suffer. He calls on a second man, a lanky black man with a shaven head, and the two tie Reina to a chair.
 

Part 3

Javier drives up to the cell phone location and spots the smashed phone.

Reina begs for her life. The thug ties a gag around her mouth.

Javier finds the cross.

The thug begins her torture. He puts a tin pail on her head. Here's the game: if he hits the pail, she wins; if he misses, she dies. He aims his gun... Outside Javier hears a shot.

Victor blames Susana for Greta's accident. She says she'll kill herself if something happens to Greta. He says she won't have to -- he'll kill her himself.

The doctor calls the family of Greta de Rosas: she has very bad news.

The thug cackles maniacally. Did Reina pee her pants? That time he just fired into the air. The next time, he'll aim for the pail. POW! He shoots the pail off her head. Reina cowers silently.

SuperJavier bursts in, guns blazing, dispatching the shooter and at least two more of his henchmen. He is shot in the thigh. He tears off his leather jacket.

Lázaro reports back to work, coincidentally at the very hospital where Greta has been transported. He enters her room with some supplies just in time to witness a cardiac arrest. The team of doctors begins defibrillation...

...Javier removes his shirt, exposing his beautifully sculpted upper body and incidentally, using the shirt as a tourniquet for his leg. His gun is out of bullets. Reina's chair has toppled over and she lies on the floor, helpless, still gagged and blindfolded. One of the bad guys takes aim at Javier, but our boy overpowers him with his wits and his strength. What a guy!

Stefi and Lopez meet the buyer in some dark creepy place. He has at least half a dozen burly guys with him. He shows her the contents of two briefcases of cash. She signals to Lopez to hand over the black pouch. The buyer takes the ginormous red stone from the pouch and holds it up to the light. The deal is done. Everyone turns to leave.

But wait! A red laser target lights up in the darkness! Men in black masks are shooting and the buyer's gang is returning fire. Stefi crouches on the floor and covers her ears.

Javier limps over to Reina, straightens up the chair she is still tied to, and removes her gag. "Are you going to kill me? Who are you?"

Instead of answering her or removing her blindfold, HE CHLOROFORMS HER. "Perdón," he whispers. Then Rocky enters with a cadre of agents and they take charge of the scene.

The bullets fly around Stefi's head.

FLASHBACK
A little girl cowers among the dolls on her bed and sees a man in a black mask murder her parents. The murderer, seemingly unaware of her presence, removes his mask. She sees his face.

When the man leaves, the girl goes to the closet and pulls out a small boy who has been concealed inside. She hugs him.

"You can come out now! Hurry up." Lopez, left standing in a room of corpses, calls to his boss. Stefi walks over to the buyer's body, crouches down and takes the diamond pouch from his pocket. Then she and Lopez make a run for it, each grabbing one of the suitcases of cash.

Christian arrives at the hospital. Victor tells him Greta is in very bad shape. Susana joins them to report that the doctors were able to resuscitate her, but her injuries are so serious that only a miracle can save her. They say she should pray -- but to whom?

Isidro tells Victor that Reina is gone and nobody knows where she is.

Javier carries the still unconscious Reina to a fainting couch in her bridal salon. He strokes her face gently and tells her that despite her betrayal, despite his disillusionment, the love that didn't exist, despite prison, she is still his Reina (sigues siendo mi reina). With her he lived the best of times and the worst of times. That's why -- he pauses to put the cross in the palm of her hand -- in spite of everything, he still loves her.

Their love song swells.

Te esperaré
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nx_EcsSc-g
 

So I saw Eugenio Sillar in Maid en Manhatten and I don't remember him being this buff before rigght? I feel like he must lift weights a good hour before shirtless scenes because his veins are always popping out. His arms look huge. Maybe I just never paid attention before.

*SO does that mean there are 3 red diamonds out there?
 

Never mind! Turns out Estefania's doll obsession has more to do with the trauma of witnessing her parents get killed. Still doesn't change the fact that she's cuckoo. Oh! And what happened to her little brother?
 

terrific recap NovelaMaven!
and thanks for laying out the curse of the diamonds.

ah but when la Reina plus chair were laying on their sides,
the blindfold was askew,
and she saw the dragon tattoo.

do they get those little bottles of chloroform at walmart?

that first doll on the bed looked just like a young Catherine Siachoque,
that was freaky.

so someone IS trying to kill Reina,
and even Delfina seems to have some kind of scheme going on.

 

First off, this is a fabulous recap. I always enjoy your work. I think recaps are going to be important. We get so much information and mystery every episode and I never feel like I have enough time to process it.

If a woman or goddess is safe from the curse, then why is Greta is the hospital?

Thelma you and I may have to fight over Isidro. :)
 

NovelaMaven- thank you for the recap. I can't wait to watch my recording.


"do they get those little bottles of chloroform at walmart?"
Good one, deb!
 

NovelaMaven, I've come to expect terrific recaps from you, and I'm never disappointed. Many thanks!! This one cleared up some things I missed and was entertaining to boot. I was also heartened by your describing Navier as "somehow incapacitated" when he tried to prevent Reina from being kidnapped. I guess I've come to expect that Our Hero can't be easily brought down, and I was puzzled how it happened. I guess my puzzlement was justified.

Enjoyed your remark "Paris, France. (You can tell because Reina is wearing a red beret.)"

Why did Andrés claim that he and Reina had been lovers? Just so that he could cover up his earlier lie by claiming to be a caballero who doesn't like to talk about such things?

I'm enjoying this TN because the action is fast-paced, some of the actors are very good, and I get to improve (or try to improve) my understanding of spoken Spanish. But I'm nonetheless somewhat disappointed that the story is so chaotic and implausible. Yes, I know we're talking about a telenovela, and so "implausible" isn't really a useful criterion, but still.... I like Jean's characterization of the plot as "beyond ridiculous." I think it must have been written (or paid for) by beanie manufacturers.
 

Stevey, I've just noticed that my brief comment yesterday praising your recap seems to have included some invisible ink. "I your writing style" should read "I really like your writing style."
 

I'm assuming Andrés cooked up the we're lovers thing to get the cops off his investigation of his late father's death.

I've missed something though; is Cristian Palacios investigating Reina or Andrés? And did this investigation begin prior to episode one?
 

And Juanita I've already gone through several beanies! I can't stop watching though!

I wonder how many excuses the writers will come up with for Eugenio to take off his shirt.
 

Great recap, NovelaMaven. I am so glad to be watching a novela that you are recapping again. But I'm confused. I probably need a beanie adjustment. Why did Navier not reveal to Reina that he was the one who saved her? She called him on the phone, she was talking to him and he promised to help her and then he chloroforms her? WTF?

