Caray, Caray!

Good Morning Y'all.

This epi was much better than the last two. Now the kids have grown up it should get interesting. Enjoy the recap ; )
 

Oh wow! Better than the first two? I'm about to go start watching now!

Thanks so much for the recap! I don't know how you do it!
 

I caught the last 15 mins of the episode, just in time to see Ana's brother die, but also her great escape. I was on the edge of my seat as that henchie chased her through the streets with a gun. Acacia asked her on the bus if she could help her, so she's probably going to help her hide out. That would be a good thing for the writers to do, to show that Acacia is not just a scowling shrew trying to screw up her mom's marriage.

Another fab recap, Mads. Thanks!
 

I've only watched up to the opening credits. I'm glad you mentioned Acacia helping Ana, Vivi. After watching her fit at the wedding and having seen the avances for this episode I was thinking that the Acacia character was going to be a spoiled brat.

(I'm reading recaps after watching. I dislike spoilers that much. Lol.)
 

Madelaine, another fantastic recap. I have found this grisly and am waiting for some light into the darkness.

Thank you for capturing the vey sad events of last night with sensitivity and dignity, especially Carlos' passing "Carlos closes his eyes and quietly dies". I totally lost it during that scene. Completely agree with you that I'm sure they never gave Carlitos any helpful medication, likely only some pills to keep him in a drug induced state.

I've never thirsted for vengeance for most villains, but I'm willing to make an exception in Danilo's case. He not only robbed Ana and Carlitos of their childhood, he made their lives a nightmare replete with severe physical and mental cruelty. He is responsible for Carlitos' death. I can't recall despising a character so completely after just 3 episodes...

So happy Ana got away! I really didn't think she would make it. No spoiler, but I suspect she hasn't seen the last of Danilo, and unfortunately, neither have we.

Acacia has been nursing her anger for quite a few years now. Vivi, I hope you are right that if she helps Ana "That would be a good thing for the writers to do, to show that Acacia is not just a scowling shrew trying to screw up her mom's marriage". I'm not convinced but am willing to see.

Madelaine, thank you. These have been 3 horribly depressing episodes, appreciate your diligence and hope things get a little lighter. I must admit I was happy to see Fabian Robles, one of my favorites! Lazy, shiftless, yup, that's about right.

Diana
 

Mads, thanks so much for this wonderful recap.

I finally got caught up last night and am really liking it so far. I have never seen a novela with Christian Meier but definately am liking him. This show has alot of people I like even Victoria Ruffo.

Last night I cried when little Carlitos died.

Can't wait for tonight!
 

Thank you, Madelaine, that was some great work, I especially liked the way you retold Carlitos' death.

Glad to see you guys are interested in this show. Christian Meier is one of my favorite galans, I'm looking forward to see what he does with what I suspect will be a very twisted role.
Wow, I had no idea Victoria Ruffo was so thin! I have to admit that she looks very good for her age. She and Ariadne Diaz actually look like mother and daughter - they even share the same green eyes - great casting choice.

We all know the actor who plays Danilo so we have to get ready for some despicable despicableness, I think.
I'm sure Acacia will come around eventually; when her mom married Esteban she was just a child, now she's older and hopefully, wiser.
 

Sara:

Thank you kindly. This was a really good episode.

Vivi:

Thank you kindly. I'm so glad Ana managed to escape. I added that Acacia wants to help Ana to the recap. I agree about Acacia and the constand scowling and trying to screw up her Mama's marriage. Do Acacia strike you as being jealous? She does to me.

Sara:

Yes, Acacia is a spoiled brat. She had Esteban all to herself until her Daddy died. I wonder if the constand rants from her are some form of jealousy. I can't wait to find out.

Diana:

Thank you kindly. I too cried like a baby when Carlitos died. He was so very young and I hated the fact Danilo kept them apart. There is a special place in hell for him. I too was happy to see Fabian Robles, he is always a great character for some snark. Oh, I too think that we haven't seen the last of Danilo, but I'm hoping now that Ana is grown up, she can get some retribution against him with Acacia's help.

