Caray, Caray!

Ooh Eli, I'm still shuddering after re-reading your last paragraph.
Anyway THANK YOU, great episode, so much going on and your astounding recap caught it all. I'm sorry you didn't describe the scene of Chris stripping down to dive into the pool...

So, picture this: gray-haired lady in front of the TV, forkful of sardines halfway to her mouth, stops and gasps "Ayyy...." as Chris strips off his shirt and the sardines fall to the floor. Cara de impactada.

Yep.

J in Oregon
Still recuperating
 

Gracias tanto, Eli! I'm heading off to bed, but I'll have more to say tomorrow morning. For now I'll leave it at Thank you, great recap, loved and agreed with all your asides and I am totally Team Lola!
 

Eli, its so good!!! Thanks for posting so quickly. Your last sentence is a good realistic kick in the butt for smokers. Sometimes you gotta be evil! Your boyfriend lucky he got you "reminding and planting seeds" to stop.
J in Oregon, it is a hilarious scenario picturing you with your sardines and going "ayyy" when Cris jumps in the water. As for me, I have a convalescing sister staying in my home sleeeping on my bed, I have a hospital bed in guestroom which I ending up sleeping on. Picture me middle aged, eating cheerios as I lay on my hospital bed, when he peeled off his shirt, I spilt the milk because I was happy, but not so much because he left jeans on! Drat! How can he swim with jeans on? If these young hunks could only see all the viewers on the other side of the tv and what they do to us.
Kinda fun to know what and how we all watch our fave tn's. Roberta is a sad female "desperado, when will you come to your senses." She is restless, and joyless, not judging her, but she needs peace. She is carrying around that she killed her good husband, who loved her.
 

Btw, Renato's Dad, who was caught making out with Roberta. Dies anyone know who he is, He looks familiar and I just dont remember his name or what tn's he had been in. Thx, goodnite, looking forward to reading everyone's comments tmo.
 

Thank you Eli! Your recaps are always such a treat, filled with great detail and snarky asides. Was ackward a typo? It's brilliant?

I'm also Team Lola.

And you zeroed in on Sev's line about Emmanuel. Complete denial? Red Herring? This Viewer wants to know!

I read the line "Well that sounds like a marriage from hell." in the church lady voice.

J in O - love your description! You should submit that to Jane!

Novella lover- howdy! I'm laughing at your description as well! Oh and you summed up Roberta perfectly! I love the Eagles.

Renato's dad is being played by Archie Lafranco.
 

Forgot to subscribe to comments. They should be good today.

I'm with you- this show really is a treat.
 

Awesome Eli, you are so worthy.

NL - the doc, Archie Lafranco. was in Por Siempre Mi Amor as Nicolos the bf of Gabby that killed his wife and was lured back to Spain by the popo after impregnating her.

Think I spoke too highly of Aldonzas smarts over the weekend, she could have least googled "how to be a nun" and not just showed
up.

Aldonza - teenage nunaway

Cris - here's some scissors, make em daisy dukes

Lola - come closer punk and you'll sing at a higher pitch

Val - "Be so subtle that you are invisible.
Be so mysterious that you are intangible.
Then you will control your rivals’ fate." Sun Tzu

Adelina - collateral damage

Dr. Alejandro - look son, there are whores and there are housewives and never the twain shall meet

Renato - I should kick your ass

Abelardo - I'm the only hell my mother ever raised

Roberta - what, I didn't inhale

 

Thank you, Eli. This recap was full of your usual snark and really called our attention to many interesting details.

Oh, boy. Aldonza goes to the convent? I didn't see that coming. I am conflicted about this. I was the recipient of a Catholic education in grade school and high school, first with the Sisters of Providence, then by the Christian Brothers. Like Jennifer Jones' role in "Good Morning, Miss Dove," these women and men literally gave up their lives so that we would have a good education, and they seemed genuinely happy to do so (with the exception of Brother Alfred, my freshman algebra teacher who never seemed happy about anything.)

Our first grade teacher, Sister Louise Gertrude, a tiny, kind woman, guided all 63 of us through not only the usual academic subjects, but also successfully prepared us to receive the sacraments of Penance and First Communion. Yes, 63 students. No assistants. All by herself.