Ok, the red diamonds thing is beyond ridiculous. Shades of the curse in Victorinos. And the size of that stone! What does the supposed curse of the stone have to do with Greta's accident? Does Victor have the other two stones? He didn't have the third one until Middle-Eastern guy came to sell it, right? And there was no curse.

Loved the "if there's a beret, we must be in Paris."
 

Sara - I am using the chinstrap of my telenovela beanie hat, and also Scotchguarded it to give it a "teflon" finish. ;-)


Q --- who is the father of Connie's son? I think it is Lazaro but didn't pay attention who told him, during that motorcycle race, he's going to make him a father.

The Isidro/Connie subplot remind me of Salsero/Beatriz in AV.
 

Haha! Doris! I'm thinking of personalizing my beanies with cursed red rhinestones.

Roman is Lazaro and Miriam's son. Connie has been more like a mother than Miriam.
 

Just excellent, NovelaMaven!

I had two big laugh out loud moments last night. 1) When they showed Reina and Andres wearing barets because they were in France. Of course! and 2) When Navier ripped off his shirt to use as a tourniquet.

Oh, and 3)When Navier chloroformed Reina, because..why not?! Yes, where the heck did he get that from? And why did he do it, when Reina already knew he was working to help her escape? She did see a buff, dragon tattooed torso, so I'm guessing it won't be long before she sees a shirtless Navier and puts it together.

I think the trick to this tn is that they'll keep the action coming so quickly that we won't have time to ask questions about silly things like logic. :)
 

The mysteries/secrets are piling up steadily:

1)The mystery of who made/sent the blackmail tape which caused Victor’s daughter to commit suicide (leading him to frame Nicolas).
2)The mystery of what Reina was doing in those 7 years and why the heck she married Victor.
3)The mystery of what/whom Reina was investigating and what she discovered before the wedding.
4)The Mystery of the Curse of the Red Diamonds (LOL!)
5)The mystery of Navier’s background and true parentage (tied to his necklace, now with Reina)
6)The secrets of the FBI/Agent Smith and why they chose Navier to be their secret agent
7)The mystery of who killed Stefie’s parents, and who the little boy with her was
8)The mystery of who killed Stefie’s husband
9)The secret of Greta’s bio mother (Stefie)

Any others?

 

My assessment of God Cop Cristian so far...he's an idiot! Goons come after Victor and Reina, and instead of at least investigating BOTH of them, he's solely focused on finding out if Reina's shady. How is it that Victor has pulled the wool so far over Cristian's eyes that he can't even begin to think that there might be something shady in Victor's life/work/background? Por favor!
 

Thanks, guys! It's nice to have so many of us watching and commenting on a single show. You're right, Jean -- it's been a long time since we've been in the same conversation on this page, and I've missed you.

Thelma,
I don't know if you've commented before, but I'm happy to see you here. Maybe someone else has the scoop on the wardrobe in this show.

Deb, I'm glad you pointed out that Reina got a glimpse of the dragon tattoo when her blindfold slipped. I completely missed that!

Why didn't Javier want Reina to know he was the one who rescued her? Who knows? I would guess that he is trying for some distance now that he realizes he still loves her. Meh.

Doris,
To add to Sara's explanation, Connie and Lázaro are brother and sister and Connie is little Roman's aunt.

Also, you asked about the song that was playing yesterday when Javier was serving Reina breakfast. It's the Javier/Reina love song, sung by Eugenio Siller, Te esperaré. I added a youtube link to it at the end of today's recap.

This is a right-brain kind of novela. I'm content to bounce along, enjoy the absurdity and not ask too many questions.

Vivi, If I had to add to your list of mysteries, it would be this:

10) why are so many of us so taken by this goofy show?
 

@Sara - wait until they introduce Frank Marino! We are going to be fighting like locas :)
 

btw, at the start when Nicolas took off to help Reina, a bald guy with mustache jumped up and whacked him on the back of the head with a big stick, it was real quick.

ah, Gabriel Coronel plays Frank Marino

was there more to the curse, which is why Greta fell?

so I'm guessing that Stefi now wants all three of the diamonds
and she did have the buyers killed, right? so she could keep it.

interesting to hear Nicolas talk about there being no light in his life until Reina came along, and no light since, and intriguing to see hints that Reina is no fluff, but may be his equal.

 

NovelaMaven,

Absolutely!

10)Why are so many of us so taken by this goofy show?

and

11)Who keeps trying to kill/kidnap Reina and why? (likely tied to #3)

 

Sara - thank you for 'splaining about Lazaro & Roman. I thought Miriam was the one who told Lazaro she's pregnant, yet she never seems to do anything with Roman, so I got confused, what with tightening of my telenovela beanie hat...

NovelaMaven - Thanks for the info on the song. I really like it, especially the piano parts, so will have to bookmark it. It has a similar sound of Jhovan Tomasevich's theme song for Los Exitosos Gomez.

Who knew Siller could sing? On top of being a Batmanesque superhero + superbod? ;-)

The curse of the three diamonds is probably why Greta fell, since we in Viewerville know she is Stefi's daughter. No doubt Lazaro will be the nurse assigned to her floor in the hospital.

 

Great recap. Thanks. I ordered my beanies from Beanies R Us cause you never have enough for novela waching. Anyhoo, I hope we get some answers to those questions. I could add: what's Delfina's angles is besides pure unadulterated jealousy and bitchiness. What did Reina discovered just before she married Vic? Delfi said it to Vic. Andres looked fishy in his reaction to Reina was he the one who killed his dad)
Romy
 

Thanks so much, NovelaMaven. Great job, as always, on the recap. Also loved the berets in Paris line. I think that scene was the first one we saw of Reina after 8 years of living with Victor. She had on a LOT more makeup and was very cold and methodical. So this sort of ties in with what people have been saying about the kind of person she was before being hit by the limo; i.e., nothing like the sweet, optimistic, myopic girl who waited for Nicolás at the church.

Also, I commented a while back about Reina having stayed with Victor for Clara's sake since the child loved him as her father. And I had said that she would have had enough money from a successful business to leave. Lots of folks commented that Victor put up the money for the wedding dress boutique. But, even if he retained a large percentage of the business, the success of it seems to have been totally Reina. So, she would have had financial resources to move out with Clara and get away from a guy she clearly isn't into.

Vivi, I loved your list of mysteries. I must admit the "Curse of the Red Diamonds" does absolutely nothing for me. Up to that point the story was refreshingly different from other novelas. We all want to know why Reina married Victor and who's trying to kill her.