Gloria:

Thank you most kindly and I'm glad you are caught up and joining me in recapping this TN.
Cristian Maerer is a hottie and I am really liking him here. The actor is only forty four. I'm liking VR here too.

Adriana Noel:

I am so glad to see you here and thank you most kindly.

I'm anxious to see what CM does with this role too. VR does look good for her age. She is so graceful too, I never noticed that about her before. I also like that she isn't sitting in the corner and crying. She has only cried when it was called for. She is smiling a lot here.
I really hope that Acacia turns the corner. She is acting with bitterness and jealousy I think. I know she was a child when her Daddy died, but Cris has only ever told her the truth. She just refuses to believe it.
 

Romy:

Yesterday you asked about the name Acacia. It is from the Greek and it is a type of thorn tree. The name means sharp thorn. In the Victorian age it meant friendship, elegance and secret love. It is a very pretty name and sort of fits Acacia, non?
 

Gloria, very, very happy you are joining Madeline in recapping.

Your recaps are always stellar. Great news!

Diana
 

Madelaine, I’m in awe that you have been recapping every night. You are a goddess! And what fun recaps. I wish I could help, but I probably won’t be able to even visit Caray much during this one.

And hooray for Gloria for volunteering.

Does anybody in Caray-dom know if this novela is being chopped down? The scenes seem to end very abruptly, and last night there was Ana running down the sidewalk with her gun-toting pursuer just yards behind her, and the next thing she’s on the bus with him nowhere in sight. How did she shake him?

Has anybody compared the original capitulo numbers with the number we’re getting? I’m down to my last little raggedy bit of patience with Univision cutting out big pieces of these novelas. I just finished up Ricos, which had been cut some during the months it was on, and then, as we got to the ultimas semanas - the stuff we’d all been waiting for- they started hacking out scenes like crazy.
 

Maggie, I don't have an answer to your question but I did wonder how Ana managed to escape her captor. You are right, she falls with him right on her heels and next, she is on the bus. That is something that was surely edited.

Diana
 

"Does anybody in Caray-dom know if this novela is being chopped down? The scenes seem to end very abruptly..."

That is how the episode originally aired in Mexico. So far, the only cut I've noticed is a bit of the rape scene in the first episode.

It's ratings are bad so far on Univision, though, so expect the worst soon.
 

Thanks, Mads... great job!
I watched most of last night (until Carlitos died, a little after...) ... have mixed feelings about this one.. I LOVE CM, and LOVE Brandon Peniche... i bet he appears now after the time warp... but i can't get into this one so far. that said, i will give it a couple more nights to see if i get into it...

 

I'm really struggling with this one. Can't get passed the ick factor and I don't like the Acacia character. Reminds me for some reason of Aranza. I'll see if the time jump helps but I will say it is filmed beautifully like most of these rancho stories are.

Ruffo does look good for her age and the 8 year time difference between her and CM isn't too noticeable but I do have a problem with hi being 16 years older than Ariadne's character. It just adds to the creep factor.

On the other hand it is interesting to see Televisa tackle some taboos which it is usually loathe to do.
 

Maggie:

Thanks so very kindly. As RG said this TN is not being cut, only the rape scene in the beginning was cut. I'm glad for that.

RG:

I'm not expecting anything bad yet. This one just started on Monday and even LQLVMR did badly the first week. It's ratings weren't stellar either. Now with this time jump, I think the rating will get better. The child sex abuse was hard to take here.

Marta:

I'm glad to see you here. Thank you most kindly. Carlos' dying was hard to take. Keep watching though, I think it will get better.

Decie Girl:

I hope you keep watching. Most galans in these TNs are older than the girls in these things. He is only 44 in real life and she is 28. I could see if she was eighteen or so. Then I would have a problem with it. Yes, I too am glad that Televisa is tackling some issues here. They tried to show that in La Tempestad, trafficking girls, but here, they really show what happens.
 