So, while I am very thankful for what I received, I wonder how many of those men and women, like Aldonza, were hiding from something, unable to cope with what life had handed them. I cannot believe that taking vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience come naturally.

David

David
 

Wow, great recap Eli. Love watching this show after a long day of mind-numbing consultant complaining, and the cherry on top is the great recaps we get!

Ok, Val is on the dart board to stay. That is all.

LOL, J and Novella on your Chris moment. I on the other hand relaxing in my chair let out a "Yes!" and scared the cat on my lap, who was then ticked at me and stared me down the rest of the show. Sorry, sweetie, it was worth it. Let's hope Chris needs more of these de-stressing moments.

Crushing on Renato, so who does this sweet galan. And guess we are getting one of those sleezy bad doc characters. He and "Big Bird" should be the father/son duo. But, you go girl Lola!

Can I just say how much I love the actresses in this show shedding the egos. That breakfast scene was perfect with Rob/Ade. No makeup, that first thing in the morning look we all have. I kept thinking, if that was Ruffo, she would have perfect hair and a layer of makeup on. (Sorry to the Ruffo fans, but...).

Daisynjay
 

David- I love Good Morning, Miss Dove! I also really enjoyed reading about your school days. Who do I contact about putting Sister Louise Gertrude up for sainthood? 63 first-graders? Wow. I am in awe!

Daisynjay-I will be out shopping for darts today. Any special requests?
 

Eli, I savored your exceptional recap. I hung on every word!

Your details were so descriptive, you painted a beautiful picture and although I didn't see this, feel I missed nothing.

"...he dares her to deny his accusation, it's really a lovely scene and it's striking that he and the "maid" have such a loving relationship and that we have never seen that level of warmth and care between him and Candela" was an excellent observation.

It seems as though once Sev entered Roberta's orbit, his poison tainted her present and spread its toxicity, enveloping her future. She is free falling, sinking deeper into the abyss every day. And now, she is being used and abused by yet another.

And as what affects us affects others, Aldonza is further wounded. The poor girl! And let's not forget Adelina who has given up her own life to clean up after Roberta and to mother Aldonza.

Has Candela has met her match in Val? Not as outwardly dour, Val seems fully capable of going toe to toe with her future MIL. We can only hope.

Roberta cannot be fatally ill. Although I am enjoying all of the other actors, Susana is the heart of this for me. I am hoping for a miracle.

Novella lover, I believe Archie also was in Amores Verdaderos.

David, your comments (as always) were so interesting! So enjoy your perspective.

Eli, thank you for the great recap.

Diana
 

Eli- Ditto what everyone has said so far. I was nodding along with your asides.

Renato's dad seems like a chauvinist, but I really don't think his attitude is unusual. And he is actually dedicated to his work enough to provide Roberta with immediate medical attention, which is more than Doc Humberto provided last time she was in his care. That being said, I'm glad Renato does not share his dad's attitude about women, and specifically about Aldonza.

I'm taking this nun thing as seriously as the madre superior is, meaning not seriously. She is right that Aldonza is fleeing pain. I think what she needs and is looking for more than anything else is a temporary spiritual retreat. A bit of solitude to get her thoughts and emotions in order and to find peace. Right before she made the decision to go to the convent, we saw her fondling her scapular and thinking about the rape. There is a lot going on in her mind and heart and she just needs a bit of peace.

And speaking of scapulars, Cris was also fondling his and Dominga told him she gave Aldonza the same one when she was a baby too. It's the first time either of our leads has learned this.
 

Diana- Yes. Archie was in AV as Jean Marie's boyfriend and then husband.

I loved the conversation between Val and Pru. These two might appear to be clueless, but they totally know how to play the game. I was not surprised by Val, because we had already figured out that she was using Candela as much as Cande is using her. But Pru did surprise me when she gave her very accurate picture of the kind of suegra Cande will be.

Team Lola all the way! Loved when she pulled those scissors on Abelardo, and I laughed when she didn't let the fact that she was speaking to her boss stop her from informing her that her son is a good for nothing jerk.
 

Great recap Eli, thank you!