I had a hunch that last night's abduction might have been by Delfina. We saw Delfina take a mysterious call at the circus. And the thug was on the phone with someone, giving he or she progress reports. The only problem is I doubt Victor gives her enough money to afford a hit man.

I looked back and couldn't find the comment about Estefanía having set up the gunfight right after she handed over the stone. Do we all think that? I thought it was another of the balaceras we've seen in this novela wherein we have no idea who's shooting. She did take the diamond back from dead narco, but I thought that was just making the best of a bad situation.
 

Novelera- Note my snicker after listing the Curse of the Red Diamonds. That is definitely one plot line I could do without. Just silly.

I also thought Delfina could be behind this particular kidnapping plot since we saw her on the phone around that time, and she and Victor had that conversation about if he should, or she would bump off Reina. The various kidnapping/murder attempts could each have had different instigators behind them, and different targets (they could have been after Victor and not Reina that last time when they asked about the merchandise).
 

Oh wooowwwww. I had completely forgotten/not paid much attention to Delfina's mysterious call.

I am really glad I'm watching with eagle-eyed, keenly intelligent folks with excellent memory and attention to detail. I would miss a lot!!

I checked out Gabriel Coronel as Frank Marino. It's gonna be on, Thelma!! He looks like a cutie, too!
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

REINA DE CORAZONES - THURS PART 1

BRIDAL SHOP - NIGHTIME

Navier leans in for the kiss. Does he kiss Reina? No. He thinks about it twice and leaves limping. As he leaves we get a glimpse of his mighty fine abs.

BRIDAL SHOP - MORNING

Shall we take a drink each time Reina recalls the muscular back with the Dragon tattoo?

Reina awakens at the bridal shop. She's confused! She realizes she has the cross in her hands. She recalls the image of the muscular back with the Dragon tattoo (DRINK). She thinks she'll go crazy!

Reina hears a sound at the bridal shop. She goes to investigate. She grabs a flower vase and smashes it on Rocky Balboa. He chases after her. He tells her he means her no harm. He shows his badge - he's Detective Balboa. They are the ones who saved her. Reina was found unconscious. She was brought to the bridal shop for security reasons. NO ONE can know about her kidnapping! Why? Because they're making progess on the case and trying to find out who wants her dead. Reina is overwhlemed. What is she to do? Who can she trust? She was kidnapped! She had no clue who to call. She ended up calling Navier her chauffuer. Balboa knows. It was Navier who contacted them. She's safe thanks to Navier. Balboa will give Reina an emergency contact number. Victor must not know about her kidnapping because it could be dangerous for Clara. People will watch over Reina. The kidnappers were going to kill Reina. She doesn't know why they didn't kill her. They tortured her and had fun at her expense. It was one of the horrible experiences she's ever had. Balboa wants Reina to tell her something about the kidnappers that he can use to find them. All Reina can recall is the muscular back with the Dragon tattoo (DRINK). Reina is afraid not just for herself but also for Clara. She'd die if anything happened to Clara. Reina must not mouth a word of her kidnapping to Christian Palacios. Why? He's a family friend and a cop after all. Well, it's precisely because he's a family friend why he should be left out of this. Balboa's unit is above Christian.

Delfina comes in and Balboa hides. Reina! You scared me. What happened? What are you doing here? Delfina asks. Reina recalls the muscular back with the Dragon tattoo (DRINK). Nothing important. I had a minor accident. It's no big deal she tells Delfina. Balboa listens in.

Reina tells Delfina that she needs to remember. You don't know how hard it is not to remember. Delfina can imagine how hard it is. Reina wants to go back to her dad's house. That's where all her memories are. And Carmen is there too! Reina's whole life is back there. She needs to get her memory back. She needs to do it for Clara. Delfina can understand Reina wanting to leave her home but she can't understand why Reina would want her memories back. After all Reina was caught up in lots of lies, secrets, and deceits and maybe just maybe it is those skeletons and ghosts that want her dead. Reina recalls the muscular back with the Dragon tattoo (DRINK). Balboa listens in.

Reina is now with Balboa. Delfina is not there. Reina can't believe she could have been caught up in lies and deceit. She's a decent woman! Delfina never liked her. Maybe that's why she said those things. Balboa tells her to rest, take a shower, change, and relax. She'll be watched over. Reina asks Balboa to please find out if what Delfina said is true. I want to know who I am really am, she tells him.

Reina now alone tries to reach Javier. She continues to remember the image of the muscular back with Dragon tattoo (DRINK).
 

REINA DE CORAZONES - THURS PART 2

HIDALGO MANSION

Estefania awakens to the sight of Navier, the man she yearns and aches for (thanks Stevey!) and smoochies him. She realizes he's hurt and asks what happened. Nothing he says. Estefania knows something happened and it is because of Reina. She told him to forget all about Reina and everything. She wants to leave with Navier. Navier doesn't want to leave. He'll be there till to the end. Victor calls Estefania and tells her about Greta's accident. He needs her to come to the hospital. He'll send her a text with the directions to the hospital. Estefania tells Navier about Greta's accident. She's confused. Why would Victor want to see me? she wonders. She's worried about Great but doesn't understand it. She doesn't want to leave Navier. He's hurt. She wants to take care of him. He tells her he's fine. She tells him she's fine when she's with him. He's her opportunity to be happy. He tells her that it'd be good if she were to go and see Victor because the more she knows the more she'll be able to help him with his revenge. Estefania will go to the hospital. She tells him to wait for her there because she has things to tell him. What? Tell me know! he says. Estefania tells Navier that Christian interrogated her about a possible affair between Reina and Andrés, her stepson. They were seen together in Paris. Were they lovers? he asks. Christian is convinced of it. Perhaps Reina was interested in Andrés' money or she simply had the hots for him...says Estefania. Estefania leaves for the hospital.

Navier sends a message:

Code Red. Information on Andrés Hidalgo. Possible connection to Reina Ortiz. Bussiness partner? Attempted murderer? Lover?

Andrés walks out of his room. He's talking on the phone. He wants to sell his apartment in Paris. He wants to be paid in Euros!

Navier sneaks out of Estefania's room and sneaks into Andrés' room. Navier room raids it. He looks through drawers. He looks at documents. He looks to see if anything is hidden inside a book. I'm surprised he didn't flip over the mattress! He looks behind a painting and tada there is a safe! He scans the safe with an app on his phone. The app apparently gives him the passcode to open the safe. (I'm so confused as to how this was possible? Must be a good app. I'm gonna have to search for it at the app store) He takes out the contents of the safe - letters, a gun, and the incriminating photo of Andrés and Reina in Paris. He takes a pic of each of the contents of the safe. He puts the contents back. He puts the painting back. He hears Andrés and hides behind a curtain. Andrés grabs a letter. He walks over to the window and closes it. Navier is stuck on the edge of the roof.