RG - Thank you for telling us that last night was shown the same way in Mexico. Interesting! Surprising, actually..

I'm intrigued by this novela so far, so if the choppy editing is just bad workmanship, I think I'll stick with it.
 

Madelaine---Thank you for the third time in a row. I am so glad that you got help. Until Urban told us how many hours went into recapping, I had no idea. Gloria--
I'm thanking you in advance, Madelaine sure needs the help. You guys are a godsend to us gringos.

Vivi---Scowling shrew? You have a way with words. I could never have come up with that.

I agree with Diana about Carlos not getting the medication that he needed. Something cheap and inexpensive was probably all that he ever got. An occasional Aspirin
or an Advil once in a while?

Diana---Three episodes? I despised Danilo from day one. I wrote that I had never thought about an anvil right from the start but I did with this guy. He needs the worst kind of anvil or vengeance. Nothing would be too bad for that guy.

Diana again---I also agree that Ana is not out of the woods. Remember that Danilo knows Norberto and Norberto knows Ana. If Acacia takes Ana to the rancho,
she surely will be found out.

Also---Ana stole the money. It could be argued that the money was owed her as back pay which she probably never received. However she did take it and Danilo
is an evil man. So no, I don't see Ana's sorrows ending at least not for a while yet.

Did anyone notice that when Acacia was a child, she had light brown hair and now that she is grown, she has dark brown hair. QUE?

The new guy that was combing his hair towards the end last night---who is he? Didn't Elena have a boy and a girl? Is this Edd Kookie
Byrnes guy Elena's son all grown up?
the gringo




 

Gringo:

Thank you most kindly. El Rubio, the new guy in the kitchen has been on the Hacienda since he was young. His name is Braulio, but his nickname is referring to his blond hair, which I believe he dyes. When he was a child he used to hang out with Luisa, Rosa's granddaughter and Acacia. He was in that scene in the kitchen with Luisa and Acacia when she was wanting to leave the hacienda. Now he seems to be some shiftless guy.
 

Gringo:

We don't know who's child he is. Elena and Juan Carlos are Cris' parents and Cris and Alonso only had Acacia, no other children. Rosa is Luisa's Grandmother.
 

Merci Madelaine for answering about the name Acacia and for recapping. I watched last night for the first time. I cried at poor Carlitos' passing. I bet he never got that treatment. Acacia is working my last good nerve as it is with her rant against Esteban. Sheesh give it up already. Anyhoo, I'll give it a try on DVR so I can FF if need be.
Romy
 

Sorry Madelaine, I'm still getting names wrong. I'm a slow learner. I said Elena who is married to Juan Carlos---I meant the lady that cooks for the family
I guess that's Rosa. There were three young children in the beginning, Acacia, another young girl and a boy. I was thinking that the guy combining his hair was the young boy all grown up. For some reason I was thinking that the young girl and boy were Rosa's children.
the gringo


 

Madelaine - Terrific recap. You are a living doll to recap this daily.

I followed La Promesa, a Colombian TN about three women trying to escape sex slavery in Spain, but I didn't watch it right before bedtime. Too dark.

Now that the poor girl has grown up and escaped, I can start watching the show again.

Even if Acacia believes the guy married her mom for the money, it's time to let it go. At least he helped her keep the ranch.
 

Romy,

De rein. And thank you most kindly. I am with you about Acacia, she is on my last nerve too with Esteban married my Mommy for Money. She needs to get a life.

Gringo:

It' okay, There were so many people at the start of this TN, I had to make a list and I add to it as soon as someone new is introduced.

Neice:

It is so good to see you here! Yes, Acacia and the constant rant. The whole thing is Esteban didn't marry Cris for her money. He just wanted to save that Hacienda and what Acacia doesn't know is that everything is in Cris' name. At least Esteban said he'd make sure that happened after they married. I hope he did this and then maybe Acacia will shut it. One can hope ;
 

Madelaine: Thanks for the recap and the meaning of Acacia. I've never heard the name before but it's really pretty.