J in Oregon: bwahahahaha! Love it. I appreciated that scene myself, though he could use a little sun. The one time I remember my jaw actually falling open was during some scene with Fernando Colunga in a shower. All I can say about that: WHOA.

Vivi-ITA, Pru is more aware than I gave her credit for. Kudos to her for pointing out that leaving Santa Lucia might be the only way to keep Cande from running their lives.

Gringo - Here begins the Val spiral! As soon as she said she's just waiting to get married to flip the switch, I thought of you :)

Tofie - love that list! I would quote, but I'd be quoting them all!
 

Thank you for the recap Eli, i hope one of the telenovela miracles happen and Roberta does not die. Maybe the convent will be a good place for Aldonza to organize her thoughts
 

Eli - Great recap and thank you!

No puede ser! I actually am caught up and watched an episode (this one) on the same day it aired! Woot!

When Cris took off his shirt, I thought ---wow, a real body for a change and not some over-muscled gym rat look!
But really, dude, wet blue jeans weigh a ton. You could have ... erm .... SHOULD HAVE gone swimming in your boxers (or tighty-whiteys like the bros in FELS), and given us a real eye candy experience.

Tofie - great list ...Bwahahaaa

So ... the banns of marriage (amonestaciones?) have to be announced for three weeks. That gives us three weeks for ... what? ...
--- Aldonza to flunk out of Convent 101 and run home to Santa Lucia?
--- Or maybe Roberta will kick the bucket by then and 'donza will return to SL for the funeral?
 

Hi, Eli! Great, lively recap! Thank you so much! I'm supposed to be on a conference call so I'll come back later and read comments. Wanted to make sure I thanked you!

I know somebody has already said this but the first thing that strikes me is: What happened to that license/degree/certification with honorable mention you just got? I know, her head and heart are not in a good place right now: the high of the successful culmination of her schooling (besmirched by her mom not attending) and then finding her mom necking with Renato's (married) dad was quite a whiplash!

Shades of Corazon Salvage '93!

Ok, later and thank you again, Eli!!
 

Thanks, Eli. I always enjoy your snappy, happy recaps.

Archie (aka Dr. Don't) also was in Destilando Amor as the leading lady's Italian restauranteur bff.

gee, I was surprised that Al went to the convent. I guess she needed sanctuary. I kept thinking of Alborada in which the leading lady was sent to the convent to be a servant and her half sister (Iran Castille) was sent there to be a nun against her will by her miserable stepdad .

DAVID, I, too, love the movies ''Good Morning , Miss Dove.'' I watched it on the late, late show when I was a teen contemplating a teaching career.It reminded me of Miss Moore, the teacher who taught me lit, French, and Latin.She was unmarried and died the year after I graduated. Hats off to the sister who taught 63 students. Mist teachers can barely handle 30 at a time. My sister attended a rural one room schoolhouse just over the hill from our farm. That teacher taught all grades in one room. My sister once told our mother that she was second in her class. Then, Mother discovered that there were only three kids in her class.

So..Val is just watching her manners until the knot is tied.


 

Tofie..I love your lists..you clever girl. Thanks for the giggles.
 

Doris ITA about the swimming scenes in FELS...and there were alot of them, and shower scenes, and outdoor horse trough scenes, etc. Worked for me!

A surprise twist that Renato's dad was a doctor at the clinic. And with some ethics; at least he didn't try to shoo Roberta out of there. Too bad she is on the short list, it would have been interesting to see a love interest (even a shallow one) in her life.

Continue to be amazed and astounded by what good writing can do for a show.

J in Oregon






 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

Tofie--
Val - "Be so subtle that you are invisible.
Be so mysterious that you are intangible.
Then you will control your rivals’ fate." Sun Tzu

I KNEW this! In that scene at the outdoor cafe, Val was too meek with Cande and Cande's smiling her approval at Val's responses just had the feeling that Val had placed Cande where she wanted her on the chess board. Jeezopete! It is not surprising that Cande, the ultimate manipulatrix would be attracted to a girl who is the same. Although she won't like it, Cande should not be surprised when/if Val announces herself alphaBitch and puts Cande in her place.