Navier winds up in the secret doll room. Navier picks up a doll with the name Stefy embroided in her dress. The doll has diamond eyes!

He gets suspscious and sends a message:

Code Red. Information on Estefania Perez Hidalgo. Diamonds.

Andrés sees Navier coming down the stairs. He wants to know who he is. Why is he coming down the stairs as if he slept there? Well, Navier didn't actually sleep there. He could give Andres details over coffee. Is Navier the lover of Estefania? Navier doesn't like giving explanations nor being asked for them. Andrés had said he's the man of the house so Navier congratulates him for the lovely house. Andrés must have worked hard for it or he must have inherited it. Navier turns to leave and Andrés asks him if they've seen each other before. Navier doubts it. Andrés says he must have been mistaken then.
 

REINA DE CORAZONES - THURS PART 3

HOSPITAL - WAITING ROOM

Victor informs Isidro that Estefania is on her way and to be alert.

Juanjo is shown asking a nurse where he can find Lazaro.

Susana in tears tells Victor they have to say their goodbyes to Greta.

HOSPITAL - GRETA'S HOSPITAL ROOM

Susana and Victor are with Greta. Susana is in tears. She can't say goodbye to Greta. Lazaro offers to give her a sedative. They leave. Victor apologizes to an unconscious Greta for being a lousy father. Estefania comes in.

Estefania: I still don't get why you wanted me to come.
Victor: Greta is dying. I want you to say goodbye. Greta is YOUR daughter! Our daughter!

Estefania is shocked! Shocked! We aren't shocked because well they made this pretty obvious.

Estefania: What are you talking about? My daughter died. I held her in my arms...she was lifeless.
Victor: That baby wasn't Greta. It wasn't YOUR daughter.
Estefania: That's a lie.
Victor: I wouldn't lie in a moment like this.
Estefania: My daughter is dead. I visit her grave every week. I take flowers. I've grieved her death publicly and privately all these years. I've been suffering eternal heartbreak since the day she died. Don't you dare say those things! Don't say it!
Victor: Please..Greta is your daughter. She didn't die 20 years ago but she's dying now.

Estefania can't believe it.

HOSPITAL - WAITING ROOM

Lazaro tries to give Susana a sedative. She doesn't want any sedatives. All she wants is to be told that her daughter will be alright. She needs her daughter by her side. She doesn't want her to die. She wants her to live. If Greta dies she will die too. Juanjo eavesdrops.

HOSPITAL - GRETA'S HOSPITAL ROOM

Victor: I thought I'd never tell you. I thought I'd take this secret to the grave. But I think you should at least say goodbye to your daughter. And that if Greta leaves this world then her real mother should at least say goodbye. I'm sorry.

Victor leaves.
 

REINA DE CORAZONES - THURS PART 3

HOSPITAL - WAITING ROOM

Victor informs Isidro that Estefania is on her way and to be alert.

Juanjo is shown asking a nurse where he can find Lazaro.

Susana in tears tells Victor they have to say their goodbyes to Greta.

HOSPITAL - GRETA'S HOSPITAL ROOM

Susana and Victor are with Greta. Susana is in tears. She can't say goodbye to Greta. Lazaro offers to give her a sedative. They leave. Victor apologizes to an unconscious Greta for being a lousy father. Estefania comes in.

Estefania: I still don't get why you wanted me to come.
Victor: Greta is dying. I want you to say goodbye. Greta is YOUR daughter! Our daughter!

Estefania is shocked! Shocked! We aren't shocked because well they made this pretty obvious.

Estefania: What are you talking about? My daughter died. I held her in my arms...she was lifeless.
Victor: That baby wasn't Greta. It wasn't YOUR daughter.
Estefania: That's a lie.
Victor: I wouldn't lie in a moment like this.
Estefania: My daughter is dead. I visit her grave every week. I take flowers. I've grieved her death publicly and privately all these years. I've been suffering eternal heartbreak since the day she died. Don't you dare say those things! Don't say it!
Victor: Please..Greta is your daughter. She didn't die 20 years ago but she's dying now.

Estefania can't believe it.

HOSPITAL - WAITING ROOM

Lazaro tries to give Susana a sedative. She doesn't want any sedatives. All she wants is to be told that her daughter will be alright. She needs her daughter by her side. She doesn't want her to die. She wants her to live. If Greta dies she will die too. Juanjo eavesdrops.

HOSPITAL - GRETA'S HOSPITAL ROOM

Victor: I thought I'd never tell you. I thought I'd take this secret to the grave. But I think you should at least say goodbye to your daughter. And that if Greta leaves this world then her real mother should at least say goodbye. I'm sorry.

Victor leaves.
 

Oops. The above should read Part 4.

REINA DE CORAZONES - THURS PART 5

HOSPITAL - WAITING ROOM

Scumbag Boyfriend goes for coffee.

Juanjo and Lazaro talk about Susana's grief.

Victor tells Susana that he told Greta's real mom what happened. "I'm Greta's real mother" says Susana. "I'm talking about her bio mom. She's in there right now" says Victor.

HOSPITAL - GRETA'S ROOM

Estefania is deeply affected by all that has happened. She cries and tells an unconscious Greta: It's me. Your mother.

Estefania cries.

Estefania: Don't leave! I want to know what you're like. What you feel. How you smile. I want you tell me about your life. You know what I want us to do? Watch movies on Sunday afternoons while pigging out. Do you like action movies like me? How about flowers? The sunrise? Summer? Feeling the breeze on your face? The beach? Do you like dolls? You have a lot of dolls. I've bought you a lot all these years. Every year on your birthday, Christmas, New Years, every time I've missed you. I hope a doll can give you life like it did me.

Estefania tells Greta that all these years she has called her "Stefy". She now has her daughter with her and she loves her.

Susana barges into the room. She tells Estefania to get out. She's her real mother. She's been with Greta all these years because Estefania abandoned her. I never abandoned her! She was taken from me! says Estefania. Victor has come into the room. Greta opens her eyes. The monitor starts beeping. Panic in the room. Docs and Lazaro come into the room. The mommies and Victor are escorted out.