RG: Well thank God Univision did us a favor with their cuts for once. That rape scene was already sickening enough.

I too thought Acacia was gonna be Aranza 2.0 but fortunately she seems capable of human sympathy with her helping Ana. I don't think she'll be as bad. At least she didn't splatter red pain on Cristina's wedding dress! I'm glad the time jump happened, now I get to see Brandon Peniche and see what all the fuss is about.

Cassandra G.
 

Thanks Mads! Deftly done.

Gringo, the three little kids in the kitchen at the beginning were Acacia, Luisa (the cook Rosa's granddaughter) and Manuel, the son of Norberto and Juliana (the one with a lot of hair; the other son, the one who got punished for painting irises, was German.) I don't know if we've seen Norberto & Juliana's boys as adults yet.

Maggie, I'm glad you brought up the sloppy, abrupt scene changes. I had the same question. Thanks, RG, for answering. It's surprising -- Televisa is usually very slick with transitions. Maybe they are doing some careless post-production cutting themselves.

About names:
It just dawned on me that La Malquerida was the name of the hacienda in Amor Bravío. In fact, that novela had a version of the core story within it -- Camila, her mother, and Dionisio, her stepfather.

And of course, as Sara reminded us the other day, here the hacienda is called La Benavente, an homage to Jacinto Benavente, the author of the play that is the source of the original tale.

Vivi,
I agree that helping Ana would be a way to soften Acacia's character. And she needs softening, doesn't she?
 

I caught the 1st episode but can't watch until El señor is over. So I'm trying to keep up by your great recaps.

In the 1st ep it seemed Acacia really liked Esteban, What happened?
Acacia thinks Esteban married her mother for her money????there was no money, how does she figure that?
 

Thanks, Mads, for this third recap in a row. I appreciate all the time you are devoting to providing us with recaps, and I am glad that you will be getting some help.

Since I have t get up at 6.00 , I am recording this show,

Acacia appropriately has green eyes because she is jealous . I wonder what will happen between these three.

The earlier scenes of young Acacia and Esteban reminded me of the Thornbirds and Father Ralph's relationship with young Meggie which was double icky because not only was be much older, but he was also a priest. So...what are the ages of the mother, stepfather and daughter supposed to be ? Do we know ?
 

Cassandra:

Thank you most kindly. About Brandon Peniche, you will like him. He's a really good actor no matter the role.

NovelaMaven:

Thank you most kindly. I didn't know that about Amor Bravio. I didn't really watch that one, but it is ironic that they named the Hacienda Benavente in this one, what a shout out.

Variopinta:

Thank you most kindly. I am glad you are keeping up with the recaps. And you are so right about the Esteban marrying Cris for her money, she had no money and would have lost the Hacienda if Esteban hadn't saved it.

Susanlynn:

Thank you most kindly. How is school going? I am glad you are able to watch. Good point about Acacia's eyes being green. I really don't know how old the characters are. I'm thinking that maybe Cris was in her mid thirties when Alonso died. Acacia may have been six on so when her Daddy died. I'd say maybe Esteban was late twenties, early thirties. Now Acacia is probably twenty one at the oldest or more probably twenty. Cris maybe forty and Esteban quickly catching up. We'll have to look for clues.
 

Yeah, I would guess:

Acacia: Early 20s
Esteban: Mid 30s (36ish)
Cris: Early 40s
 

Mads , I only have one class to teach this semester, and my department head is not happy. I have been at the college for a long time , and she usually gives me first choice of any classes that I want after she and the other full time person select the classes that they want to teach. I usually get two or three classes. However, we have a new dean in charge of the adjuncts , and she just gave out the remaining three classes at random.

To me, Acacia seemed to me to be around 8 or 9 when her dad died.