The ongoing theme of the Owners demonstrating their Power and the servidumbre knowing their place was strong in this episode. Cande tried to put the screws to Cris to hold to these rules of class separation but Cris is resisting as he demonstrated in his "conversation" with Emanuel. I couldn't believe Cris chiding Emanuel, saying there was no reason for him to have an "attitude," and that he had not done anything to him. Emanuel insists on calling Cris "Patron" and is letting him know the easy, warm familiarity between them is gone.

Eli, you were right to put the part in bold where Sev said Emanuel is NOT his son. I think they are really calling our attention to this relationship. Above, when Cris was talking to Cande at breakfast, he very accurately picked up on Cande's having something personal against Emanuel. These scenes make it look more and more possible that Emanuel could go to the dark side.

Loved your observation about the wonderful maternal warmth Cris shared with Dominga. Cris could never share this with Cande because from that moment she vowed to the infant Cris that it was the two of them against the world, that relationship took a sick turn. Like everybody else in her life, Cris is just an object to be arranged and put in its place so SHE can feel secure and "happy."
 

Lila- Thanks for the reminder about the testy conversation between Emanuel and Cris where Emanuel kept calling Cris patron.
 

Tofie and Lila..,that was the perfect quote for Val.

Another quote that could apply to several of our characters is from Nietzsche...''The problem with staring into the abyss is that the abyss starts staring into you.''
 

You're welcome, Vivi. That was a powerful scene! Emanuel is getting more and more interesting! If Emanuel is on edge now, what is going to happen when he finds out "The Truth!" as one of our friends mentioned on the weekend blog! Yikes!
 

Wow, Susanlynn. If I understand that correctly, that could apply to Emanuel AND his [very likely] mother, Roberta.
 

That convo with Cris and Emmanuel annoyed me a little. When he basically said "Don't test me or..." I was like "Or what?!" Mr. We're Such Great Friends, or you'll fire me? Because you're my boss?" I get that Cris's point, but you can't force someone to be your friend anymore than you can force someone to love you. He's taking after his mom more than he wants to realize.
 

Yah, helleshelle, Cris's words and approach were diametrically opposed to the point he was trying to ake with Emanuel and his rejecting the power differential between himself and Las Animas' employees. His denial of having done anything "to" Emanuel was irksome.

I hope Emanuel awakens to the fact that Val is no prize, that he could not lose something he never had and that he fuel his life with something positive, not the bitterness of an imagined lost love.
 

I know that Aldonza just worked really hard for that degree, but I actually think it's healthy for her to take a time out from the world to get her mind straight before jumping into the work world. She went straight from small town persecution and rape, right into being 100% focused on her studies and nothing else, closing herself off emotionally. I would worry about someone like that cracking if they were going straight into the working world. I hope the nuns can help her find peace and get stronger for her inevitable return to hell town.
 

David, oh my, you harkened back such memories for me reading your comment. I too went to a Catholic Grade school, one associated with our local church, in a burb of Chicago back in the 60's. And YES!! I had a running 61-63 kids in my class all the way through. We actually had two classrooms per grade, each room with the same number of kids. We had the Order of St. Joseph nuns and lay teachers. The school was known for high tests scores so how those teachers did it was amazing in retrospect.

But I think this order Allie was her looking to join was just to run away from the world and that requires a much stronger vocation. My guess is she'll find out about Roberta's cancer and come back. I can't see her not reaching out at some point to Adelina.

Hey Chris, you may be the lead, and you're cute ( well hot actually) , but I agree, do not mess with my Emmanuel.

Sara, I think a really nice extra sharp dart would be good for the dart board. Gives everyone a chance to make their marks without tearing up the picture. I'm sure we may have a few characters we may want to rotate with as well.

I will now end my lunch break and go back to work replaying the pool scene in my head...helps makes the spreadsheets so much more enjoyable.

Daisynjay
 

Hee hee! Daisynjay!

Good point, Vivi. If she decides to stay I hope the bitchy nun backs off! She doesn't have a very Christian attitude! Sheesh!
 

My son-in-law recently got a masters in theology at a Catholic university and became friends with several Jesuits.
 

Congratulations to your family Susanlynn :)

My guess is B-nun is pissed at Aldonza because she can tell she's not there because she was moved to dedicate her life to God, and rather that she's running from something. She just doesn't know how serious that thing is. Aldonza certainly didn't help her case by just walking in and saying "I want to be a nun" and thinking that was all you had to do. B-nun can tell she hasn't thought this through and thinks that this is all an impulsive capricho.
 