CONNIE'S HOUSE

Connie watches the news where they talk about Greta's accident. There is a knock on the door. It's Isidro. He came for his jacket. She tells Isidro that Greta's accident is all over the news. She had an ex-friend (who she never wants to see again!) that was married to Greta's father. She apologizes for yapping too much about her life. Isidro doesn't mind. He tries on his jacket. She tries to put some last minute touches on the jacket. He tells her that he never thought he would love trying on a jacket. He leans in for the kiss but there's a knock on the door. Darn! He asks if he can use her bathroom. He levaes. Connie opens the door. It's Christian. He shows her his badge. He's come to talk about Reina.

Connie has nothing to say about Reina. She kicks Christian out. Christian thinks it will be hard for Connie to find a hubby because of her attitude. He leaves.

Isidro comes into the room. He loves women with an attitude especially those who rebel against the law. He loves women who are a seamstress. He loves women who go to the circus. He loves women who blush. He pulls her close to him. He loves women who live the moment. He caresses her legs. Connie loves this. He turns her around and tells her that he likes her. They smooch. Connie falls to the couch. Isidro leaves. Connie fans herself.
 

REINA DE CORAZONES - THURS PART 6

HQ

Navier shows Smith the doll with the two diamonds for eyes. Estefania has a whole room full of them! Most are made of porcelin. He explains how he wound up in the secret doll room. Smith tells Navier that the two men he brought in were hired assasasins - one was to take care of Reina and the other was to take care of him. They don't know who sent them but they're investigating. Navier is starting to suspect Estefania. No one can be trusted.

Navier tells Smith that Victor called Estefania and asked her to come to the hospital. He didn't know Estefania and Victor had a stillborn daughter. Smith tells Navier that their daughter is not dead. Their daughter is Greta. But her daughter was taken by Victor. If Victor confesses the truth to Estefania then she'll will want vengence more than ever, says Smith.

Smith reaveals a part of Estefania's past:

Estefania survived a family masscare. Her father was a a Colombian arms-trafficker. He gave her with all the luxuries as a child. A royal life. Estefania had it all and never needed to ask for anything.

As she says all this we see images of newspaper from Bogota with the headlines:

"Ausute De Cuentas: Muere Traficante De Armas y Su Mujer" (Score Settlemnet: Arms Trafficker and Wife Die)

"Una Familia Destruida y Una Muñeca Que Llora" (A Destroyed Family and a Doll Who Cries)

"Cara De Muñeca: La Niña Que Se Salvo De La Massacre" (Face of a Doll: The Girl Who Survived The Massacre)

HOSPITAL - CHAPEL

Estefania prays for Greta. She hasn't done this in a looooooooong time!

Susana comes in and tells Estefania not to pray. Whoever it is that decides their fate doesn't listen.

Estefania now alone cries. God didn't listen to her when she asked him to save her family. Estefania wants God to save her daughter. She doesn't want to continue being merely a survivor. She wants to be alive.

FLAHSBACK OF THE MASSACRE

Smith as narrator: One night her entire family was massacred. Assassins entered her home and killed everyone. She witnessed all of it while still a child. She saved her brother. He was adopted but she wasn't. They never saw each other again. How was spared from the massacre? Because she was such a pretty little girl that was able to hide among her doll collection. After that, she no longer had the life of a queen. She was out on the streets and at an orphanage and she had to hide because they wanted her dead. She then got a job as a waitress. Then as an exotic dancer. Then she posed nude for magazines. Eventually, she became a porn star until she met the tycoon Artemio Hidalgo and married him. That is the real Estefania Perez Hidalgo.

Navier: If she was capable to hold her breath and hold still among the dolls without crying or screaming. If she was able to do all that while being a child then she's capable of anything. Well, so am I.

BIRDAL SHOP - OUTSIDE

Reina runs into Navier. Where you looking for someone? he asks her. I was looking for you, says Reina.
 

REINA DE CORAZONES - THURS PART 7

REINA AND NAVIER IN THE CAR

How did he know where she was? Well, he called the cops and they told him she was safe and soun at the bridal shop. He thought that sooner or later she'd need him. She apologizes for calling him in a panic yesterday. It wasn't a mistake to call him though. He asks her where he should take her. She wants to go back to her old home. She'll be there for awhile. Alone? Yes. She doesn't want to put Clara in danger. She'll miss Clara. What about Victor? No, she won't miss him. Navier tells her that Greta is dying. Navier lets her know that he hasn't told Victor what happened to her beccause he's no traitor.

HOSPITAL - WAITING ROOM

Christian tells Victor there is no news on Reina.

Scumbag Boyfriend goes for coffee again!

Carmen and Delfina show up. Carmen talks Spanglish and acts concerned.

Doc comes out. There was a miracle. Greta is stable. She's still declitate but there is hope.

Susana tells Estefania that she never take someone else's daughter. She always believed the mother abandoned her. Estefania tells Susana that she'd never abandoned her daughter. She was taken away from her. She's been dead inside ever since she thought that her daughter had died.

Reina and Navier arrive. Reina comforts Victor. Reina tells Victor to have hope. He asks where she spent the night. She tells him that she's fine. She needs for him to be fine. She asks him to take care of Clara. She can't involve them in something that is against her and no one else. She has to remember because now its a matter of life or death. He tells her that he loves her. He needs her. He's going through a lot. His phone rings. It's Isidro. He

He has two news:

One is that you-know-who was found dead. It was a settling of scores it seems.

The second news has to do with Navier.

CASINO

Andre is busy handling Miriam's melons. Knock on the door. Miriam covers up. She hopes it's not her hubby. It's Balboa. Andrés must come along with them. He's the prime suspect of the murder attempts against Reina.

NAVIER AND ISIDRO IN THE CAR

Isidro asks Navier to come into the car. Navier gets in. Isidro pulls a gun on him. You lied to Victor and my boss doesn't like being lied to, says Isidro.
 

I haven't had time to catch up with you guys this week. I will this weekend. One thing I really like about this novela is the music.
Sue in Miami
 

wow!

what an incredible recap Mauricio!
thank you so much,
and so many details, this really helps with my spanish.

yes, where do you get that safe-cracking phone app,
(I saw a show once where a guy had a light that would show which keys had lots of fingerprints on them and so it was a matter of figuring out how to arrange those keys)

speaking of circuses, Carmen dresses like she is in one.

I was really fascinated by Nicolas' analysis of how Stefi was able to quietly lie there amongst the dolls while her parents were murdered, which translates to a women that is capable of anything. (and I so love watching everything Catherine Siachoque does)

and after watching the fashion-disaster "La Impostora", I'm really loving Paola Núñez (Reina), what a sweetheart.

I love how this writer (Marcela Citterio) doesn't draw things out, it's more of a churn, where there is always something new to find out, and as she showed in "Corazón Valiente", it never stops.

and Victor, wow, he never misses an opportunity to pull the rug out from under someone, this guy is on a mission.

 

Terrific recap, Mauricio. Thanks so much!

Well, we still don't know if Estefanía arranged for the narco guy and his henchmen to be shot down so she'd get both the money and the diamond back. My hunch is she had nothing to do with it because she told her sidekick, whose name I can't remember, that she needed to sell the diamond to the narco because of the "Curse". I think the original plan was buying it from the Arab guy to thwart Victor and put him in hot water with the narco.

So Estefanía is going to be a more nuanced character than the usual female villain. Her love for Greta is a bit of a redeeming character. It was very touching when she told Susana she bought "Stefy" a new doll for every holiday. This made the doll room more understandable as not being dolls for herself but as a sort of connection to her dead daughter.

I hope they don't go with Greta being paralyzed.

Deb, LOL about Carmen dressing like a circus clown!
 

Great recap, Mauricio!! I particularly liked the Tattoo recall drinking game. You could get smashed.
Too bad they didn't call this novela, the guy with the dragon tattoo.
 

Ooooooh, Jean! Guy with the Dragon Tattoo!!! Love it!
 

Omigosh, Mauricio! I spit soda all over my tablet at the Miriam's melons line! Thanks for this stellar recap.

Did anyone else think that the diamond-eyed doll had hair like Eugenio?
 

Mauricio – Thank you for the recap. We're all going to need a designated driver for the drinking game.

Navier recovered so quickly(!) from that bullet in his thigh. No limping the next day when he sees Reina again!

I wonder if that smartphone App for cracking wall safe codes is only available to CIA agents, 'cuz it's not in the iTunes App store.

Really? Stefy didn’t go postal on Victor for stealing her newborn baby? Really? Maybe that’s coming in a future capítulo.

Andres is a scumbag, and I doubt Reina was having an affair with him in Paris.

My theory is that Reina was marrying Victor because there was some blackmail or leverage against her over something that is yet-to-be-revealed. I watched the first five minutes of the first episode again, to confirm her saying that love is not the only reason a woman says “I do.” Clara’s face was the only happy one at that wedding.

Jean - "The Guy with the Dragon Tattoo" ... love it!
 

Wow, Mauricio!! What a spectacular recap! So detailed and so much fun. And thanks especially for translating so much of the dialogue.

Loved your suggestion that we DRINK every time Reina remembers the guy with the dragon tattoo (and thanks, Jean, for the great title). I suspect we may have more opportunities in the episodes to come.

Meanwhile, all I could do last night was keep tightening my beanie. First, Navier is shot in the leg, and the wound is bad enough that he had to use his shirt as a tourniquet (YUM!) And to emphasize the point, he hobbles around painfully--for about five minutes, after which time apparently he's cured. How else can we explain how he's able to climb out a window and balance himself carefully on the very slanted roof to avoid being seen by Andrés? (I had the impression, BTW, that the letter Andrés sees on the floor was accidentally left there by Navier when he was examining the contents of the safe. The presence of the letter was what made Andrés suspicious that someone had been in the room, and so he goes to the window to see whether he can spot the person.)

Isidro didn't pay much attention to Connie's telling him about an ex-friend who was married to Victor, but I bet he'll eventually realize its significance. Pobrecita Connie.
 

Mauricio- Excellent recap! Loved the new drinking game. :)

Doris- I was thinking the same thing about how calmly Stefi took the news about Victor stealing her baby all those years ago. Maybe we'll see more reaction tonight.

I wonder if we'll meet her long lost brother? What am I asking...of course we will. We might have even met him already amongst our characters.

Miriam's melons...hehe. She certainly is quick to slip off the top half of that uniform! I don't even for a minute believe Reina had any interest in that slimeball Andres. I don't know how anyone else can either. Navier better not even entertain the idea. Blech!

Juanita- I'm pretty sure the whole reason Isidro is seducing Connie is because she used to be Reina's friend. He and Victor want to make sure they will be in the know if amnesiac Reina tries to reconnect with her old friends.
 

Vivi, I think you're mostly right about Isidro's motives in romancing Connie, but every now and then, he seems to have a more human side. I guess time will tell. Indeed, when it comes to this TN, time has a lot that it better tell!
 

I'm getting my dose of caffeine but I plan on getting the recap up by 11 AM central time.
 

VIERNES Parte 1
Isidro holds a gun to Navier. Izzy has no trouble killing Navier since it would be his boss Clemente who would pay the price (Um? Qué? I though Victor was his boss. The CCs said Clemente.) Navier gets the gun away from Izzy. He doesn't like being called a liar.

Lazaro is in awe of Greta's strength. He gives her a "fight, fight, fight" pep talk.

Izzy wants Navier to explain why he would leave a career as a stunt double to be a taxi driver. Navier explains that he was in love with a fellow stunt double, but she died in an on-set accident. Navier couldn't save her and now he wants no reminders of that life. Later in the episode he reports to Smith that the Izzy bought the false story. After the confrontation, Izzy calls Victor and tells him it was a false alarm. Navier is clear and Vic can get back to worrying about his daughter.

Reina is annoyed that Delfina didn't tell her about Greta. Carmen hands over the keys to Reina. Carmen will be caring for a sick friend, so Reina will be alone for a few days. Carmen tells Delfina on the sly that Vic will have to pay for a nice, expensive hotel. Carmen isn't sticking close to Reina if someone is trying to kill her.

Reina asks Estefania if she remembers her. Estefania says no. Clarita arrives.

Estefania goes outside and is comforted by Navier. Estef explains that Greta is her daughter. Estef is more determined than ever to get even with Vic. He stole her hija from her! She doesn't want Vic dead, she wants him to suffer. She'll do whatever it takes. Urp. Navier kisses her. Smith pages him.

Cristian needs to talk to Reina. He wants to know where she was. She says she was just walking. She denies anything happened and no one followed her.

Navier and Smith talk about his fake background. Navier thinks it's good Izzy and Vic found it on their own. That made it more believable. Navier wonders if Smith trusts him. Navier is still limping. Smith tells him to take his meds. A lame (rengo) agent is no use to her. They are questioning Andres.

Andres denies having anything to do with the attempts on Reina's life. Navier directs Rocky's interrogation. He tells Rocky to ask about the relationship with Reina. Navier catches Andres in a lie (Reina's body is not covered with burns.) Andres was not Reina's lover. Andres explains about Reina's investigation into Artemio's death.