I forgot to add that I think it's a little rude that Adlie approached it that way. I know she's seeking asylum and solace for her soul and I think the urge to do so in the church makes sense, but it was so clear she hadn't done her research that I found it a little insulting to the nuns.
 

hellashelle - I agree with your take on Aldie running to the convent, but she may not have had a lot of exposure to church, given her mother's activities. The telenovela hasn't shown us that she has a religious backgroud except that Father Geronimo is her uncle (or some type relative)
 

I think the most effective thing the Mother Superior could have done was accept Aldonza and let her jump right in to the regular activities of the convent. That schedule sounded grueling! I don't think it would take long for her to go back into the office with a newfound respect for what it means to be a nun and say "I'm sorry, I don't have the vocation for this. Thanks for taking me in, here's a large donation, goodbye!"

Valeria is a piece of work. I don't know if she's right about being able to ignore Candela as soon as she and Cristobal are officially married, but I'm looking forward to seeing her try!

I'm a little pissed at Abelardo's mom...Mari? I get that she's glad Lola stood up to him and didn't give him money out of the register, but that shouldn't be part of Lola's job description. For all their "I don't know how he turned out this way!" hand wringing, if this is a normal thing that he does frequently, hello! He turned out this way because they didn't put a stop to that nonsense sooner! I hope his dad's going to follow through on the "get a job or move out" threat, but I agree with the kid on that one--it's not likely he's going to be able to get a job in a week. Not with his entitled attitude and total lack of motivation and experience.
 

Well, though Adelina is close to the Padre, I don't think Allie had much exposure or experience with the church and how it runs. I put her approach down to a panic and deep unhappiness to somehow just make everything go away, as fast as possible.

As for the bitchy nun, well I ran into one of those once during a session for my son's catechism. Very tempted to point out to her that her feeling her so much better and holier than us common sinners was actually portraying one of the seven deadly sins of pride. There wasn't a parent there who wasn't having to eventually go to confession for wishing a certain sister get smacked up the side of the head.

Daisynjay
 

I think when Severiano says that Emmanuel isn't his son, he's just keeping up the lie. But in a way, it's also the truth. Emmanuel is not his son because Severiano is not his father. He's just a sperm donor.

"He tells her he does not care about Aldonza anymore-right, uhhu, we believe you." If he says it again while he's swimming shirtless in the pond and he looks deeeeeply into my eyes while doing it...maybe I'll believe him :D
 

Last Thursday Aldonza was in church praying for her mother to mend her ways and for her aunt and father's soul.
 

I'm sure Adelina had Aldonza going to church with her every Sunday. But even so, she may still not know the process for becoming a nun. And even if she did, she was just so desperate to escape from the emotions that were, in her words, suffocating her, that she would have still tried to get past the bureaucratic process and join the convent.

Yeah, her first 5am wake up call didn't go so well, so I don't see her sticking this out.

My first experience with nuns wasn't great-- mean nuns in Haiti who treated me like crap because they thought I was a local Haitian. But this past year, a group of nuns who run schools moved onto my org's floor in our office building and I've made good friends with them. They are lovely.
 

I'm loving all the reactions to Shirtless!Cristobal :)

tofie, I love your entire list. Though I do have a hard time picturing Val having ever read The Art of War. "Maybe she's born with it...."

Daisynjay, I too appreciated the way Roberta actually looked as if she had just woken up and not as if she'd already been up for hours and spent them in the stylist's chair!

Diana, I agree, Susana is a big part of what keeps me coming back, and I hope she's not going to leave us, but I can't see it going any other way.

Vivi, that's a good point about Doctor Sleazy. It's not at all unusual for a decent upstanding member of the community like him or Sev to have "something on the side." They were raised that that's just what men do and as long as nobody finds out--no harm, no foul. (Sev, of course, completely screwed that up and is now paying the price.) I see they failed to pass that lesson on to their sons, for which I am profoundly grateful!

doris, yay, you're caught up!