Carlita got an A on her dragon story. Reina is affected by the "born a dragon, die a dragon" line. She remembers the Guy with the Dragon Tattoo (drink.)

Lazaro wonders why Connie didn't fix dinner. She's in a happy daze. Miriam comes home and passes out. Drugs. Little Roman freaks out and is dragged to his bedroom by Connie. Lazaro picks up Miriam and takes her to the hospital.



 

VIERNES Parte 2
The De Rosas housekeeper (name?) comes to drop of clothes for Susana and pick up Clarita. She warns Reina to not return to the house; she should get her daughter and go. (Seemed more threatening to me. Not really like a warning.) Navier asks if Reina is going back to her husband. She tells him no. She's leaving with Navier.

Greta is stable. She's out of the worst danger. Unfortunately the studies show that she's suffered a grave spinal injury. Greta is a quadriplegic. She has no use of her arms or legs.

Greta awakes to a visiting Estefania.

Navier brings Reina home. She makes her move. She's leaving her husband and life. She doesn't need a chofer. She needs her a man. They begin to grope at each other. She sees and remembers the tattoo (drink.)

Estefania explains to Greta that she's someone who loves Greta. Greta may not know her, but she loves her. Greta freaks out because she can't move or feel her body.

Navier carries Reina to the bedroom and we get another opportunity to drink. She goes to the bathroom to put on something more comfortable. Navier's gets a text. Rocky had forgotten to tell him that Reina saw his dragon tattoo. Navier tries to get her to come out of the bathroom, but she's already crawled out a window and is running the neighborhood (showing off her spanx.)

Greta continues to freak out. She remembers the accident. Doc explains that for now, Greta can't move her arms or legs.

Connie got Roman calmed down, but Reina shows up banging on the door. Connie refuses to answer and explains to Juanjo it's her lying neighbor.

Navier gets Reina back to the house. She challenges him to kill her. She thinks he's one of the hired killers. Juanjo knocks on the door. Reina assures him she's fine.

Vic is going to find the best doctors in the world. Estefania believes in miracles. Her daughter is alive, isn't she?

Reina wants to know why Navier wants to kill her.

Lazaro gets Miriam to the hospital.

Navier explains that he was the one that saved her from the kidnapping. He killed one of the thugs and used the chloroform to knock her out. The police came and rescued her. She doesn't believe him.


 

Viernes Parte 3
Navier tells her that if he wanted to kill her, he had plenty of opportunities. He asks about her sudden change. Reina explains she remembered the tattoo. She remembered the picture he drew of a dragon for Carlita. She put two and two together and kissed him (so, I don't follow the logic.) She wonders why he kissed her if he's not a perv or an assassin. (Ok, this is one of those conversations where I understand the words, but I don't understand squat.) He tells her he doesn't want to kill her, but he *does* want to make love to her. He moves in for the love kill and Reina notices his limp. Rocky shows up. Reina wants to know how he knew where she was and he explains about the surveillance (who is now suspended for ignoring the whole running and screaming like a crazy person.) Reina apologizes and then asks Navier to leave. He's going to wait in the car. Reina reiterates that she doesn't need a chofer and she's going to start a new life.

Estefania and Susana agree that Greta's health is the most important thing right now. Susana asks if Estefania had approached her because she knew who she was. Estefania says it was something like that. Susanna doesn't want to talk about it right now, though. She asks Eetefania to leave. Susana is her mother and Greta will want to see her, not Estefania. Sue also tells Vic to leave too. Wow. He actually does.

Lazaro feels bad that Greta will be a quadriplegic.

Catherine Siachoque chews the scenery. Juan gives us a more sedate performance. You took my child! How could you!!! Por qué??? She knows very well why! Vic loved her so much their kiss is interrupted by gunman outside the car.

Rocky and Navier are in the car outside Reina's house. Navier is starting to get a fever and chills. Smith calls Rocky back to the office. Oh, the diamonds eyes from that doll were worth 2 million dollars.

Vic and Estefania are taken to the scene of the Red Diamond shoot out by the dead guy's brother. Estefania asks what he's talking about and we get another Curse of the Red Diamond voiceover. Vic tells the masked guy to leave Estefania out of it (aha! so he must not have a clue that she's involved in anything.) Vic wants to talk, but not in front of Estefania. The masked guy refuses to move her, but she conveniently faints.

Reina takes a shower and remembers smoochies. She goes out to Navier and realizes he's sick. She makes him come inside. She asks if he's afraid and he confesses he's afraid of her. Hmmm. Someone was recording everything!!!!
 

I'm more confused than ever.
 

Sara – Thank you for the recap! This episode was another fast-paced ride.

I think the housekeeper’s name is Asunción. She seems to be the only person on Reina’s side, so she must be privy to all the skullduggery and nefarious goings-on in Victor’s house. I perceived her message as a strong warning, as in --- ‘take me seriously!’

I do not believe, for one fraction of a second, that Estefanía does not remember “anteojos”Reina.

Did we get a Univision-would-censor-this-angle shot of Reina when she stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel?

My LOL moment last night was when Lazaro unceremoniously dumped Miriam on that handy dandy gurney, like a sack of potatoes.

”Sara said...
I'm more confused than ever.
”
Sara …. me, too, but remember the wisdom posted on the left-hand sidebar of Caray’s home page:
"Just let it go, let your brain float like a canned pear half in partially-set red jello...
"Creemelo"
 

Sara, many thanks for your reassuring recap. I assumed that I was the only one who didn't have a clue as to what was happening and why. If I had been the one recapping, I'd have stolen one of your lines to stand for my response to the entire episode: "(Ok, this is one of those conversations where I understand the words, but I don't understand squat.)" Or, perhaps an even shorter version: "I'm more confused than ever."

I'm enjoying the rapid-fire action and I think some of the actors are first-rate, but I'm not sure how much longer I can continue with this TN: I can't afford my beanie bill!
 

Sara and Mauricio,

I had to scroll past your recaps (which I'm sure are wonderful) because I have watched the episodes yet. I'll catch up today or tomorrow. Pinkie promise!
 

Great recap Sara! I was semi paying attention because I was so tired and my DVR acted up so it was jumpy in some parts but you helped fill in the blanks. I should start putting the CC on because sometimes they talk to low and I can't hear what they are saying.

I think during the conversation bet Reina and Navier she said that she put two and two together about the tattoo so she kissed him thinking (hoping) he would eventually take off his shirt so she could confirm he had the tattoo.


 

Ah! That makes a lot more sense, Caroline!

Doris, the pear half in red jello quotes is one of my favorites. I had the same thought about that shower shot as well.

And Lazaro wasted no time explaining that Miriam was just his baby mama. He didn't take up the doc on her offer to let him go visit Miriam either.

Novela-Of course Estefania recognized Reina!!! I guess I could have made that clearer in the recap.

So what exactly do we know for sure? I hesitate to list anything since at this point I'm not convinced that anyone is who they seem to be.
 

Mauricio and Sara,

Thanks so much for the terrific recaps. Mauricio, I LOVE the drinking game.

Sara, I may need to have my ear trumpet adjusted, but I thought I heard Isidro say "en el mente de mi jefe" rather than a name.

I started to jot down "What We Really Know" but stopped myself after a few sentences when I realized I was on my way to writing a tome. We are actually juggling a lot of information in our brains -- it's got to be good for us, right?

And what's the story behind your latest avatar? (You've come a long way since you were only willing to show the back of your head.)
 

Ah! En el mente! That will teach me to trust Telemundo CCs. Sometimes I get lazy and read the Spanish rather than listening.

The avatar is my abuelo when he was in his late 30s.
 

WHAT is it with "veinte años"??? Every telenovela (or almost every telenovela) has had some msin character that has suffered for . . . veinte años.


 

Gah! Typo! "main" instead of "msin"......
 

Sara, thanks so much for the excellent recap. Not knowing squat is the status of all of us since they're veeeeerrry slowly showing us any clues about what's going on.

Especially confusing to me is who is shooting at whom and why in the frequent gunfights.

So the guys who grabbed up Victor and Estfanía work for the brother of the dead narco. I think he wants the diamond and also to kill them for revenge. Methinks he can't have both.

I'm really sorry they went with the vigorous young woman now being a quadriplegic. I've seen that in SO many novelas, the first being El Privilegio de Amar when it was the daughter of Helena Rojas' character. I could write the script myself:

1. Denial
2. Desire to commit suicide
3. Angry at world
4. Young man (Lázaro?) convinces her he loves her in spite of her being in a wheelchair.
5. Amazing doctor from another country operates on her and, presto changeo, she walks.
 

thank you so much Sara!
wonderful recap,

I wonder if there was any funny business with Greta's fall,

Juanjo is cracking me up, everyone is making like he isn't there, or wishing he wasn't.

I too wondered if Reina was baiting Nicolas to undress so she could look for the tattoo, (of course they are both dying for each other and any excuse would do), but it should jog her memory about him. I like it when she asks him if he's scared.

cop Christian is sure a strange character, especially with Rocky following him around, trumping everything he does and telling people to ignore him.

so where does Susana live, that threw me when Asunción brought her a change of clothes, she has her own place, right?

and did Greta's boyfriend go for coffee again or is he just gone.

and will Stefi miss her $2 million doll, that is if she gets out of this current fix.

 

And the Award for Best Quip of the Week...

Goes to JEAN for The Guy with the Dragon Tattoo!

Novelera, nice analysis of the quadriplegic theme. I noticed that these writers were careful to give themselves an out, though it remains to be seen whether they will take it. They specified that Greta's spinal lesion was a hematoma. At least that is something that can resolve successfully, so maybe Greta will get better.

Deb, I also wondered if there was something hinky about Greta's fall.
 

I did like that in Triunfo that the vibrant young girl turned quadriplegic did NOT get a miraculous operation. And the guy did really love her, wheelchair and all.
 

Thanks Sara for the great recap and to NovelaMaven for the quip of the week award.

I just caught up by watching the first week's episodes on demand. People have been trying to kill Reina since she woke up after her accident.

I loved how Navier was running after Reina (shirtless, of course, and no limping) and Reina hits him over the head with a shovel and he jumps right up again.

Another beanie moment was when Rocky showed up at Carmen's house. Navier looks through the peephole and says, "it's the police." He opens the door and there is Rocky, no uniform, no badge, no id but Reina takes his word that Navier is a good guy.

I also thought it was weird that Esmi didn't ask Victor WHY he took her baby. Maybe she knows based on the circumstances at the time but still...

It's fun though and I'm looking forward to watching it on Monday, which is more than I can say for some other novelas.

 

Thanks Sara!

I too thought Reina kissed Navier to get him to take off his shirt so she could see if he had the Dragon tattoo.

When Reina said she was out walking she added that she had been bar hopping. LOL

We'll have to start taking a drink every time Navier is shirtless. He's been shirtless so many times already! I loved the scene with him running around town without a shirt.
 

To be honest I am perfectly fine with Navier keeping his shirt off for the entirety of the series.
 

I am too. When you have it you should flaunt it. :)
 

"We'll have to start taking a drink every time Navier is shirtless."

Ay ay ay. Mauricio and Sara,

We'll either have to lay in a supply of club soda or sign us all into one of those Telemundo rehab places when it's all over.
 

"To be honest I am perfectly fine with Navier keeping his shirt off for the entirety of the series."
LOL! Let's hope it's in his contract w/T'mundo. ;o)
 

Sara- Another great recap from you this weekend! Gracias, amiga.

I'm all for this drinking game! To be safe, I will be taking shots of something non-alcoholic, as I am sure we will have plenty of opportunities to toast to shirtless Navier. :)

I saw Reina's seduction in the same way as the rest of you. She suspected he was the Guy with the Dragon Tattoo, and wanted to get his shirt off to prove it. And what a fun way to get his shirt off, too. What would she have done had he not had the tattoo? Would she have continued, or found another excuse to stop?

I thought it was incredibly cold of Connie to not open the door to a panicked Reina. I mean, what if she had really been in danger (highly likely)? There are people I don't like in my condo building, but I sure as heck would answer the door if they were screaming about someone being after them and needing help.

Fainting so that she can pretend she didn't hear anything. Smart move Stefi. Especially since she's actually the culprit they're after.
 

Vivi, I agree 100% about Connie not opening her door to Reina. They've gone too far with the humble friends from her past refusing her every overture. I also would open the door to ANYONE who sounded as frightened as Reina.
 

Novelera- I also think they've taken this Reina hatred by the ex-amigos too far too. It's not like she killed someone or their favorite pet.
 

I guess I'm done with this TN. I was watching at 1PM in the afternoon & all of a sudden, it's no longer on.
I do not want to miss, Mi corazon es tuyo.

Suleiman has a 3 o 4 hr marathon on Sunday. It is quite good. Suleiman, although not super handsome, is very sexy with a very sexy voice. It is during the Ottoman empire.
 

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Sorry, Variopinta. Telemundo replays the first two weeks of a new novela at 1pm but that's it. Can you watch on demand?