I wonder what Val is so afraid of with the reading of the banns. Does she think Abelardo is going to (a) even bother being present at church to hear the banns being read and (b) raise a stink about having known the bride in the biblical sense? Does she really think she can plan a wedding in that town without anybody knowing? I would think it's more likely for him to find out about the wedding from all the OTHER preparations than from hearing about it in church!
 

Thanks Eli for a full and complete recap. I have been waiting all weekend for the show and recap---really, not joking and you sure didn't disappoint.

No miracle for Roberta. I am the biggest Susana fan that ever could be and I REALLY, REALLY want her to stay around because even when she is a train that has gone off the tracks, her acting is brilliant. Susana is unbeatable in my opinion. BUT--Roberta is on her way out and probably very soon. We all must remember even if we don't want to that Roberta is the past while as far as this show goes, Aldonza is the future.

I would like to see her get even with Sever before she goes but I don't think that she will be around long enough. Maybe that will be up to Aldonza however, I don't see her as a get even kind of lady. It's possible that Aldonza may turn out that way though after Cande and Sever go after her with who knows what kind of evil they will force upon her.

I feel sorry for Renato. I guess that any chance that he had with Aldonza {if he ever had any at all} or even a chance to develop something is now lost thanks to his cheating father. He seems like a nice guy wanting to do right--too bad.

Lola---YES! I'm officially in the Lola camp.
the gringo
 

Diva: If he says it again while he's swimming shirtless in the pond and he looks deeeeeply into my eyes while doing it...maybe I'll believe him :D

Hahahahahhahahha! :DVivi:

My first experience with nuns wasn't great-- mean nuns in Haiti who treated me like crap because they thought I was a local Haitian. Uuuuuf! That's just mean! I hate hypocrisy!
 

I wonder what Val is so afraid of with the reading of the banns.

Diva. I saw something about this above. What does this mean?
 

I didn't realize Vale was afraid of the reading of the banns. (I was ironing while watching, so I might have missed this). I thought she was annoyed the the padre wouldn't let the rule slide given the position of the families in question. Maybe she's afraid time will give Cris a chance to remember old times too well?

I like that Cris called his mom out on her crazy logic about Emmanuel.

I wish Lola would mention to Irma that her son is making unwanted advances, but since she's not strong on tact, I'm guessing she can't figure out a gentle way of doing that? Still love her though!

Dr. Sleazy and Sev remind me of the guys in Alborada. Back in...whatever epoca that was (1800s, I think?) it was commonplace and seemingly recommended back then for guys to have their saintly wives and only sleep with them for heirs while they set up mistresses for pleasure, yes?
 

Lila - my understanding is that it means that the news of the wedding has to be made public and widespread for three weeks so that people have a chance to oppose it (for example, if they know that the bride and groom are really siblings or one of the pair is already married or something).
 

Oh, thanks, hellashelle. Is that a Catholic or a Mexican thing? Or both? Thanks!
 

Lila- It's a Catholic thing.
 

OK. Not just Catholic. It was done in most old Christian churches, but looks like the Catholics are the only ones who have really held on to the tradition.
 

Ahhh, I see. Thanks hella and Vivi. Jeez. Wonder why I never heard this before or musta heard it and chalked it up to one of the many words I just didn't understand. Interesting!
 

Diva...I have a funny feeling that Abelard was not the only local yokel that Val sampled during The Wonder Years. There might be a bunch who have known the blushing bride in the Bibical sense. Girl has needs and few scruples.
 

Yep, reading or publishing the banns is a formality, like asking during the ceremony "if anyone has any reason" etc. To me, the only reason to object to either of those is if you're expecting someone to come forward with an objection. Otherwise, what's the big deal?

But it's not like Valeria's also going to say "oh, let's not publish an engagement announcement in the paper" because, seriously? This girl totally gets off on status! So either way, people are going to find out she's getting married, right? So why make a fuss about the bans?

Totally made my "aqui hay gato encerrado!" alarm go off. Or, multiple gatos, knowing Val! Still, unless somebody's holding a grudge, I doubt they'd come forward. Might as well just cherish the memories of all those, ahem, special moments and wish her well.

When I was growing up, I always saw the notices printed in the bulletin, but I had no idea what they meant. I thought they were basically the same as the engagement announcements in the paper.